Better Call Paul

This week, Paul and Sean begin with an update on the potential Skydance/Paramount WBD merger that has polarized Hollywood. While federal regulators have signed off on the deal, 12 states are suing to block it and a few major financial penalties hang in the balance. Next, they discuss a great week for sports franchises as the LA Lakers who were sold for the second time in 14 months as Bob Iger and Josh Kusher announced their 12.5B purchase while Sportico released its NFL team valuations for 2026.

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This week, Paul and Sean begin with the recent development that several prominent SVOD platforms are exploring adding a free tier to expand their subscription funnel and sell increased advertising revenue. Next, they discuss a study released by Ampere that stated US and UK individuals spend more time consuming media than doing anything else (including work or sleep), and break down the categories and findings. Finally, they dissect a recent report from the WGA West about writers' earnings over the past 10 years and wonder whether peak TV will return.

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This week, Sean Gupta brings his passion and business savvy to BCP. Paul and Sean start off with a celebration of Spider-Man: Brand New Day which had the largest ever domestic box office opening with $360M. Next, they discuss producer/financier Jason Cloth's indictment on 7 counts of wire fraud in connection with a $100M ponzi-scheme. Finally, Sean shares his perspective as someone who has worked in cable, streaming and broadcast, on the FCC's upcoming decision to lift the broadcast ownership cap for TV stations.

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This week, Paul and Jess begin with a quick recap of San Diego Comic Con in its pop culture glory. Next, Paul provides a break down of the proposed Senate bill, the Protect College Sports Act and how it may impact the NCAA NIL landscape, if passed. Finally, Paul and Jess tick through some of the media companies that announced Q2 earnings, in a quarter that was generally very positive for media companies.

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This week, Paul and Jessica begin by congratulating Spain on their 2026 World Cup win. Next, they discuss FCC Chair Brendan Carr's intention to remove the 39% broadcast ownership cap. Then Paul reminisices about his start at Marvel as he provides an update on Marvel moving out of NYC and Paramount possibly leaving California. Finally, they reflect on Fandango's plan to pivot to being a FAST platform.

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This week, Paul and Jess come back from their 4th of July break in a big way. First they break down the 78th Emmy nominations - once again dominated by the streamers. Next, they discuss the movie box office week from Moana's live action struggles, to Michael crossing $1B and look forward to Christopher Nolan's epic, The Odyssey. Finally, Paul discusses Comcast's recently announced decision to spin off its media and content empire from its distribution business.

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This week, Paul and Jess discuss the scorching summer box office with July expected to be a major month for tent pole films including Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Next, Paul breaks down the Fifth circuit's somewhat curious view on US copyright terminations having a global reach, and why publishers are asking the Supreme Court to weigh in.

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This week, Jess and Paul begin with a major streaming update as legacy media power house Fox Corp announced a $22B purchase of Roku which will position Fox as a major player in the platform wars. Next, they discuss Quinta Brunson's overall deal with Twentieth Century Fox/Disney as she moves her production banner 5th Chance from WB to Disney and hopes to build out her content catalog beyond the widely-adored Abbott Elementary.

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This week, Paul and Jess focus on a sports-themed episode to celebrate the NBA champion New York Knicks, the arrival of the World Cup in North America for the first time in over 30 years, and how the recent Brendan Sorsby judicial decision could set a precedent that gambling may not be a deal breaker for NCAA eligibility. Finally, they end with a brief recap of the 25th Tribeca Film Festival.

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This week, Paul welcomes back special guest Sean Gupta who provides an update on how technology and AI are impacting the media business from areas such as search, recommendations, production, and licensing. To some degree old patterns have re-emerged (e.g., placement of content within home screens and guides) and in other ways, the process of going from concept to product is more streamlined than ever.

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