Strictly Business

Roblox isn't just a game you watch your kids play on your computer or console, but a platform in and of itself for tons of interactive experiences, many of which are created by users themselves. With Hollywood relying on Roblox heavily to promote films, series and other media experiences, global brand partnerships VP Stephanie Latham stopped by to discuss how these deals come together and how Roblox works to strike a balance between its user-created content and experiences developed for all sorts of different brands.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will casual sports fans tune into the Summer Olympics in Paris this summer? Will TV advertising's traditional upfront sales protocol endure? And why does NBCUniversal see itself increasingly becoming a technology company? Mark Marshall, NBCUniversal's chairman of global advertising and partnerships, details how the company is bringing linear and streaming ad sales efforts together in groundbreaking ways and why it will make Olympics content available for programmatic sales for the first time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a new single out from her forthcoming album, a book partly about her own life just optioned for a docuseries and a new baby daughter to parent, Paris Hilton is plenty busy. But she's also nearly three years into launching her own company, 11:11 Media, along with co-founder Bruce Gersh, who serves as president and COO. They stopped by Variety's Entertainment Marketing Summit last week to talk about juggling it all.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As cryptocurrency markets rebound and slowly but surely become more mainstream, two experts discuss the potential for blockchain tech to be embraced by entertainment dealmakers as an antidote to the age-old problems of Hollywood accounting. Tarun Chitra, founder and CEO of research and advisory firm Gauntlet and co-host of “The Chopping Block” podcast, and Duke University professor Lee Reiners bring vastly different perspectives to this question. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As its success with the "Scream" franchise can attest, Project X Entertainment knows its way around the horror genre. But now the indie production outfit is back in theaters with untested IP in the form of "Abigail." Nevertheless, Project X principal William Sherak is confident lightning will strike twice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Think the market for adult-focused specialty films is dead? Peter Kujawski, chairman of Focus Features, explains why you're wrong. As the film industry gathers in Las Vegas this week for CinemaCon, Kujawski talks about the state of moviemaking, exhibition, and walks through key lessons from the strike-challenged 2023 box office (takeaway No. 1 – originality sells). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Premiering April 3, the six-part series hosted by futurist Ari Wallach seeks to counter pop culture's dystopian view of life in the coming centuries with visits to real-world entrepreneurs, inventors, artists and activists who are pursuing hopeful and innovative solutions for a range of social ills.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Audible Entertainment's Rachel Ghiazza (chief content officer), Kate Navin (head of creative development for North America) and Pat Shah (head of content acquisition and development) discuss the company's unique position in the audio marketplace and why they are revving up original content for the Amazon-owned subscription platform.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Congress debates the future of TikTok in the U.S., here's an encore episode of Variety's "Strictly Business" podcast from August 2023 that examines how the social media platform has become essential for promoting movies and TV shows.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There may be far fewer TV shows being made in Hollywood these days than in the salad days of the peak-TV era, but that just means there's more hustling being done to get writers, producers, directors and actors staffed on a development season that goes on year-round. For the past 10 years, Grandview Management co-founders Jeff Silver and Matt Rosen have navigated dealmaking for their roster of writers and producers for top series like "Ozark" and "House of the Dragon" with considerable savvy. But this year they describe an industry environment quite different than what they've experienced in seasons past.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bill Speros, senior betting analyst for Bookies.com, explains why legal betting on the Oscars has grown in recent years thanks to changes in state gambling laws. The veteran analyst and journalist also discusses the rise of sports wagering as an audience engagement strategy and profit driver for media companies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever since OpenAI gave the world a glimpse of its upcoming new text-to-video software, the entertainment industry has been in a state of alarm—particularly Tyler Perry, who paused an expansion on his Atlanta studio, citing the industry job losses he predicts Sora will cause. Steven Zeitchik,  who writes about the implications of AI at mindandiron.substack.com, joins this week's episode to discuss what the potential impact Sora could have on Hollywood. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini explains how the Sony-owned, Japanese anime-focused streaming service has found success through serving a so-called niche market and its plans for further expansion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AMC Networks CEO Kristin Dolan offers a candid look at how the boutique owner of AMC, SundanceTV, WeTV, IFC and BBC America is adapting its programming and distribution strategies for the streaming era. The longtime Cablevision senior executive came full circle in 2023 when she returned to lead the company where she began her career as a marketing executive.