Strictly Business

Jan 29 2025 341 ep. 32 mins 1.2k

Strictly Business Podcast artwork

Industry leaders converse about business deals, strategy and the future of media and entertainment.

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Social Video Diverts Audience Time Away From TV, Films? This Study Suggests the Opposite

Jan 29 2025 29 mins

When Warner Bros. Discovery research chief Natasha Hritzuk first began studying short-form video, the conventional wisdom was that platforms like TikTok and YouTube were having a cannibalizing effect on TV and film consumption. But as she shares in her latest study, the deeper she explored audience behavor, the more she saw that social video served as a potent discovery tool for th

Exploring the Wide World of Webtoons

Jan 22 2025 41 mins

David J. Lee, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Webtoon Entertainment, discusses the rapid growth of webtoons as a digital entertainment medium during a session held as part of the Variety Entertainment Summit at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. And prolific webtoon creator Brandon Chen, author of "Just a Goblin" and many other titles, explains the a

Leadership and a Few Laughs in a Moment of Crisis

Jan 14 2025 45 mins

Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Ravi Ahuja gives his first interview since taking the reins of the studio. The conversation was held Jan. 8 at Variety’s Entertainment Summit at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, as firestorms were raging across Los Angeles County. Later that day, NBCUniversal ad sales chief Mark Marshall and NBC Sports host Maria Taylor brought some

Dice CEO Phil Hutcheon on a Decade of Fighting Dynamic Pricing in the Ticketing Industry and Why the Mid-Market Is Their 'Superpower'

Jan 08 2025 39 mins

Phil Hutcheon, the CEO of London-based ticketing software company Dice, sat down with Strictly Business to reflect on 10 years of revolutionizing the ticketing industry. Dice's fan- and artist-forward mission takes a strong stance against scalping and dynamic pricing, which earned it a loyal following in the U.K. before expanding to the U.S. and Canada. Next stop: the world.See omn

Vim, Vigor and Verve: Talent Agency Partners Talk Industry Turmoil, Transitions and Surviving 15 Years in Hollywood

Dec 18 2024 35 mins

Verve talent agency partners Liz Parker, Bryan Besser, Adam Levine and Adam Weinstein discuss the arc of the mid-sized firm's journey as its 15th anniversary approaches in 2025. The foursome address the end of packaging fees, the contraction in the creative community, finding IP in unexpected places and growth opportunities in animation. See omnystudio.com/listener for pr

I Defended Publishing the Sony Hack Emails 10 Years Ago. Now I Regret It.

Dec 11 2024 26 mins

Strictly Business co-host Andrew Wallenstein looks back on the rationale he laid out a decade ago as co-editor-in-chief of Variety for publishing the contents of the Sony hack and shares his misgivings about a difficult decision and why he made it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chappell Roan Collaborator Daniel Nigro on the Evolving Role of the Writer-Producer in Pop

Dec 04 2024 31 mins

Nominated for producer of the year at the Grammys, Daniel Nigro has become one of the top writer-producers in the pop thanks to his collaborations with Chappell Roan and Olivia Rodrigo, who became superstars on his watch. He talks about why he thinks of himself more of a band member with these artists than a traditional producer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Landgraf Wrestles with the Entertainment Industry’s ‘Really Big Reckoning’

Nov 20 2024 35 mins

John Landgraf, the respected chairman of FX, engages in a wide-ranging conversation about the precarious state of TV and film and the content industry in general. Coming off a banner year for FX, Landgraf explains how the edgy cable brand found a home within Disney and is navigating the transition from linear to streaming.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nebula Builds Streaming Platform with A24 Vibes

Nov 13 2024 34 mins

CEO Dave Wiskus details the growth ambition of the four-year-old streamer that is home to the buzzy original series "Jet Lag" and backed by management company Standard with a minority stake held by Curiosity Stream.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Riot Games’ Entertainment Ambitions Stalled Beyond ‘Arcane’

Nov 06 2024 21 mins

With the long-awaited second season of the Emmy-winning Netflix series "Arcane" debuting Nov. 9, producers Riot Games may be better known for videogame phenomena like "League of Legends," but they've proven they can make great entertainment, too. But the company has struggled to expand further into scripted entertainment as inexperience has kept anything else from getting off the g