Strictly Business

Hosted by Variety

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Industry leaders converse about business deals, strategy and the future of media and entertainment.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 2, 202617 min

Who is Rob Bonta and Why is California's Attorney General Doggedly Pursuing Paramount?

On today's episode, Variety 's Gene Maddaus interviews Rob Bonta, California's crusading Attorney General who is doggedly pursuing the antitrust case to block the Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery merger . Bonta details his background growing up in a family of social justice activists , attending Yale on a soccer scholarship and other formative experiences that shaped his worldview. "I believe in justice. I believe in following the rules," Bonta says. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 28, 202623 min

Holywater Tech Chief Bogdan Nesvit on the Explosive Growth of Microdramas: 'We Are Well Positioned to Win'

On today’s episode, Bogdan Nesvit, co-CEO and co-founder of Holywater Tech, walks through the explosive growth of the company’s My Drama and My Muse apps and details what he sees as the key to making vertical media more mainstream. “Studios and creators are knocking on our doors right now,” Nesvit says. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 28, 202611 min

It's Time to Say Goodbye to 'Daily Variety' and Hello to 'Strictly Business Daily'

On today's episode, host Cynthia Littleton, Variety 's co-Editor in Chief, brings the curtain down on the "Daily Variety" podcast after 13 months and more than 200 episodes. Starting Sept. 8, this show will be rebranded "Strictly Business Daily" and feature a stronger emphasis on business analysis, data and insights. We'll also go deep on emerging markets, including the creator economy, vertical media and AI. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 26, 202619 min

Daily Variety -- A Grand Celebration of 'Big Brother' With Julie Chen Moonves, Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan

On today's episode, Variety' s Michael Schneider speaks with the pillars of "Big Brother" as the U.S. rendition of the franchise hits its milestone 1,000th episode. Chen Moonves remembers the first time she saw herself referred to as the "Chen Bot." And showrunners Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan reflect on the "crazy social experiment" that has become a hallmark of CBS' summer schedule. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 26, 202612 min

Daily Variety -- A New Chapter for Variety's ‘Daily Variety’ and ‘Strictly Business’ Podcasts

On today’s episode, host Cynthia Littleton details the plan to streamline Variety ’s business podcast offerings under the “Strictly Business” brand. And we pay tribute to a titan of music and pop culture, Dolly Parton, and to Shelley Fabares, the “Coach” and “Donna Reed Show” star who helped define the image of young America in the late 1950s and ‘60s. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 21, 202625 min

Amazon Courts Creators to Build Businesses and Scale the Attention Economy for Brands

On today's episode, Matt Sandler, Amazon's general manager of creator services, and Angie More, Amazon's head of creator ad partnerships, explain why Amazon is making a push into the creator economy and how they're working with some of the boldest names in the sector. The goal is to use the digital behemoth's considerable resources to build businesses that last and to scale creator content ad buying options for the largest marketers. "We're not looking to buy a show," Sandler says. "For us it's about, what business do you want to build?" See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 20, 202613 min

Daily Variety -- Documentary Filmmaker Rory Kennedy Sounds the Alarm About Air Safety With 'Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing'

On today's episode, Variety 's Marlow Stern speaks with documentary filmmaker Rory Kennedy about her latest film, "Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing." She sees real urgency around the company's failures and lack of accountability for the deaths of more than 300 people in devastating 737 Max plane crashes in 2018 and 2019. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 19, 202617 min

Daily Variety -- How ‘Dateline’ Became a Multiplatform Content Dynamo for NBC News

On today’s episode, “Dateline” leaders Liz Cole and Paul Ryan discuss the ever-expanding footprint of the NBC News newsmagazine that has become a ubiquitous presence in media and pop culture. “The audience knows what to expect from us. They’re going to get storytelling. They know very reliably that we’re taking them on a journey to justice,” Ryan says. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 18, 202618 min

Daily Variety -- Ryan Murphy Talks Norman Lear, Emmy-Nominated Showrunners Weigh in on TV’s Future

On today’s episode, highlights from Variety ’s annual Showrunners Breakfast include heartfelt remarks from Ryan Murphy on how he was inspired by Norman Lear and “All in the Family" as he received Variety's Norman Lear Creative Conscience Award. And five Emmy-nominated showrunners discuss television then and now as they offer advice to next-generation creatives. The participants are Ashley Nicole Black (“Shrinking”), Debora Cahn (“The Diplomat”), Dan Harmon (“Rick and Morty”), Jeff Luini (“Welcome to Wrexham”) and Jonathan Tropper (“Your Friends and Neighbors”). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 17, 202614 min

Daily Variety -- How Chris Carter Got His Second Shot at ‘The X-Files: I Want to Believe’ Film

On today’s episode, Chris Carter of “The X-Files” fame explains to Variety ’s Michael Schneider how he got the chance to do a director’s cut of his 2008 “The X-Files: I Want to Believe” feature film. The new cut debuted Aug. 14 on Hulu and Disney+ outside the U.S. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.