The Town with Matthew Belloni
Episodes
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...
How AI Is Already Transforming Moviemaking
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Matt Panousis, the COO and cofounder of VFX and AI technology company MARZ, to discuss how AI is currently being implemented in Holl...
Lemon, Tucker, and the Cable News Star Turned Influencer
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Puck’s Dylan Byers to check in on the world of television news and anchors like Don Lemon and Tucker Carlson exiting their perches...
The Juice List: The Most Powerful People in Hollywood
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to craft The Town’s first ever Hollywood Power List: their definitive (and subjective!) ranking of who ha...
‘The Holdovers’ Plagiarism Claim and How to Protect Your Script
15 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Jeremiah Reynolds, partner at Eisner LLP and copyright law expert, to untangle the recent plagiarism accusation by screenwriter Simo...
Inside Netflix’s Calculated Sports Strategy
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Julia Alexander from Puck and Parrot Analytics to discuss what is and isn’t working in Netflix’s foray into live sports and spor...
Oscar Winners and Losers and the Updated Movie Studio Power Rankings
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the various winners and losers from the Academy Awards, including Universal Studios, film chief ...
Insider Tips to Predict the Oscar Winners
07 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Mosaic talent manager and Oscar enthusiast Michael Lasker to parse through the awards season chatter to find a gambling edge on the ...
The Money and Power Behind the Oscars’ Red Carpet
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Puck’s longtime fashion journalist, Lauren Sherman, to discuss the business of the red carpet, the amount of money celebrities can...
New Film Heads and a New Direction for Netflix and Disney
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the big changes on the film side of Netflix and Disney, and what these moves signal for each stu...
The Awards Season Awards: Which Oscars Campaigns Worked (and Didn’t)
01 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by The New Yorker’s Michael Schulman to parse through the endless campaigns from the 2024 Oscar season and give out their own awards ...
Will AI Video Replace Hollywood?
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Ben Thompson, the founder of Stratechery, to discuss Open AI’s new text-to-video model Sora and the ensuing Hollywood freakout. Be...
Panic Time for Max and Warner Bros. Discovery?
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to check in on Warner Bros. Discovery and CEO David Zazlav after a rocky earnings call last week. They disc...
The Harsh Data Behind ‘Barbie’ and Taylor Swift’s Success
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Dr. Stacy Smith—the founder of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative—to discuss the state of female representation in Hollywood...
Peacock-Paramount+ Merger Rumors, Questions, and What-Ifs
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Peacock’s strong start to 2024 and the prospect of a possible joint venture or “commercial p...
How to Win Best Picture on a Budget, With Neon’s Tom Quinn
17 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Neon founder and CEO Tom Quinn to talk about the thesis for launching Neon, the difficulty of starting a theatrical distribution com...
Hopeful or Hopeless? Takeaways From 2024's Bleak Box Office Beginning
15 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by box office columnist and Puck contributor Scott Mendelson to discuss the historically bleak start to the year at the box office, fil...
Live From Las Vegas: Oscars Pressure, Late-Night TV, and the Vegas Sports Boom With Jimmy Kimmel
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Live from Las Vegas, Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw and special guest Jimmy Kimmel to discuss the state of sports television, the NFL's do...
Did Disney Get Its Magic Back?
09 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by media analyst Rich Greenfield to discuss Disney’s latest quarterly earnings report, as well as a slew of new announcements from CE...
Will the New All-in-One Sports App Finally Kill Cable?
08 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by sports business journalist and Puck contributor John Ourand to discuss ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery teaming up to create a ...
Five Major Music Business Questions After the Grammy's
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the highlights, lowlights, and most pressing music industry questions after the 2024 Grammy Awar...
TikTok vs. Universal Music: Why Taylor, Drake and Others Were Yanked
02 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Rolling Stone’s Ethan Millman to discuss the ongoing battle between Universal Music Group and TikTok, why Taylor Swift, Drake, and...
The Politics of Studios and Movie Stars
01 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by filmmaker Ed Zwick ('Glory,' 'Blood Diamond,' 'The Last Samurai') to discuss the art of studio and movie star politics in a constant...
A Wild Week at Netflix: Stuber’s Out, WWE Is In, and Subs Are Up
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss film chief Scott Stuber’s exit from Netflix and what it means for the streamer's movie arm, ...
A Top Dealmaker’s Media M&A Predictions
25 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Joe Ravitch, the founder and partner at The Raine Group, to discuss the secret to a successful media merger, the dealmaking landscap...
Can Sundance Save Indie Film? With CEO Joana Vicente
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Live from Park City, Utah, at the Sundance Film Festival, Matt is joined by Joana Vicente, a former producer and the current CEO of the Sundance Insti...
The 2024 Box Office Draft
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to conduct the second annual box office draft on ‘The Town.’ Matt and Lucas each draft five blockbuster...
The 'SNL' Succession Sweepstakes
19 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by journalist, author, and 'SNL' expert James Andrew Miller to discuss whether Lorne Michaels will actually step down after the 50th an...
Peacock’s NFL Debut and the Viability of Streaming-Only Sports
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the NFL’s first streaming exclusive playoff game, which featured the Miami Dolphins and the Ka...
The Billionaire Blueprint to Buy Paramount
12 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Puck’s Bill Cohan to discuss the latest reports about Paramount Global’s potential sale, specifically looking at David Ellison’...
The McAfee Hail Mary and ESPN's Search for Answers
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by journalist Ethan Strauss of the ‘House of Strauss’ Substack to discuss the messy Pat McAfee saga and what it says about the stat...
Four Burning Hollywood Questions to Kick Off 2024
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the most pressing questions as we begin a new year in Hollywood, including the drama around Disn...
Are the Golden Globes Unkillable?
04 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Brooks Barnes from The New York Times to discuss the long and messy path of the Golden Globes as we gear up for the 81st Golden Glob...
The Young Movie Star Power Rankings
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Deadline senior reporter Justin Kroll to discuss the young movie stars on the rise and fall after a chaotic movie year in Hollywood....
The Townies, Part 2: Who Won the Year in Hollywood?
28 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 2 of the exclusive Townie Awards, Matt and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw select their Winner of the Year in Hollywood, and give out a number of add...
The Townies: Hollywood’s Best and Worst of 2023
28 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s podcasting's most exclusive event of the year: The second annual Townie Awards! This is a show made up of awards created by us, based on our ow...
Warner Bros. and Paramount Are Talking. Should They Merge?
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by LightShed Partners media analyst Rich Greenfield to break down the latest reports of a meeting between Warner Bros. Discovery CEO Da...
The Biggest Debacles of 2023: Studio Screwups, Executive Misfires, and Underrated Disasters
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the biggest disasters of 2023 after a chaotic and frustrating year in Hollywood. With the labor ...
The Animation Arms Race With Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by film producer and founder/CEO of Illumination, Chris Meledandri, to discuss a very weird year for theatrical animation, which featur...
Ted Sarandos on Netflix’s New Era of Data Transparency
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Netflix's newest expansion into data transparency, called “Wha...
Are Streamers Helping or Hurting the Movie Business?
08 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Ted Hope, a producer and former cohead of movies at Amazon Studios, to discuss streaming's negative impact on the movie business. Te...
The Companies Most Likely to Be Bought or Sold in 2024
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Axios senior correspondent Sara Fischer to dissect the biggest deals of 2023, and what we can expect in 2024. They discuss why priva...
The Murky Metrics of Podcast Success
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Ashley Carman to discuss the state of the podcast industry and its struggle to reach profitability despite its growth....
The Biggest Streaming Power Moves of 2023
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Julia Alexander—the director of strategy at Parrot Analytics and a streaming wars expert—to discuss the year's most strategic an...
Hollywood’s Star-making Problem, with a Top Casting Director
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by longtime casting director Denise Chamian to provide her perspective on some of the industry’s most pressing topics, including Holl...
Who Will Buy Paramount?
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Paramount Global’s struggle to survive in the age of streaming, whether owner Shari Redstone w...
Does Big Tech Belong in Hollywood?
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Vox senior correspondent and 'Recode Media' host Peter Kafka to discuss the new era of tech and Hollywood, including the long-term p...
Unexpected Winners and Losers of the Hollywood Labor Strikes
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss some of the unexpected winners and losers in the wake of the strikes, highlighting those who suf...
Potential Backfires in the Actors AI Deal
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Justine Bateman—writer, director, producer, former actress, and SAG-AFTRA negotiation committee consultant on the use of AI—to d...
Rupert’s Retirement and Fox’s Place in Hollywood
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by journalist and former chief media correspondent for CNN Brian Stelter to discuss the unique business behind Fox and its relationship...
Bob Iger’s Year One: Highs, Lows, and Marvel Woes
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss one year of Bob Iger 2.0 and his latest comments surrounding the company's fourth quarter earnin...
The End of the Actors Strike With Duncan Crabtree-Ireland
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Wednesday night, SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP reached a tentative deal on a three-year contract valued at over $1 billion, ending the longest strike in ...
How the Strike Derailed Oscar Season
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by New York Times’ Kyle Buchanan to discuss the upended awards season in the wake of the actors strike, how it has stripped actors of...
Why Batman and Everything Else Is Coming to Netflix
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss how the non-Netflix streaming services can survive in a Netflix-dominated world. They discuss Wa...
Should Reality Stars Have a Union? With Bethenny Frankel
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by entrepreneur, media personality, and former Bravo star Bethenny Frankel to discuss the abusive and oppressive working conditions on ...
The Reboot Era and TV’s IP Obsession
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by former NBC and Fox executive Preston Beckman to discuss if the TV revival is a viable option for TV networks nowadays. Do networks s...
How Screwed Is the 2024 Movie Calendar?
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss how the strikes have affected the 2024 movie calendar after several studios have pushed the rele...
Town Hall: Hasan Minhaj, a SAG Stalemate, and Apple’s Scorsese Bet
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Town Hall! Matt and Craig answer a slew of listener questions about why Hasan Minhaj lost the 'Daily Show' job, stories from inside th...
Marvel’s Post-‘Avengers’ Mismanagement
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by The Ringer’s Joanna Robinson to talk about the reasons behind Marvel’s decline and whether the superhero era in general has reac...
There Is Netflix, and There Is Everyone Else
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Netflix’s reign of dominance in 2023 and how it managed to return to form after the Great Netf...
NBA TV Rights and Players Owning Teams With Rich Paul
20 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Rich Paul, the founder and CEO of Klutch Sports Group, as well as co-head of UTA Sports, to discuss why Klutch made a deal with UTA,...
How Long Can the Live Concert Boom Last?
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Andrew Wallenstein, Variety Intelligence’s chief media analyst, to discuss live concerts' hot streak and the post-pandemic rise of...
The Hollywood Stock Market: Travis Kelce’s Media Career, Netflix With Ads, Mega Music Docs, and More!
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Live from Bloomberg’s Screentime event in Los Angeles, Matt and Lucas Shaw buy and sell a slew of Hollywood-related topics, including Travis Kelce’...
Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and the Fights Over Song Credits
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Howard King, a music industry expert and trial lawyer who has represented Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and many major artists in the...
Price Hikes and the Streaming Class System
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss yet another round of price hikes for ad-free streaming services like Disney+ and Netflix, how th...
Live Sports on Max, and the Inevitable All-In-One App
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by JB Perrette, president and CEO of global streaming and games at Warner Bros. Discovery, to discuss WBD's simulcasting live sports op...
Influencers Don’t Need Hollywood Anymore
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by journalist and author Taylor Lorenz to discuss how influencers and the creator economy have both benefited and suffered from the str...
The Post-Strike State of TV and Movie Writing
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the business of screenwriting in the wake of the end of the writers strike. Most would agree tha...
Lessons From the ‘Must-See TV’ Era, with Warren Littlefield
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by producer and former NBC executive Warren Littlefield to discuss the state of broadcast television and how the industry has changed f...
What the Writers Guild Won, With a Negotiator
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by writer, TV host, and WGA negotiation committee member Adam Conover to break down the details of the deal and outline what exactly th...
The Writers Strike Is Over. Can We All Be Friends Again?
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Sunday night, the WGA and the AMPTP reached a tentative deal on a new three-year contract, paving the way for the end of the strike after 146 days,...
The End of Fox News and the Murdoch Empire
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by journalist Michael Wolff, author of ‘The Fall: The End of Fox News and the Murdoch Dynasty,’ to talk about the state of play in ...
From Sports to Hollywood With Casey Wasserman
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Casey Wasserman, chairman and CEO of Wasserman and chairperson of the LA2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. They discuss Casey’s ju...
The Strike’s Permanent Damage: Who Will Suffer the Most?
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the long-term impact of the strike and who or what will suffer the most after it’s over. They ...
Why Can’t Bob Iger Find a Successor?
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt is joined by CNBC’s Alex Sherman to discuss Disney’s dysfunction over the past few years, including the unceremonious end to the Bob Chapek e...