Showbiz Sandbox 659: Hollywood Continues To Turn Itself Inside Out
June 26, 2024 · Comments Off on Showbiz Sandbox 659: Hollywood Continues To Turn Itself Inside Out
In the midst of the summer entertainment news doldrums, as Hollywood laments a fading (for now) box office, along comes Pixar with “Inside Out 2.” The sequel earned nearly $300 million in its opening weekend proving, once again, that all the industry really needs for audiences to head back to movie theaters is… well, movies.
Meanwhile, after nixing an acquisition at the eleventh hour, Shari Redstone continues to keep Wall Street, the industry and potential suitors in suspense over whether she’ll sell Paramount Global.
This will be the last episode of Showbiz Sandbox for the foreseeable future as we take an indefinite hiatus. Don’t unsubscribe as we’ll likely be back from time to time when news, festivals and events warrant. Thanks for listening for the past 15 years.
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Previous Episodes
Showbiz Sandbox 658: Searching for Winners at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival
May 29, 2024 · Comments Off on Showbiz Sandbox 658: Searching for Winners at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival
The general consensus among attendees was that, unlike last year, the 2024 Cannes Film Festival was not one of its strongest editions. Few of the selections made a huge impact and, indeed, there were a few titles that left festival goers scratching their heads. Yet, it seemed more indicative of a general malaise affecting the […]
Showbiz Sandbox 657: New Streaming Business Models Require New Measurement Tools
May 7, 2024 · Comments Off on Showbiz Sandbox 657: New Streaming Business Models Require New Measurement Tools
Streaming services seem to have settled on engagement as the metric by which to measure the success of a series or movie or even the platform itself. However, the industry has yet to decide a method for how to measure and report such figures in a consistent way. Some services publish random viewership figures citing […]
Showbiz Sandbox 656: Yes, People Still Buy Books
April 30, 2024 · Comments Off on Showbiz Sandbox 656: Yes, People Still Buy Books
Two recent opinion pieces stirred up some heated debate in the book publishing business. One insists no one buys books anymore. The other says the proliferation of book roundup lists is a bunch of nonsense. One is very wrong, even when it’s right. The other is right, but for the wrong reasons. Michael is our […]
Showbiz Sandbox 655: Netflix Stops Sweating (and Reporting) Subscriber Growth
April 23, 2024 · Comments Off on Showbiz Sandbox 655: Netflix Stops Sweating (and Reporting) Subscriber Growth
Netflix first quarter earnings report showed growth in all areas from subscribers, to revenue and income. But with Netflix clearly dominating competitors and entering a mature market, the streaming giant will no longer provide subscriber figures on a regular basis. Instead, Netflix will concentrate on profit and the amount of time each of their 270 […]
Showbiz Sandbox 654: CinemaCon Promotes A Bright Future for Movie Theatres
April 16, 2024 · Comments Off on Showbiz Sandbox 654: CinemaCon Promotes A Bright Future for Movie Theatres
CinemaCon, the annual gathering of cinema operators in Las Vegas, was filled with anxiety this year thanks to a lack of wide releases due to the recent labor strikes. However, most Hollywood studios showed up with a few movie stars to hawk an increasing number of big titles due later in the year and into […]
About Showbiz Sandbox
Showbiz Sandbox is a podcast featuring industry professionals J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward and Michael Giltz's humorous viewpoints, insightful analysis and insider opinions on the latest entertainment news headlines. The weekly podcast includes commentary, renown industry guests, as well as phone calls and emails from listeners who voice their own opinions on the child’s play of the entertainment business.
Send us news stories to cover at dirt@showbizsandbox.com or call us at 1-888-567-SAND (7263)
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Meet The Showbiz Sandbox Hosts
J. Sperling Reich has nearly 20 years of experience working in the entertainment industry. Besides covering show business as a journalist for numerous media outlets, Sperling is a highly regarded industry expert in cinema technology and new media. He works with some of the industry's leading motion picture exhibitors, studios and equipment manufacturers. [Read The Full Bio]
Karen Woodward is the ultimate Hollywood multi-hyphenate. After starting her career 15 years ago in the trenches of the William Morris Agency she has since worked in talent management, film-television production, promotions and advertising. Armed with a Master's Degree in Media Studies Karen presently helps dozens of today's top stars connect with their audience as one of the entertainment industry's leading social media consultants. [Read The Full Bio]
Michael Giltz is an award-winning freelance entertainment writer based in New York City. He covers all areas of the industry including movies, music, books, theater, TV and DVDs. Michael regularly contributes to the Huffington Post and the New York Daily News among many other international media outlets. [Read The Full Bio]