Strictly Business

Latest Episodes:

Day 1 for Skydance: What You Didn’t See at David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz’s News Conference Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

On today’s episode,Variety’s Angelique Jackson and Michael Schneider detail the vibes that they picked up in covering Day 1 of the new Skydance. Jackson and Schneider discuss the scene and the mood at the news conference that David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz held Oct. 6 on the Paramount Pictures lot to mark the closing of the hard-fought Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition.

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Ben Affleck Tells All About Artists Equity, Fighting to Film in California and Reclaiming His Stature in Hollywood Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

On today’s episode, Variety’s Matt Donnelly details his Variety cover story on Ben Affleck as the multihyphenate returns to the spotlight as an industry player. Affleck also breaks down the working model of Artists Equity, the production company he runs with Matt Damon that has taken a United Artists-like vow to share the wealth with creative talent.

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Aaron Sorkin, Rachel Zegler, Krysta Rodriguez and Bradley Whitford on Bringing ‘A Few Good Men’ and ‘Evita’ to Life: Variety’s The Business of Broadway Breakfast Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

Stars and creatives behind buzzy shows coming to Broadway – including “A Few Good Men,” “Evita” and “Dolly: A True Original Musical” – gathered Oct. 5 to talk shop and compare notes about working on the Main Stem at Variety’s annual The Business of Broadway breakfast, presented by City National Bank. “Pete Hegseth makes Jessep look like a folk singer,” Whitford says of the rock-ribbed Marine he plays in the upcoming revival of “A Few Good Men.”

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Fox News Channel Marks 30 Years On Air: ‘We Saw an Opportunity Nobody Else Saw’ Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

On today’s episode, Jason Klarman, chief digital officer for Fox News Media, discusses the channel’s milestone 30th anniversary that arrives on Oct. 7. The veteran marketer and programmer who was part of the channel's launch team talks about the brand’s enduring “challenger” mentality, how it's dealing with upstart competitors and how it’s courting younger viewers via streaming and social platforms.

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'Grand Theft Auto' Veteran Dan Houser Builds Absurd Ventures to Create Expansive Transmedia Worlds Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

Dan Houser, co-founder and former head writer of Rockstar Games, details his vision for building a new kind of media company rooted in transmedia storytelling across games, TV, film and audio fiction. Houser is the mastermind of the original "GTA" and "Red Dead Redemption" gaming franchises.

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Variety's Business of Broadway: Producer Sue Frost on Birthing Original Musicals: 'Somebody's Got to Do It' Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

On today's episode, as part of Variety's annual Business of Broadway celebration, veteran stage producer Sue Frost discusses her work in bringing original musicals to life, including such acclaimed Broadway productions as "Memphis" and "Come From Away." Frost, who is also chair-elect of the Broadway League, explains why her Junkyard Dogs Productions banner is devoted exclusively to launching original tuners, including "The Heart," which opens Oct. 8 at the Roundabout Theatre. "It's a crazy business model, but somebody's got to do it," Frost says.

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The Delicate Art of Releasing a Hit Streaming Series Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

On today's episode, Andrew Wallenstein, chief insights officer of Variety's data and analytics sibling Luminate, and analyst Tyler Aquilina discuss how long gaps between seasons take a toll on original streaming series viewership. The two break down the findings in the latest Luminate report, "Release Strategies for Music & TV."

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Who Won, Who Lost and What’s Next Now That Paramount Has Settled the Antitrust Lawsuit With 12 States Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

On today’s “Strictly Business Daily,” Variety’s Matt Donnelly, Gene Maddaus and Todd Spangler break down the news of Paramount’s settlement of the antitrust lawsuit filed by California and 11 other states. The agreement puts Paramount on a glide path to close its hard-fought acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition by October.

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The Future of Media Buying: Turning Buzz into Business With WPP Media’s Nancy Hall and Audible’s Tom McKenna Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

On today’s episode, host Cynthia Littleton and Corbin Bolies, Variety's AI beat reporter, talk about where the AI conversation is going in Hollywood after a day of discussions at Variety’s annual Entertainment and Technology Summit, held Sept. 17 in Beverly Hills. Nancy Hall, U.S. CEO of WPP Media, and Tom McKenna, global head of media, operations and business development for Audible, explain how they work together to position the subscription audio platform in key pop culture circles.

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Lumiere Summit: Why Filmdom’s Top Players Gathered in France to Talk YouTube, AI and the Future of Art Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

On today’s special episode, recorded Sept. 7 at the Lumiere Summit in Saint Paul de Vence, France, luminaries from the entertainment industry -- including George Clooney, Donna Langley, Thierry Frémaux, Michael Barker, Lynette Howell Taylor, Maxime Saada, Michael O’Leary and more -- discuss the central themes of the gathering, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

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