Why Netflix Bought Ben Affleck’s AI Company, and If Hollywood Should Worry

Live from Chapman University, Matt and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw sit down with the star and showrunner of HBO’s ‘I Love LA,’ Rachel Sennott, to talk about how to chart a career path in modern Hollywood, how she pitched and sold ‘I Love LA’, making TV for a younger audience, and what it’s like being a first-time showrunner. Hosts: Matt Belloni and Lucas Shaw Guest: Rachel Sennott Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo The Clyburn family searches for connection in Montana's Madison Valley. The Madison, New Series streaming March 14th - only on Paramount+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Gerry Cardinale, founder and managing partner at RedBird Capital, the private equity fund backing Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, to answer some questions about what WarnerMount will look like, including if they plan to sell off one or both of the Paramount and Warner Bros. lots, why cost cuts won’t lead to layoffs, details around possible Middle East investment, and why this mega deal is good for Hollywood (00:00). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Hoppers’ and ‘The Bride!’ (34:02). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Gerry Cardinale Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jon Jones, Stefano Sanchez, and Carlos Chiriboga Theme Song: Devon Renaldo The Clyburn family searches for connection in Montana's Madison Valley. The Madison, New Series streaming March 14th - only on Paramount+. ZOOTOPIA 2. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Rich Greenfield from LightShed Partners to discuss how David Ellison plans to merge Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, how much the cost cutting and consolidation will affect the industry, what will happen to HBO Max, and what success even looks like for this new company in the long term (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the new name of the soon-to-be-combined HBO Max and Paramount+ services (33:47). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Rich Greenfield Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo The Clyburn family searches for connection in Montana's Madison Valley. The Madison, New Series streaming March 14th - only on Paramount+. ZOOTOPIA 2. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emergency episode! Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to react to Netflix pulling out of the Warner Bros sweepstakes after Paramount raised its bid to $31 per share, bringing the overall offer to $111B. They break down why this happened, why Netflix abruptly backed out, if this deal will close, what this means for Hollywood, how powerful the new Ellison mega platform can be, and what comes next. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by John Wells, executive producer of ‘The Pitt,’ to discuss how ‘The Pitt’ is reviving an old model of television and why it is considered innovative in 2026. John talks about how the show is made, the benefits of filming in Los Angeles, and whether streaming TV is going back to the broadcast model (00:00). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Scream 7’ (28:30). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: John Wells Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices