
Strictly Business
Industry leaders converse about business deals, strategy and the future of media and entertainment.
Latest episodes

Oct 4, 2023 • 28min
The Creator Economy Grows Up: How Jellysmack Helps Talent Gain Scale
Sean Atkins, a TV and digital veteran who is president of Jellysmack, explains how demand for the company’s talent development, marketing and content distribution services are signs that the creator economy is maturing. It’s a business rooted in media and content, but the moneymaking opportunities also transcend media. “The creator space will impact everything in the GDP,” Atkins predicts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 27, 2023 • 26min
Barbie, Shmarbie: Mattel CEO's Media Strategy is More Than Just One Movie
The message from Ynon Kreiz's keynote Q&A at the Variety Entertainment & Technology Summit is that while "Barbie" may be a huge opening salvo in his plan to turn toy brands into media IP, it's just the beginning of a versatile long-term strategy that will extend far beyond the cinema to TV and gaming for the likes of "Monster High" and "Hot Wheels" See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 20, 2023 • 29min
Mo Abudu: EbonyLife Group CEO on ‘Local for Global’ Strategy to Grow Nigeria’s Media Infrastructure
The Nigerian entrepreneur and producer discusses the birth and growth of her EbonyLife Group content production business, known for the Netflix drama series “Blood Sisters.” Abudu details her vision for expanding Africa’s media infrastructure to allow local producers to capture the region’s vibrant art and culture scene from what she describes as a “local for global” lens.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 13, 2023 • 33min
Reinventing the CW Network
Dennis Miller and Brad Schwartz, the new leaders of the CW Network, detail the major strategy overall at the broadcast network that has been known for DC superhero fare and teen soaps. Under Nexstar's ownership, the network's priorities have taken a hard turn to sports and unscripted content.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 6, 2023 • 29min
Producer Nah Yung Suk on Korea's Rise in the Global TV Marketplace
Nah Yung Suk, a seasoned producer whose latest hit is the Amazon Prime Video reality series “Jinny’s Kitchen,” talks about the growth of South Korea’s TV and film industry and the globalization that is energizing the content business. In Korea, the new dynamism in the marketplace can be defined as “before Netflix” and “after Netflix,” he explains. The producer affiliated with Korea’s CJ ENM also weighs in on his experience with having his hit unscripted format “Grandpa Over Flowers” adapted by NBC as 2016’s “Better Late Than Never.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 30, 2023 • 31min
Scooter Braun Gets Free Advice in a 'Mogul Memo' Monologue
After a rough week in which the manager said adieu to his biggest clients including Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, Strictly Business host Andrew Wallenstein brings his Mogul Memo column to the podcast and offers some counterintuitive counsel. Plus: An interview with Paramount CTO Phil Wiser at the Collision Tech Conference.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 23, 2023 • 32min
TikTok Execs Reveal How Films & TV Shows Go Viral
Long before “Barbie” exploded at the box office this summer, it was clear on TikTok that the movie was going to be a big deal. Whether through studio marketing or organic fan activity, entertainment properties new and old take on a life on their own on the Bytedance-owned platform. Reia Davidson, US Head of Media and Entertainment, and Catherine Halaby, Head of Entertainment for North America discuss their strategies in this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 16, 2023 • 29min
Twitch CMO Rachel Delphin on Fostering Community Alongside Platform Safety
Twitch has been the leading livestreaming platform for nearly a decade. While its command of community is tough to beat, continuing to hold such a leading position requires a lot of balance between fan and creator engagement, brand partnership and especially safety. Twitch's chief marketing officer Rachel Delphin is immersed in all three and discusses how to maintain that balance in the face of new competition, among other topics like the specter of AI in just about every media space.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 9, 2023 • 31min
Blake Griffin, Ryan Kalil Make the Jump From Pro Athletes to Producers
One's a current Boston Celtic, the other a former Carolina Panther. Together, they are partners in Mortal Media, a production company with a first-look deal at Sony Pictures with a packed portfolio of film and TV projects ranging from the "White Men Can't Jump" reboot at Hulu to the Apple TV+ series "Hello Tomorrow," and they're just getting started. Hear about how they've made the transition even during a tricky time during an industry-wide strike. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 2, 2023 • 28min
Imagine Entertainment’s Justin Wilkes on Pushing into Premium Nonfiction, How Streaming Marketplace Terms are Changing and the Double-Strike Impact on Indies
The president of Imagine Entertainment details the company's recent growth with documentary and nonfiction content, kids and family, branded creative advertising and marketing. He also offers insights into how the market for streaming content is slowly changing in ways that benefit large-scale independent producers such as Imagine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.