Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Peacock’s strong start to 2024 and the prospect of a possible joint venture or “commercial partnership” with Paramount+, as reported by The Wall Street Journal late last week. They run through the logistics of a merger, the curious timing of the Journal’s story, the critical role live sports rights play, Warren Buffett's sale of a third of his stake in Paramount Global, and who is most to blame for Paramount's struggles. Matt finishes the show with a prediction about John Oliver’s HBO show, ‘Last Week Tonight.’

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here.
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Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
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Peacock-Paramount+ Merger Rumors, Questions, and What-Ifs

Puck founding partner Matthew Belloni takes you inside Hollywood, using exclusive reporting and insight to explain the backstories on everything from Marvel movies to streaming wars. Multiple times each week, Matt will touch on what is getting made and why, who is winning and losing, and what people in show business are actually talking about.

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Matt is joined by media analyst Rich Greenfield to give out their biggest takeaways from the TV up-fronts, including Netlifx’s three-year deal with the NFL, YouTube’s impressive viewership data, Amazon’s slew of splashy announcements, and why this year might mark a turning point in media (02:20). Matt finishes the show with a discussion of the newest ‘Wicked’ trailer and the future of two-part movies (24:55).

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown
Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Rich Greenfield

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
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NFL on Netflix, and Big Tech’s TV Upfronts Takeover

Matt is joined by Camilo Becdach, a partner at McKinsey, to discuss how improving on-and off-screen representation of Latinos could generate billions of dollars in new revenue for the film industry. Latinos are the most avid filmgoers per capita in the United States, and Camilo argues that Hollywood is leaving $12-18 billion on the table every year by underrepresenting Latinos on and behind the screen. He also outlines the barriers at the executive level confronting Latinos in entertainment, and what the industry can do to fix this (02:39). Matt finishes the show with an opening-weekend box office prediction on the John Krasinski–directed animated film ‘IF,’ starring Ryan Reynolds (22:42).

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown
Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Camilo Becdach

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
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Latinos See More Movies Than Anyone. Why Is Hollywood Ignoring Them?

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the new bundle starting this summer that will combine Disney+, Hulu, and Max. They pick winners and losers of the deal, and wonder who might be the next to join in on the Great Re-Bundling (02:50). Matt finishes with a prediction about Netflix’s potential involvement with the NFL (25:01).

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown
Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Disney+ and Max Have Bundled, Who’s Next?

Matt is joined by longtime producers Cathy Schulman and Lorenzo di Bonaventura to discuss the devaluation of producers in Hollywood, and their push for better rights under their new collective, Producers United. They outline why producers don’t have it as good as most might think, what a producer actually does, how they're getting squeezed financially, whether they will still be around in the future, and how what a producer does impacts the television and movies we all watch and enjoy. Matt finishes the show with an opening-weekend box office prediction for the new film ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.’

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown
Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Cathy Schulman and Lorenzo di Bonaventura

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are Producers in Hollywood Nearing Extinction?

Matt is joined by the president of Peacock, Kelly Campbell, to discuss Peacock’s unique place in the streaming universe, how live sports supercharged its growth, and how it plans to improve its coverage of the Olympics as their exclusive digital home. They also discuss how gaining NBA rights could affect Peacock’s content output and whether a joint venture with Paramount Plus or Max could ever work. Matt finishes the show with a prediction about ESPN’s over-the-top service after Disney’s latest earnings call.

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown
Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Kelly Campbell

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Peacock-Paramount+ Merger Rumors, Questions, and What-Ifs

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