Strictly Business

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 Jack Nicklaus 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.

Perkins Miller, the CEO of entertainment company Fandom and subsidiaries Fandom.com, Metacritic, GameSpot, Giant Bomb and TV Guide, advises on where Hollywood should be putting its limited cash in this uncertain economy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thanks in large part to top seller Bad Bunny, Latin music sawexplosive growth in 2022, exceeding $1 billion in U.S. revenues forthe first time, and up nearly 25% from 2021. Amazon Music is on asimilar path as it relates to Latin music and its many subgenres.Leading the charge: Rocío Guerrero, a veteran of Spotify and WarnerMusic Group whose role as Amazon’s Global Head of Latin Music runsacross multiple digital and physical offerings at the retail giant.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The co-founder and co-chairman of the private equity giant shares his observations on the changing nature of Hollywood and how that moniker became synonymous with the global entertainment business. In discussing the motivation behind his new PBS series “Iconic America: Our Symbols and Stories,” which premieres April 26, Rubenstein describes the world of studio smoke and mirrors “a uniquely American enterprise” that has become part and parcel of the American dream. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daniel Rausch, VP of entertainment devices and services at Amazon, provides an update on expansion plans for the Fire TV business, which aims to be a hub for the smart-home experience, as well as a status check on the company's cloud-gaming offering, Luna. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Magnolia Network series "Restored" has returned for a seventh season with host Brett Waterman, who isn't doing just another cable-TV house-flipping show; this series is a serious look at the historic preservation of houses from a wide range of architectural styles.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Netflix sequel featuring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston represents the highest-profile gig yet for this veteran helmer. But it's more like an extracurricular activity outside of the Syracuse school building he bought to shoot a teen-film franchise for Hulu. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SXSW 2023 participants and Austin locals talk about the annual gathering that brings together the worlds of film, TV, music, digital media, marketing and more to the Lone Star state’s capital city. “It’s like you meet one year's worth of people in this short, compressed timeline. And everyone's open-minded,” says RJ, who is chief executive of streaming media tech startup Zync. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Evan Bogart is a first-class multitasker who's written hit songs for Beyonce and Rihanna, owns a publishing company that recently acquired the Christopher Cross catalog, is the chair of the Grammy Songwriters Wing and was executive music producer for "Spinning Gold," the biopic of his father Neil, who founded Casablanca Records, the label that brought the world Kiss, Donna Summer, Parliament-Funkadelic and the Village People. He talks about all of the above and more here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TV distribution executive Scott Koondel details the launch of his Sox Entertainment banner and why it is well-positioned to take advantage of massive disruption across the media landscape. He offers insights on the evolution of the streaming marketplace, having orchestrated important early Netflix and Hulu licensing pacts for the CBS and the CW. And he explains how a phone call from Judith Sheindlin led to the creation of Freevee’s “Judy Justice.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events, explains how the Denver-based firm has managed to buck the box office downtrend with a roster of special events, classic Hollywood titles, the spectacle of the Metropolitan Opera and indies such as “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey.” Nutt details the business models and market-timing strategies that allow Fathom releases to complement the multiplex menu offered by the distributor’s three parent companies, exhibition chains AMC Entertainment, Regal Cinemas and Cinemark.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Krents, a 25-year veteran of Universal Music Group, runs the Verve, Impulse! and Verve Forecast imprints, original home to Ella Fitzgerald, then Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Velvet Underground and Frank Zappa. Today, jazz remains a core genre of the company with Grammy winner Samara Joy finding a new (read: younger) audience.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pulitzer Prize-winning authors James B. Stewart and Rachel Abrams of The New York Times discuss their investigations into the downfalls of Sumner Redstone and Leslie Moonves in their new book "Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barstool Sports CEO Erika Ayers returns to Strictly Business to discuss a big month for her company, which is set to be wholly acquired this month by casino operator Penn Entertainment. She addresses her brand's foray into sports betting and the many different activations Barstool has going at Sunday's Super Bowl. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pearlena Igbokwe, chairman of Universal Studio Group, and Erin McPherson, chief content officer of Verizon Consumer Group, discuss how their businesses are evolving as the streaming marketplace matures. Igbokwe details her focus on building library assets for the long haul; McPherson explains Verizon's goal to become a friendly-but-not-competitive portal to help Hollywood with content aggregation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Netflix president of worldwide advertising Jeremi Gorman and Pinterest chief content officer Malik Ducard split a double-interview episode recorded earlier this month at the Variety Entertainment Summit at CES. Both execs discuss what it's like to take established businesses in new directions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thai Randolph is CEO of Hartbeat, the production company Kevin Hart founded with an eye on creating comedy across media platforms. She discusses how she's led the company after a $100 million investment aimed at taking Hartbeat to its next phase of growth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the Grammy Awards prepares to present its first ever Songwriter of the Year honor, Warner Chappell Music Publishing Co-Chair Carianne Marshall runs down massive strides in royalty rates and the challenges ahead for the business of songs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our 2022 retrospective highlights favorite guests, moments and most significant industry trends in media and entertainment, as selected by Cynthia Littleton, Andrew Wallenstein and Shirley Halperin, hosts of Variety’s weekly podcast Strictly Business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Producer Tony Thomas tells the story of how his father, entertainer Danny Thomas, pulled together Hollywood stars and Lebanese and Syrian immigrant communities to build a hospital in the deep South. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital thrives today, a testament to the organization’s philosophy of treating children with catastrophic illnesses regardless of their ability to pay. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.