Matt Belloni
@mattbelloni.bsky.social
Founding partner @pucknews, host @ringer The Town, @kcrw; Ex-editor @HollywoodReporter, entertainment lawyer. Get my email: https://puck.news/author/matthew-belloni/
New pod: What worked and didn’t in streaming amid all the price hikes and fake press releases. Also is Heated Rivalry really the ratings hit your algorithm thinks it is? With @loudmouthjulia.bsky.social. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/77HJ...
Who Won (and Lost) the Year in Streaming?
open.spotify.com
December 31, 2025 at 6:24 PM
New pod: What worked and didn’t in streaming amid all the price hikes and fake press releases. Also is Heated Rivalry really the ratings hit your algorithm thinks it is? With @loudmouthjulia.bsky.social. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/77HJ...
The wildest personal story of a wild year in Hollywood: Its the annual Hero of the Year! puck.news/hollywoods-h...
Hollywood’s Heroes of the Year Are… The Warner Bros. Duo
In 2025, Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy went from dead executives walking to a six-month stretch of blockbusters and Oscar contenders that silenced the town and offered a middle finger to their boss David ...
puck.news
December 30, 2025 at 4:57 PM
The wildest personal story of a wild year in Hollywood: Its the annual Hero of the Year! puck.news/hollywoods-h...
New pod: Why Hollywood has turned on Disney's Dana Walden and still doesn't respect WB's David Zaslav. With executive pollster @lucasshaw.bsky.social. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/7wZq...
The End-of-Year Exec Survey: Next Disney CEO, Where to Sell Your Movie, and Worst Media Exec
open.spotify.com
December 29, 2025 at 11:57 PM
New pod: Why Hollywood has turned on Disney's Dana Walden and still doesn't respect WB's David Zaslav. With executive pollster @lucasshaw.bsky.social. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/7wZq...
Reposted by Matt Belloni
Can't stop thinking about this from @mattbelloni.bsky.social. Would love to see Sony's paid media spend breakout for Anaconda, which probably looks incredibly "old school" (ie lots of linear TV, radio).
December 24, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Can't stop thinking about this from @mattbelloni.bsky.social. Would love to see Sony's paid media spend breakout for Anaconda, which probably looks incredibly "old school" (ie lots of linear TV, radio).
Many, MANY candidates.... but there can only be one Villain of the Year in Hollywood...drumroll.... puck.news/sam-altman-i...
Hollywood’s Villain of the Year Is… Sam Altman
The slop-ification of entertainment took a major leap in 2025 thanks to a copyright infringement hub called Sora 2 and Altman’s brazen courtship of Disney.
puck.news
December 23, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Many, MANY candidates.... but there can only be one Villain of the Year in Hollywood...drumroll.... puck.news/sam-altman-i...
New pod: Part 2 of The Townies! Featuring... Craziest Moves, Most Effective Milking of Fans, P.R. Flexes and Fails, and the coveted Who Won the Year. With @lucasshaw.bsky.social a little tipsy on champagne. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/6UKb...
Spotify – Web Player
open.spotify.com
December 23, 2025 at 7:11 PM
New pod: Part 2 of The Townies! Featuring... Craziest Moves, Most Effective Milking of Fans, P.R. Flexes and Fails, and the coveted Who Won the Year. With @lucasshaw.bsky.social a little tipsy on champagne. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/6UKb...
Tonight's @PuckNews very special Villain of the Year edition of What I'm Hearing will arrive tomorrow morning not tonight. Too many candidates! 💫💫
December 23, 2025 at 4:15 AM
Tonight's @PuckNews very special Villain of the Year edition of What I'm Hearing will arrive tomorrow morning not tonight. Too many candidates! 💫💫
New pod: It's The Townies! The best, worst, most baffling decisions and biggest publicist fails of 2025 in Hollywood. With @Lucas_Shaw in a new velvet tux! Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/5Xtq...
The Townies: Hollywood’s Best and Worst of 2025
open.spotify.com
December 22, 2025 at 5:52 PM
New pod: It's The Townies! The best, worst, most baffling decisions and biggest publicist fails of 2025 in Hollywood. With @Lucas_Shaw in a new velvet tux! Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/5Xtq...
Reposted by Matt Belloni
The Reason Why Larry Ellison is Only Investing $12 Billion in Warner Bros. Discovery $PSKY $WBD $NFLX
@mattbelloni.bsky.social got the answers on The Town podcast
@mattbelloni.bsky.social got the answers on The Town podcast
The Reason Why Larry Ellison is Only Investing $12 Billion in Warner Bros. Discovery
Listen (4:29) On yesterday’s episode of The Town podcast, Puck’s Matt Belloni asked Redbird Capital’s Gerry Cardinale: “If Larry is prepared to go all in on this, why is the…
lightshedtmt.com
December 19, 2025 at 4:12 PM
The Reason Why Larry Ellison is Only Investing $12 Billion in Warner Bros. Discovery $PSKY $WBD $NFLX
@mattbelloni.bsky.social got the answers on The Town podcast
@mattbelloni.bsky.social got the answers on The Town podcast
The Oscars kinda had to go to YouTube….but there’s a price to pay. Details ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/will-the-osc...
The Oscars-YouTube Brand Problem
The streamer’s bold bid to host the Academy Awards offers maximum reach for a show that was becoming minimally niche, but mixing prestige and populism has its potential downsides.
puck.news
December 19, 2025 at 3:15 PM
The Oscars kinda had to go to YouTube….but there’s a price to pay. Details ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/will-the-osc...
New pod: Paramount fights back! Dealmaker/investor Gerry Cardinale goes public with plans to win Warners from Netflix, why Larry didn’t put in more money, middle-east politics, and why WBD really rejected the Ellisons. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/0nbL...
Paramount Isn’t Giving up Warner Bros. to Netflix Just Yet
open.spotify.com
December 18, 2025 at 11:02 PM
New pod: Paramount fights back! Dealmaker/investor Gerry Cardinale goes public with plans to win Warners from Netflix, why Larry didn’t put in more money, middle-east politics, and why WBD really rejected the Ellisons. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/0nbL...
New pod: Should regulators and the antitrust crusaders just let Warner Bros. go bankrupt? With Sen. Elizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov. Plus: Will more or less people watch the Oscas on YouTube?? Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/1dhM...
A Warner Bros. Antitrust Debate With Senator Elizabeth Warren
open.spotify.com
December 17, 2025 at 11:10 PM
New pod: Should regulators and the antitrust crusaders just let Warner Bros. go bankrupt? With Sen. Elizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov. Plus: Will more or less people watch the Oscas on YouTube?? Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/1dhM...
New @PuckNews: I debated with @williamdcohan.bsky.social what will happen next in the Warner Bros. auction saga. Larry Ellison’s money is real, but is his commitment? ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/who-wants-wa...
Who Wants Warner Bros. More?
Battle lines have been drawn over David Zaslav’s Warner Bros. Discovery, and both Netflix and Paramount think they have the winning formula. But is the game already rigged?
puck.news
December 16, 2025 at 3:45 PM
New @PuckNews: I debated with @williamdcohan.bsky.social what will happen next in the Warner Bros. auction saga. Larry Ellison’s money is real, but is his commitment? ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/who-wants-wa...
New pod: Disney brand damage vs AI bandwagon….what could go wrong? With @lucasshaw.bsky.social. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/51um...
Why Iger Gave OpenAI the Keys to Disney’s Vault
open.spotify.com
December 16, 2025 at 12:11 AM
New pod: Disney brand damage vs AI bandwagon….what could go wrong? With @lucasshaw.bsky.social. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/51um...
Does media attention correlate with Oscar nominations and wins? A new study from @stephenfollows.com offers compelling evidence. ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/can-media-co...
Can Media Coverage Buy an Oscar?
Every year, awards contenders and pretenders mount unbridled and financially unchecked press campaigns in the hopes of boosting their chances. A new analysis reveals that they maybe shouldn’t have bot...
puck.news
December 12, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Does media attention correlate with Oscar nominations and wins? A new study from @stephenfollows.com offers compelling evidence. ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/can-media-co...
New pod: The increasingly high stakes of finding the right stars for big studio franchises. Plus: The first new Oscar in 25 years! With Wicked casting director Tiffany Little Canfield. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/70xU...
Ariana in Wicked and How to Cast a Billion-Dollar Movie
open.spotify.com
December 11, 2025 at 4:57 PM
New pod: The increasingly high stakes of finding the right stars for big studio franchises. Plus: The first new Oscar in 25 years! With Wicked casting director Tiffany Little Canfield. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/70xU...
New @puck.news: The only question that matters in the Warner Bros auction. New details ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/world-war-wb...
How High Will the Ellisons Go?
If Warners rejects David Ellison’s latest bid, I’m told that he’ll almost certainly offer more. Will Netflix exceed that offer?
puck.news
December 9, 2025 at 8:37 PM
New @puck.news: The only question that matters in the Warner Bros auction. New details ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/world-war-wb...
New pod: It's Paramount vs. Netflix for Warner Bros., a battle of two not-great situations for Hollywood. Who's got the upper hand? With analyst Peter Supino of Wolfe Research. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/212z...
The Ellison Empire Strikes Back: Paramount Goes Hostile
open.spotify.com
December 9, 2025 at 6:34 AM
New pod: It's Paramount vs. Netflix for Warner Bros., a battle of two not-great situations for Hollywood. Who's got the upper hand? With analyst Peter Supino of Wolfe Research. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/212z...
New pod: Netflix. Warners. $72 billion. What in the name of Ted Sarandos just happened!? It’s a deal so big @craighorlbeck.bsky.social gave the title 3 exclamation points!!! With a very special Friday appearance by @lucasshaw.bsky.social Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/5Nw8...
Netflix Buys Warner Bros. Emergency Pod!!!
open.spotify.com
December 6, 2025 at 2:06 AM
New pod: Netflix. Warners. $72 billion. What in the name of Ted Sarandos just happened!? It’s a deal so big @craighorlbeck.bsky.social gave the title 3 exclamation points!!! With a very special Friday appearance by @lucasshaw.bsky.social Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/5Nw8...
Stayed up all night calling, texting, writing, and processing a monumental moment in Hollywood history. Here's how the Netflix-Warners deal went down and what's likely to happen next. ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/is-the-netfl...
Is the Netflix-Warners Deal Really Such a Disaster?
Yes, the blockbuster $83 billion acquisition of the Warner Bros. studio and HBO Max would decisively end the streaming wars. But is Ted Sarandos getting his hands on a historic studio really the end o...
puck.news
December 5, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Stayed up all night calling, texting, writing, and processing a monumental moment in Hollywood history. Here's how the Netflix-Warners deal went down and what's likely to happen next. ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/is-the-netfl...
New pod: Why do we keep celebrating this season’s sports TV ratings spikes when the playing field has dramatically changed? With Nielsen researcher Brian Fuhrer. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/3giy...
Why the NFL (and Everything Else) Keeps Breaking Ratings Records
open.spotify.com
December 4, 2025 at 5:42 AM
New pod: Why do we keep celebrating this season’s sports TV ratings spikes when the playing field has dramatically changed? With Nielsen researcher Brian Fuhrer. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/3giy...
Some news: Paramount just signed director Jon M. Chu to a big film and TV first-look deal, taking over his arrangement from Warner Bros. Chu will move onto the lot in January. It's another talent get for David Ellison. Wicked studio Universal went after Chu but came up short.
December 4, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Some news: Paramount just signed director Jon M. Chu to a big film and TV first-look deal, taking over his arrangement from Warner Bros. Chu will move onto the lot in January. It's another talent get for David Ellison. Wicked studio Universal went after Chu but came up short.
Brett Ratner says his budget for Donald Trump's RUSH HOUR 4 is "over $100 million." More via @kimmasters.bsky.social ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/why-paramoun...
‘Rush Hour 4’ Was Dead—Until Trump
The shock announcement of a fourth film in the Rush Hour franchise, willed to life with help from the president, has led to far more questions than answers. Chief among them: How did Brett Ratner pull...
puck.news
December 3, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Brett Ratner says his budget for Donald Trump's RUSH HOUR 4 is "over $100 million." More via @kimmasters.bsky.social ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/why-paramoun...
New pod: Suitors for Warner Discovery are making lots of pledges to win the deal. What’s real and what’s Hollywood BS With @lucasshaw.bsky.social. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/4F7W...
Spotify – Web Player
open.spotify.com
December 2, 2025 at 12:27 AM
New pod: Suitors for Warner Discovery are making lots of pledges to win the deal. What’s real and what’s Hollywood BS With @lucasshaw.bsky.social. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/4F7W...
New pod: It’s Chloe Zhao! A fun chat recorded at @puck.news awards season event. She called me “spicy.” Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/2TtK...
Commercial Vs. Arthouse, Going Marvel, and Notes From Spielberg With ‘Hamnet’ Director Chloé Zhao
open.spotify.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:08 PM
New pod: It’s Chloe Zhao! A fun chat recorded at @puck.news awards season event. She called me “spicy.” Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/2TtK...