311 episodes

Puck founding partner Matthew Belloni takes you inside Hollywood, using exclusive reporting and insight to explain the backstories on everything from Marvel movies to streaming wars. Multiple times each week, Matt will touch on what is getting made and why, who is winning and losing, and what people in show business are actually talking about.

The Town with Matthew Belloni The Ringer

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.2 • 44 Ratings

Puck founding partner Matthew Belloni takes you inside Hollywood, using exclusive reporting and insight to explain the backstories on everything from Marvel movies to streaming wars. Multiple times each week, Matt will touch on what is getting made and why, who is winning and losing, and what people in show business are actually talking about.

    Taylor Swift’s Questionable Return to TikTok

    Taylor Swift’s Questionable Return to TikTok

    Matt is joined by Nathan Hubbard—former CEO of Ticketmaster, current CEO of Firebird Music and Ringer podcaster—to discuss the return of Taylor Swift’s music to TikTok despite distributing partner Universal Music Group's boycott of the platform. They debate whether or not Taylor Swift should allow her music to reap the benefits of TikTok while other artists suffer. Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction on the upcoming horror film ‘Abigail.’

    For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here.

    Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

    Host: Matt Belloni
    Guest: Nathan Hubbard

    Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez
    Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 31 min
    Hollywood’s Struggle to Reinvent Itself

    Hollywood’s Struggle to Reinvent Itself

    Matt is joined by John Peters, Accenture’s global lead for media and entertainment, to look at which Hollywood studios are struggling to keep up with the wants of consumers and which are adapting to the times. John outlines why studios that make radical decisions are best positioned to succeed, and whether social media is the entertainment industry's biggest competitor. Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Netlfix’s Q1 earnings

    For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here.
    Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

    Host: Matt Belloni
    Guest: John Peters

    Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez
    Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 31 min
    The Best and Worst Media Mergers of the 21st Century

    The Best and Worst Media Mergers of the 21st Century

    Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to look back at the 21st century's biggest media and entertainment mergers and acquisitions, discuss how many of them actually worked, and anoint their best and worst deals of the century. They then look ahead to the potential deal between Paramount Global and David Ellison’s Skydance Media. Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the future of Jason and Travis Kelce’s podcast, ‘New Heights.’

    For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here.

    Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

    Host: Matt Belloni
    Guest: Lucas Shaw

    Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez
    Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 38 min
    Can IMAX Save Movie Theaters?

    Can IMAX Save Movie Theaters?

    Matt is joined by IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond to discuss the complicated state of movie theaters, and the growing importance of premium large-format screens like IMAX. Rich reveals just how much certain movies have benefitted from IMAX sales, which movies are getting the most IMAX screens this spring and summer, and what to do about the glut of empty multiplexes across the country. Matt finishes the show with an opening-weekend box office prediction for Alex Garland’s newest film, ‘Civil War.'

    For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here.
    Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

    Host: Matt Belloni
    Guest: Rich Gelfond

    Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez
    Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 32 min
    Hollywood vs. Big Tech in the Age of Consolidation

    Hollywood vs. Big Tech in the Age of Consolidation

    Matt Belloni is joined by Matt Stoller, research director for the American Economic Liberties Project and writer of the monopoly-focused newsletter 'Big,' to discuss the growing trend of consolidation in Hollywood and how big tech changed the way the entertainment industry operates. They talk through the downsides of consolidation in media, the difference between Netflix and other tech companies like Apple and Amazon, a potential Warner Bros. Discovery merger, and the government's role in all of this.

    For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here.
    Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

    Host: Matt Belloni
    Guest: Matt Stoller

    Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez
    Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 36 min
    Early Winners and Losers of 2024

    Early Winners and Losers of 2024

    Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to recap Hollywood’s slow start to the year and reveal their under-the-radar winners and losers of 2024 so far. Matt finishes the show by revealing the championship matchup in the Hollywood Power Bracket and predicting who will take home the trophy.

    For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here.

    Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

    Host: Matt Belloni
    Guest: Lucas Shaw

    Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez
    Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 32 min

Customer Reviews

4.2 out of 5
44 Ratings

44 Ratings

retroklaus_ ,

My fave podcast addition of 2022

A must-listen podcast for me; I never skip an episode. Interesting insights, guests and will make you smarter about all things Hollywood and entertainment. Matt and his guests are a breath of fresh air and incredibly knowledgeable. I look forward to hearing Matt spar with his guests on all the latest topics

Dktakacs ,

Matt Belloni in one word: pretentious

Good guests, unbearable host. Californias worst kind of democrat.

Tim with one m ,

A good show, but…

…do they not have a sound producer who can get the levels to a place where I’m not constantly adjusting the volume? Belloni’s voice always sounds in the red, or as if he’s practically swallowing the mic.

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