The Ankler Podcast

How do you follow the all-mighty Bob Iger? In the case of Bob Chapek, you don’t. The current public bake-off for whoever’s next already has been unsettling, as Richard Rushfield dispels the superhero CEO myth and evaluates how the perception of such actually harms his eventual successor and Disney itself. Plus: Sean McNulty, Elaine Low and Richard analyze the upcoming box office slate and hit the lido deck for a bit of fall TV nostalgia.Transcript here. For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Zaslav, on a break from sitting courtside at elite sporting events, has a new idea to help save WBD: Give HBO away for free to Charter cable subscribers. Sean McNulty, Elaine Low and Richard Rushfield analyze why and what it means amid growing warnings of “chaos” and industry consolidation from leaders including Sony CEO Tony Vinciquerra and Ari Emanuel. Plus: Katey Rich previews the Emmys and early Oscar buzz, and Matthew Frank tips everyone to Hollywood’s new Wild West: legal gambling on movies.Transcript here. For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As everywhere from Alabama to Bulgaria battle to attract productions with tax incentives, studios are saying bye, y’all to Hollywood. With shoots being exported all over the globe, what happens to those who came to Los Angeles to have an entertainment career? Ankler contributor Ashley Cullins joins to break down the production location war — and L.A.’s plan to fight back. Plus, Sean McNulty and Elaine Low explain the Disney-DirecTV carriage dispute, and Richard Rushfield reports from the scene as TIFF begins.Transcript here. For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple is the most valuable company in the world. There are more than 2.2 billion Apple devices in use worldwide. Remind us why it’s in the (often) money-losing entertainment business again? Sean McNulty, Elaine Low and Richard Rushfield explore why Apple is retreating from its blockbuster theatrical ambitions — sorry, George and Brad — why it had them in the first place and what happens next. Also: Prestige Junkie’s own Katey Rich joins to discuss the start of fall film festival season and aces some Oscars trivia.Transcript here. For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hollywood’s forays into politics are often elitist, counter-productive, and sometimes just plain cringey. But at the DNC, it wasn’t just Kamala Harris and Tim Walz who seemed to nail it, but the entertainment industry as well. Ankler contributor Alison Brower joins Sean McNulty and Janice Min from Chicago, where she explains the vibe shift in Hollywood’s approach, the Hollywood producers who put on the show, and the celebrity moments that worked and why. Also: Elaine Low, David Lidsky and Sean dissect the Bronfman vs. Ellison title fight for control of Paramount and how Iger will finally pass the baton at Disney. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sean McNulty, a streaming expert, uncovers the explosive growth of free ad-supported TV services like Tubi amid soaring subscription costs. Elaine Low, an industry analyst, discusses how these platforms are reshaping Hollywood's landscape and affecting traditional studios. David Lidsky adds insights on the ramifications of these trends in the ongoing streaming wars. They also humorously explore the impact of recent layoffs in major studios and touch upon the evolving role of AI in the industry.

First, Disney films may have buoyed its Q2 earnings — thanks Inside Out 2! — but theme park struggles led Anxiety to overwhelm Joy. Then Warner Bros. Discovery delivered its disastrous report, with a 5 percent drop in revenue, a $9.1 billion write-off on its cable assets and yeah, Furiosa. Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Richard Rushfield break it down and the need for a plan in a moment where entertainment’s diminishing cable workforce is in a full-fledged freakout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yet another round of layoffs hit Hollywood this week, this time at Disney, as the company preps to let go of 140 people at National Geographic, Freeform and other struggling areas of the largely linear business. Sean McNulty, Richard Rushfield and Elaine Low evaluate how much studios can keep cutting — save for the Olympics, of course — before they hit bottom. Plus: Shawn Levy and Deadpool & Wolverine bring comedy back to multiplexes; IATSE’s ominous warning to its members; and a reflection on the strikes, a year later.For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Entertainment execs are paid to find tomorrow’s stars today — and that applies to politics too. Matthew Frank joins Sean McNulty, Elaine Low and Richard Rushfield to name names of who identified Kamala Harris’ talent early — from Disney’s Dana Walden to legend Sherry Lansing — and what her win could mean for Hollywood. Plus: David Lidsky breaks down the implications of the new NBA rights deal on scripted TV and the business prospects of Peacock and Warner Bros. Discovery, and we preview Deadpool & Wolverine.Transcript here. For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paramount isn’t the only legacy studio struggling with tough choices and crushing debt these days. Warner Bros. Discovery, after laying off 2,000 people over the last year, will now be cutting another 1,000 jobs. All while Wall Street tells David Zaslav that WBD isn’t working and he should explore a breakup of the company. Sean McNulty, Richard Rushfield and Elaine Low analyze the latest job cuts and where WBD and other studios actually are still hiring. Plus: Peter Kiefer joins to discuss the reboot epidemic; the divide between what’s selling today and what gets Emmy noms; and a tribute to the late Bob Newhart.For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices