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Welcome back to What I’m Hearing, coming at you from another undisclosed (and alarmingly WiFi-free) location this week.
While I’m on vacation, today’s issue forgoes the usual Who Won the Week (it’s Ryan Reynolds, of course, or maybe Kevin Feige for luring Robert Downey Jr. back to the MCU… though the fact that Disney will need to pay Downey more than $100 million for two movies, after box office bonuses, is basically an admission that Marvel was in a pretty rough spot). Also no time for Feedback, Reading List, or Quote of the Week, though it certainly would’ve been this gem from Harrison Ford, who was asked at Comic-Con whether his Marvel character or Indiana Jones is better at handling snakes:
- “I’ve always treated these questions with the utmost respect and somehow, at the same time, complete disdain. I will not answer that stupid question. But thank you. Delighted to have the opportunity.”
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| Amazing stuff from the king of crapping on his fanboys. Instead, I’ve packed today’s issue with some Oscars news, a Deadpool & Wolverine take, and a great discussion of Warner Discovery’s NBA Problem between me and several of Puck’s authors (if this were Inside the NBA, I guess I’d be Ernie Johnson?). Then on Thursday, Eriq Gardner will captain the WIH ship (so no WIH+ tomorrow). And yes, Eriq will have more on the Michael Rubin situation…
Programming note: This week on The Town, Disney’s top marketer Asad Ayaz walked me through the Deadpool & Wolverine campaign (and why he nixed a Mickey ears poster), Lucas Shaw and I parsed Warner Discovery vs. the NBA, and NBCU’s Mark Lazarus pregamed Olympics coverage and the stakes for Peacock. Subscribe here.
Not a Puck member yet? Click here to fix that problem. Got a news tip or an idea for me? Just reply to this email or message me anonymously on Signal at 310-804-3198.
Discussed in this issue: Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Silver, Martin Short, Chris Rock, John Mulaney, David Zaslav, Ryan Reynolds, Luis Silberwasser, Charles Barkley, Tim Cook, Brian Roberts, Robert Gibbs, Bob Iger, Roone Arledge, and… Mark Cuban’s suggestion.
But first… |
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A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR
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[WATCH] Farewell To A Royal Epic
A look back on the landmark, award-winning Drama series THE CROWN, with insights and memories from creators, cast and crew. This six-part examination looks at the show's evolving ensemble of actors, the artisan visions that brought the Royals' story to life across 60 chapters and the cultural impact of Emmy® Nominee Peter Morgan's singular creation.
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| Inside the NBA-Warners Showdown |
| A Studio J-style expert roundtable on how Warner Discovery’s David Zaslav bungled the negotiation, why he sued, what it really means for WBD’s debt and revenue, and what the company might be able to win in a subsequent negotiation or eventual arbitration. |
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| TNT’s Wile E. Coyote-style implosion of its four-decade relationship with the NBA crosses into several areas of expertise among Puck authors. It’s the latest face-plant for Warner Bros. Discovery C.E.O. David Zaslav; a glaring sign of the times as premium content migrates from linear TV to streaming powerhouses like Amazon Prime Video (all in, NBA commissioner Adam Silver scored $77 billion from Disney, Comcast, and Amazon over 11 years); a self-inflicted P.R. crisis, exacerbated by Zaz bringing in comms giant Edelman to stoke outrage among NBA fans and—let’s all wince together—play the race card against a league where more than two-thirds of the players are Black; and, now that Warners has sued, a complex legal matter. Much to discuss! Think of the below back-and-forth as our version of Inside of the NBA, only instead of Shaq, Chuck, and Kenny, we’ve got John Ourand (sports), Dylan Byers (media), Bill Cohan (Wall Street), and Eriq Gardner (law) to... |
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| FOUR STORIES WE’RE TALKING ABOUT |
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