Strictly Business

The Russian director behind "Night Watch,” “Wanted” and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" is eagerly promoting a new filmmaking software for what he calls “Screenlife." Bekmambetov explains why he thinks this is a wave of the future. He also offers his thoughts on Russia's media marketplace and the resurgent Cold War between the U.S. and his homeland. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ken Basin gives an inside look at how Hollywood dealmaking is changing in the peak-TV era, from the exorbitant salary increases top talent has been getting to the growing clout of tech companies doing most of the spending. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan discusses the company’s transition from a collection of cable channels — AMC, SundanceTV, IFC, WeTV, and BBC America — to a content-focused enterprise that is experimenting with new forms of distribution and expansion overseas. Sapan likes the hand he’s playing even if it has to engage in the arm’s race for talent and it is becoming dwarfed by larger competitors. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does a basketball legend team up with Sony to translate his brand into TV and film content? He turns to Jeron Smith, a veteran of Nike and the Obama-era White House, who explains how Curry is focusing on family, faith and sports as core themes to their strategy to crack the entertainment marketplace. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New York Television Festival was ahead of the curve in recognizing the need for independent producers and TV fans to have a forum for celebrating the small screen.  On the eve of the festival's 14th edition, founder and CEO Terence Gray talks about its evolution and growth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The crowded competitive set of streaming services hasn't kept Pluto TV from growing its audience quickly. CEO Tom Ryan explains how his game plan has gotten Pluto TV this far, and what lies ahead for his company. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dawn Ostroff reflects on seven years of working to bring the magazine giant's marquee brands into the digital age. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios, founded in 1993 in Allen’s living room, has grown rapidly during the past decade, expanding into cable programming and film distribution. Allen offers an inside look at his recent $300 million acquisition of the Weather Channel, and he discusses his provocative legal strategy to fight for “economic inclusion” for persons of color. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Supermodel-turned-entrepreneur Tyra Banks discusses her path from modeling in the early 1990s to becoming one of the new breed of media mavens who are a brand unto themselves. Banks recalls the early life lessons from her mother about embracing her strengths -- and a "booty" that didn't conform to catwalk standards -- and gave her the confidence to shift from modeling to expanding her horizons as a TV host, producer, entrepreneur, author, college professor, and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spanish-language TV giants Univision and Telemundo aren't meeting the programming needs of young Latino audiences, says Raze CEO Emiliano Calemzuk, which opens up a huge opportunity for his company. One year into the relaunch of the venture, Calemzuk looks back on how Raze has managed to make progress selling scripted series into Netflix and TNT while moving aggressively to establish his brand both in the U.S. and Latin America. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Producer Colin Callender is known for his excellent taste and strong relationship with stars, but he's also been an innovator in the financing and distribution of international co-productions. After more than 20 years with HBO, Callender launched Playground in 2012. The company has a big presence in TV this year with the adaptations of “Howard’s End” for Starz and the BBC, “King Lear” for the BBC and Amazon, and “Little Women” for the BBC and PBS. Here he discusses the ins and outs of international co-productions and his work in theater, which includes Broadway smash “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The founder of Group Nine, a portfolio of digital brands including Thrillist, NowThis and Seeker, reflects on his company's first year with the backing of Discovery Communications. While he feels he's bringing the best of traditional and new media together, Lerer is still finding his way as he contends with the challenges of dealing with powerful platforms like Facebook and producing his venture's first TV shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

HBO's top executive gets candid about what it takes to hold his own against fast-growing streaming services like Netflix and Amazon as he navigates one of the fiercest competitive environments in his company's 45-year history. He also discusses what the future has in store for top hits including "Game of Thrones" and "Big Little Lies." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Strahan and Constance Schwartz are business partners in the production and management company SMAC Entertainment. Michael is all over TV these days as the co-anchor of “Good Morning America,” as a football analyst for Fox, and as host of ABC’s “$100,000 Pyramid.” Behind the scenes, Michael and Constance develop and produce a wide range of content, and SMAC is the management home to talent ranging from Wiz Khalifa to Erin Andrews to Deion Sanders. Here the two talk about the steady growth of SMAC, where the company motto is: “Hustle like you’re broke.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The veteran business reporter who broke the news of Disney's courtship of 21st Century Fox talks about the state of media M&A, the growing threat posed by tech giants to traditional Hollywood, and his take on what happens next at CBS and Viacom. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A key piece of the massive marketing machinery behind Marvel blockbusters like "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Black Panther" are the partnerships struck with consumer brands as varied as American Airlines and Lexus to help get the word out. Mindy Hamilton, senior VP of global partnerships and marketing at Marvel, discusses how she puts the 'art' in partnerships. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The longtime book publishing agent discusses the state of the book business, the increasing importance of film and TV licensing, the mysteries of working the Amazon, and how she shopped passion projects for everyone from Prince to Bob Iger to Tom Hanks. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actor-comedian Kevin Hart looks beyond his movie career in an interview that explores his ambitions to follow in the footsteps of Jay Z and Ellen DeGeneres by making the transition from talent for hire to owner of a growing empire of media properties like digital content venture Laugh Out Loud and production company HartBeat. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.