The Town with Matthew Belloni The End-of-Year Exec Survey: Next Disney CEO, Where to Sell Your Movie, and Worst Media Exec
43 snips
Dec 29, 2025 
Lucas Shaw, a Bloomberg journalist specializing in media and entertainment, shares insights from his survey of 700 industry executives. He reveals hot topics like the surprising box office successes of films like 'Marty Supreme' and Sydney Sweeney’s comeback. The potential future ownership of Warner Bros. and speculation about Disney’s 2027 CEO are also discussed, with Josh D'Amaro emerging as a favorite. Lastly, Lucas names David Zaslav the worst media CEO, diving into industry perceptions that fuel these rankings.
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Holiday Box Office Breadth Returns
- The Christmas box-office returned to a multi-audience slate with seven diverse films crossing $10M over the weekend.
- Matt Belloni and Lucas Shaw see this as a sign post-COVID holiday plurality returning to cinemas.
A24 Hit Still Has Profitability Question
- Marty Supreme's $70M budget and $24–27M opening creates an uncertain path to theatrical profitability.
- Lucas Shaw and Matt warn international appeal and leg strength will determine if A24 reaches break-even.
Industry Uncertainty Despite Reported Deals
- Bloomberg polled ~700 execs and found only 52% thought Netflix would buy Warner Bros., showing industry uncertainty despite reported deals.
- Lucas notes coverage and conventional wisdom shape executives' expectations more than firm knowledge.
