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Ankler Agenda

"Ankler Agenda" breaks down the headlines, trends and creativity shaping the evolution of Hollywood, the creator economy and entertainment. The show is hosted by Elaine Low, author of Ankler Media’s popular “Series Business” Substack newsletter, who is joined weekly by her colleagues Sean McNulty (“The Wakeup”) and Natalie Jarvey (“Like & Subscribe”) -- in addition to Richard Rushfield, the Ankler himself. Episodes will also be available every Thursday on YouTube.

business entertainment news

All Episodes

31:12

David Ellison’s Promise to Outspend Netflix and Disney

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/10/08

David Ellison has anambitious pitch for Hollywood:Skydance will spend more on content than Netflix or Disney, crank out roughly 190 series and 30 movies a year, find at least $6 billion in savingsandpay down its mountain of debt. All while keeping the creative community happy. How, exactly, is all of that supposed to work when evenWall Street doesn’t see it?Ellison and new co-CEOYnon Kreizopened the Paramount lot to reporters Tuesday to sell their vision for the new lockup — and to explain why the

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31:05

Kreiz In, Bloys Wins: Paramount’s Head-Spinning New...

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/10/01

The new Paramountis taking shape fast.On the eve of the Warner Bros. deal concluding,David Ellisonis bringing in fresh blood — and bloodletting. Former Mattel chiefYnon Kreizboards as the surprise co-CEO, charged with day-to-day management and integration (read: layoffs). And aftermonths of heated rivalrybetweenCindy HollandandCasey Bloysover who would control the combined company’s original-content future, we have an answer:it’s Casey at the bat.Elaine Low, Sean McNultyandNatalie Jarveybreak down

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38:07

Mike Schur: Paramount-WBD Is a ‘Nightmare Scenario’

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/09/24

Mike Schurcalls Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. a “nightmare scenario” for Hollywood — and now thatDavid Ellisonhas cleared the biggest obstacle to getting the deal done, he’s even more alarmed about what comes next. “It’s gasoline on a fire,” theParks and Recreationco-creator andDigproducertellsElaine Low, pointing to an industry already hollowed out by years of consolidation. “I hate to be doomsday-ish here… but the ecosystem is just shrinking and shrinking and shrinking.”What does that

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40:53

Emergency Pod! Paramount-WBD Chaos: The Settlement,...

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/09/22

So aftermonths of big talkabout only settling for structural remedies, i.e., selling off assets, what did California Attorney GeneralRob Bontaand the 11 other state AGs suing Paramount Skydance wind up getting? Less than you think.Elaine Low,Sean McNultyandLesley Goldbergbreak down thesettlement terms—loopholes, fine print and all— and what they mean for the future of Hollywood, including looming mass layoffs, the fate of three TV studios and why the promise of 30 films a year may not be what it

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37:25

1,000 Sony Hacks at Once? Hollywood’s AI Doomsday

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/09/17

A dire warning from Anthropic and OpenAI that increasingly autonomous AI agents could launch cyberattacks – or worse – has an especially chilling implication for Hollywood, where studios and streamers are rapidly weaving AI into their businesses. "Imagine a world in which there are thousands of Sony hacks happening in real time," Reel AI columnist Erik Barmack tells Elaine Low and Sean McNulty. "You could take down the entire industry. Confidentiality, protections, the secure release of IP – all of

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37:05

Who’ll Save the Film Industry? France Is Trying

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/09/10

Inside President Macron’s summit, where Ted Sarandos, Dana Walden and Hollywood power players attended — very quietlyFrench President Emmanuel Macron summoned some of the biggest names in global entertainment to the south of France this week to talk about nothing less than the future of cinema — and Hollywood came. Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, Disney’s Dana Walden, NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley and other industry heavyweights attended the first-ever Lumière Summit, co-hosted by South Korean President

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34:24

Studios Ghost the Film Festivals; Trump's Hollywood...

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/09/03

It wasn’t longago when studios took the biggest jewels of their fall slates — theGravitysandJokersandFirst Mans— to the Venice Film Festival to kick off awards season and put A-list talent on a gondola. But this year, not so much: The Venice lineup is light on flashy studio premieres — don’t look forTom CruiseandDiggerorTimothée ChalametandDune: Part ThreeorJeremy StrongandThe Social Reckoning— and heavy on indie and international titles.Elaine LowandSean McNultytalk to Ankler awards editor

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31:45

YouTube’s Netflix Death Match Levels Up

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/08/27

Hollywood’s newest talentwarisn’t over movie stars. For years, YouTube was treated as a “farm league,” inTed Sarandos‘ words — a place where talent dreamt of graduating to Hollywood. Now smaller player Netflix israiding the world’s biggest streamer, scooping up creators, podcasters and personalities who built their audiences on YouTube. And YouTube has had enough.Natalie Jarveysharesher scoopon the millions thatNeal Mohan‘s tech giant is throwing down to keep its creators exclusive — and names who’s

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13:04

BONUS EP: ‘Sleep in the Bed They Made’: Bonta Fires...

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/08/24

So much for détente. California Attorney General Rob Bonta canceled Monday’s planned meeting with Paramount after accusing the company of leaking — and misrepresenting — confidential settlement discussions to the press. “They need to sleep in the bed that they made,” Bonta tells Elaine Low in this bonus episode of Ankler Agenda, blasting Paramount for “playing games” and waging a PR campaign while, he says, losing where it matters: in court.The rupture comes even as Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles

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33:45

Hayden Panettiere’s Child-Star Tragedy; Bonta on...

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/08/20

Hayden Panettiereworked in Hollywood since she was 11 months old, and by the timeHeroesmade her a household name at 16, she was already navigating the darker side of child stardom.The Wall Street Journal‘sEsther ZuckermanjoinsElaine Lowto reflect on Panettiere’s life, career and exploitation — including a top NBC exec kissing her on the lips when she was a teenager, and an Oscar winner who exposed himself — and the extreme emotional toll of growing up in front of the camera.Then, California

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34:17

Private Equity Has Billions Ready for Hollywood. Who...

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/08/13

“Everyone hasdry powder for sports,”Ashley Cullinsheard while reporting her recent look at theprivate equity firms circling Hollywood.It’s a truismBob IgerandJosh Kushner‘s Thrive Capital proved, buying the Los Angeles Lakers for$12.5 billion. But sports is only part of the story. With billions in undeployed capital sitting on the sidelines, where else is private equity looking to spend — and what kinds of Hollywood companies still look attractive amid lofty valuations, delayed exits and fears of an

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37:24

How Zendaya & Tom Holland Won Summer; Ellison on the...

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/08/06

It’s been a whilesince Hollywood has seen a power couple quite likeZendayaandTom Holland. WithSpider-Man: Brand New DayandThe Odyssey, the newlyweds helped drive more than$2 billion (and counting)at the box office this year. What makes them so bankable to Gen Z in a volatile theatrical landscape? And how much does the audience’s parasocial investment in them help sell tickets?Elaine Low,Sean McNultyandNatalie Jarveybreak down what each star gets right in an era of fractured attention

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32:42

The Waiting Game at WBD; SpaceX’s L.A. Mansion Rush

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/07/30

What a differencea month makes. With Paramount’s bid to buy Warner Bros. Discoverynow in limbo, 35,000 Warners staffers have plenty of time toreconsider their options. Could HBO chiefCasey Bloysor WBTV headChanning Dungeybe tempted by more stable pastures? Is Warners still a haven fortop showrunners? Asconfidence in the dealcrumbles, Hollywood is taking sides. (Case in point:Ari Emanuel‘sWSJop-eddismissingthe state AGs’ lawsuit as “trash.”) The Ankler’sLesley GoldbergjoinsElaine LowandSean McNultyto

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13:51

BONUS EP: California AG Rob Bonta on the Coming...

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/07/28

What could Paramount Skydance do to make a dozen attorneys general drop their lawsuit against the Warner Bros. Discovery merger? Sell off CNN? Paramount Pictures? According to California Attorney General Rob Bonta: not much. “We’re not talking about settlement. We’re going to be telling the judge when we want a trial date,” he tells Elaine Low on Friday, shortly after Paramount announced it would delay the merger until June 2027 or until a pair of antitrust lawsuits against it work their way through

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45:00

BONUS EP: Paramount’s Looming Debt Bomb — With...

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/07/27

David Ellison may becalling Paramount’s agreement to delay its $111 billion Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition a “significant win.” Wall Street appears less convinced.Paramount Skydance shares sank to a new low after the company agreed Friday not to close the deal until the antitrust lawsuits brought by 12 state attorneys general and the Writers Guild of America are resolved — or until next June, whichever comes first. The delay starts an expensive clock. Beginning in October, Paramount must pay

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28:12

Why A24 Wants Letterboxd — and the Impossible...

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/07/23

Who’s buying Letterboxd?The social media platform, prized for its Gen Z audience and movie fan bona fides, is on the market for a rumored $250 million — with multiple studios circling. Dealmakers columnistAshley Cullins, whobroke the big news of A24 pursuing the platform, joinsElaine Lowto reveal the other potential buyers and why the price tag is raising eyebrows, and what other M&A moves could come next —including likely outcomes for Lionsgate and whether Disney might split up a la Comcast-NBCU

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35:52

BONUS EP: Rob Bonta: How We Plan to Kill the...

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/07/21

States, 1. Paramount, 0.The $111 billion Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger has hit its first real wall after a coalition of 12 states won a temporary restraining order blocking the deal. And California Attorney GeneralRob Bonta, who is leading the charge, isn’t interested in helping Paramount find a way around it.“We love the judge’s order,” Bonta tellsElaine Lowin an exclusive interview recorded just hours after the ruling. The decision gives Paramount as many as 28 days to choose among

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33:09

The Case Against Paramount-Warner — From the People...

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/07/16

It’s a badweek for David Ellison, with Paramount Skydance facing twoconcurrent lawsuits seeking to block its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery — plus ashareholder caseaccusing Ellison and his father, Oracle CEOLarry Ellison, of corruption. On Monday,12 state attorneys general— led by California AGRob Bonta— filed their long-expected lawsuit, claiming the proposed merger was “unlawful.” On Tuesday, theWriters Guild of America stepped up,sayingthe combined company “threatens the

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41:03

BONUS EP: Netflix’s Next Deal? Spotify Is Hiding in...

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/07/13

Welcome toNetflix’shard pivot. Faced with lagging engagement from its users andsignsof audience disinterest in some of its top shows between seasons, Netflix’s next big thing might be… cable television. Live channels, more talk shows (viavideo podcasts) and creator content andbundleswith other streamers (includingperhaps Peacock) to recreate the lean-back appeal of watching TV on the couch. Certainly, it’s possible Netflix makes a play for another company — perhaps NBCU now that Comcast

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33:34

Nolan’s ‘Odyssey,’ Taylor Swift’s Wedding & the...

Ankler Agenda ·

2026/07/09

Monoculture may notbe dead after all — it just neededTaylor Swiftin a wedding dress andChristopher Nolanin IMAX.Elaine Low,Sean McNultyandNatalie Jarveybreak down an old-fashioned July of cultural spectacle, from theSwift-Travis Kelcenuptialsto Nolan’s star-studdedOdyssey, which arrives with sold-out premium-format screenings and billion-dollar expectations. Is this the summer moviegoing comes back? And is Nolan the last director in Hollywood whosename alone can make audiences show up? Plus: hot

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