The Town with Matthew Belloni

• David Zaslav and the Dying Era of Media Moguls

  Matt is joined by journalist Michael Wolff to discuss his latest profile on Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav in New York Magazine. They talk about whether—despite the bad press—he is actually doing a good job running WBD, the Hollywood he wants to live in vs. the one he's actually in, and what it means to be a media mogul in 2025 (03:32). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the pending merger between Skydance Media and Paramount Global (25:11). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Michael Wolff Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  --------  

  33:25
• The Trump Tariff Pain Index: Who Suffers the Most in Hollywood?

  Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to parse the media landscape and determine which companies are most vulnerable amid the Trump tariff chaos. They discuss how much this volatility will cost the entertainment industry, who is best suited to weather the storm, and if this will affect the cost of production (02:45). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about 'Saturday Night Live' headed to the U.K. (25:22). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] 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

  --------  

  33:08
• Coachella and the Changing Music Festival Hierarchy

  It’s Coachella weekend, so Matt is joined by Dave Brooks, the senior director of touring at Billboard, to discuss all things music festivals. David gives us the latest on Coachella: how it's been doing lately, how much money headliners make, and whether it's still the most culturally relevant music festival in the world. They then go through a music festival power ranking, discussing which are on the rise, how the economics have changed, and where things are going (02:18). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the newest category added to the Academy Awards (25:14). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Dave Brooks Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  --------  

  33:28
• Director Eli Roth Will Kill You On-Screen for $1 Million

  Matt is joined by director Eli Roth to discuss his new, all-encompassing horror media company the Horror Section, which allows horror lovers to “own” a portion of the company and share in the profits. They get into why Eli is so passionate about this idea, how the model actually works, and why the unrated horror genre is the perfect fit for a venture like this (02:41). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for the Rami Malek action flick ‘The Amateur’ (26:04). To learn more about Eli Roth’s company, click here. For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Eli Roth Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  --------  

  33:01
• A ‘Minecraft’ Megahit and the Studios Best Suited for Gen Z and Beyond

  Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the first surprise blockbuster of 2025, ‘A Minecraft Movie’; who deserves credit; what its success says about the current moment in IP-driven moviemaking; and whether video game adaptations are the new gold mine for attracting younger audiences (02:36). Finally, Matt makes a prediction about the ratings of the NCAA men's championship game (25:17). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] 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

  --------  

  32:47

More Society & Culture podcasts

Trending Society & Culture podcasts

About The Town with Matthew Belloni

The Town with Matthew Belloni: Podcasts in Family