The Surprising Winners of the AI-Enabled Entertainment Economy

The Surprising Winners of the AI-Enabled Entertainment Economy

Author: The Ringer July 25, 2026 Duration: 37:16
Matt is joined by Sean Diffley, head of media and entertainment as well as cable and telecom research at Morgan Stanley to discuss a new system for stock picking called the MS Media Matrix, which ranks publicly traded entertainment companies based on audience and engagement, their interactivity, urgency of the content, pricing power, IP, and AI positioning, and then compares these strengths and weaknesses to the companies’ relative share price. They discuss the importance of ownership within these companies, AI's role in content creation and the future of leisure time, and AI's impact on content consumption (02:56). Matt finishes the show with a prediction on what will be the second weekend drop of ‘The Odyssey’ (30:33). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Sean Diffley Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo This episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at join.amcplus.com 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
The Right and Wrong Lessons From ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:31
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss what movie studios should learn from the remarkable weekend at the box office, whether this is really like the '70s all over again in Hollywood, the unique timing as 'T…
IMAX Suitors and Why Netflix Put Fincher in Theaters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:37
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss who might buy IMAX after news broke last week that it is exploring a sale, and they get into the details behind how IMAX works as a business. They also discuss Netflix…
Hollywood’s Inevitable Pivot to Vertical Video Is Here [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:08
Matt is joined by Hernan Lopez, founder of Owl and Co. and Wondery, to talk about the rise of vertical video, how it ballooned to a $100B/year business, the staggering success of Reels, and which companies in Hollywood a…
Who Won (and Lost) TV’s Annual Billion-Dollar Cash Grab [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:40
Matt is joined by Rich Greenfield from LightShed Partners to recap this year's TV upfronts, highlighting the best, the worst, and everything in between from TV’s most glamorous week (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a…
What Makes Good TV Writers (and Execs), With David E. Kelley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:49
Live from Los Angeles, Matt is joined by writer and producer David E. Kelley ('Margo’s Got Money Troubles,' 'Big Little Lies,' 'L.A. Law') to talk about the difference between producing television for a streamer vs. a tr…
Disney vs. Trump in the D’Amaro Era Looks Different [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:57
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Disney pushback against the Trump administration by challenging the FCC’s investigation of 'The View,' saying it infringes on the First Amendment and free speech. They…