‘House of the Dragon’ vs. ‘The Rings of Power,’ Who Is Winning?
Matt is joined by Julia Alexander from Parrot Analytics to break down who is winning the biggest TV matchup in years, HBO’s ‘The House of the Dragon’ vs. Amazon’s 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Matt and Julia dive into Nielsen's newly released ratings and determine which show is benefiting its host platform the most. Email us comments, questions, or ideas at thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Julia Alexander Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3 Okt 202231min
Can ‘SNL’ Get Back to Making Stars?
Matt is joined by Bill Simmons to discuss the current state of 'SNL' ahead of the Season 48 premiere this Saturday night. Lorne Michaels recently described this season as a “year of reinvention” for 'SNL,' and Matt and Bill preview how this year will look different, why the show has struggled creating stars lately, what it can learn from past seasons, and Lorne’s future with the show. Email us comments, questions, or ideas at thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Bill Simmons Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
30 Sep 202250min
Hollywood’s (Still) Embarrassing Gender Gap
Hollywood has a reputation for being a fairly progressive industry, but when it comes to gender equality, there is still plenty of work to do. Matt is joined by CNBC's senior media & tech correspondent Julia Boorstin to talk about her new book, ‘When Women Lead,’ and discuss the lingering gender gap in Hollywood and lack of female CEOs in entertainment and media industries, why women are particularly adept to lead companies, and what has changed since the #MeToo movement. Email us comments, questions, or ideas at thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Julia Boorstin Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
29 Sep 202232min
Millions Are Watching the NFL on Amazon Prime. Is This the Future?
Disclaimer: This episode was recorded before the ratings of the most recent ‘Thursday Night Football’ game on Amazon Prime between The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns were released. Matt is joined by Sports Business Journal's John Ourand to discuss Amazon’s impressive start as an exclusive NFL streamer for ‘Thursday Night Football.’ Amazon’s Week 2 debut between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers drew ratings similar to broadcast television, raising the eyebrows of viewers, advertisers, and television network executives alike. Is this the future? Email us comments, questions, or ideas at thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: John Ourand Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
26 Sep 202226min
Town Hall: Star Wars Missteps, Top Gun’s Oscar Potential, and Where Is James Bond?
Welcome to Town Hall! Matt and Craig answer listener questions on Disney’s handling of the 'Star Wars' franchise, the biggest movie set disasters, 'Top Gun' and Tom Cruise’s Oscar buzz, Paramount’s stellar summer and who is responsible, Hollywood’s biggest bets in 2023, the future of the live award show, Apple TV+’s ambitions, and more. Sign up for Matt’s Hollywood newsletter at 20% off HERE. Email us comments, questions, or ideas at thetown@spotify.com. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producer: Craig Horbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
22 Sep 202228min
‘Don’t Worry Darling’ and How Controversy Impacts the Box Office
Matt is joined by David Herrin, founder of film research firm The Quorum, to discuss Olivia Wilde’s upcoming film, ‘Don’t Worry Darling,’ and whether the media frenzy and off-screen controversy will affect its performance at the box office. They also look back on past films wrapped up in controversy and determine whether publicity leads to success or failure. Sign up for Matt’s Hollywood newsletter at 20% off HERE. Email us comments, questions, or ideas at thetown@spotify.com. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: David Herrin Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Craig Horlbeck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
21 Sep 202230min
Did a $200M Direct-to-Streaming Movie Ever Make Sense?
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss how much money streaming services should spend on movies that skip a theatrical release and go directly to their streaming platform. They speculate over a streaming service’s return on investment for for a $200 million movie and question whether that business model is sustainable. Sign up for Matt’s Hollywood newsletter at 20% off HERE Email us comments, questions, or ideas at thetown@spotify.com. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producer: Craig Horbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
19 Sep 202231min
Is TV Saving or Killing College Football?
Matt is joined by The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis to discuss the recent conference realignment in college football—where television ratings reign supreme and storied traditions are rapidly disappearing—and whether this new normal is sustainable in a consolidating college football television universe. Sign up for Matt’s Hollywood newsletter at 20% off HERE Email us comments, questions, or ideas at thetown@spotify.com. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Bryan Curtis Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
16 Sep 202227min
