The Ankler Podcast

Yes, Netflix is huge, but apparently it’s not huge enough for co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters, whose recent earnings call revealed a road map for total market domination. Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey break down its plan to capture the 80 percent share of TV consumption not already happening on Netflix or YouTube (think creators and podcasts to eating the rest of cable’s programming). Plus: What to make of the Gen Z antics driving A Minecraft Movie, and Sean quizzes the crew on Netflix’s 2025 original movies.For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler or apply to The Ladder, a members-only hub for early career entertainment professionals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live from Las Vegas! Exec editor Alison Brower headed into the ring with WWE president Nick Khan, and chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque for The Ankler’s Business of Entertainment program at NAB Show, where the sports execs revealed why Netflix was strategically the right home for RAW, its flagship weekly showcase; how Triple H’s writers create distinctive and memorable characters and stories across shows (and platforms); what draws talent from the late Betty White (“a badass”) to Bad Bunny into the ring; and the physical and mental trials in auditions that reveal who can be a megastar. As Triple H puts it, “You cannot teach charisma.” Khan and Levesque also preview WrestleMania 41, going down April 19-20 in Vegas. “It’s our Super Bowl,” says Khan. But minutes after it’s over, “a writer’s assistant will walk in and put Monday Night RAW in front of me,” Levesque adds. “We are the story that never ends.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live from the stage at NAB Show in Vegas, Elaine Low talks with ‘Fire Country’ co-creators Joan Rater and Tony Phelan as well as CBS executives Bryan Seabury and Yelena Chak about the new boom in TV procedurals on broadcast and streaming. Hear about the inner workings of CBS Studios’ development process, what it takes to expand a storytelling universe and Rater's gentle but firm method of raising the creative bar. Says Phelan, who's her husband as well as her co-EP, "Joan is notorious in the writers room for saying things like, 'It's just not awesome.'" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Storytelling remains fundamental to entertainment. But who tells those stories and how is shifting. A new era of influence revealed itself at The Ankler’s just-wrapped Business of Entertainment program, in partnership with NAB Show in Vegas. Execs, creators and stars behind WWE (Nick Khan and Paul “Triple H” Levesque), Tribeca Festival and Sphere (Jane Rosenthal), Universal Music Publishing Group (Jody Gerson), Webtoon (David J. Lee and David Madden) and AI startup Incention (David S. Goyer), among others, took the stage to reveal an optimistic view of opportunity outside the traditional studio system. Elaine Low, Natalie Jarvey and Janice Min break it all down. Plus: How Trump’s tariffs plague Hollywood.For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler or apply to The Ladder, a members-only hub for early career entertainment professionals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original movies in theaters? It’s true! Sean McNulty dials in from CinemaCon to tell Elaine Low about his reaction to Amazon’s bold film slate kickstarting a new era of studio leadership. Meanwhile, in L.A., Lesley Goldberg dishes with Elaine and Natalie Jarvey about the mess left in the wake of Jen Salke’s exit from Prime Video, and what agents and showrunners expect from TV head Vernon Sanders.For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler or apply to The Ladder, a members-only hub for early career entertainment professionals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lesley Goldberg, a television industry expert, shares insights from her latest survey of top writers on improving TV development. Topics include the surprising resurgence of mini-rooms, with writers advocating for their return, and how Zoom pitching has altered the landscape, creating new opportunities. She discusses the need for better training for showrunners and highlights Amazon's growing role in film distribution. The conversation ultimately reveals the urgent need for fair compensation and creative control in today’s evolving industry.

Natalie Jarvey, author of the insightful Like and Subscribe newsletter, shares her expertise on the creator economy and Hollywood's evolving landscape. The conversation dives into the rising popularity of giants like MrBeast and Ms. Rachel, exploring their streaming successes and questions surrounding the Paul brothers' future. Jarvey discusses the challenges of transitioning digital creators to traditional media, the staggering losses of Apple TV+, and innovative collaborations between YouTube stars and platforms like Netflix.

Is Jeff Bezos the right fit for James Bond? The hosts debate the future of iconic franchises like Bond, Marvel, and DC amid industry shake-ups. They consider whether James Gunn can save DC and discuss the potential for a Harry Potter series on TV. The conversation extends to the revitalization of Star Wars, noting its successes with new series like The Mandalorian. Plus, there's talk of reviving classics like Ocean's Eleven and the challenges of adapting beloved stories for modern audiences.

With the debut of Netflix’s With Love, Meghan, longtime royal observer Tina Brown and Ankler Media CEO Janice Min joined forces for a rollicking Substack Live conversation over at Brown’s Fresh Hell. Brown and Min appraise the Duchess of Sussex’s new career act (“always brilliantly behind the curve,” says Brown), debrief on the Academy Awards and Demi Moore, and analyze Conan O’Brien’s onstage nod to film craft that gave Hollywood “a real shot in the arm,” Min says. Plus: Why NYC’s 10 percenters are still all in on Trump and Elon Musk. “They love what he’s doing,” says Brown. “When billionaires get together, all they talk about is how many people they want to fire.”For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler or apply to The Ladder, a members-only hub for early career entertainment professionals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hollywood execs want more “aggression” out of their young proteges, but Gen Z — raised in remote work and new rules — came to age without traditional role models. The Ankler team shares advice from their interviews with Greg Berlanti and Ted Hope for young creatives to stand out, something even more essential as the state of showbiz is begging for a new round of visionary leaders.If you’re a Gen Zer in Hollywood yourself, apply to The Ladder, our members-only hub for early career entertainment professionals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices