Andrew Wallenstein
Verified
As seen in:
Variety,
IMDb,
MSN,
MSN Malaysia,
MSN Philippines,
MSN Singapore,
Yahoo Entertainment,
Business Insider,
HuffPost,
The Daily Mirror,
Yahoo Canada
and
Chief Media Analyst & President, @Variety Intelligence Platform: Variety.com/VIP. Left side of my brain is in Hollywood, right side is in Silicon Valley.
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Andrew Wallenstein
Rom-Com ‘Eavesdropping’ Tests the Future of Scripted Social Video Original
Home TV News Oct 30, 2026 6:07am PT Variety's 'Strictly Business' podcast features conversations with industry leaders about the business of media and entertainment The romantic comedy “Eavesdropping” has all the ingredients of a traditional TV series: recurring characters, serialized storylines and a will-they-or-won’t-they relationship at its center. But you won’t find it on a streaming service or a TV network.
Chronicle Media Takes Aim at Content’s Discovery Problem Original
Home Digital News Oct 19, 2026 6:05am PT Variety's 'Strictly Business' podcast features conversations with industry leaders about the business of media and entertainment Courtesy of Chronicle Media The explosion of content across social platforms has made producing and distributing entertainment easier than ever. Finding the right audience for it is another matter. Chronicle Media is betting artificial intelligence can help solve that problem.
LISTEN: The Delicate Art of Releasing a Hit Streaming Series Original
Home TV News Sep 25, 2026 6:01am PT Variety's 'Strictly Business' podcast features conversations with industry leaders about the business of media and entertainment Adobe Stock If you’re a streaming service lucky enough to have a hit series on your hands, congratulations — now the hard part begins. Keeping that series on the air, let alone growing its audience over time, can be a daunting task.
Blake Griffin, Ryan Kalil try team ownership in 'We Are Osos' docu
; ; Continue reading More for You ; More for You
LISTEN: Retired Athletes Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil Return to Sports as Team Owners and TV Producers in YouTube Docuseries ‘We Are Osos’ Original
Home TV News Aug 14, 2026 7:00am PT Variety's 'Strictly Business' podcast features conversations with industry leaders about media and entertainment Courtesy of Mortal Media Never tell Ryan Kalil or Blake Griffin to stay in their lanes.
LISTEN: Music Fans Shrug Off Ticket Price Hikes to Keep Summer Concert Business Humming Original
Home Music News Jul 31, 2026 6:05am PT 'Strictly Business' is Variety's weekly interview podcast featuring conversations with industry leaders about the business of media and entertainment Getty Images The global live music business is chugging along through its busy summer season as strong as ever, defying even what has long been its biggest challenge: ticket-price sensitivity. Consumers consistently cite cost as the biggest barrier to attending concerts.
S&P Global analyst breaks down Paramount-WBD deal
; ; Continue reading More for You ; ; ; ; Continue reading More for You
LISTEN: Credit Risks: Top S&P Global Analyst Breaks Down the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Deal Original
The proposed $111 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery is approaching completion, but concerns around debt, execution risk, and long-term industry volatility loom large.
Did OpenAI kill what Disney's 'super app' needs most?
; Continue reading More for You
LISTEN: Did OpenAI Kill What Disney’s ‘Super App’ Needs Most? Original
With all the bells and whistles rumored to be a part of Disney’s “super app” plans, there’s one feature that can be ruled out at this time: the AI magic the company had been conjuring via its recently aborted partnership with OpenAI. Which begs a question: Will consumers ever be able to create videos that allow them to direct their favorite fictional characters?
LISTEN: How K-Pop Is Widening the Funnel for an Asian Music Boom Original
From “Kpop Demon Hunters” to BTS’s upcoming album, tour and livestreaming concert, K-pop is well into its global domination phase.
The Real ‘Heated Rivalry’: The Competitive State of Streaming Originals Original
Now that the full-year numbers are in, the state of the U.S. market for streaming original TV shows and movies in 2025 can be truly understood. And as Luminate explores in depth in its newly released “Film & TV Year-End Report,” the previous 12 months saw no shortage of surprising trends that emerged.
Israeli Entertainment Industry Confronts Its Crisis at Inaugural Jerusalem Sessions Festival Original
The TV series “Tehran” returns to Apple TV next week even though production wrapped back in 2023. What caused the postponement of this critically acclaimed drama depicting dueling espionage efforts between Israel and Iran was never specified by the streaming service. But sensitivities regarding the real-life battles that have ravaged the Middle East are suspected of being a factor in the delayed return of “Tehran,” which is co-produced by Israeli public broadcaster Kan 11.
20 Years After a Landmark Disney-Apple Deal, Anne Sweeney Recalls Negotiating With Steve Jobs Original
On Oct. 12, 2005, Apple and Disney stunned the media world with an unprecedented deal to make primetime TV programming available on mobile device for digital purchase without needing an antennae or multichannel subscription to watch it. Twenty years later, former Disney Media Networks co-chair Anne Sweeney looks back on the pact she was instrumental in closing with a keen eye on how seismic the impact it had on the many different industry constituents who never saw it coming.
20 Years After a Landmark Disney-Apple Deal, Anne Sweeney Recalls Negotiating With Steve Jobs
On Oct. 12, 2005, Apple and Disney stunned the media world with an unprecedented deal to make primetime TV programming available on mobile device for digital purchase without needing an antennae or multichannel subscription to watch it. Twenty years later, former Disney Media Networks co-chair Anne Sweeney looks back on the pact she was instrumental in closing with a keen eye on how seismic the impact it had on the many different industry constituents who never saw it coming.
Dr. Orna Guralnik Reflects on the Ethics of Practicing 'Couples Therapy' on TV - Tribune Content Agency
What the world needs now is psychotherapy, sweet therapy. That’s the word from Dr. Orna Gurlanik, the featured attraction and real-life psychoanalyst on Showtime’s "Couples Therapy," which is currently shooting its fifth season (launch date not yet determined). And she believes the critically acclaimed series has struck a chord with audiences because of how the show aims to promote psychological thinking rather than just therapy, encouraging deeper self-reflection and understanding of others.
Dr. Orna Guralnik Reflects on the Ethics of Practicing 'Couples Therapy' on TV Original
What the world needs now is psychotherapy, sweet therapy. That's the word from Dr. Orna Gurlanik, the featured attraction and real-life psychoanalyst on Showtime's " Couples Therapy," which is currently shooting its fifth season (launch date not yet determined). And she believes the critically acclaimed series has struck a chord with audiences because of how the show aims to promote psychological thinking rather than just therapy, encouraging deeper self-reflection and understanding of others.
The Key Changes Rocking the Music Industry in 2025 Original
The music industry isn’t exactly known for its stability. From MTV to Spotify, it’s a business defined by paradigm-shifting disruptions as much as it is by hit records and iconic artists. But in 2025, the industry faces several exceptional challenges — slowing streaming growth, all-time high concert ticket prices, and the rise of AI to name a few — that will require shifting the status quo to solve.
The Key Changes Rocking the Music Industry in 2025
Generate Key Takeaways The music industry isn’t exactly known for its stability. From MTV to Spotify, it’s a business defined by paradigm-shifting disruptions as much as it is by hit records and iconic artists. But in 2025, the industry faces several exceptional challenges — slowing streaming growth, all-time high concert ticket prices, and the rise of AI to name a few — that will require shifting the status quo to solve.
Chiney Ogwumike Talks ESPN, NBA, WNBA and Peacock Series 'The W' Original
As Chiney Ogwumike knows all too well from her days as a WNBA star player, a little momentum can go a long way. That’s why the athlete-turned-ESPN on-air analyst for both men’s and women’s pro and collegiate hoops is busier than ever this summer, from the recent debut of a new Disney+ talker about sports from a female perspective that she co-hosts, “Vibe Check,” to working as a producer on a scripted series based on her own life for Peacock.
Financing Film and TV Isn’t What It Used to Be Original
The financing of film and TV production has changed dramatically compared with how it was in previous decades. And no one knows that better than Daisy Stall, EVP & group head of entertainment finance at California Bank & Trust. She has three decades of experience in this area not only on the side of various financial institutions, but a stint overseeing the global treasury group at Sony Pictures.
