Better Call Paul

Paul and Mesh commiserate over March Madness and Paul recaps a Hollywood studio lawsuit against a VPN operator in Florida. Mesh and Paul then discuss AMC Theater’s new Sightline differentiated pricing initiative which is rolling out in select cities prior to a national launch and wonder whether it will ultimately help or hurt their bottom line. Finally, Paul analyzes the recent $30M lawsuit betwee...

Paul and Mesh devote this week’s episode to the 95th Oscars. They start off with a recap of the big winners of the night (and some head scratchers) and ponder the future of the Oscars. It has been telecast on ABC for nearly 50 years, and while the ratings for the 2023 Oscars improved over the recent past, the viewership is still far below its peak. Finally, Paul and Mesh recognize and celebrate th...

Paul and Mesh revisit one of their favorite topics, Jussie Smollet, who is back in the news again after filing his appeal and is also the subject of a new Fox Nation docuseries. They then discuss the final season of Succession, its drama-packed trailer and what might be next for HBO Max. Finally, they break down a big week for the video game industry with the 2023 BAFTA game awards nominations and...

Paul and Mesh start the show by discussing Yellowstone's Kevin Costner drama and Nipsey Hussle's killer being sentenced for first-degree murder. They then dive into the recent U.S. Supreme Court case, Gonzalez v. Google, which tests the boundaries of Section 230 immunity for web platforms, explaining why Section 230 was established and how it allowed the internet to flourish and potential pros and...

Paul and Mesh discuss Marvel’s latest installment, Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania and whether a recent run of mediocrity is a cause for concern at the MCU. They then turn to streaming which is predicted to overtake linear television as the most-consumed form of television in 2023. Finally, Paul celebrates rising star director, Shaunak Sen, and his beautiful film, All That Breathes, which has won...

Paul and Mesh talk about their favorite moments (and commercials) from Superbowl 57. They then dive into a media industry update: (1) whether recent layoffs among media (and tech) companies could be a sign of broader economic trouble head; and (2) how Disney, Peacock, WBD and others are shifting their streaming strategies in their challenging marketplace (e.g., cleaning up balance sheets, lowering...

Paul is in Phoenix for Super Bowl week! Paul and Mesh anticipate Gladiator 2’s release date and celebrate Ridley Scott’s career. They then vet the ten new projects that James Gunn and Peter Safran announced for Chapter 1 of their united DC Universe. Finally, they ponder how Hollywood will adapt as the bots and algorithms like ChatGPT and its peers are trained to create content – and what legal iss...

Mesh and Paul discuss Oscar nominations, Who they are rooting for, and who they wish was nominated. Scooter Braun, the brains behind the success of Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and others, has taken over as the CEO of Hybe America. Paul and Mesh explain why this could potentially increase the company's value, previously known for the success of K Pop groups like BTS.  They then dive into the curr...

Paul and Mesh celebrate Reed Hastings’ legacy at Netflix and ponder the implications and causes of his decision to transition out of the Co-CEO role. They then evaluate the recent broadcast and streaming agreement between LIV golf and the CW Network and discuss whether it was a win for both sides. Finally, Paul analyzes a recent FTC proposal that would essentially render non-compete clauses unenfo...

Paul and Mesh celebrate MLK weekend and the return of in-person entertainment events from CES and the Golden Globes to the upcoming Sundance Film Festival. Finally, Paul breaks down California’s proposed expansion of its film and television tax credit program and why these various production incentives are so critical to the industry.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul and Mesh begin with Broadway’s strong end to 2022 and Jeremy’s Renner’s tragic snow plow accident. They then discuss a potential tug of war between streaming giants over Netflix’s Gen Z hit, Wednesday and assess the state of play after a rough 2022 for media stocks. Finally, Paul discusses NFL’s new streaming deal with YouTube TV and its continuation of NFL’s massive growth in revenue, but th...

Paul and Mesh start off by celebrating the epic World Cup final, Avatar 2’s opening weekend, and the drama at DC studios as James Gunn tries to start his tenure with a clean slate. Next, Paul and Mesh discuss the criminal trial against Tory Lanez for allegedly shooting Megan The Stallion and its very confusing and juicy testimony. Finally, Paul breaks down California’s newest privacy law, the Age-...