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who is going to buy Paramount Global? Is M&A best done before or after the presidential election? Can anyone compete with Netflix? These are just a few of the big dilemmas Naveen Sarma, managing director of S&P Global Ratings, tackles in his return visit to Strictly Business as he wrestles with some of the questions vexing Wall Street right now regarding the media sector.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warner Bros. Discovery executives Betsy Ayala and Karen Bronzo break down big plans for Food Network, HGTV and the company's other linear networks in 2024 and how a potential Paramount deal could affect assets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alloy CEO Leslie Morgenstein, TV chief Gina Girolamo and film leader Elysa Koplovitz Dutton, leaders of the company behind such TV and film hits as “Gossip Girl,” “Pretty Little Liars,” “You,” “Vampire Diaries” and “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah” explain how they've thrived in the YA space and why they are now looking to grow up a bit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just when last week's ratings resurgence for the Golden Globes had us all feeling good, along comes the Emmy Awards to deliver an all-time audience low to shake our confidence in awards show all over again! What happened Jan. 15? Did Anthony Anderson not make us laugh enough? Should we be worried about the upcoming Grammys and Oscars, which are coming off their strongest telecasts in several years? Fear not, says Andrew Wallenstein, who analyzes why 2024 was a singularly bad year for Emmys due to a perfect storm of factors beyond its control. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Produced on the ground at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Variety's Cynthia Littleton and Todd Spangler and Variety Intelligence Platform's Andrew Wallenstein and Audrey Schomer analyze the trends, rumors and surprises that emerged during the tech industry's annual gathering. Also, highlights from Variety Entertainment Summit conversations with Roku's Charlie Collier, TikTok creator Leenda Dong, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, TalkShopLive's Bryan Moore and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Co-hosts Cynthia Littleton and Andrew Wallenstein look back at the year that was and ahead at what's to come for the business of media and entertainment. The hosts share highlights from some of their favorite episodes of 2023, including interviews with Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz, HBO and Max content chief Casey Bloys, Nigerian entrepreneur Mo Abudu, South Korean producer Nah Yung Suk and Barstool Sports chief Erika Ayers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perhaps the most audacious new consumer-electronics product of 2023 was Telly, a new TV set that nearly half a million U.S. consumers got for free with a few strings attached, including a second smaller screen attached showing non-stop commercials. Founder Ilya Pozin discusses plans to scale Telly next year, including new interactive functionality that will allow consumers to interact with the advertising and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disney's head of gaming Sean Shoptaw gives a deeper look at the Mouse House's top 2023 titles and reveals big plans for capitalizing on IP next year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amblin TV chiefs Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey detail why Steven Spielberg‘s television company decided to move aggressively into documentary and unscripted programming.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aaron Dessner's Grammy-winning band the National has been one of the mainstays of rock 'n roll for a quarter-century now. But when most musicians were taking a time-out early in the pandemic, Dessner got called in by Taylor Swift to help create her perception-changing “Folklore” album, soon followed up that same year by “Evermore.” Ever since, he's been one of the most sought-after producer/co-writers in the business — even as the National has gotten busier with the resumption of touring, and two albums of their own in 2023. His 2023 production efforts have included two new albums with superstar Ed Sheeran, and a breakthrough album with up-and-comer Gracie Abrams that led to her getting a best new artist Grammy nomination.How does Dessner juggle these demanding roles? Partly by working with artists in his own home-adjacent studio (the name of which, Long Pond, has become famous in its own right, due to being the setting for a Swift special). For stars, or would-be stars, who want to establish themselves with a more homegrown-sounding approach — either as first-timers, like Abrams, or veterans making a left turn, like Swift and Sheeran — Dessner is the man. At least for as long as he can keep his band's tour bus at bay.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If there is a bible for the music industry, it's Donald Passman's book, “All You Need to Know About the Music Business.” Since the first edition came out more than 30 years ago, it has guided countless musicians and executives, and has prevented many of them from making decisions they'd later regret. Passman, of course, is one of the most successful and experienced attorneys in music business history, with a client list that over the years has included Taylor Swift, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Adele and many more. Here, he gets deep about AI, new streaming models, and what's next for the industry.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.