'Mountainhead' Mines AI Anxieties As Only 'Succession' Creator Can Original
Imagine a future that may or may not be too far from now in which an AI video generator is capable of cranking out an entire movie. Then picture the movie’s script is derived from a large language model fed nothing but the entire run of the HBO series “Succession” and every article from the past six months written about the reigning tech titans of our time: Zuckerberg, Musk and Altman. Maybe a dash of Peter Thiel.
Minecraft Movie Means Videogames Make for Great Film IP Original
With “A Minecraft Movie” in striking distance of the billion-dollar mark at the global box office, there’s no better time to check in on the state of the videogame industry, with an emphasis on its intersection with Hollywood.
The Value of Video Game IP in Post-‘Minecraft’ Hollywood
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways With “A Minecraft Movie” in striking distance of the billion-dollar mark at the global box office, there’s no better time to check in on the state of the video game industry, with an emphasis on its intersection with Hollywood.
2025 NBA Playoffs Hold Promise of a Ratings Rebound
The NBA Playoffs tip off this weekend, and what may be just as suspenseful as the scores are the numbers the games rack up in TV ratings. Last year’s postseason registered a not-small 12% ratings decline, and the league won’t want that to repeat itself on the eve of a rights-deal shift that will swap out TNT and bring in NBC and Amazon, as explored in the Variety Intelligence Platform special report “Sports Rights: Streamers vs. TV Networks,” released earlier this month.
One Middle-Aged Man's Confession of New Media Habit Original
Now that President Donald Trump has guaranteed TikTok at least 75 more days to find an American owner, “Strictly Business” podcast host Andrew Wallenstein is breathing a sigh of relief. He kicks off the latest episode confessing to his new obsession with the controversial app and how he sees it changing the future of media. Read excerpts from the episode below.
The TikTok-ification of TV Is Coming
Now that President Donald Trump has guaranteed TikTok at least 75 more days to find an American owner, “Strictly Business” podcast host Andrew Wallenstein is breathing a sigh of relief. He kicks off the latest episode confessing to his new obsession with the controversial app and how he sees it changing the future of media. Read excerpts from the episode below.
How the $30 Billion U.S. Market Has Streamers and TV Networks Facing Off
There are no assets more valuable in the media business than sports TV rights, but determining just how valuable they are is no easy task. Now the Variety Intelligence Platform special report “Sports Rights: Streamers vs. TV Networks,” from veteran media writer David S. Cohen, assesses the current landscape for the full range of these properties in the U.S. at a particularly dynamic time in media.
How the $30 Billion U.S. Market Has Streamers and TV Networks Facing Off
There are no assets more valuable in the media business than sports TV rights, but determining just how valuable they are is no easy task. Now the Variety Intelligence Platform special report “Sports Rights: Streamers vs. TV Networks,” from veteran media writer David S. Cohen, assesses the current landscape for the full range of these properties in the U.S. at a particularly dynamic time in media.
Recession Fears Replay for Showbiz Like a Scary Sequel
Like the villain in a slasher-movie franchise who can’t quite stay dead, recession fears have wobbled back on their feet, ready to scare everyone again — and Hollywood is no exception. Not since mid-2022 has an entertainment industry felt the looming shadow of the R word creeping overhead, but make no mistake: The nervous anticipation is back.
Recession Fears Replay for Showbiz Like a Scary Sequel
McKinsey survey data reveals how consumer spending attitudes on entertainment stack up against 20+ other categories Findings indicate media would respond differently to a recession in 2025 than it has reacted in years past And yet when a recession hits is almost beside the point — it’s the anticipation of one that could kick off the ripple effects Like the villain in a slasher-movie franchise who can’t quite stay dead, recession fears have wobbled back on their feet, ready to scare everyone...
'Kugel' Marks Big Moment for Israeli Streamer Izzy Original
Nabbing exclusive rights to the prequel to "Shtisel," the series Netflix made popular around the world, is more than just a financial opportunity for Izzy CEO Nati Dinnar to put his fledgling streaming service on the global map. Premiering Feb. 28 on Izzy, "Kugel" represents a chance to advance the interests of his homeland's reputation amid war in the Middle East, not to mention its struggling TV industry.
