Can the Paramount-WBD Merger Survive a Trial, Midterms, and a $650 Million Clock?

Can the Paramount-WBD Merger Survive a Trial, Midterms, and a $650 Million Clock?

Author: The Ringer August 6, 2026 Duration: 36:38
Matt is joined by Puck’s Eriq Gardner to discuss the March 2027 trial date that has been set for the Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery antitrust case and what it means for the likelihood of this merger going through. They highlight the $650 million per quarter ticking fee Paramount has to pay in the meantime, how the November midterm elections could play a factor, who has the best leverage, whether Netflix could end up back in the mix, David Ellison’s New York Times column, and the other major legal issues at play (02:03). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Season 4 of 'Ted Lasso' (30:08). Host: Matt Belloni Gust: Eriq Gardner Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Nominated for 25 Emmy Awards, including OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES. This episode is brought to you by Accenture. https://Accenture.com/Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever wonder what Hollywood executives are really arguing about in their private meetings, or how the fate of a billion-dollar franchise gets decided over a tense lunch? That’s the kind of access you get with The Town with Matthew Belloni. Hosted by Puck founding partner Matt Belloni, this isn't just industry gossip-it's a direct line to the mechanics of entertainment, powered by exclusive reporting and decades of insight. Each episode pulls back the curtain on the stories behind the stories, whether it's the strategy of the latest streaming war or the creative battles inside a Marvel movie. Several times a week, Belloni sits down with the major players themselves: the dealmakers, studio heads, and journalists who are shaping what we watch. Their conversations cut straight to the core of what’s getting made and why, pinpointing who’s winning and who’s losing in real time. Listening to this podcast feels like having a front-row seat to the most important conversations in show business, the ones that happen after the cameras stop rolling. For anyone fascinated by the intersection of power, money, and creativity in culture, The Town delivers the unfiltered context that turns headlines into understanding.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Town with Matthew Belloni
Podcast Episodes
Paramount's Strategy to Beat California, With Its Top Lawyer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:48
Matt is joined by Makan Delrahim, chief legal officer at Paramount, who argues his case in favor of Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. He explains what they are willing to concede, why the state's case sh…
The Numbers That Have Netflix Investors Spooked [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:35
(00:00) Matt is joined by Guggenheim Senior Managing Director Michael Morris to discuss Netflix’s latest data dump and quarterly earnings report and assess why the market has started to turn on the streamer. They dig int…
The Data Scientists Quietly Powering Hollywood’s Greenlight Machine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:27
Matt is joined by professor Violaine Roussel, a professor of sociology at Paris 8 University, to discuss her new book 'Data Driven Hollywood: The New Data Professionals in the Age of Streaming,' which polls 75 data scien…
The Case Against WarnerMount, with CA Attorney General Rob Bonta [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:54
Matt and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw are joined by California Attorney General Rob Bonta to discuss California’s new lawsuit to block Paramount Skydance's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. They talk about what the lawsui…
Is California's $750 Million Bet on Hollywood Working? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:29
Matt is joined by Colleen Bell, the director of the California Film Commission, to check in on the state of film and TV production in California following the cap increase to $750M about a year ago. They discuss the incr…
Inside the Internet IP Gold Rush Sweeping Hollywood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:03
Matt is joined by producer Scott Glassgold to discuss internet IP and the short-story boom that has taken over Hollywood after major successes in ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’, whether this is a micro or macro trend, how t…
The Biggest Winners and Losers of 2026 So Far [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:36
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to select their winners and losers in the entertainment industry so far this year, from actors with surprise hits, studio heads with embarrassing flops, CEOs of struggling compani…
Why Attendance Tells a Better Story Than Box Office [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:35
Matt is joined by Steve Buck, chief strategy officer at EntTelligence to discuss how many people are actually going to the movies and clarify the difference between admission versus box office. Steve reveals whether risi…
Will the Comcast-NBCU Split Lead to Another Huge Hollywood Deal? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:05
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the news that NBCUniversal is splitting off from Comcast into a standalone company, the details of the deal, why this is happening now, and whether this opens the flood…
How Larry Ellison’s Trump Bromance Is Helping WarnerMount [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:28
Matt is joined by WSJ reporter Emily Glazer to discuss her fascinating new piece highlighting Larry Ellison’s private friendship with Donald Trump and the impact it had on the Paramount M&A saga. Emily explains why Larry…