Leave it to a streaming service that caters to a Jewish audience to make its first original series about food: "Schmoozing and Cruising" is the latest sign that CEO Neil Friedman wants to grow the brand he built that super-serves films, TV shows and docs in five global markets and more on the way. He also dishes about life as a niche streamer in an industry dominated by larger services and how not to be divisive covering hot-button issues.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global TV trends were evident as industry heavyweights gathered in Cannes for the annual Mipcom market and conference. Host Cynthia Littleton offers her observations on a changing business, including highlights from her on-stage interviews with Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish, Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada, Eva Longoria and producer Cris Abrego and Dori Media CEO Nadav Palti.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Variety Intelligence Platform (VIP+) teamed up with UTA IQ, the research, analytics and insights division of the UTA talent agency to conduct a consumer survey in August to understand the market forces driving the explosion in the live-music industry, they learned a lot more was at play than just the success of Taylor Swift and Beyonce. UTA IQ global head Joe Kessler and VIP+ analyst Heidi Chung discuss their groundbreaking study, which can be found at Variety.com/livemusic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Boorstin and Matt Crowley, co-CEOs of Studio71, offer insights on the growth trajectory of the creator economy from their perch as leaders of a top firm that provides support services for social media creators. The pair discuss how emerging talent is increasingly tapping into professional tools and a higher level of advertising and sponsorship deals to make social media a robust and profitable medium unto itself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In the second of a two-part interview that began on last week's episode, Soul Machine's CEO Greg Cross casts his eye toward the future of how his business marrying state-of-the-art animation with artificial intelligence will be utilized in the world of Hollywood celebrity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine being able to interact with a CGI simulation of your favorite celebrity powered by artificial intelligence. That day is already here thanks to Soul Machines, a company led by tech vet Greg Cross, who has lined up an eclectic group of famous folks from golf legend Greg Norman to K-pop sensation Mark Tuan to lead the way. This is the first of a two-part hour-long conversation that continues next week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the leading media moguls hunkered down in Sun Valley this week for the annual Allen & Co. conference just a week ahead of the start of the Q2 earnings season, there's no better time for a frank discussion of how these companies' stocks are faring. Strictly Business hosts Cynthia Littleton and Andrew Wallenstein are joined by Variety Intelligence Platform analyst Heidi Chung for a chat about Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix, Comcast and much more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do people actually make a living in social media? Hear from seven entrepreneurs in the trenches of the influencer and creator economy as they hawk their wares at the Vidcon conference in Anaheim, Calif. The responses from leaders of independent firms involved in distribution, technology and visual effects, e-commerce, marketing and promotion speak volumes about how this emerging marketplace is taking shape.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2006, the Bloomberg mayoral administration in New York decided to fund a job training program, Made in NY, offering low-income residents the chance to work as production assistants in film and TV. More than 15 years later, former New York City film commissioner Katherine Oliver and alumni from the program gather to measure Made in NY's powerful long-term impact on their lives and the city at large.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Casey Bloys, the content leader of HBO and Max, engages in a wide-ranging discussion about HBO's recent streak of pop culture hits, from “Succession” to “The Last of Us” to “The White Lotus” and more. Bloys also offers his view of the limits of AI and its use in entertainment, and he explains how HBO and Max can live together and separately under one streaming roof. Recorded June 7 at Variety's TV FYC Fest held at the 1 Hotel in West Hollywood.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The veteran film and TV producer behind the Searchlight/Hulu release details the purpose that has driven his unconventional career in Hollywood. Franklin discusses why Hollywood has shied away from faith-infused properties in recent years and how he hopes to change that with mainstream movies and TV shows rooted in moving and meaningful themes. “The only thing that matters is a great story, period,” he says. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The end of the great streaming content boom has brought with it a responsibility by the entertainment industry to address the compensation issues presented by the digitial transition to the creative community, as reflected by the writers strike. So says Paul Lee, CEO of Wiip, the production banner behind “Mare of Easttown,” “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” “The White House Plumbers,” “Dickinson" and more. In a candid interview, the Disney veteran discusses who the tightening in the content marketplace will be good for independent producers in the long run.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Variety's team of television reporters offer a debrief on the 2023 programming presentations in New York. It was an upfronts week like no other with Writers Guild of America pickets outside of all the major events. Behind the velvet rope, there were plenty of signals of the industry's difficult transition from linear to streaming. Variety's Jennifer Maas, Joe Otterson, Todd Spangler and Brian Steinberg offer highlights and insights from Disney, Netflix, NBCUniversal, Fox, YouTube and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lila Snyder, CEO of Bose Corporation, oversees all aspects of the company's consumer electronics, automotive and related businesses and leads a global staff of 6,000. Her guiding principle: that “sound is not an accessory. It is everything we do; it's in the center.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At a time when many showbiz scribes couldn't be more disillusioned with the traditional studio system, along comes Toonstar with a blockchain-powered business model for entertainment that lets creators bypass the usual modes of content distribution. Toonstar co-founders John Attanasio and Luisa Huang discuss their Web3 story studio on the eve of its latest series premiere, "Space Junk."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.