Strictly Business
Episodes
Pandemic Conditions Accelerate a ‘Metaverse’ of Media Deal Opportunities
13 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bart Spiegel, U.S. entertainment and media deals leader for PWC, offers his 2021 outlook on dealmaking in an industry that has buffeted and buoyed by ...
Introducing 'Must Watch: Netflix Edition'
12 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Each week, Observer senior entertainment reporter Brandon Katz and Hollywood Reporter contributor Jean Bentley highlight the new Netflix titles they'r...
Aryeh Bourkoff: How Big Media Can Change the Narrative in 2021
06 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Aryeh Bourkoff, CEO of LionTree, offers insights into how the pandemic has reshaped the marketplace and what that means for media dealmaking in the ne...
Making Sense of a Wild Year in the Streaming Wars
30 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Instead of the usual guest interview, this episode features co-host Andrew Wallenstein offering his no-holds-barred assessment of everyone who compete...
How Jessica Lessin Built a Digital Media Business by Covering Digital Media
23 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jessica Lessin, founder and editor-in-chief of The Information, discusses the growth of the eight-year-old outlet that has distinguished itself throug...
How Hollywood Dealmaker Thomas Dey Views the Streaming Wars
16 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas Dey, president and CEO of ACF Investment Bank, discusses the dealmaking landscape in media and entertainment, predicting that networks and serv...
How Producer Brent Montgomery Went From ‘Pawn Stars’ to Hype House
11 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The veteran unscripted TV producer and entrepreneur behind Wheelhouse discusses the building blocks of his three-year-old venture. Montgomery, the pro...
How Philo Keeps Pace in the Virtual MVPD Race
02 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For just $20 a month, Philo offers consumers more than 60 cable channels. It's a simple value proposition that has helped this venture stand out in a ...
Sinclair's STIRR Bets That All TV Viewing is Local
25 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sinclair Broadcast Group has taken the streaming wars to local markets. The TV station giant is expanding its ad-supported STIRR platform designed to ...
Universal Pictures Marketing Chiefs Look Back on a Year of Bold Moves
18 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Moses and Dwight Caines reflect on how they rewrote the theatrical promotional playbook over the course of the global pandemic as the first s...
Investor Mellody Hobson: 'If It Matters, It's Counted
04 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mellody Hobson, co-CEO and president of Ariel Investments, explains why she’s bullish on the media sector at a time of great transition for traditio...
How Women With Agency Run Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Lauren Neustadter, head of film and TV for Hello Sunshine, discusses the growth of Reese Witherspoon’s content production banner. One of the company...
Larry Wilmore Navigates His New Show Through the Trump Era
21 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The veteran comedy writer/producer/performer is back with another talk show on the Peacock streaming network, where he's up to the challenge of findin...
Ted Sarandos on Netflix’s Five Years of Global Growth, Controversy Over ‘Cuties’ and Management Changes
14 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Netflix’s co-CEO and chief content officer discusses the global scope of the streaming giant’s business during a wide-ranging Q&A. Sarandos de...
How Carlos Watson Built a Media Brand to Discover ‘The New and the Next’
07 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Carlos Watson, co-founder and CEO of Ozy Media, started his company in 2013 as a digital magazine venture that was dubbed by one reader “the love ch...
How Wattpad’s Aron Levitz Mines User-Generated Stories for Movie, TV Hits
23 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wattpad Studios head Aron Levitz and his team comb through the nearly 1 billion stories that members of Wattpad’s 80 million-plus monthly users have...
How Dare I Not Succeed? How ‘Love and Hip Hop’ Producer Mona Scott-Young Hit Big by Channeling Her Passions
16 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mona Scott-Young, CEO of Monami Entertainment and the steward of VH1’s “Love and Hip Hop” franchise, discusses the growth of the company she lau...
Reliving 'Green Book' History Through a New Podcast and Apple Maps
09 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Recently recreated in an Oscar-winning film, the travel route African-Americans used in the segregated south is being revisited not only as a new podc...
VENN Founders Eye TV’s Big Game With Streaming Network Launch
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ariel Horn and Ben Kusin, co-founders and co-CEOs of VENN, discuss how the “white space” in TV for content aimed at videogame enthusiasts drove th...
Disney TV’s Craig Hunegs on Steering 3 Studios and Forging a New Path for Talent Deals
26 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Craig Hunegs, president of Disney Television Studios, details how the Disney-21st Century Fox mergers create a TV production behemoth and why studio c...
Clive Davis on Producing a Biopic That Captures ‘the Whitney Houston That I Have Known’
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The music biz legend discusses how he teamed with “Bohemian Rhapsody” screenwriter Anthony McCarten to develop a biopic of Whitney Houston, the si...
Understanding Snapchat's Role in Political Coverage With Peter Hamby
12 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With the political conventions set for next week, the presidential campaign is ready to take yet another unpredictable turn. 'Good Luck America' host ...
How New York Plans to Restart TV and Film Production
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Anne del Castillo, commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, discusses how New York City plans to gradually get TV and film produ...
Hollywood's Big Challenge: Resuming Production in a Pandemic
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The dealmaking required to get studios, networks and guilds on the same page has gotten more complex than ever amid COVID-19, but that's what it will ...
CW Chief Mark Pedowitz on TV’s Year of Disruption
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
CW chairman-CEO Mark Pedowitz discusses how the network has revamped its fall launch plans amid the upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The e...
How Big Brands Blow It: Multicultural Marketing Startup Guides Companies Through Anti-Racist Movement
15 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Lori Hall and Jessica Lane Alexander, co-founders of the newly launched multicultural marketing firm Pop’N Creative, discuss their Atlanta-based sta...
LA's Laemmle Theatres Shares Its Struggle to Survive Amid COVID
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
CEO Greg Laemmle describes what it has been like to keep his chain of seven arthouse theaters afloat as they remain dark for a fourth month amid a COV...
Richard and Demi Weitz
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When the coronavirus lockdwon began in march, WME partner Richard Weitz was like any father looking to find a way to celebrate his daughter Demi’s 1...
The 'Watch Party' Trend Sweeping the Video World Amid Lockdown
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One key trend to emerge during the pandemic era is "watch parties," enabling socially distanced users to share a viewing experience. To explore this p...
An Investor’s Guide to Navigating the Content Business
17 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
James Moore, managing partner and CEO of Vine Alternative Investments, discusses the asset management firm’s approach to building a diversified port...
A Blueprint for How to Restart TV and Film Production in NYC
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Blair Breard, a longtime New York City-based producer, details the steps that a coalition of producers are taking to prepare for the resumption of pro...
Starz CEO Jeff Hirsch Doesn't Need to Finish First to Win the Streaming Wars
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With the streaming wars in full swing, Starz finds itself in a crowded market alongside bigger ventures from HBO Max to Netflix. But as Starz CEO Jeff...
How WarnerMedia Built HBO Max
27 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bob Greenblatt, chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment and Direct to Consumer, gives a behind-the-scenes look at the creative and technical development...
'Snowpiercer' Producers Forge TV Deals of Tomorrow
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tomorrow Studios leaders Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements discuss their efforts to blaze their own path through the global content landscape with ba...
Lily Singh Balances Late-Night TV with YouTube Stardom
13 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Fresh off a second season renewal for her NBC late-night show, Singh candidly discusses the growing pains of her first season in a new medium while so...
Growth Curve: How Paramount Television Studios is Handling the Shutdown
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Nicole Clemens, president of Paramount Television Studios, discusses the “triage” process of adjusting the division’s operations to the realitie...
Britbox CEO Soumya Sriraman Stands Her Ground Amid the Streaming Wars
29 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Britbox super-serves super fans of British TV series in the U.S., UK and Australia via a streaming service that has more than 1 million subscribers. C...
Entertainment Bankers Debrief on Paycheck Protection Program Loan Blitz
22 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Three top entertainment industry bankers go deep on the details of the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program loans. Martha Hen...
How ABC Reconfigured 'American Idol' Amid the Pandemic Lockdown
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rob Mills, ABC's head of alternative series, specials and late-night programming, explains why the network embraced "the show must go on" mantra to sa...
WarnerMedia, Spotify, NBCU Execs Discuss Coronavirus Industry Impact
08 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The media business is starting to absorb "the new normal" of life amid the coronavirus crisis, as reflected by a panel discussion held Monday in the V...
Dealmaker John Sloss Builds Cinetic into a 21st Century Media Company
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
John Sloss has negotiated every kind of deal and navigated every aspect of the independent film business, from lining up financing to advising on mark...
Can a Card Game Become the Next Big Media Brand?
25 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Exploding Kittens is the biggest sensation in tabletop gaming these days, but that's not the only reason the Chernin Group invested $30 million in the...
New Prism: How Gamechanger CEO Effie Brown Hopes to Level the Playing Field in Content Investment
18 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The veteran film producer doesn’t hold back in a conversation about race, money, movies and why said yes to leading an the ambitious Gamechanger inv...
Birth of the Mentor: How Documentary Veteran Stanley Nelson Supports Rising Stars and Mid-Career Filmmakers
11 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The director-producer behind the new “American Masters” documentary “Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool” discusses his non-profit Firelight Media ...
The 100th Episode 'Strictly Business' Retrospective
04 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As Variety's weekly podcast hits its 100th episode milestone, hosts Cynthia Littleton and Andrew Wallenstein revisit some of their most intriguing dis...
How One TV Startup Thrived in a Shrinking Syndication Market
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Debmar-Mercury principles Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein discuss the origins of the production-distribution company that is now part of Lionsgate. The ...
How A+E Networks Bucked the Trend and Fell Back in Love With Lifetime Movies
19 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rob Sharenow, president of programming for A+E Networks, discusses the exercise is “brand focus” that led to the revitalization of A&E Network...
The Secret to Keeping 'Kardashians' Kontinuing on TV
12 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How has America's most famous family stayed on E! for 18 seasons? Bunim/Murray CEO Gil Goldschein has the secret to producing the long-running series....
Why New TV Formats Present Challenges for Awards Mavens
05 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Adam Sharp, president-CEO of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, discusses how the digital revolution in television presents chall...
Pam Wasserstein Brings Her New York State of Mind to Vox Media
29 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Now that she's a few months into the integration of her magazine business with Vox Media, she shares what the process has been like and how the newly...
Mark Cuban is Bullish on AI, 5G, TikTok and...Movie Theaters!?
22 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The "Shark Tank" star pulls no punches on a wide variety of subjects pertaining to the tech world, from the importance of artificial intelligence in t...
Endemol Shine’s Cris Abrego on Embracing TV for the Americas
15 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Endemol Shine North America CEO Cris Abrego explains why the company decided to integrate activity on Spanish-language programs with the rest of the c...
CES 2020: A Very Special Episode of Strictly Business
09 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Join Strictly Business hosts Cynthia Littleton and Andrew Wallenstein as they make the rounds at the Consumer Electronics Show. Listen for insights on...
Chuck Lorre: A New Chapter for the King of TV Comedy
01 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Chuck Lorre, one of the most successful writer-producers in the history of television, developed new writing muscles and found a fresh source of joy a...
Los Angeles' $10 Billion Gamble on SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park
24 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Construction is underway in Los Angeles on Hollywood Park, a nearly 300 acre complex that will be the site of the city's NFL teams, SoFi Stadium. But ...
Two Film Financiers and a TV Producer Walk Into a Bar …
18 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Evan Shapiro, president of National Lampoon, discusses the effort to revive National Lampoon as a comedy content studio, starting with the Dec. 19 rel...
Inside HBOMax's Streaming Strategy with WarnerMedia CTO Jeremy Legg
11 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
WarnerMedia's CTO shares his perspective on what it takes to launch a massive streaming platform in a cluttered competitor environment. He discusses b...
How One Talent Agency Is Surviving the Writers Guild Standoff
04 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Abrams Artists Agency chairman Adam Bold discusses why his company signed the WGA code of conduct that allowed his employees to resume representing wr...
How Social Media Has Changed the PR Game
27 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The megaphone of social media has brought dramatic changes to the business of public relations. Sean Cassidy, president of New York-based public relat...
Why Fox Television Stations Have Embraced Trial and Error in Daytime
20 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Local broadcast TV stations are struggling to draw big audiences in daytime as fragmentation and an ever-growing number of programming options takes i...
Can the Internet Handle the Imminent Streaming Explosion?
13 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Akamai CEO Tom Leighton illuminates the complexities of working with media companies to transmit their content to consumers as quickly as possible. Wh...
Feel-Good TV Fights for Shelf Space in Land of the Giants
06 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Bill Abbott, president and CEO of Hallmark Channel parent Crown Media Family Networks, has the difficult job of navigating the independent cable TV gr...
NBCU's Linda Yaccarino on Peacock's Potential for Rethinking Ads
30 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When the upcoming new streaming service Peacock launches next year, NBCUniversal will find itself with an opportunity to rethink how advertising work...
Barstool Sports CEO Erika Nardini Learns From Digital Media's Past Mistakes
23 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As a veteran of faded Internet giants like AOL and Yahoo, Erika Nardini knows all too well where the digital advertising business went wrong. And now ...
The NBA Playbook for Changing How Games Are Watched
16 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
With the new NBA season scheduled to tip off Oct. 22, basketball fans have no shortage of options for how they take in the action on the court. But th...
Level Forward’s Abigail Disney and Adrienne Becker on Sparking the Change They Want to See in the Industry
09 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Abigail Disney and Adrienne Becker joined forces to launch content studio Level Forward in early 2018. The pair have vowed to run Level Forward as a s...
Listen: Jon Favreau on Maximizing VFX While Minimizing Disruption
02 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jon Favreau has enjoyed a varied career as an actor, producer and writer of some of the most memorable films from the past few decades. But it's his w...
Debra Lee: What I Saw at the Cable Revolution
11 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Debra Lee had a front row seat to the explosive growth of cable television during her 32 years at BET Networks. After making her mark as a leader and ...
How Gunpowder & Sky Makes Movies for Millennials
04 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On the eve of the Toronto International Festival, Variety's Brent Lang sits down with Gunpowder & Sky co-founders Van Toffler and Floris Bauer to...
A Showbiz Lawyer Satirizes Hollywood In His New Novel
28 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Kevin Morris is a respected veteran in Hollywood's legal circles for clients like Matthew McConaughey. But he has also carved out a nice side gig for ...
Comfort Food TV: Discovery’s Kathleen Finch on Nurturing Lifestyle Brands
21 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Kathleen Finch, chief lifestyle brands officer for Discovery Inc., might best be described as the executive in charge of comfort food TV. She oversees...
Revolt CEO Roma Khanna on How to 'Super-Serve a Super-Niche' Audience
14 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The head of Sean Combs' media business discusses the challenges of running the independent company that aims to be a hub for hip-hop culture in all it...
How CBSN Steers Clear of the Polarized News Climate
07 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
While 24-hour news networks like Fox News Channel go heavy on opinion, CBSN EVP/GM Christy Tanner discusses how her operation takes a different tack t...
How Walden Media Keeps Mid-Budget Films Alive in a Mega-Movie Era
31 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
New to theaters in August, "Dora and the Lost City of Gold" is just the kind of family-friendly movie you'd expect to see from Walden Media. But while...
Jon Steinberg: Why Digital Media has Become Akin to the ‘Drug Discovery Business’
24 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jon Steinberg, founder and CEO of digital business news startup Cheddar, discusses the company’s recent sale to cable operator Altice USA for $200 m...
Starz COO Jeffrey Hirsch Spots An Opening in the Global Streaming Market
17 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Streaming content is about as competitive as a business gets these days, but don't tell that to Starz COO Jeffrey Hirsch. He's aggressively moving to ...
Anatomy of a Reboot: How MTV Found New Gold in 'The Hills'
10 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jacqueline Parkes, chief marketing office and executive vp of digital studios for Viacom's MTV VHI CMT and Logo Group, breaks down the marketing campa...
How Scopely Turns Hollywood IP Into Videogame Gold
03 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Star Trek, The Walking Dead and Wheel of Fortune are more than just iconic TV brands; they’re the intellectual property powering mobile games on cou...
Can a Studio Make Movies for VR?
26 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
STX Entertainment is best known for movies like "The Upside" and "Ugly Dolls," but it also has a division dedicated to creating virtual-reality movies...
Disney's Dana Walden on tackling TV's 'existential crisis'
19 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dana Walden was already one of the industry’s most powerful television executives when she was co-head of Fox television Group prior to Disney’s a...
Cannes Lions Preview with MediaLink's Michael Kassan
11 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Cannes Lions festival will get underway next week at a time when media industry turbulence is at its peak, according to MediaLink CEO Michael Kass...
Mass Appeal CEO on building a hip-hop brand and content factory
05 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Mass Appeal CEO Peter Bittenbender discusses the relaunch of the one-time hip-hop fanzine as a content business active in music, digital, film and TV....
Fixing Hollywood's Supply Chain with Data and Deals
29 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Producer Jeff Valdez discusses his detailed study examining the root causes of the dearth of U.S.-born Latinx creative talent working in film and TV. ...
Listen: Spielberg's Amblin Chief on Making 'Movies in the Middle'
22 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Amblin Partners co-CEO Jeff Small oversees a bustling production powerhouse alongside Steven Spielberg that manages to make movies like the new sequel...
Listen: 'Catch-22' Producer's Plan to Go Big on Limited TV Series
15 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Between HBO's "True Detective" and Hulu's upcoming "Catch-22," producer Richard Brown has proved his mastery of the limited-series TV format. Now he's...
"The Audience is the Boss of Me": How Refinery29 has evolved amid the digital downturn
08 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Amy Emmerich, chief content officer and president North America for Refinery29, details the digital lifestyle brand's focus on organic audience growth...
The Future of Facebook With the App's New Lead Exec, Fidji Simo
30 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There's been no shortage of turbulence at Facebook given the myriad issues the company faces, from data privacy and misinformation to election integri...
"How Gabrielle Union Bet On Herself - And Changed Her Brand"
23 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Prolific actress and emerging producer Gabrielle Union has been on a hot streak with projects like the sleeper hit "Breaking In," a female reboot of t...
Sarah Barnett: ‘Killing’ It at AMC Networks
16 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The executive who oversees AMC, BBC America, SundanceTV and IFC discussed the tangible and intangible benefits that come from fielding a sleeper hit l...
'Game of Thrones' Marketing No Mean Feat for Final Season
10 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Enjoy an inside look at the promotional game plan behind the final season of TV's biggest hit from Chris Spadaccini, executive VP and head of marketin...
Imax CEO Richard Gelfond Bets on the Biggest Screen
02 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As the film industry gathers this week for the annual CinemaCon conference in Las Vegas, the longtime Imax leader discusses the new demand for exhibit...
Univision's Jessica Rodriguez on Shaking Up a Traditional TV Brand
26 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Under new leadership, Univision is taking big strides toward bringing a new look and feel to its primetime schedule for the growing U.S. Hispanic audi...
National Geographic Leader Sees Growth Ahead Under Disney Ownership
19 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
National Geographic Partners chairman Gary Knell outlines his vision of the growth opportunities ahead for the gold-plated brand as it and other 21st ...
Steve Mosko on Transitioning From Studio Life to Startup Mentality at Village Roadshow
12 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Steve Mosko, the former head of Sony Pictures Television and newly appointed CEO of Village Roadshow Entertainment Group, talks about his mission to b...
How John Penotti Could Get 'Crazy Rich' Beyond Asia
05 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
He may be best known for producing the 2018 hit "Crazy Rich Asians," but that film was actually something of an aberration for John Penotti. He's busy...
The 'R' Word: What Would a Recession Mean for Media Business?
26 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
With many economists predicting a recession could hit the U.S. economy in the coming months, the media business could be in for rough ride. But as S&a...
Red Bull Practically Invented Branded Entertainment. What's Next?
19 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
While known best for its line of energy drinks, Red Bull has been a pioneering force in branded entertainment. But in a rapidly changing media world, ...
A Radical, Community-Based Approach to Independent Production
12 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Radical Media is an independent company that is a stalwart of the New York film and TV production scene. Radical chairman-CEO Jon Kamen discusses how ...
Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens: Building a Startup with Scale
05 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The producers and partners behind Propagate discuss their plan to compete in the global TV market against much larger rivals. After an investment from...
TV Has Been Good to Steve Harvey. Just Not Good Enough.
29 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Though Steve Harvey may be one of the most omnipresent stars on TV across his many shows ("Family Feud," "Little Big Shots," "Showtime at the Apollo,"...