Matt Belloni

Did Hollywood Ever Have a Chance Against YouTube?

New pod: The mid-2000s were an inflection point in entertainment, with upstarts that would eventually topple a 100 year old oligopoly. What could have been done differently, with former Viacom CEO Tom Freston. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/5YyN...

The Brewing Backlash to Hollywood Consolidation

New pod: With Warner Bros. courting a sale, the antitrust brigade is now plotting how to block it. With Biden’s DoJ enforcer Jonathan Kanter. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/5tsR...

What I’m Hearing: Ellison’s Pitch, Sydney on the Move & The Glen Powell Paradox Nov 17, 2025 Matthew Belloni Welcome back to What I’m Hearing, soggy from the L.A. rain, which tragically grounded the Marty Supreme blimp that was set to float over Timothée Chalamet’s various press ...

Sydney Sweeney is officially in play, David Ellison pitches his Warner takeover, Amazon investigates one of its own, Glen Powell misjudges his own appeal, and MUCH more. A new @puck.news What I’m Hearing is here! ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/newsletter_c...

The Fall Box Office Crisis: A Phase, a Fluke, or the Future?

New pod: Why are so many small movies getting such big releases? And is the fall bloodbath just a sign of unappealing films? With @lucasshaw.bsky.social. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/2IPu...

The Man Yelling ‘Iceberg!’ on the Hollywood Titanic

Spent some time over the past 6 months with NY Times Magazine writer Irina Aleksander and talked about this transformational (and frightening) moment in Hollywood history... and chronicling it all in real time. ⬇️⬇️ www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/b...

Scooter Braun Wanted to Buy OnlyFans The former Justin Bieber manager was in talks to take over the porn-friendly video platform, but abruptly walked away from the deal.

Scooter Braun wanted to take over OnlyFans, and they wanted him. What happened ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/scooter-brau...

Why Anime Is Becoming Undeniable in Hollywood

New pod: Sony is kicking butt in an area of animation that Disney and Universal both missed. Why? With Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/3Wtf...

Tubi Takes on YouTube, and a Michael Jackson Movie Update

New pod: How Tubi got profitable, and why every platform now wants YouTube creators. With Tubi CEO Anjali Sud. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/1Chz...

What Was Brian Roberts Doing In Saudi Arabia? The Comcast C.E.O., who’s at least nominally in the WBD hunt, was conspicuously absent last week when Hollywood’s elite feted David Zaslav. Was he searching for a deep-pocketed backer?

New @puck.news: Comcast’s CEO is considering doing a Universal theme park in Saudi Arabia and just toured a possible site. Would he bring the deep-pocketed (and deeply problematic) Saudis in on a bid for all or part of Warner Bros Discovery? puck.news/what-was-bri...

YouTube vs. Disney: Who Needs Whom More?

New pod: What happens if YouTubeTV just flips the bird to Disney and says "Nah, we're good without you." With @lucasshaw.bsky.social. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/69WZ...

Mailbag! 'Star Wars' and Soderbergh, the Best Home for Warner Bros., and Netflix vs. Theaters.

New pod: It’s a Town Hall mailbag episode! Your questions, my attempts at answers, with cameos by David Ellison’s chutzpah, Kathy Kennedy’s indecision, Rachel Sennott’s premiere finger foods, Comcast’s desperation, and…. CT and Bananas. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/0qOM...

The 2025 Movie Franchise Draft

New pod: You’ve got 5 picks, plus one TV wildcard, money’s no object, goal is to dominate movies for the next 10-20 years. Who you got? With consensus #1 pick @lucasshaw.bsky.social. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/3eRN...

Taylor Sheridan Burning Questions and Smoking Guns My recent reveal of the ‘Yellowstone’ creator’s jump from Paramount to NBCUniversal unleashed a torrent of questions, most of which can be answered here.

New @puck.news: Taylor Sheridan's movie deal isn't exactly what's been reported, some clarity on his obligations to Paramount, and new data on the outsized value of his shows. ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/taylor-sheri...

New pod: How will the inevitable AI bubble-burst impact the already struggling Hollywood? With 1929 author/journalist/CBNC-er @andrewrsorkin.bsky.social. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/2RZC...

New in Taylor Sheridan-land: The film project I referenced on The Town is the Call of Duty movie at Paramount, which he will co-write/produce for Pete Berg to co-write/direct/produce.

The Risks and Rewards of Self-Distributing Movies, With Black Bear’s Teddy Schwarzman

New pod: With Sydney Sweeney's boxing drama CHRISTY, a veteran producer is now a U.S. distributor. Why would anyone want to release indie movies in this economy?! With Teddy Schwarzman. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/3Zj8...

Well said @mattbelloni.bsky.social

Savvy or Desperate? NBCU Poaches Taylor Sheridan From Paramount.

New pod: The pros and cons of poaching TV’s top creator, even if you can’t have him for 3 years. With @lucasshaw.bsky.social. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/0LNd...

The David Ellison Resistance Takes Shape Paramount Skydance is pitching itself as Hollywood’s last hope. Yet as layoffs mount and the WBD mega-merger beckons, a growing alliance of industry people are talking about pushing back.

Within Hollywood, David Ellison was considered a potential "savior" of Paramount. Now, as he pursues Warner Bros., many believe he's a problem... puck.news/the-david-el...

Taylor Sheridan Is Leaving Paramount TV’s top creator has just closed a massive deal with a rival for when his commitments with Paramount are up. It’s a major move for the ‘Yellowstone’ and ‘Landman’ creator, but perhaps an even bigger c...

At the highest level, talent relations really matter in Hollywood. Paramount bought a Nicole Kidman show without giving a courtesy heads up to Taylor Sheridan, who already makes a Nicole Kidman show. puck.news/taylor-sheri...

Taylor Sheridan Is Leaving Paramount TV’s top creator has just closed a massive deal with a rival for when his commitments with Paramount are up. It’s a major move for the ‘Yellowstone’ and ‘Landman’ creator, but perhaps an even bigger c...

Big Hollywood news: Taylor Sheridan, TV’s top creator, just got poached. All the details and the wild backstory. ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/taylor-sheri...

PSA: No @PuckNews What I'm Hearing email tonight. My effort wasn't good enough to send. To respect our members' time, I'd rather skip a day and send something I'm happy with on Monday. Apologies! 💫💫

Do Standing Ovations at Film Festivals Mean Anything? The Town Investigates.

New pod: Finally, some REAL DATA behind the insane rise in media coverage of film fest standing ovations. And does the applause eventually translate into dollars?? With researcher @stephenfollows.com. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/1lKe...

New pod: David Zaslav reluctantly admits he's for sale...will he do this the easy way or the hard way? With @WolfeResearch analyst Peter Supino. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/7xQQ...

What I’m Hearing: NBCU Succession, Netflix’s Next Theater Deal & Bari’s P.R. Battle Oct 20, 2025 Matthew Belloni Welcome back to What I’m Hearing, jam-packed after an equally busy few days in town: Kim Kardashian flew her makeup artist to L.A. for the Academy Museum Gala only to wear...

Forget what the Duffers said, the Stranger Things finale WILL show in movie theaters on New Year’s Eve, part of the new Netflix initiative to play nicer with theaters. Details ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/newsletter_c...

Netflix Adds Podcasts and Makes a Deal With AMC Theatres. Why?

New pod: Netflix is jumping into bed with Spotify. Who needs who more in this relationship? With @lucasshaw.bsky.social. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/3pW6...

David Zaslav’s Beginning of the End The pool of potential Warner Bros. Discovery acquirers has seemingly dwindled by two, and if the promised “bidding war” fails to materialize, Larry and David Ellison could make a compelling case for a...

We can seemingly cross 2 potential suitors for Warner Discovery off the list. Who exactly is participating in this supposed bidding war? ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/maybe-there-...

What I’m Hearing: Netflix-AMC Talks & Zaslav’s Bidding War Fantasy Oct 16, 2025 Matthew Belloni Welcome back to What I’m Hearing. I just got my first production company holiday party invite, which means we’re nearing Hollywood’s annual premature wind-down. Yes, it’s ...

The heads of Netflix and AMC Theatres sat down together for the first time in years with the goal of ending the boycott of Netflix movies in the world’s biggest theater chain. Details ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/newsletter_c...

Is the “Netflix of AI” App a Friend or Foe to Hollywood?

New pod: The “Showrunner” app promises democratization of TV and Film creation using AI to make new Simpsons episodes or Twilight fan fiction with licensed IP. Are Hollywood studios on board for this? With CEO Edward Saatchi. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/7aQU...

Apple's True Intentions in Hollywood—With Top Exec Eddy Cue

New pod: Apple’s Eddy Cue on recent growth at AppleTV (“significantly more” than 45m subs), buying Warner Bros. (NO, he says), why they let Amazon get NFL/NBA, the movie theater strategy, and whether they’ll still care about showbiz in 10 years. Listen! spotify.link/5Fn9q4R8sXb