The Town with Matthew Belloni
Episodes
The Young Movie Star Draft
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to conduct The Town’s first ever Young Movie Star Draft. Matt and Lucas must each draft three actors and ...
‘Anora’ Actress Mikey Madison. Plus, ‘Wicked’ Vs. ‘Gladiator II’!
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Live from Los Angeles, Matt is joined by actress Mikey Madison to talk about her new movie ‘Anora’, working for director Sean Baker, how she was c...
Secrets of the NBA-TNT Divorce Settlement With Bill Simmons
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by The Ringer’s Bill Simmons to talk about the painful split between the NBA and Turner after a 30-year partnership. They discuss why...
Disney’s Streaming Turnaround and Netflix’s Boxing Debut
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to talk about Disney reaching profitability in streaming, how Bob Iger managed to turn the company around i...
Digital TV Giants: Amazon, Google, and … Roku?
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Charlie Collier, the president of Roku Media, to talk about the most under-discussed streaming player in Hollywood, how it different...
Martha Stewart and When a Celeb Disavows Their Doc—With the Director!
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by R.J. Cutler, director of the Netflix documentary ‘Martha,’ as well as the upcoming film ‘Elton John: Never Too Late,’ to tal...
Netflix’s Greta Gerwig Situation, a Buried Clint Eastwood Movie, and Streaming’s Good Week
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the latest Warner Bros. Discovery earnings and if streaming has finally turned a corner in becom...
Winners and Losers of Hollywood Under Trump 2.0
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Axios media reporter Sara Fischer to discuss the Hollywood business implications of the second Trump presidency. They get into the p...
How Much Money a Hit TV Show Can Make (and How It’s Changed)
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by John Mass, president of Content Partners, to talk about how making money in TV has changed in the last 10 to 15 years. John walks us...
The Existential Crisis of the Cable Juggernauts
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Comcast's exploration of spinning off its cable assets into a separate company, which could pote...
Is There a Right Way to Use AI to Make Movies?
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Tobias Queisser, the CEO of Cinelytic, to make the case for AI as a tool and not the enemy in Hollywood. He explains how AI can help...
FX’s John Landgraf on Resisting the Algorithm, Green-lighting ‘Shogun’, and ‘The Bear’ S3
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Live from NeueHouse in L.A. Matt is joined by Lucas Shaw and FX CEO John Landgraf for the second half of their conversation about the state of televis...
FX Chief John Landgraf on Silicon Valley’s Effect on Hollywood
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Live from NeueHouse in L.A., Matt is first joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to revisit their movie studio power rankings and update their list of wh...
The Post-Pandemic Life of a Hustling Screenwriter
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by writer Bruce Eric Kaplan ('Girls', 'Seinfeld', 'Six Feet Under') to discuss the life of a TV writer and how it has changed over the ...
Netflix: Unstoppable or Overvalued?
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to first talk about Disney’s report that it would name a new chief executive in “early 2026.” Then th...
The New Era of ‘SNL,’ 50th Plans, and ‘Saturday Night’
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by ‘SNL’ expert, author, and journalist James Andrew Miller to assess the state of ‘SNL’ and go through some lightning-round qu...
The Secret Recipe For an Indie Horror Hit
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Cineverse CEO Chris McGurk to talk about the rise of independently financed horror movies and how to turn a low-budget film into a b...
The Hollywood Stock Market: Travis Kelce, J.Lo, DC Studios, Prime Video, Todd Phillips, and More!
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Live from Bloomberg’s Screentime event in Los Angeles, Matt and Lucas Shaw make their case for buying the dip or selling high on some of the biggest...
Is Hollywood Screwing Up Male Characters?
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Fergus Navaratnam-Blair from National Research Group to discuss the evolution of male characters on-screen in Hollywood and what the...
The 'Joker 2' Mega Flop and a New CEO at Sony Pictures
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ flop and its ramifications for Warner Bros. Discovery and the DC ...
Burning Questions for the Most Uncertain Oscar Race in Years
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by New York Times awards season reporter Kyle Buchanan to preview the 2024-25 Oscar race now that the table is mostly set. Kyle sets th...
The End of the $20M TV Host Era
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Puck’s Dylan Byers to discuss the economic realignment that is coming to television and the beginning of the end of the on-air sta...
How Should Movie and TV Stars Be Paid?
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss how the way that actors make money in Hollywood is changing, pivoting from up-front buyouts to a...
Lionsgate, Meta, and a Wild Week in AI
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Justine Bateman—writer, director, producer, and SAG-AFTRA negotiation committee consultant on the use of AI— to check in on th...
How to Make Your Own TV Show (and Get Netflix to Buy It)
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by actor, writer, producer, and director Mark Duplass to discuss the process of independently financing your own television show, as he...
Biggest Takeaways From Netflix’s New Data Dump
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Netflix’s latest “data dump” revealing their most-viewed shows and movies over the first h...
The War Over the Secret Nine-Hour Prince Documentary
20 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Sasha Weiss, deputy editor at New York Times, to talk about the battle over the nine-hour multipart Prince documentary helmed by Osc...
The Screenwriter Struggle and How to Break Through
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by The Black List founder Franklin Leonard to dig into the state of screenwriting in Hollywood and how the landscape has changed over t...
The Real Winners and Losers of the Emmys With the ‘Hacks’ Creators!
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to recap last night’s Emmys and nominate the under-discussed winners and losers from TV’s biggest night...
The Dire State of Movie Development
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
LIVE SHOW: LOS ANGELES, OCTOBER 24. Click here for tickets! Matt is joined by producer David Beaubaire to discuss the troubled state of movie develop...
Seth Meyers on Late Night’s Future, 'SNL' 50, and Lorne’s Successor
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Seth Meyers to discuss the evolving state of late-night television, making content that will work on digital, and the growing trend ...
Five Burning Hollywood Questions for the Rest of 2024
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to pose their five biggest questions about the entertainment industry for the remainder of 2024. They discu...
How to Choose the Right Festival to Premiere Your Movie
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s fall festival season! Matt is joined by Peter Kujawski, the chairman of Focus Features, to discuss the science of premiering a movie at a film ...
Who's to Blame for the ESPN Blackout?
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the contentious TV carriage dispute between Disney and DirecTV, leaving millions of customers un...
Should Someone Step In to Save Warner Bros. Discovery?
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by media analyst Steven Cahall to talk about Warner Bros. Discovery, which continues to struggle despite its slew of amazing assets, an...
Summer Box Office Winners, Losers, and Head-Scratchers
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt welcomes back Puck’s Scott Mendelson to judge their early May box office predictions for this summer's most anticipated blockbusters, including...
The Billionaire Battle for Paramount and the Return of 'Ted Lasso'
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Puck’s William D. Cohan to discuss the never-ending battle for control of Paramount, which has been further complicated by an 11th...
Are Expensive Showrunner Deals Worth It?
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Lesley Goldberg, former TV editor of The Hollywood Reporter, to look at the most costly showrunner deals of the peak TV era and dete...
The Arms Race Behind Where Movies Shoot
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Joe Chianese, SVP of Incentives at Entertainment Partners, to talk about where movies are being shot these days, how tax incentives ...
A New Setback in Hollywood's Cable Crisis
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by CNBC media and sports reporter Alex Sherman to talk about the delayed launch of Venu, the planned sports streaming venture by ESPN, ...
The Legacy of the Infamous Sony Hack, 10 Years Later
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by podcaster and journalist Brian Raftery to talk about the 10-year anniversary of the infamous Sony hack, how it changed the perceptio...
Kamala’s Hollywood Connections: Do They Help or Hurt?
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Puck senior political correspondent Tara Palmeri to discuss Hollywood’s place in the 2024 election now that Kamala Harris is the D...
Why Can’t Apple Figure Out Movies?
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Apple’s puzzling film strategy after the company's latest announcement that ‘Wolfs,' an acti...
The Biggest Losers of Hollywood’s Cable-pocalypse
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by LightShed media analyst Rich Greenfield to discuss the newest and most dire stage of the linear TV meltdown, with multi-billion-doll...
Disney’s Streaming Profits and Parks Problem
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by NYT staff reporter Brooks Barnes to discuss the latest Disney earnings report, which resulted in a drop in stock price after Disney ...
Has the Music Industry Peaked?
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss whether it's time to panic for the music industry after shares of Universal Music Group tanked d...
The 2024 Intellectual Property Draft
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw for the second ever IP Draft! They first revisit their last IP Draft, then draft a whole new team of intell...
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and Marketing Disney’s First R-Rated Marvel Movie
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Disney’s chief brand officer and president of marketing, Asad Ayaz, to talk about releasing Disney’s first R-rated Marvel film i...
WBD’s Billion-Dollar War on the NBA
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Warner Bros. Discovery’s lawsuit against the NBA after the NBA rejected WBD’s matching offer...
The High Stakes of Broadcasting the Olympics
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Mark Lazarus, NBCUniversal Media Group chairman, to discuss the business behind broadcasting the Olympics, how these Games will feel...
Is Netflix or YouTube the King in Streaming?
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Netflix’s strong second-quarter earnings, and how the company’s strong numbers might weaken ...
Warner's M&A Options and an NBA Rights Scoop
19 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Jessica Reif Ehrlich, a senior media and entertainment analyst at BofA Securities, to discuss the floundering Warner Bros. Discovery...
The 'Star Wars' Ratings Problem and What To Do Next
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Luminate’s director of business development, Jimmy Doyle, to discuss the state of the 'Star Wars' franchise, its lack of theatrica...
Does Hollywood Need Deregulation?
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s latest comments from the Sun Valley conference, duri...
Betting on Theaters, Embracing Tech, and ‘Wicked’ With Director Jon M. Chu
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by director Jon M. Chu to discuss how he made it in Hollywood, his career-altering move to pass on Netflix and bet on movie theaters wi...
Burning Questions About the Future of Paramount
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to look at what the future holds for Paramount now that David Ellison has purchased the legacy media compan...
Skydance’s David Ellison on His Plans for Paramount
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Skydance CEO David Ellison and RedBird Capital's Gerry Cardinale to discuss Ellison’s acquisition of Shari Redstone’s family com...
The NFL's $15B Sunday Ticket Problem
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Puck’s John Ourand to break down the multibillion-dollar NFL ‘Sunday Ticket’ lawsuit when a jury in the U.S. District Court or...
The Biggest Over- and Underreactions of the First Half of 2024
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to look back on the first half of 2024 and highlight the stories they believe were most over- and undercove...
Will the Debate Debacle Revive TV News?
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by journalist, podcast host, and cofounder of Semafor, Ben Smith, to discuss how last night's dispiriting debate will affect CNN and th...
How Much Kevin Costner Stands to Win or Lose on ‘Horizon’
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by longtime producer Mark Gill to break down the finances of Kevin Costner’s ‘Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 1.’ He explains...
Is Hollywood Really That Effed Up?
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss if Hollywood is struggling as much as the media says it is. They run through a slew of issues, i...
Hollywood’s Big Big Tech Problem
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Scott Galloway, a professor of marketing at the NYU Stern School of Business, author, and podcast host, to look back on the fallout ...
Sony Bought a Movie Theatre Chain. Plus, Pixar’s Big Comeback
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Sony Pictures' acquisition of the Alamo Drafthouse movie theater chain, what this move says abou...
Jon Stewart on AI Fears, Election Plans, and ‘Daily Show’ End Date
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is back with the second half of his conversation with Jon Stewart to discuss how Hollywood should handle the AI issue, how Viacom let John Oliver...
Jon Stewart Talks Apple Split, Corporate Constraints, and Media’s Regression
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Jon Stewart to discuss his return to ‘The Daily Show,’ why he and Apple were not a great fit, and how the media, political, and ...
Paramount-Skydance Is Dead. What Now?
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt and Lightshed media analyst Rich Greenfield react to Shari Redstone calling off the Paramount-Skydance deal at the eleventh hour after a sale see...
Will Smith’s Comeback and the Butts-in-Seats Star Ranking
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Will Smith’s return to box office stardom after the success of ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ and...
The Science of Green-Lighting Movies
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Joshua Lynn, the president of Piedmont Media Research, to discuss the research studios use to determine what people want out of thei...
Is Netflix Fumbling Ads?
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by ad industry insider Michael Kassan to discuss the newest frontier in streaming: advertising! Michael and Matt take a look specifical...
The 2024 Summer Concert Tour Draft
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw for the first summer concert tour draft (02:34). They each draft four musical acts that will be touring thi...
TV Viewers Are Getting Old. Do Advertisers Care?
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Wall Street Journal reporter Isabella Simonetti to discuss an article she wrote that focuses on the older ages of television viewers...
The Memorial Day Box Office Meltdown
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the terrible Memorial Day box office weekend (02:36). They discuss the potential fallout from th...
Everyone Hates Ticketmaster, but Is It a Monopoly?
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Puck’s Eriq Gardner to discuss the U.S. government's monopoly lawsuit against Ticketmaster and Live Nation (02:58). They briefly g...
Scarlett Johansson Vs. OpenAI: Does She Have a Case?
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Greenberg Glusker partner and entertainment litigator Aaron Moss to discuss the situation between Scarlett Johansson and OpenAI (03:...
A War Is Coming Over Hollywood Pay
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss why Netflix, Apple, and other streaming platforms are looking to change how they pay actors (03:...
NFL on Netflix, and Big Tech’s TV Upfronts Takeover
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by media analyst Rich Greenfield to give out their biggest takeaways from the TV up-fronts, including Netlifx’s three-year deal with ...
Latinos See More Movies Than Anyone. Why Is Hollywood Ignoring Them?
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Camilo Becdach, a partner at McKinsey, to discuss how improving on-and off-screen representation of Latinos could generate billions ...
Disney+ and Max Have Bundled, Who’s Next?
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the new bundle starting this summer that will combine Disney+, Hulu, and Max. They pick winners ...
Are Producers in Hollywood Nearing Extinction?
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by longtime producers Cathy Schulman and Lorenzo di Bonaventura to discuss the devaluation of producers in Hollywood, and their push fo...
The Year of Peacock?
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by the president of Peacock, Kelly Campbell, to discuss Peacock’s unique place in the streaming universe, how live sports supercharge...
‘The Fall Guy’ Swung and Missed … Should We Panic?
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to investigate the disappointing opening weekend for ‘The Fall Guy’ to figure out why this movie underp...
The 2024 Summer Blockbuster Confidence Scale
03 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s May, which means it is officially summer blockbuster season. Matt welcomes back Puck’s Scott Mendelson to run through each of the most highly...
The Fight for the Last NBA Rights With Bill Simmons
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by The Ringer’s Bill Simmons to discuss the ongoing battle for the next round of NBA media rights. The latest reports outline a poten...
A CEO Firing, and the Chaos at Paramount
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Lucas Shaw to discuss the ousting of Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish, why it happened now, and whether it affects a potential deal m...
The Rise of Tubi and If “Free” Is Really the Future of Entertainment
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Tubi CEO Anjali Sud to discuss the rapid growth of free, ad-supported content, competing with YouTube and social media, how young pe...
Aaron Sorkin, Live From D.C.
26 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a special live episode, Matt and Puck colleague Peter Hamby are joined by screenwriter, playwright, and film director Aaron Sorkin to discuss the c...
Which Bidder Is Best for Paramount?
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by author and Puck writer Bill Cohan to break down the latest in the Paramount bidding war. They discuss Sony’s interest in joining A...
Netflix’s Backtrack on Transparency
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Netflix’s pivot away from reporting subscriber growth and average revenue per user every quart...
Taylor Swift’s Questionable Return to TikTok
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Nathan Hubbard—former CEO of Ticketmaster, current CEO of Firebird Music and Ringer podcaster—to discuss the return of Taylor Sw...
Hollywood’s Struggle to Reinvent Itself
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by John Peters, Accenture’s global lead for media and entertainment, to look at which Hollywood studios are struggling to keep up wit...
The Best and Worst Media Mergers of the 21st Century
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to look back at the 21st century's biggest media and entertainment mergers and acquisitions, discuss how ma...
Can IMAX Save Movie Theaters?
11 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond to discuss the complicated state of movie theaters, and the growing importance of premium large-format screens...
Hollywood vs. Big Tech in the Age of Consolidation
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Belloni is joined by Matt Stoller, research director for the American Economic Liberties Project and writer of the monopoly-focused newsletter 'B...
Early Winners and Losers of 2024
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to recap Hollywood’s slow start to the year and reveal their under-the-radar winners and losers of 2024 s...
Why Documentaries Are Better and Worse Than Ever With Sheila Nevins
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Sheila Nevins, producer and former president of HBO Documentary Films, to discuss why she isn't bothered by the complicated state of...
A WWE Business Smackdown With Nick Khan
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by WWE president Nick Khan to discuss the WWE’s $5 billion deal with Netflix, making the streaming giant the exclusive new home to WW...
The Disney Proxy War: Does Peltz Have a Shot Against Iger?
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss what’s at stake in Disney’s proxy battle with billionaire corporate raider Nelson Peltz. Wit...
Inside TMZ’s Cozy Relationship With Hollywood
29 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Van Lathan to discuss the complicated and nuanced relationship between TMZ and Hollywood. As a former TMZ employee, Van walks us thr...
The Battle for Attention: Streaming Vs. Social
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the battle for time in the attention economy of streaming and social media. They parse through t...