Who Won (and Lost) the Year in Streaming?
Matt is joined by Puck media correspondent Julia Alexander to recap the year in streaming, and hand out awards for Streamer of the Year, Most Disappointing Streamer, Show of the Year, Biggest Surprise Hit, and highlight the most interesting trends in streaming (01:48). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the 'Stranger Things' finale in theaters (28:45). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Julia Alexander Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
31 Dec 36min
The End-of-Year Exec Survey: Next Disney CEO, Where to Sell Your Movie, and Worst Media Exec
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the big Christmas weekend at the box office, including the big ‘Marty Supreme’ win and Sydney Sweeney’s box office bounce. Then they dive into Lucas’s recent Bloomberg survey polling 700 industry experts to answer the biggest burning questions around town, including who will end up owning Warner Bros., who will be the CEO of Disney in 2027, where you should sell your movie, and who is the worst CEO in media (01:42). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about whether we will get ‘Avatar 4’ (25:00). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com 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
29 Dec 31min
The Townies, Part 2: Who Won the Year in Hollywood?
In Part 2 of podcasting's biggest night, Matt and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw hand out the Executive Fail of the Year Award; the Savviest PR Move Award; the Mea Culpa I Was Wrong Award; the Suck It Haters, I Was Right Award; and the Biggest Self-Inflicted Wound Award. Then they declare which executive and talent won 2025 (00:07). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Marty Supreme’ and ‘Anaconda’ (34:57). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com 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
23 Dec 44min
The Townies: Hollywood’s Best and Worst of 2025
It’s podcasting’s most exclusive event of the year: the fourth annual Townies! Join Matt and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw as they recap the year in Hollywood with exciting and hilarious categories like Biggest Flex, Most Destructive Behind-the-Scenes Drama, Most Baffling Success, Most Annoying Media Narrative, Deal of the Year, and much more in Part 1 of this year's Townies. For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com 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
22 Dec 48min
Paramount Isn’t Giving up Warner Bros. to Netflix Just Yet
Matt is joined by Gerry Cardinale, founder and managing partner of RedBird Capital, to discuss Paramount’s bid for Warner Bros., why their bid is superior to Netflix’s bid, Larry Ellison and the Middle East's involvement, whether they will look to raise their bid, and what the next steps will be (02:33). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash' (29:44). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Gerry Cardinale Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
18 Dec 37min
A Warner Bros. Antitrust Debate With Senator Elizabeth Warren, and the Oscars Go to... YouTube
Matt is joined by United States Senator Elizabeth Warren to discuss what should happen to Warner Bros., why it should not go to Netflix or Paramount Skydance, whether Democrats and Republicans could unite to block this sale, and how Hollywood should fight to survive in the era of big tech consolidation (02:08). Matt finishes the show reacting to the Oscars moving exclusively to YouTube in 2029 (25:29). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here.Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Senator Elizabeth Warren Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
17 Dec 35min
Why Iger Gave OpenAI the Keys to Disney’s Vault
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Disney entering a licensing agreement with Sora and investing $1 billion in OpenAI. The deal allows OpenAI to use characters from Disney’s deep pocket of popular IP in its Sora AI video generator. They break down the details of the deal, why Disney did it, how CEO Bob Iger handled the announcement, whether other companies will follow suit, and what this means for the long-term tension between Hollywood and AI (03:12). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Timothée Chalamet’s press tour and Oscar chances (26:25). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com 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
16 Dec 32min
Ariana in Wicked and How to Cast a Billion-Dollar Movie
Matt is joined by casting director Tiffany Little Canfield (‘Wicked’) to discuss casting major franchise roles that draw thousands of auditions like Elphaba and Glinda in ‘Wicked,’ the challenges of casting stars vs. unknowns, misconceptions about the casting process and how it has changed, Hollywood’s lack of young movie stars, the new achievement in casting Oscar, the best auditions she has ever seen, and other challenges of the casting process (02:06). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Ella McCay’ (29:04). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Tiffany Little Canfield Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11 Dec 35min
