As autonomous driving and electric vehicles move from concept to reality, the battle for consumer attention is shifting to a new frontier: the vehicle.
At the recent TVOT Montreal, Jim Riley, President of Stingray Music USA, moderated a compelling panel titled “The car is the new couch.” Joined by Dave Noguerol (Bloomberg Media), Stephen Goldstein (LG Electronics), and Tu Le (Sino Auto Insights), the discussion explored how platforms, content creators, and OEMs are turning commute time into prime time.
The in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) space is no longer just about AM/FM radio. According to Bloomberg Intelligence, the total addressable market for OEM infotainment revenue is projected to hit $95 billion by 2030. Modern vehicles are rapidly becoming “tablets on four wheels,” offering a massive opportunity for content delivery and subscription models.
One of the biggest hurdles in the automotive industry is the mismatch in development cycles: automakers operate on multi-year hardware timelines, while media companies update software in real-time. Stephen Goldstein highlighted how LG is leveraging its expertise in consumer electronics to address this challenge. By bringing webOS into the vehicle, LG provides a containerized, platform-based approach that decouples the software experience from the vehicle’s underlying hardware. This modular ecosystem allows apps like Stingray, YouTube, and Netflix to be seamlessly integrated and updated independently of the car’s hardware lifecycle. For Goldstein, the goal is to ensure that the vehicle’s infotainment system remains dynamic and user-friendly, allowing for continuous updates long after the vehicle leaves the dealership.
You cannot simply copy and paste the living room into a car. Content must be tailored. Dave Noguerol shared how Bloomberg partnered with Hyundai Genesis to provide localized, multi-language live news specifically for the luxury vehicle demographic. As we transition toward full self-driving, systems are being designed to manage driver distraction while offering passengers an immersive, touch-enabled experience complete with Dolby Atmos surround sound.
Stingray has established itself as a key player in the IVI space, bringing extensive expertise to the evolving automotive landscape. As Jim Riley emphasized, the secret to success isn’t simply porting mobile apps to the dashboard; it is about creating purpose-built experiences. Stingray’s companion app puts safety first, serving as the central hub for the in-car karaoke experience. By allowing passengers to sync lyrics, queue songs, and control playback via a simple QR code scan on the vehicle’s console, the system ensures passengers stay in control of the karaoke fun while the driver remains focused on the road. This philosophy of “content-first” design is what transforms a standard commute into a premium entertainment experience.
Looking toward the horizon, Tu Le provided a critical perspective on the industry’s trajectory. He noted that major automakers like GM and Ford are aiming to launch Level 3 autonomy—where the car handles the driving and the driver can take their eyes off the road—by 2028. However, Le emphasized that the real disruption is coming from China, where the speed of innovation is outpacing Silicon Valley. With advancements like 12-minute flash charging and massive, first-class cabin interiors already on the road, the expectations for the vehicle are changing rapidly. Le argued that legacy automakers must stop being purely product-focused and become truly “user-centered.” Because the cabin will host multiple passengers with different needs—from a parent to a 12-year-old—the winners will be those who can provide highly customized, individual entertainment experiences.
The transition of the car into a connected media environment is happening now. For content creators, the message is clear: the time to build user-centric, in-cabin experiences is today. The car is officially the new couch.
Jim Riley is the US Division President of Stingray, a Montreal-based music and media company (TSE:RAY.A) that curates and distributes music, wellness and gaming related products globally. The company operates TV, App and OTT services including SVOD, AVOD and FAST channels on platforms like Amazon, Comcast, Roku, TikTok, Verizon & YouTube; Connected TV providers like LG, Samsung & Vizio, as well as top tier Advertisers across Radio & OOH Retail partners like CVS, Metro and Walmart. Jim oversees the company’s move into In-Vehicle Infotainment for leading OEMs including Tesla, BYD, Honda & Ford.
Jim is an avid music enthusiast as well as a TV and On-Demand industry veteran and was recognized as the youngest Cable Pioneer. A graduate of Fordham University in NYC, Jim started his career at AMC Networks before being tapped to join the launch team at E! Entertainment TV, where he directed business development for the digital division. He launched Guthy Renker TV across the cable TV industry and went on to co-found TVN Entertainment, which is credited with establishing the first national On Demand movie & TV business. Later rebranded Vubiquity Jim directed the team that deployed the largest VOD licensing and services business globally, supporting every major Studio, Broadcast & Pay-TV network, as well as specialty brands like the NFL, the Oscars & Grammys, and the US Olympics team, as well as a then young Canadian media company, named Stingray. The business sold with a successful exit after which Jim helped lead growth at Mediamorph and Bitmax, building new verticals across the TV and streaming landscape, prior to joining Stingray in the spring of 2021.
Jim is an outdoor enthusiast and plays bass in Venice Beach band VintagEvolution.
Stephen Goldstein is LG’s Head of Content Business Development & Partnerships for Automotive, Hospitality, Shopping, Art, v/MVPDs, & NEXTGEN TV – and he’s based in the LG’s North American headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Before joining LG, Stephen led BD at Cirrent, a connected product, and data analytics provider, now an Infineon company, advised geolocation, last-mile logistics, retail tech, IoT, and property tech founders and startups. He also spent fourteen years at Samsung Electronics, running Smart Home Business Development & Partnerships and the Pay TV / broadband devices business. At Samsung, he collaborated with retailers, Pay TV operators, and ISPs to synthesize evolving product and technology standards, use cases, and policies to help deploy millions of Set-tops and gateways.
Stephen holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife live in New Jersey with their two sons.
Tu Le is the Founder and Managing Director of Sino Auto Insights, a global mobility advisory firm helping organizations navigate the fast-evolving transportation landscape. He authors the widely followed SAI Weekly Newsletter and co-hosts two influential podcasts — China EVs & More and At The Wheel — where he breaks down the forces reshaping the global auto, transportation, and technology industries, with a sharp lens on China.
Tu’s career spans more than two decades across Michigan, Silicon Valley, and China. He began in Michigan’s auto industry, later worked at Apple and Logitech, and spent 13 years in China with Ford in Shanghai and at Chinese startups before founding Sino Auto Insights in Beijing in 2017.
A go-to source for outlets including Bloomberg, CNN, The Economist, Financial Times, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, Tu is known for his candid insights on what’s next in mobility. Now based in Detroit, he also mentors and scouts emerging mobility startups worldwide for investors.
Dave Noguerol is a seasoned media executive with over 30 plus years of experience in the cable TV business, broadcast syndication, digital sales, and marketing leadership. Currently, he serves as Global Head of Distribution at Bloomberg Media based in Bloomberg’s headquarters in New York City, where he focuses on negotiating carriage agreements for linear, streaming AVOD/FAST and audio for Bloomberg’s media portfolio, managing ongoing and sourcing new business development opportunities with distribution platforms and partners.
During the past 20 years at Bloomberg, he has led hundreds of new content partnerships in linear, vMVPDs, CTV, OTT, DOOH and TV innovation partnerships. Prior, Dave held various roles at Crown Media and News Corp., and was part of the launch teams for Hallmark Channel and Fox News Channel. Earlier in his career, Noguerol spent time at Viacom’s Showtime Networks managing distribution of Showtime, The Movie Channel and Flix.
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