The Town with Matthew Belloni

Matt is joined by Endeavor executive vice presidents Hillary Mandel and Karen Brodkin to discuss the potentially groundbreaking TV deal they brokered for the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury: Moving forward, their games will be broadcast for free on over-the-air channels while also available to stream online on a direct-to-consumer service. They discuss how this deal affects the viewer and why it makes sense in the new age of sports media, what ESPN will look like as a streaming channel, and the reasoning behind the latest Big 10 and Big 12 media rights deals.For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click hereEmail us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.comHost: Matt BelloniGuest: Hillary Mandel and Karen BrodkinProducer: Craig HorlbeckTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Wall Street Journal reporter Erich Schwartzel to discuss the current state of Hollywood’s relationship with China and how the Chinese government feels about Hollywood releases. Erich breaks down how China’s movie infrastructure has changed over the years, how the Chinese box office affects which movies get made in America, the precarious projections of ‘Fast X’ in China, TikTok’s success, Shanghai Disneyland, and more.For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click hereEmail us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.comHost: Matt BelloniGuest: Erich SchwartzelProducer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to check in on Bob Iger six months after his return to Disney, to see what’s working and what isn’t. They discuss Disney’s decrease in subscriber numbers and subsequent stock decline, bringing Hulu into Disney+, his lack of a succession plan, and the still uncertain future of the streaming model.For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click hereEmail us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.comHost: Matt BelloniGuest: Lucas ShawProducer: Craig HorlbeckTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by writer, producer, and showrunner Mike Schur ('Parks and Recreation,' 'The Good Place,' 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'), to discuss the life of the modern TV writer and how it has changed over the years. Mike brings his perspective on the ongoing writers strike and discusses how his experience as a writer was very different from that of an up-and-coming writer in 2023. Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the upcoming movie ‘Book Club 2.’For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click hereEmail us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.comHost: Matt BelloniGuest: Mike SchurProducer: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by journalist and cofounder of Semafor, Ben Smith, to talk about his new book ‘Traffic’ and the rise and fall of the biggest digital media companies of the past 15 years. Matt and Ben discuss their careers in digital media, look back on the media's transition to digital, the role of Hollywood in the evolution of media coverage, the role of Facebook and other social media platforms, and what’s next. Matt finishes the show by giving a prediction about the current writers strike.For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click hereEmail us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.comHost: Matt BelloniGuest: Ben SmithProducers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the most popular narratives that emerged after week 1 of the writers strike, including who is winning the social media war and if it matters, huge paydays for media CEOs despite layoffs and and cost cutting across the industry, the stalemate over AI, the messy situation for writer-producers, and more. Matt finishes the show with a prediction on Kevin Costner’s fate on the final season of ‘Yellowstone’.For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click hereEmail us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.comHost: Matt BelloniGuest: Lucas ShawProducer: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s May, which means it is officially summer blockbuster season. Matt welcomes back The Wrap’s Scott Mendelson to run through each of the most highly anticipated blockbusters of the summer and assign their confidence level in each movie’s likelihood of exceeding expectations at the box office.For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.comHost: Matt BelloniGuest: Scott MendelsonProducer: Craig HorlbeckTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by writer, TV host, and WGA negotiation committee member Adam Conover to break down what it has been like in the negotiation room from the WGA perspective over the last few months leading up to the strike. They discuss how far apart both sides sit, the most hotly contested issues—including data transparency, mini rooms, and AI—and the broad spectrum of consequences that could accompany a prolonged strike.For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.comHost: Matt BelloniGuest: Adam ConoverProducer: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the looming WGA strike on the day of its negotiation deadline, and how a likely strike will affect the industry. They break down what the writers are fighting for, why this is a terrible time for most studios to negotiate a deal, which studios are best suited to endure a prolonged strike, and whether a strike could actually benefit the industry long term. They close the show by making a prediction on the length of the strike.For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetownEmail us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.comHost: Matt BelloniGuest: Lucas ShawProducer: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Ray Subers, the senior vice president of theatrical strategy at National Research Group, to discuss an eye-opening study making the rounds among industry executives that highlights a troubling reality for Hollywood: The supply of new movie stars is declining alongside the box office. They talk about the importance of casting, which stars are most likely to get someone to see a movie in theaters, and why that list is only getting older. Matt finishes the show by giving a prediction on what will be one of the biggest movies of 2024.For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: http://puck.news/thetown.Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com.Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Ray SubersProducers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices