Cordkillers (All Audio) Cordkillers 588: What's the Tilly Tax?
Feb 18, 2026
A heated copyright fight erupts over ByteDance’s Seedance AI videos and celebrity likeness concerns. SAG-AFTRA pushes a proposed “Tilly tax” on fully synthetic performers. Wide-ranging chat on whether AI can replace filmmakers and how it reshapes creators’ tools. Streaming business maneuvers, big live-event audiences, and franchise rights and casting moves round out the conversation.
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Sponsor Reads In Studio Banter
- Hosts briefly ran Geico and Osea ads during the episode with light banter about job-site scenarios.
- The ad reads interrupt but fit the show's conversational style and sponsor mentions.
Live Events Still Command Audiences
- Big live events still draw massive audiences: Super Bowl ~125M and Puppy Bowl 5.3M across platforms show niche alternatives thrive.
- Hosts suggest viewers choose low-drama options like Puppy Bowl to avoid heated Super Bowl debates.
Nielsen Numbers Still Drive Perception
- Nielsen multi-platform metrics let networks brag comparably across linear and streaming channels.
- Tom says Disney used Nielsen numbers to validate The Muppet Show's early performance for potential continuation.