The Town with Matthew Belloni Is Hollywood Broken? A Savvy Investor’s View of 2026.
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Jan 10, 2026 Jeff Sagansky, a seasoned media executive and founder of Eagle Equity Partners, shares his insights on the evolving Hollywood landscape as 2026 approaches. He discusses the potential for Warner Bros. to remain independent, while examining the impact of streaming on profit-sharing for creators—a 'dark age' for talent. Jeff highlights a busy M&A year ahead, with private equity showing interest and assets likely to trade. He also explores the rise of ad-supported services and the challenges Netflix faces against emerging platforms like YouTube.
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Streamers Form An Oligopoly
- Streaming consolidation created an oligopoly that dictates terms to creators and reduces profit-sharing.
- Jeff Sagansky warns this shift turned a golden age of production into a dark age for creative back-end pay.
High Margins Fuel Market Control
- Netflix's margins approach legacy cable and give it enormous leverage in the market.
- Sagansky argues that the combined streaming players can cut production together without suffering churn effects.
Regulatory Risk Threatens Mega-Deals
- Sagansky expects regulators to block Netflix's Warner bid due to concentration risks.
- He predicts Netflix may pay the breakup fee rather than consummate a deal that draws antitrust pushback.