Showbiz Sandbox

Showbiz Sandbox


Latest Episodes

Showbiz Sandbox 637: Spotify Fighting Fraud With New Payment Plan
November 07, 2023

Spotify is changing how it pays out royalties in an effort to deter fraud, demonetize the flood of new music that almost no one listens to and frustrate those gaming the system. None of the changes wi

Showbiz Sandbox 636: Why Streaming Subscriptions Are Getting More Expensive
November 01, 2023

When Netflix announced its earnings for the third quarter of 2023 it also confirmed that it would be increasing prices for those that dont want to view ads. Amazon recently said it would also be rais

Showbiz Sandbox 635: Deciphering Hollywood Hits and Misses
October 17, 2023

Hollywood studios often try to camouflage the success or failure of their movies. Sometimes they claim a film is unprofitable, yet go on to make several sequels, as Nu Image did with the Has Fallen

Showbiz Sandbox 634: Spotify Gets Book Smart
October 10, 2023

Spotify, the music streaming service, is going all in on audiobooks in hopes of attracting and maintaining subscribers. Previously, Spotify offered some audiobooks for sale. Now the companys 220 mill

Showbiz Sandbox 633: Dissecting the New Writers Guild Contract
October 03, 2023

The Writers Guild of America released details of the new contract they negotiated with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers ending their historic 148 day strike. The 94-page document

Showbiz Sandbox 632: Pickets Down – Hollywood Writers Strike A Tentative Deal
September 26, 2023

The Writers Guild of America reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) potentially ending its strike after 146 days. Enterta

Showbiz Sandbox 631: Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals Kick Off Unusual Awards Season
September 20, 2023

Every annual awards season has its own strange rhythm and unexpected twists. But with both actors and writers on strike, unable to promote certain movies, surely this years awards season will be the

Showbiz Sandbox 630: Resurrecting Silent Films Can Be Profitable (Theoretically)
September 12, 2023

The 1923 silent film The Spanish Dancer starring Pola Negri is the latest restoration project being theatrically released by Milestone Film & Video, one of the key players over the past 30 years in

Showbiz Sandbox 629: Disney vs. Charter Feud Could Finally Unbundle Cable
September 05, 2023

Carriage disputes between cable companies and media companies are nothing new. They happen regularly around big events like the Super Bowl, FIFA World Cup or the Oscars. However this time Charter Comm

Showbiz Sandbox 628: An Inside Look at Streaming’s Microscopic Residual Payments
August 30, 2023

The recent success of the television series Suits on Netflix has shined a spotlight on how much money writers make on a cable or broadcast hit versus one on a streaming service. Last week one of the