Strictly Business

How do you measure a year? Audience research firm Luminate does just that in its newly released 2024 Film & TV Year-End Report. Two top Luminate executives – Marc Hoebich, executive VP and head of film and TV, and Carolyn Finger, senior VP of consumer success and product – break down the report and its findings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Warner Bros. Discovery research chief Natasha Hritzuk first began studying short-form video, the conventional wisdom was that platforms like TikTok and YouTube were having a cannibalizing effect on TV and film consumption. But as she shares in her latest study, the deeper she explored audience behavor, the more she saw that social video served as a potent discovery tool for the very programming to which it seemed to pose a competitive threat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David J. Lee, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Webtoon Entertainment, discusses the rapid growth of webtoons as a digital entertainment medium during a session held as part of the Variety Entertainment Summit at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. And prolific webtoon creator Brandon Chen, author of "Just a Goblin" and many other titles, explains the appeal of the graphic novel-like format as a creative outlet and training ground for budding storytellers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Ravi Ahuja gives his first interview since taking the reins of the studio. The conversation was held Jan. 8 at Variety’s Entertainment Summit at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, as firestorms were raging across Los Angeles County. Later that day, NBCUniversal ad sales chief Mark Marshall and NBC Sports host Maria Taylor brought some levity with a freewheeling session previewing what Marshall calls “the greatest 730 days that any media company has ever had” given the Super Bowl, Winter Olympics, NBA coverage and more on tap for 2025 and 2026.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Phil Hutcheon, the CEO of London-based ticketing software company Dice, sat down with Strictly Business to reflect on 10 years of revolutionizing the ticketing industry. Dice's fan- and artist-forward mission takes a strong stance against scalping and dynamic pricing, which earned it a loyal following in the U.K. before expanding to the U.S. and Canada. Next stop: the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liz Parker, Bryan Besser, Adam Levine, and Adam Weinstein, partners at Verve talent agency, share their insights as their agency approaches its 15th anniversary. They discuss the end of packaging fees and the shifting dynamics within the creative community. Fascinatingly, they explore unexpected sources for intellectual property and highlight growth areas in animation. The conversation touches on innovative strategies in the book business and the importance of adapting to industry changes while focusing on client development and a robust workplace culture.

Strictly Business co-host Andrew Wallenstein looks back on the rationale he laid out a decade ago as co-editor-in-chief of Variety for publishing the contents of the Sony hack and shares his misgivings about a difficult decision and why he made it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nominated for producer of the year at the Grammys, Daniel Nigro has become one of the top writer-producers in the pop thanks to his collaborations with Chappell Roan and Olivia Rodrigo, who became superstars on his watch. He talks about why he thinks of himself more of a band member with these artists than a traditional producer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Landgraf, the respected chairman of FX, engages in a wide-ranging conversation about the precarious state of TV and film and the content industry in general. Coming off a banner year for FX, Landgraf explains how the edgy cable brand found a home within Disney and is navigating the transition from linear to streaming.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CEO Dave Wiskus details the growth ambition of the four-year-old streamer that is home to the buzzy original series "Jet Lag" and backed by management company Standard with a minority stake held by Curiosity Stream.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.