The Town with Matthew Belloni

Episodet

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  Is Netflix Hurting YouTube by Poaching Talent? 21.07.2026 35min

  Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to debate whether Netflix or YouTube is winning the battle to dominate Hollywood. They move through the pros and cons of each platform, the new rules of engagement, whether podcasts are working on Netflix, whether YouTube should go after premium content, and more (02:26). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the future of WarnerMount after a judge ruled for a temporary restraining order on the deal (27:50). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo This episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at join.amcplus.com This episode is brought to you by Accenture. https://Accenture.com/Spotify Tickets available at americancinematheque.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Paramount's Strategy to Beat California, With Its Top Lawyer 20.07.2026 44min

  Matt is joined by Makan Delrahim, chief legal officer at Paramount, who argues his case in favor of Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. He explains what they are willing to concede, why the state's case should fail, why this deal improves competition, whether Paramount would leave California, and the multiple ways this case could play out (02:42). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Makan Delrahim Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo This episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at join.amcplus.com This episode is brought to you by Accenture. https://Accenture.com/Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  The Numbers That Have Netflix Investors Spooked 17.07.2026 33min

  (00:00) Matt is joined by Guggenheim Senior Managing Director Michael Morris to discuss Netflix’s latest data dump and quarterly earnings report and assess why the market has started to turn on the streamer. They dig into why Netflix decided to reduce their engagement report release from biannually to annually, why the stock price has dropped nearly 50 percent since October, the nagging question of engagement, the perception that growth is slowing, and if M&A is necessary to reaccelerate growth, (02:29). Matt finishes the show with a World Cup final ratings prediction (28:25). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Michael Morris Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo This episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at join.amcplus.com The Ringer is committed to responsible trading. Please visit https://fanduel.com/predicts to learn more about the resources and helpline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  The Data Scientists Quietly Powering Hollywood’s Greenlight Machine 17.07.2026 37min

  Matt is joined by professor Violaine Roussel, a professor of sociology at Paris 8 University, to discuss her new book 'Data Driven Hollywood: The New Data Professionals in the Age of Streaming,' which polls 75 data scientists employed at streamers and studios to explain how modern studios use data to inform what they greenlight, what the data departments look like inside these streamers, how Netflix uses things like “taste clusters,” and how creative choices have been reinvented over the last 15 years (02:43). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for Christopher Nolan’s new film ‘ The Odyssey’ (29:23). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Violaine Roussel Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo This episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at join.amcplus.com This episode is brought to you by Accenture. https://Accenture.com/Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  The Case Against WarnerMount, with CA Attorney General Rob Bonta 14.07.2026 40min

  Matt and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw are joined by California Attorney General Rob Bonta to discuss California’s new lawsuit to block Paramount Skydance's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. They talk about what the lawsuit highlights and avoids, Paramount’s response, and the impact the acquisition would have on Hollywood (02:51). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the future of Disney live-action remakes after a weak opening weekend for 'Moana' (35:03). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw, Rob Bonta Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo This episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at join.amcplus.com This episode is brought to you by Accenture. https://Accenture.com/Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Is California's $750 Million Bet on Hollywood Working? 11.07.2026 34min

  Matt is joined by Colleen Bell, the director of the California Film Commission, to check in on the state of film and TV production in California following the cap increase to $750M about a year ago. They discuss the increase in shoot days in California, how the new program works, whether a federal credit is coming, whether the new Los Angeles mayor and California governor will affect this program, why Netflix decided to build a headquarters in New Jersey, and how to build on the current momentum (03:03). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Moana’ (27:33). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Colleen Bell Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt Pevic Theme Song: Devon Renaldo This episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at http://join.amcplus.com This episode is brought to you by Accenture. https://Accenture.com/Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Inside the Internet IP Gold Rush Sweeping Hollywood 09.07.2026 37min

  Matt is joined by producer Scott Glassgold to discuss internet IP and the short-story boom that has taken over Hollywood after major successes in ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’, whether this is a micro or macro trend, how these internet stories are developed for the big screen, and whether studios have learned the right lessons from this year (02:22). Matt finishes the show with a prediction for the 2026 Emmys (29:18). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Scott Glassgold Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt Pevic Theme Song: Devon Renaldo This episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at http://join.amcplus.com This episode is brought to you by Accenture. https://Accenture.com/Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  The Biggest Winners and Losers of 2026 So Far 07.07.2026 43min

  Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to select their winners and losers in the entertainment industry so far this year, from actors with surprise hits, studio heads with embarrassing flops, CEOs of struggling companies, and producers that made huge swings that paid off. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo This episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at join.amcplus.com This episode is brought to you by Accenture. https://Accenture.com/Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Why Attendance Tells a Better Story Than Box Office 02.07.2026 35min

  Matt is joined by Steve Buck, chief strategy officer at EntTelligence to discuss how many people are actually going to the movies and clarify the difference between admission versus box office. Steve reveals whether rising box office grosses are matched by actual attendance, if ticket price increases and premium large format screens are actually juicing box office totals, the demos and genres that are overindexing, and some surprising political affiliations of moviegoers (00:00). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Minions & Monsters' (29:52). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Steve Buck Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo This episode is brought to you by Accenture. https://Accenture.com/Spotify This episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at join.amcplus.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Will the Comcast-NBCU Split Lead to Another Huge Hollywood Deal? 29.06.2026 33min

  Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the news that NBCUniversal is splitting off from Comcast into a standalone company, the details of the deal, why this is happening now, and whether this opens the floodgates for more M&A (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Sony’s $100M investment in Cosm (26:45). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo After false reports of Deborah's death, she and Ava return to Vegas. Watch now. The Ringer is committed to responsible trading. Please visit https://fanduel.com/predicts to learn more about the resources and helpline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  How Larry Ellison’s Trump Bromance Is Helping WarnerMount 26.06.2026 35min

  Matt is joined by WSJ reporter Emily Glazer to discuss her fascinating new piece highlighting Larry Ellison’s private friendship with Donald Trump and the impact it had on the Paramount M&A saga. Emily explains why Larry and Donald seem to get along so well, why Larry is bankrolling the WarnerMount deal, and how we got here in the first place (00:00). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Supergirl’ (28:32). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Emily Glazer Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo After false reports of Deborah's death, she and Ava return to Vegas. Watch now. The Ringer is committed to responsible trading. Please visit https://fanduel.com/predicts to learn more about the resources and helpline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Amazon Won’t Release Its Sam Altman Movie. Will Anyone? 22.06.2026 33min

  Matt is joined by Keach Hagey, a journalist at The Wall Street Journal and author of 'The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future,' to discuss Amazon abandoning Luca Guadagnino’s movie ‘Artificial’ and looking to sell it to another studio to distribute. They talk about why Amazon made this movie in the first place, its relationship with OpenAI, their thoughts on the script and how it portrays Altman, whether any major studio will buy this movie, and how big tech has influenced Hollywood’s decision-making strategy (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the legendary Clive Davis pre-Grammys party (27:17). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Keach Hagey Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo After false reports of Deborah's death, she and Ava return to Vegas. Watch now. Alan Cumming hosts the hit series THE TRAITORS. Streaming on Peacock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  The Secret Industry That Makes Movies Go Viral 19.06.2026 35min

  Matt is joined by journalist Lane Brown from New York Magazine to discuss his latest article digging into the insidious world of online clipping and narrative campaigning. Lane explains how virality and popularity are manufactured and engineered to resemble the improvised enthusiasm of human strangers, the companies behind these simulated trends, which movies, shows, bands, and viral moments were influenced by these tactics, how prevalent this is in media, how AI will play a role, and what to expect in the future (02:28). Matt then finishes the show with a couple of predictions about ‘Shrek 5’ and ‘The Social Reckoning’ (28:51). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lane Brown Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt PevicTheme Song: Devon RenaldoRead Lane’s piece HERE After false reports of Deborah's death, she and Ava return to Vegas. Watch now. Landman Season 2: for your Emmy consideration in all Drama Series categories. Visit http://ParamountFYC.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Have Platforms Unseated Content as King in Hollywood? 17.06.2026 32min

