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 skeptical about WarnerMedia. He also explains how he used the internet to transfo ... Show More
Jan 14
How to Build a Profitable Media Company in 3 years, with Semafor’s Justin Smith
News is a tough business. So how did Semafor, the news startup founded by Ben Smith and Justin Smith, figure out how to turn a profit in their third year of business? Excellent journalism certainly helps. But it’s really because the company made two key decisions: Focusing on eve ... Show More
39m 32s
Jan 7
Inside Bari Weiss’s Rise: LA, Sun Valley, and the Mogul Network
How, exactly, did Bari Weiss become the head of CBS News? We know that David Ellison, who bought Paramount last year, hired her — and bought The Free Press, the publication she started a few years earlier. But how did she get on Ellison’s radar? And why are so many media moguls, ... Show More
40m 4s
Dec 31
Craig Finn on Friendship, Fans and The Hold Steady’s Second Life
Craig Finn makes music — as the head of the Hold Steady, and on his solo records — about grown-up lives and bad decisions. Back in 2017, we talked about his life as a working rock musician — and how touring actually works, how the band found a second life, and why fans and friend ... Show More
48m 49s
Mar 2025
How YouTube Became TV (While TV Struggles to Be YouTube)
Matt is joined by Hernan Lopez, the founder of Owl & Co and Wondery, to discuss how the narrative is rapidly shifting in the direct-to-consumer landscape now that streaming is, mostly, profitable! Hernan explains why YouTube dwarfs Netflix in consumption but Netflix dwarfs YouTub ... Show More
32m 28s
May 2025
Netflix and the Fall of Television | The Mouse Strikes Back | 2
<p>After Netflix poaches Shonda Rimes, one of the most successful television producers on ABC, a Disney-owned network, Disney decides it can’t just sit back and let Netflix keep eating into their market share. Disney CEO Bob Iger decides that Disney is going to launch its ow ... Show More
37m 53s
Dec 2023
A Shocking Netflix Dump, Plus Lessons From Our Fav Holiday Flicks
Netflix delivered your Christmas gift early this year! For the first time ever, the platform just released all of its streaming data! This “data dump” is beneficial for many in the industry, and it seems we will be getting more of these gifts in the foreseeable future.
In today ... Show More
1h 27m
Dec 2024
Which Streaming Shows Hit and Bombed in 2024?
Matt is joined by the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming exec, to sort through the mirky waters of streaming data and find out which streaming tv shows were actually hits, which were major flops, which were underrated successes, and which were bigger bombs than anyone ... Show More
36m 26s
Sep 2025
Josh Duhamel Transforms Hollywood
Josh Duhamel makes his Talk Is Jericho debut with stories from his incredible Hollywood career! He’s got details about his brand-new movie, London Calling, what it was like filming in South Africa, and why he thinks it feels like a throwback to the action-comedies of the 80s and ... Show More
42m 44s
Sep 2023
Alex Winter: The YouTube Effect, Magic Camp + Baby Shark!
Actor, producer, and director Alex Winter, best known for his role in the "Bill & Ted” films joins Jason and Peter to explain how YouTube’s algorithm is a beast that really can't be tamed once it's been unleashed, and it's already been unleashed. Really, no really? Actually, the ... Show More
49m 1s