Strictly Business

The proposed $111 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery is approaching completion, but concerns around debt, execution risk, and long-term industry volatility loom large. Naveen Sarma, sector lead for U.S. media and telecom at S&P Global, breaks down the opportunities and potential pitfalls ahead for the company, and he explains why S&P Global downgraded Paramount Sky...

On today's episode, Variety 's Brian Steinberg breaks down the implosion at "60 Minutes." Scott Pelley joins the list of correspondents getting the ax as a new executive producer, Nick Bilton, and CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss look to put their stamp on the venerable news program. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s episode, All3Media CEO Jane Turton discusses the company’s pending merger with Banijay and the footprint that the combined entity will have across TV, film, digital, documentaries and live events. Also, Phebe Hunnicutt, Warner Music Group’s London-based global marketing chief, offers insights on working with creators to boost awareness of artists and tunes. Both conver...

On today’s episode, in our Box Office segment, Variety’s Rebecca Rubin unpacks the eye-popping stats delivered by A24’s “Backrooms” and weekend three of Focus Features' “Obsession.” It’s a one-two punch of low-budget horror from digital-native directors, and it was enough to KO the second weekend of Disney and Lucasfilm’s “The Mandalorian...

On today’s episode of “Daily Variety” podcast, Rand Getlin, director-executive producer of  the HBO documentary “U.S. Against the World: Four Years With the Men’s National Soccer Team,” discusses the road to the World Cup and the rising popularity of men’s and women’s soccer in America. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s episode, Variety ’s Gene Maddaus tries to make sense of California’s fractious electoral politics as the June 2 primary approaches. He explains why incumbent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is hoping that the primary leaves her in a runoff against reality star Spencer Pratt, and why so many top contenders opted to sit out the state’s gubernatorial race.   See o...

On today's episode, in our box office segment, Variety 's Rebecca Rubin carefully measures the turnout over the Memorial Day weekend holiday for Disney's “The Mandalorian and Grogu.” It was a big test for Disney and Lucasfilm and the strength of the Star Wars franchise at the turnstiles. Meanwhile, Focus Features' horror pic "Obsession" had a strong sophomore weekend outing. See omnyst...

On today’s episode of Variety ’s “Strictly Business” podcast, Havas Play executives Andrea Isaac and Juliet Tierney share insights on reaching Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers – and the differences that distinguish them. The senior leaders of the branded content and experiential marketing unit of Havas discuss the sea change in marketing priorities and the need for...

On today’s episode, in our Box Office segment, Variety ’s Rebecca Rubin explains why Lionsgate’s “Michael” made a surprise return to No. 1 in a weekend that marks the calm before the start of summer blockbuster season next week with Disney’s “The Mandalorian and Grogu” opening over Memorial Day weekend. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

With all the bells and whistles rumored to be a part of Disney's "super app" plans, there's one feature that can be ruled out at this time: the AI magic the company had been conjuring via its recently aborted partnership with OpenAI . Which begs a question: Will consumers ever be able to create videos that allow them to direct their favorite fictional characters? Jeremy Toeman, senior VP of AI inn...

On today’s episode, Variety ’s Michael Schneider breaks down the last lap of upfronts week as Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix and YouTube grab the megaphone. And Variety music chief Jem Aswad goes deep on the music of “Heated Rivalry” in a session with showrunner Jacob Tierney, composer Peter Peter and music supervisor Scotty Taylor. It was recorded May 7 at Toronto’...

On today’s episode, in our Cover Story segment, we put the spotlight on “Survivor” as the reality stalwart hits Season 50. As detailed by  Variety ’s Emily Longeretta and Selome Hailu, CBS’ innovative and enduring unscripted juggernaut has set the standard for the reality-competition genre for 26 years and counting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

On today’s episode,  Variety ’s Brian Steinberg reports on the triple-header kickoff of Upfronts week after attending Monday’s NBCUniversal, Fox and Amazon Prime Video presentations. He parses each platform's pitch to Madison Avenue. And we’ll hear from NBCUniversal Entertainment chief business officer Liz Jenkins on risk-taking in the time of disruption, in remarks de...

On today’s special Upfronts-themed episode , Rita Ferro, Disney’s president of global advertising, offers a preview of the Mouse House’s May 12 presentation to advertisers in New York. Ferro details Disney’s plan to link the live spectacle of the Grammys, the Super Bowl and the Oscars for big brands. She gives her perspective on the state of the scatter market, the mood of...

On today's episode, Variety 's Jennifer Maas takes a deep dive on the rabid fandom around Hasbro's Magic: The Gathering collectible trading card game. Maas collected insights and perspectives from die-hard fans who attended the MagicCon fan convention held May 1-3 in Las Vegas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s episode, global star Kate del Castillo details the return of “La Reina del Sur” for a fourth season on Telemundo next year. Her widow-turned-crime boss character Teresa Mendoza will “be touching hell,” del Castillo promises. She also touches on the state of the content marketplace and how the Trump administration’s brutal crackdown on undocumented imm...

On today’s episode, in our Cover Story segment,  Variety ’s Daniel D’Addario details his sit-down in Madrid with Javier Bardem, the incredibly busy Spaniard actor who brings the family drama “The Beloved” to the Cannes Film Festival this year. Bardem opens up to D’Addario about the arc of his career, his advocacy for Palestinians and the depth of his love f...

On today’s episode, we hear from top movie marketers who discuss the uptick in Gen Z and Gen Alpha moviegoing that is helping to drive the spring’s strong box office. And Variety ’s Michael Schneider brings us a bonkers "10 Questions With" Colin Hanks and Ryan Reynolds, who collaborated on the documentary “John Candy: I Like Me.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

On today’s episode, in our Box Office segment, Variety ’s Jack Dunn breaks down the eye-popping opening weekend for 20th Century’s “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and a strong week 2 hold for last week’s surprise hit, “Michael.” The triumphant return of Miranda Priestly and Co. adds momentum and diversity to what has been a surprisingly strong spring at th...

On today’s episode, Luminate’s Kaare Eriksen goes deep on how and why Hollywood is leveraging gaming platforms to promote movies. Nic Hill, co-founder and chief innovation officer at Sawhorse Productions, explains how studios are tapping into 360-degree marketing strategies to stoke fandom for key franchises, particularly PG-13 and family-friendly titles.  See omnystudio.com/liste...

On today’s episode, we look ahead at plans for  Variety ’s TV Week celebration with Variety ’s Emily Longeretta. And we take a Vintage Variety look back at the momentous launch of television in the U.S. on the opening day of the New York World’s Fair in 1939, 87 years ago today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s episode, in our Cover Story segment, Variety ’s Chris Willman details his interview with country star Kacey Musgraves as she begins a new chapter of her life and her career. It’s a very revealing interview, just like Musgraves’ new album “Middle of Nowhere,” which bows May 1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s episode, writer-producer Aaron Tracy discusses his hugely popular Imagine/iHeart Media podcast “The Secret World of Roald Dahl.” The author of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “James and the Giant Peach,” “Matilda,” “The BFG” and many more classics lived a wild life that Tracy unpacks in his 10-part series. See omnyst...

On today’s episode, in our Box Office segment, Variety ’s Rebecca Rubin breaks down the record-setting opening for Lionsgate’s musical biopic “Michael. ” And Marc Malkin brings us a Just for Variety report on Madonna’s visit to the Abbey in West Hollywood. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s episode, NBCUniversal’s Pearlena Igbokwe details the company’s key areas of focus following the Versant Media spinoff. The leader of NBCU’s TV production operations and programming for NBC and Peacock discusses the return of the pilot process at NBC , the importance of multigenerational co-viewing and harnessing the power of broadcast and streaming platforms. The...