Strictly Business

Variety

Industry leaders converse about business deals, strategy and the future of media and entertainment.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    New Funko CEO Josh Simon is Determined to Make Culture Pop for Collectibles Firm

    Josh Simon, the Netflix alum who took the reins of Funko as CEO in September, discusses his vision for growing the pop culture brand and collectibles maker. The company aims to improve its speed-to-market on timely trends, pursue new markets in Asia and Latin America and generally expand the scope of Funko's thinking as a business. "How do we turn every product into a canvas for storytelling," Simon tells Variety's Jennifer Maas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    30 min
  2. Daily Variety -- What's Happening in Hollywood's Contract Talks; Remembering James Van Der Beek

    2 DAYS AGO

    Daily Variety -- What's Happening in Hollywood's Contract Talks; Remembering James Van Der Beek

    On today’s episode, Variety’s Gene Maddaus offers the latest on SAG-AFTRA’s contract negotiations with Hollywood’s largest studios and streamers. And Emily Longeretta pays tribute to James Van Der Beek, an actor who came to help define his generation of TV and movies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    19 min
  3. Daily Variety -- 'The Simpsons' Celebrates 800 Episodes and Takes Aim at 1,000: 'It's a Gift'

    3 DAYS AGO

    Daily Variety -- 'The Simpsons' Celebrates 800 Episodes and Takes Aim at 1,000: 'It's a Gift'

    On today’s episode, Variety’s Michael Schneider discusses “The Simpsons” reaching another astounding industry milestone, Episode No. 800. He details his reporting with producers and longtime cast members on how the beloved animated series defies the gravity of its years to stay strong in Season 37. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    14 min
  4. Daily Variety -- France Adds Above the Line Costs to Production Tax Incentives; Variety Artisans Awards at Santa Barbara Film Festival

    4 DAYS AGO

    Daily Variety -- France Adds Above the Line Costs to Production Tax Incentives; Variety Artisans Awards at Santa Barbara Film Festival

    On today’s episode, Variety’s Elsa Keslassy explains the significance of the big move by France to expand its national production tax incentive and why it matters to the U.S. And Jazz Tangcay reports on Variety’s Artisans Awards that were handed out at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    18 min
  5. Daily Variety -- Super Bowl Stomps Domestic Box Office, 'Zootopia 2' Rules Global Turnstiles; Ted Sarandos Has Confidence in WBD Deal

    5 DAYS AGO

    Daily Variety -- Super Bowl Stomps Domestic Box Office, 'Zootopia 2' Rules Global Turnstiles; Ted Sarandos Has Confidence in WBD Deal

    On today’s episode, in our Box Office segment, Variety’s Rebecca Rubin breaks down a typically weak Super Bowl weekend at the turnstiles in the U.S., and she examines “Zootopia 2’s” staying power at the international box office. Marc Malkin presses Netflix’s Ted Sarandos about the fate of the Warner Bros. Discovery deal at the Directors Guild Awards. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    18 min

  6. 6 FEB

    DGA Chief on TV and Film's Downturn, Fighting for a Federal Production Tax Incentive and Hollywood's Health Plan Problems: 'Our No. 1 Priority is 'Jobs, Jobs, Jobs'

    On today’s episode, Russell Hollander, national executive director of the Directors Guild of America, gives a wide-ranging interview as Hollywood contract negotiations begin Feb. 9 with SAG-AFTRA sitting down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Hollander addresses the precipitous drop in TV and film employment, efforts to secure a federal production tax incentive, "raging healthcare inflation," what the guild wants to achieve on AI and why the DGA is not first up at the table with the AMPTP this time around. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    38 min
  7. Daily Variety -- COVER STORY: 'Love Story' Revisits JFK Jr., Carolyn Bessette and the Kennedy Mystique; Top D&D Game Masters Meet

    5 FEB

    Daily Variety -- COVER STORY: 'Love Story' Revisits JFK Jr., Carolyn Bessette and the Kennedy Mystique; Top D&D Game Masters Meet

    On today’s episode, in our Cover Story segment, Variety’s Daniel D’Addario details his behnd-the- scenes reporting on “Love Story,” the latest installment of the FX franchise, this time focusing on the romance between JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. And Jennifer Maas explains how she pulled off a meeting of great minds of D&D -- Brennan Lee Mulligan and Matthew Mercer -- for a video that is burning up Variety’s YouTube page. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    19 min
  8. Daily Variety -- It's Heigh-Ho Time After Regime Change at Disney; Netflix's Ted Sarandos Survives Grilling in Senate

    5 FEB

    Daily Variety -- It's Heigh-Ho Time After Regime Change at Disney; Netflix's Ted Sarandos Survives Grilling in Senate

    On today’s episode, host Cynthia Littleton unpacks the big leadership transition news out of Disney and what it means for Josh D’Amaro and Dana Walden. Plus, highlights from Ted Sarandos’ politically charged grilling in the Senate as the Netflix co-CEO fights for the Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    21 min
See All (502)

About

Industry leaders converse about business deals, strategy and the future of media and entertainment.

Information

  • Channel
    Variety
  • Creator
    iHeartPodcasts
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    502
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    2026 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
  • Show Website
    Strictly Business

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