We begin with a quick update on recent entertainment cases: Michael Avenatti's sentencing and Amber Heard's appeal of Johnny Depp's successful defamation verdict. Then, Paul and Mesh discuss Brittney Griner's release after being detained in Russia for nearly 300 days. Finally, we celebrate James Cameron, a titan of film-making who never seems to disappoint, but Mesh wonders, can Avatar 2 live up t...

Paul and Mesh recap the unfortunate swathe of layoffs impacting the media industry. They then dive into Balenciaga’s recent PR nightmare which caused even Kim Kardashian to re-evaluate her relationship with the brand and Paul assesses the legal options Balenciaga may have against its production company (if any). Finally, Paul and Mesh discuss the most recent Ticketmaster controversy involving the...

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! To start, Paul and Mesh discuss the recent lawsuit against Drake and 21 Savage by Vogue. They then dive into the performance of She Said- based on the sexual allegations of Harvey Weinstein and current box office trends. Finally, the show ends with a deep dive on Disney, the return of Bob Iger, and what it means for the future of the company.  Follow us on:...

We're taking a break this week for Thanksgiving but we'll be back next week. Have a great Thanksgiving! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul and Mesh celebrate the success of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's 180M opening and Bad Bunny being Apple Music’s Artist of the Year. They then discuss California's emphatic rejection of proposals which would have legalized sports betting. Paul then breaks down the SEC’s district court win over crypto-company LBRY in which LBRY’s coin was found to be a security and its potential implications...

Paul and Mesh start the show discussing the success of the crowdfunded horror movie, Terrifier 2, and other upcoming theatrical releases. They then talk about the death of Takeoff, the former Migos member who was murdered in Houston. Finally, Paul breaks down two new sports content deals: the NBA’s exploring an exclusive package of games for a streaming partner and the Big 12’s $2B+ rights deal wi...

Paul and Mesh kick things off with a discussion of trending topics: Taylor Swift’s record-setting new album, Midnights; DC Studio’s next savior James Gunn; recently appointed UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak; and Britney Griner’s appeal. They then go on to discuss Robert Sarver, owner of the Phoenix Suns, and how he’s looking to sell his stake. Finally, Paul breaks down the latest drama in the world...

Paul and Mesh discuss the Rock's DC film universe debut with Black Adam and some management changes at DC. They recap BTS's decision to perform their required Korean military service. They then discuss the market’s optimism regarding Netflix among other industry trends (G4 TV shutting down, again). Finally, Paul dives into the recent Supreme Court case where they will determine if Andy Warhol’s Pr...

Paul interviews Tawfiq Rangwala, Milbank partner and former board member of WE Charity, regarding his #1 best-selling book, What We Lost. During 2020 and 2021, the WE Charity scandal was Canada's second-largest story behind the COVID pandemic. WE Charity was devoted to inspiring youth to make the world a better place and attracted the support of celebrities, politicians and thousands more people w...

Paul and Mesh discuss chatter around Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen's potential divorce, and why lawyers would be hired at this stage. They then discuss Ed Sheeran's latest legal troubles with his song "Thinking Out Loud" and it's similarities with Marvin Gaye's "Get it On." Finally, Paul discusses the signing of a bill by Gavin Newsom to limit the use of hip hop lyrics in criminal trials. Follow U...

Marvel teases that Hugh Jackman will reprise his role as Wolverine. . . but as Mesh points out, not for 2 more years! Paul updates us on Cineworld’s Chapter 11 process amidst a historically slow month for theatrical box office. Finally, Paul and Mesh discuss America’s fastest-growing sport, Pickleball, and the latest updates in name, image and likeness deals for student-athletes. IG: @bettercallpa...

Mesh and Paul laud Tom Hardy’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu chops; he recently entered (and won) three tournaments to benefit his charity, REORG. They then dive into the Rockstar Games leak where confidential footage and source code from the highly-anticipated GTA 6 was posted online. Finally, Paul and Mesh reflect on Serial, Adnan Syed’s release, and the legal considerations which caused prosecutors to va...

Paul and Mesh celebrate Roger Federer’s incredible career. They break down Billboard’s top earning music industry execs. Paul shares stories from his trip to TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) while Mesh highlights the best of the Emmy’s. Finally, Paul breaks down why Hulu is such an attractive business, the agreement between Disney and Comcast, and the potential financial outcomes in 2024...