Matt is joined by The Entertainment Strategy Guy to look back on the Jen Salke era at Amazon MGM Studios and dissect their television and movie strategy, what performed, what didn’t, and what lessons should be taken as they usher in a new era at the company (02:54). Matt finishes the show with a prediction on who will replace Jen Salke as the head of Amazon ... Show More
Jan 15
Actors vs. Studios, and the Existential AI War, With SAG-AFTRA Lead Negotiator
Matt is joined by national executive director and chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA Duncan Crabtree-Ireland to discuss the union's upcoming negotiations with the AMPTP, the possibility of another strike, what he wants to achieve in this negotiation, why they are starting their negot ... Show More
42m 25s
Jan 14
'Zootopia 2,' China, AI, and the Battle for Originals With the Head of Disney Animation
Matt is joined by Jared Bush, the writer and codirector of Zootopia 2 and chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, to discuss the smash-hit sequel, its incredible success in China, the state of original animated films in theaters, AI and other challenges facing th ... Show More
37m 1s
Jan 12
The Shameless Golden Globes, and Paramount Takes Warner Bros. to Court
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to react to Sunday's Golden Globe Awards, including the cringiest corporate moments and the studios and streamers that overperformed. Then, they discuss the latest move in the ongoing Warner Bros. Discovery saga, with Paramount filing a la ... Show More
34m 27s
Mar 2025
What the Oscars tell us about streamers, studios, and Hollywood’s future with The Ankler's Janice Min
<p>The Oscars aren’t just about filmmaking — they’re a real-time look at the culture, business, and power plays shaping Hollywood and larger entertainment industry. <em>The Ankler</em> CEO Janice Min returns to <em>Rapid Response</em> to unpack the night’s biggest turning points ... Show More
26m 56s
Mar 2025
Best Of: Seth Rogen / Can The Dems Win Back The Bros?
Seth Rogen created a new AppleTV+ series, The Studio, which is a satirical look at how executives in Hollywood make decisions on what movies get made. He stars as the head of a fictional Hollywood studio who is trying to save the struggling company. Also, New Yorker staff writer ... Show More
48m 46s
Apr 2025
Scott on Hotel Brands, Netflix’s Adolescence, and Theranos Takeaways
Scott shares his take on the explosion of hotel brands and what it says about consolidation, consumer choice, and corporate strategy. Then, he reflects on the Netflix series Adolescence and the pressures facing young men today.
Finally, in our Reddit Hotline segment, Scott respo ... Show More
23m 21s
May 2023
Jonah Peretti, Nick Denton and Ben Smith on digital news’ past and future
It’s our first four-way pod, featuring BuzzFeed founder Jonah Peretti, Gawker founder Nick Denton, and Semafor founder (and former editor-in-chief of the recently shuttered BuzzFeed News) Ben Smith, who wrote a book about them both. Peter Kafka talks to all of them in conjunction ... Show More
36m 30s
Aug 2024
Disney is a Tech Company?
Streaming didn’t just change the way consumers watched movies and TV shows, it reconfigured how media giants operated, and how they saw themselves. If tech companies were disrupting old business models, perhaps Disney’s best move was to join the crowd. In our final episode, we lo ... Show More
36m 9s
Jun 2019
Matthew Ball on Amazon vs Apple vs Netflix vs Disney, and how he built a digital media career by writing for free
Analyst/writer/investor-to-be Matthew Ball gives his predictions on how Disney, Netflix, Apple and Amazon are faring in the ‘battle royale’ - the streaming wars. He gives Peter Kafka his insight on Amazon Video from his time there, and talks about why he's bullish on Disney but s ... Show More
1 h
Apr 2024
We Are Living in a Black Mirror Episode
Head to https://www.squarespace.com/UNHINGED to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code UNHINGED.Watch Mary & George, only on STARZ and the STARZ app.Stressed-out and over-caffeinated, Chris rocks his new Acne Studios silver denim set, talks all things ... Show More
37m 37s