Fox Stands Up to the NFL, a Big Change to TV Ownership, and Ellison Commits to 30 Movies

Fox Stands Up to the NFL, a Big Change to TV Ownership, and Ellison Commits to 30 Movies

Author: The Ringer August 11, 2026 Duration: 37:23
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss why Fox is refusing to renegotiate their media rights deal with the NFL until their current deal expires after the 2029 season, the impact of the FCC repealing the local television ownership cap, and David Ellison’s contractual pledge with theater owners to release at least 30 movies per year under WarnerMount (02:30). We finish the show by announcing a slate of live events for The Town this fall (31:18). Host: Matt Belloni Gust: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Get your tickets to ELECTION introduced by Matt Belloni on Friday, August 21st here: https://www.americancinematheque.com/now-showing/the-town-presents-election-08-21-2026/ Nominated for 25 Emmy Awards, including OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES. The Dog Stars only in theaters and IMAX August 28. 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
Amazon Won’t Release Its Sam Altman Movie. Will Anyone? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:02
Matt is joined by Keach Hagey, a journalist at The Wall Street Journal and author of 'The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future,' to discuss Amazon abandoning Luca Guadagnino’s movie ‘Artificial…
The Secret Industry That Makes Movies Go Viral [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:58
Matt is joined by journalist Lane Brown from New York Magazine to discuss his latest article digging into the insidious world of online clipping and narrative campaigning. Lane explains how virality and popularity are ma…
Have Platforms Unseated Content as King in Hollywood? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:54
Matt is joined by John Mass, president of Content Partners, to discuss the massive value of owning distribution in modern Hollywood in comparison to years past, when content seemed to be the most important piece of the p…
Fox Is Buying Roku for $22B. Is It Now a Streaming Power Player? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:33
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Fox’s $22 billion acquisition of Roku, why this happened, how connected TV devices are the secret gatekeepers to streaming, how this will affect the consumer, and what…
The ‘Obsession’ Windfall and How Indie Hits Pay Out [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:40
Matt is joined by film producer Mynette Louie, a cohead of creative producing and assistant professor at Columbia University, to explain how the money is distributed when an indie film is a big hit. They use Curry Barker…
Is the ‘60 Minutes’ Blowup a Threat to Ellison’s Empire? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:11
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the ongoing disruption at ‘60 Minutes,’ most recently the hiring of Nick Bilton as EP, and the firing of correspondent Scott Pelley. They dig into what the plan to "mod…
Is This Hollywood’s First Practical Solution to Control AI? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:11
Matt is joined by RSL Media Founder Nikki Hexum to discuss her non-profit founded with actress Cate Blanchett that aims to protect artists against AI by requiring a consent framework for name, image, and likeness. Nikki…