Listen in as The Ankler team and industry insiders break down Hollywood’s latest business headlines, power struggles and trends shaping the future of entertainm...
A Dire Sundance, Indie Peril & the Creator Incursion
Just two deals and Sundance is almost over? Ouch. Richard Rushfield, on the ground at the fest, gives his report on indie malaise and how to fix it. Plus: Sean McNulty, Elaine Low and Richard on Peacock and NBCU’s troubling Q4, and Netflix’s showy 2025 slate, while Natalie Jarvey, author of the new Like & Subscribe newsletter, on why Hollywood absolutely should “work with” the creators upending entertainment.
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40:28
'Creators Should Be in Charge': Sean Evans, Rhett & Link
Natalie Jarvey, author of Like & Subscribe, Ankler Media's new newsletter about the creator economy, speaks with YouTube stars Sean Evans, host of Hot Ones, and Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal — aka Rhett & Link, hosts of Good Mythical Morning. With 40 million subscribers between them, these digital innovators unpack the opportunities — creative, collaborative and financial — that come with betting on themselves. "If we can be even a small part of the story of another creator taking back something that they initiated and then taking the reins and leading, that’s the type of story that we love and we want to champion," says Neal. "We believe creators should be in charge." The trio also map out the next moves for their brands. Boneless Hot Ones, anyone?
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33:48
The New Showbiz: Hollywood, Creators, & Brands
The entertainment industry for years turned its nose up at brand-backed film and TV, but in a disrupted Hollywood scrambling for new business models and fresh voices, the tide is turning. Natalie Jarvey, the writer of Like & Subscribe, Ankler Media's new standalone newsletter about the creator economy, moderates a discussion with four top stakeholders — Oscar-winning producer Dan Cogan (“Icarus”), Adobe Chief Brand Officer Heather Freeland, creator Jordan Howlett and UTA Entertainment Marketing Co-Head Julian Jacobs — about how marketers, filmmakers and creators are collaborating on innovative and meaningful storytelling. “Everybody loves a good story, and brands are aligning with that in a lot of interesting ways,” says Howlett, who as Jordan the Stallion boasts nearly 14 million followers on TikTok. Adds Jacobs, “The rule book is being unwritten and written as we speak.”
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45:02
Hollywood’s New Trick to Screw Writers
Who loves doing free work? No one. Who loves getting free work? The studios. “If-come” deals — where a writer develops a show under contract but only sees money if the show sells — are on the rise post-Writers Guild strike and have led to a new “involuntary servitude,” even among big-name scribes. Ashley Cullins joins Sean McNulty, Elaine Low and Richard Rushfield to outline what’s happening and who’s fighting back. Plus: Katey Rich breaks down Oscar nominations, and Elaine shares the state of the unscripted market.
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36:30
L.A. Production Spiral. Trump to the Rescue?
Can Jon Voight save Hollywood? Probably not. But President Trump’s announcement that the Midnight Cowboy, Mad Max (Mel Gibson) and Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) would be his “special envoys” in L.A. on the eve of his inauguration followed the latest report on L.A.’s continued production exodus. Sean McNulty, Elaine Low and Richard Rushfield dissect the numbers and where the industry is heading in 2025. Plus: How is Gen Z outfoxing studio and streaming marketers? Matthew Frank explains.
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Listen in as The Ankler team and industry insiders break down Hollywood’s latest business headlines, power struggles and trends shaping the future of entertainment.
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