‘Kugel’ Marks Big Moment for Israeli Streamer Izzy
Nabbing exclusive rights to the prequel to “Shtisel,” the series Netflix made popular around the world, is more than just a financial opportunity for Izzy CEO Nati Dinnar to put his fledgling streaming service on the global map. Premiering Feb. 28 on Izzy, “Kugel” represents a chance to advance the interests of his homeland’s reputation amid war in the Middle East, not to mention its struggling TV industry.
Inside the Future of TV and Film Production After the L.A. Fires Original
One of the many dilemmas the city of Los Angeles finds itself facing in the wake of the devastating fires that swept through the region last month is how the film and TV production business can recover. This sector was already struggling prior to to the disaster, a subject detailed in the latest report from Variety Intelligence Platform released last week, " Production Pipelines: Film & TV in Flux.
Inside the Future of TV and Film Production After the L.A. Fires
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways One of the many dilemmas the city of Los Angeles finds itself facing in the wake of the devastating fires that swept through the region last month is how the film and TV production business can recover.
Visual Effects Workforce Isn't Feeling AI Pinch Yet
Despite the dramatic proclamations from such Hollywood luminaries as Ben Affleck and Jeffrey Katzenberg about AI transforming the visual effects and animation industries, the data tells a more measured story. While AI promises to revolutionize the notoriously expensive and labor-intensive VFX process, its actual impact on production — particularly for high-end feature films and premium television — appears to be much more incremental.
Social Video Diverts Audiences From TV and Films? This Study Begs to Differ Original
When Warner Bros. Discovery research chief Natasha Hritzuk first began studying short-form video, the conventional wisdom was that platforms like TikTok and YouTube were having a cannibalizing effect on TV and film consumption. But as she shares in her latest study, the deeper she explored audience behavior, the more she saw that social video served as a potent discovery tool for the very programming to which it seemed to pose a competitive threat.
Social Video Helps, Not Hurts, TV, Film Consumption, Per New Study
Social video may be cutting into the time viewers could be spending with TV and movies, but a new study from Warner Bros. Discovery suggests that doesn’t necessarily mean platforms such as YouTube and TikTok are more foe than friend to Hollywood.
Social Video Helps, Not Hurts, TV, Film Consumption, Per New Study
Social video may be cutting into the time viewers could be spending with TV and movies, but a new study from Warner Bros. Discovery suggests that doesn’t necessarily mean platforms such as YouTube and TikTok are more foe than friend to Hollywood.
2025 NBA Playoffs Hold Promise of a Ratings Rebound
As NBA Playoffs take to the hardcourt, all eyes are on viewer numbers after last year’s 12% postseason ratings drop These games are particularly key given they’re playing out on the eve of a rights-deal shift from TNT to NBC and Amazon The path to postseason ratings gold just may be as simple as competitive narratives beyond interest of b-ball die-hards The NBA Playoffs tip off this weekend, and what may be just as suspenseful as the scores are the numbers the games rack up in TV ratings.
What Snap Needs to Jumpstart U.S. User Growth: A TikTok Ban Original
Snapchat rose to fame by making messages disappear. Now, if only it could do the same to TikTok. There may be no one company with a greater stake in the fate of the Chinese social media juggernaut in the U.S. than Snap, which has seen its stock in early 2025. It's Wall Street's recognition that Snapchat has much to gain if its larger rival is banned or ordered to sell to a U.S. company. After the Supreme Court hearing ended last Friday, Snap stock perked up 3.6%.
I Decided to Publish the Sony Hack Emails 10 Years Ago. Now I Regret It Original
Listen to the podcast here: And so in this episode of " Strictly Business " podcast, with a decade's worth of perspective, I'm going to revisit a decision that, if I'm being candid, I came to regret. I've encountered some sticky wickets over the course of my 30-plus-year career, but the Sony hack was the stickiest. I'm not going to say if I had to do it all over again I would do it differently because I understand why I did what I did then.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Andrew
Contact Andrew, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack