Strictly Business

Scopely's senior vice president of publishing Eric Wood breaks down how the mobile gaming company has reached staggering success with "Monopoly Go" and plans for new acquisition "Pokemon Go."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Variety hosts a conversation during the Cannes Lions festival with Michelle McGuire, principle and chief commercial officer of Converge by Deloitte, and Ruba Borno, VP, global specialists and partners for Amazon’s AWS. The two discuss how their companies are harnessing AI tools and data analytics to guide sports marketing expenditures for blue-chip brands. The pair reflect on how their experiences working together underscore that even the biggest corporate players need partners to help drive the AI productivity revolution.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The president of Bell Media is a native New Yorker and veteran TV executive who took the reins of one of Canada’s largest media conglomerates in 2023. He’s determined to raise the company’s profile as player in global content and platforms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The founder and CEO of the production banner that delivers high-volume unscripted hits including "Dr. Pimple Popper" and "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" explains how he rose from humble beginnings to become a business owner.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marketing veterans Angelique Hernandez and Jarell Thompson discuss their innovative venture Havas Play, which connects brands with online gaming communities and social media creators. From the talent management perspective, ARC Collective CEO Shab Azma explains how creators and expert influencers are making a living through brand deals, ecommerce and instructional courses.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Strictly Business host Andrew Wallenstein offers a commentary on the new HBO movie “Mountainhead,” from “Succession” creator Jesse Armstrong, comparing the two productions and speaking to the film’s satirical take on AI and the moguls deploying the technology. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With 'The Minecraft Movie" in striking distance of the billion-dollar mark at the global box office, there's no better time to check in on the state of the videogame industry, with an emphasis on its intersection with Hollywood. Kaare Eriksen, author of a recent Variety Intelligence Report on these subjects, tackles everything from the shadow Trump-era tactics could cast over Nintendo's Switch 2 console to the shift of "Grand Theft Auto 6" to 2026.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The executive director of the Peabody Awards and professor at the communications school at the University of Georgia explains the uniqueness of the Peabody Awards and its process. He also discusses the difficulties of categorizing content these days and how electronic media is meeting the challenge of covering Trump 2.0.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a rare roundtable interview, six senior leaders at CAA discuss the evolution of the agency and its leadership following the ICM Partners acquisition. The group discusses how the rise of social media has changed the game for clients and how the work of agenting has expanded along with the scale of the entertainment industry.   The participants are: ** Tiffany Ward (Managing Director and Scripted Television Agent) ** Jennifer Joel (Literary Agent and Co-Head of CAA Books) ** Lisa Joseph Metelus (CAA Board member and Head of Athlete Brand Strategy & Entertainment for CAA Sports) ** Maha Dakhil (Managing Director and Motion Picture Agent) ** Arleta Fowler (Digital Media Agent and Head of Digital Media Lifestyle Talent) ** Lara Sacket (Co-Head of Production Department)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Silverman, Co-CEO and Chairman of Propagate Content, goes deep on how a modern independent studio generates profit from TV series, documentaries and original digital and audio content. As it marks its 10th year, Propagate has added social media creators, brand and management dealmaking into the mix. Silverman, a veteran producer and former head of NBC Entertainment, reflects on how industry dealmaking has changed in discussing where the content business is headed. Plus a bonus segment: Writer Bill Prady shares a memory that involves John Oliver, Jim Henson, “Nightline” and the 1987 stock market crash.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Courtney White, president of Wheelhouse Entertainment, discusses the high-wire act of managing seven production labels and juggling a portfolio of unscripted content under Brent Montgomery's Wheelhouse umbrella. The cable TV veteran explains why Wheelhouse has invested in the "Ladies Who Launch" networking events for creatives, and why she wants to recreate the "walk to the elevator moment" in a world of Zoom pitch meetings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a bonus episode, media industry veteran Tom Rogers weighs in on another few days of wild swings in the U.S. equities markets and how it's affecting Hollywood. Plus Variety business editor Todd Spangler unpacks the anti-trust issues that Google and Meta are fighting in Washington, D.C. courtrooms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gov. Phil Murphy details the arc of New Jersey's campaign to bring film and TV production to the Garden State. Murphy also discusses the state of the Democrats and the alarming rise of politically motivated violence aimed at public officials.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A humorous but insightful commentary in which host Andrew Wallenstein discusses the personal experience of developing a TikTok habit so powerful it displaced TV as “his go-to media habit for the past 50 years.”  Describes his months of immersion on the platform, he likens it to a religious conversion that left him with prophetic visions of media's future, which he shares in detail (before the men in white coats come for him). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brent Lang, Variety's executive editor overseeing film and media coverage, shares his observations about this year's CinemaCon gathering of movie theater owners and Hollywood studios. The tension is palpable as the sector is struggling to return to its pre-pandemic heights. He also weighs in on the story of the moment — the fate of Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy as leaders of Warner Bros. Pictures. And Pat Saperstein, Variety's deputy editor of film, details her recent list of the 21 Coolest Movie Theaters in the World.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Samuels unpacks the recapitalization and revitalization process of the cable channel and digital platform launched in 2013 by Sean Combs, who exited the business entirely last year as his legal problems increased. Samuels led the complicated process of turning Revolt into an employee-owned company, a rarity for a sizable media brand. In a separate interview, BET founder Robert Johnson gives his perspective on the state of Black-owned media, and whether he regrets selling BET in 2001.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Managing $1.5 billion in assets, Griffin Gaming Partners is a VC firm tailored to the video games space. Peter Levin, managing director and co-founder of Griffin, discusses the rush of AI interest into gaming, why emerging markets are so crucial to the industry and ongoing adaptations of gaming IP on the Hollywood side — all as the global games business gathers in San Francisco for GDC. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five years ago, the TV industry rose to the occasion to keep news programs, talk shows, late-night and live-to-tape entertainment shows on the air during the harshest months of lockdown and quarantines at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews with 10 industry insiders – including ABC News’ Linsey Davis, CBS News’ Tony Dokoupil and Fox News’ Bill Hemmer – are woven together to take a long look back at the technological innovation, ingenuity and the inevitable on-air mishaps that characterized the ominous early months of the pandemic. The discussion also explores the lasting changes that have taken root long after social distancing mandates have gone away.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taylor K. Shaw, newly hired as senior outreach lead for film at Kickstarter, details why the crowdsourcing site feels the time is right to court established filmmakers, producers and writers. The fundraising service can help pay for projects and it can be an engine for engaging with and cultivating dedicated fans.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Legion M CEO on 'My Dead Friend Zoe' Release and Building First Fan-Owned Media CompanySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.