  Matt is joined by John Mass, president of Content Partners, to discuss the massive value of owning distribution in modern Hollywood in comparison to years past, when content seemed to be the most important piece of the pie. They talk about why becoming the gatekeeper in Hollywood is so important in 2026, Fox acquiring Roku, and more (2:55). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for 'Toy Story 5' (27:33). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: John Mass Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt Pevic Theme Song: Devon Renaldo After false reports of Deborah's death, she and Ava return to Vegas. Watch now. The Madison: for your Emmy consideration in all Drama Series categories. Visit http://ParamountFYC.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Fox Is Buying Roku for $22B. Is It Now a Streaming Power Player? 16.06.2026 35min

  Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Fox’s $22 billion acquisition of Roku, why this happened, how connected TV devices are the secret gatekeepers to streaming, how this will affect the consumer, and what this says about the larger deal landscape in Hollywood (2:11). We finish the show with an update on the 2026 Box Office Draft (28:30). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt Pevic Theme Song: Devon Renaldo In this darkly comedic series, a love triangle ends in death. Watch now. The Madison: for your Emmy consideration in all Drama Series categories. Visit http://ParamountFYC.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Bonus Episode! Matt Risks His Life Eating Wings With Sean Evans of ‘Hot Ones.’ 14.06.2026 48min

  Live from Hollywood, Matt turns the tables on 'Hot Ones' host Sean Evans. Matt eats hot wings and risks his intestinal fortitude while interviewing Sean at the 'Hot Ones' FYC event. Yes, he tries Da Bomb. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Sean Evans Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt Pevic Theme Song: Devon Renaldo In this darkly comedic series, a love triangle ends in death. Watch now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  The ‘Obsession’ Windfall and How Indie Hits Pay Out 12.06.2026 40min

  Matt is joined by film producer Mynette Louie, a cohead of creative producing and assistant professor at Columbia University, to explain how the money is distributed when an indie film is a big hit. They use Curry Barker’s ‘Obsession’ as an example to discuss how the financial waterfall flows, who profits the most and the least, and the state of indie film distribution (03:14). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about '24 Jump Street' (34:18). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Mynette Louie Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt PevicTheme Song: Devon Renaldo In this darkly comedic series, a love triangle ends in death. Watch now. Landman Season 2: for your Emmy consideration in all Drama Series categories. Visit http://ParamountFYC.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  The Gen Z Box Office Boom and What They Think of Spielberg, Marvel, and Star Wars 11.06.2026 28min

  Matt is joined by founder and CEO of Screen Engine/ASI, Kevin Goetz, to talk about his new survey of Gen Z moviegoers to explain the Gen Z box office boom, how Hollywood can better appeal to the new wave of moviegoers, as well as their opinions on major stars, directors, and legacy IP (01:54). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for Steven Spielberg’s ‘Disclosure Day’ (21:36). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Kevin Goetz Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt Pevic Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Don’t Kill the Messenger In this darkly comedic series, a love triangle ends in death. Watch now. The Madison: for your Emmy consideration in all Drama Series categories. Visit ParamountFYC.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Is the ‘60 Minutes’ Blowup a Threat to Ellison’s Empire? 09.06.2026 36min

  Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the ongoing disruption at ‘60 Minutes,’ most recently the hiring of Nick Bilton as EP, and the firing of correspondent Scott Pelley. They dig into what the plan to "modernize '60 Minutes'” actually means, what this says about David Ellison’s leadership, if this threatens the Ellison media empire, and ultimately if this could stop the WarnerMount merger (02:48). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about who will attend the UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House lawn on Sunday, June 12 (28:59). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt Pevic Theme Song: Devon Renaldo For more information visit Hulu.com/FYC In this darkly comedic series, a love triangle ends in death. Watch now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  'Backrooms’ Director Kane Parsons on Bursting into Hollywood, Internet Fandom, and Old IP 04.06.2026 37min

  Matt is joined by Kane Parsons, the 20-year-old director of ‘Backrooms,’ to discuss becoming the youngest filmmaker to open a movie no. 1 at the box office, his experience transitioning from YouTube to the big screen, what he wants to do with his newfound success, how he uses the internet, and more (01:56). Matt finishes the show with opening weekend box office predictions for ‘Scary Movie 6’ and ‘Masters of the Universe’ (30:18). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Kane Parsons Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Matt Pevic Theme Song: Devon Renaldo In this darkly comedic series, a love triangle ends in death. Watch now.Book a new kind of stay at HolidayInn.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices