Hollywood is a weird place. It’s a town built on secrets, yet it’s fueled by people who can’t stop talking. For years, if you wanted to know what was actually happening behind the closed doors of Disney or Netflix, you had to read between the lines of corporate press releases or hope a disgruntled assistant leaked something to a "trade" publication.
Then came Matt Belloni The Town.
If you haven’t listened, the pitch is simple: Matthew Belloni, a former entertainment lawyer and the ex-editorial director of The Hollywood Reporter, talks about the business of show business. He doesn’t care about red carpet fashion. He cares about the balance sheets, the ego-driven M&A deals, and why your favorite show just got canceled even though everyone on Twitter loved it.
Honestly, it’s the most addictive thing in media right now. You’ve got the biggest names in the industry—everyone from Netflix’s Ted Sarandos to super-producer Seth Rogen—tuning in to hear what Belloni thinks about their own companies. It’s kinda meta. It’s definitely essential.
What is Matt Belloni The Town actually about?
Most entertainment podcasts are basically fan clubs. They recap Succession or argue about who should be the next James Bond. Matt Belloni The Town is different. It’s a twice-weekly (sometimes thrice) deep dive into the "why" of the industry.
Belloni is a founding partner at Puck News, a digital media startup that focuses on the intersection of power, money, and ego. His podcast, produced by The Ringer and Spotify, takes that "What I’m Hearing" newsletter vibe and puts it into your ears.
One day he’s talking to Lucas Shaw from Bloomberg about why the Golden Globes are a mess. The next, he’s interviewing a high-level executive about the "streaming wars" or the terrifying rise of AI in writers' rooms.
He treats Hollywood like a sport. There are winners, there are losers, and there are people who are just happy to be in the game. Belloni uses his background as a lawyer to sniff out the BS in a contract or a box office report. He’s not here to be your friend; he’s here to tell you if a movie is a "sneaky bomb" or a "quiet hit."
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The "What I'm Hearing" Factor
You can't really talk about the podcast without mentioning the newsletter. Belloni’s What I’m Hearing is the industry bible. When he says something on the pod, it’s usually backed by three or four texts he got that morning from people whose names you’d recognize from the opening credits of a Marvel movie.
Why everyone in "The Town" is listening
It’s not just for the assistants and the interns. The big dogs listen.
In early 2026, the landscape of Hollywood is more fractured than ever. We're seeing massive shifts:
- Paramount is in a constant state of "will they, won't they" with mergers.
- Disney is still trying to figure out who replaces Bob Iger.
- The theatrical box office is a rollercoaster of massive highs and "we're doomed" lows.
Belloni provides a narrative for the chaos. He makes the boring stuff—like carriage disputes or windowing strategies—sound like a high-stakes thriller.
He’s also not afraid to be a bit of a contrarian. While most of the internet was rooting for a specific film to succeed, Belloni might point out that the marketing spend was so high that the movie needed to make $600 million just to break even. He brings a cold, hard logic to an industry that is often led by "vibes."
Real-world impact
When Belloni talks, stock prices sometimes notice. Or at least, the people who control the stocks do. He’s become a character in the very world he covers.
Remember the Apple TV+ show The Studio? Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg actually had Belloni play himself. In the show, the characters are literally terrified of him breaking a story. That’s not just good TV; it’s a reflection of his actual status in 2026 Hollywood.
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The guest list: It's not just fluff
A lot of hosts just let their guests talk. Belloni grills them.
He’s had Jeff Sagansky on to talk about why the media landscape feels "broken." He’s had Scott Galloway on to rant about Big Tech's infiltration of the creative arts.
But he also keeps it light with segments like "The 2026 Burning Questions" or his box office predictions. He has a recurring bit where he predicts the opening weekend numbers for movies like Greenland 2 or the next Avengers. Sometimes he’s dead on. Sometimes he’s way off. But he always explains the math behind the guess.
What most people get wrong about Matt Belloni The Town
Some critics argue that Belloni is too focused on the "business" and not enough on the "art." They say he looks at movies like they're just widgets on a conveyor belt.
That’s a fair critique, but it misses the point.
Hollywood is a business. Without the money, the art doesn't happen. Belloni isn't trying to be a film critic. He’s an industry analyst. If you want to know if a movie is good, go to Rotten Tomatoes. If you want to know if the studio that made it is going to survive the year, you listen to Matt Belloni The Town.
He’s also been accused of being a "studio mouthpiece."
Wait, let's look at that.
He’s broken stories about David Zaslav’s struggles at Warner Bros. Discovery and the internal drama at CAA. That doesn't exactly sound like he's on the payroll. He’s a journalist who knows that in Hollywood, access is everything, but he manages to maintain a sharp edge even when he’s interviewing the people he covers.
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Actionable insights for the casual fan (and the pro)
If you're looking to get into the industry or just want to sound smarter at your next dinner party, here is how to use the information from the show:
- Follow the Money, Not the Hype: Just because a movie is trending on TikTok doesn't mean it’s profitable. Look for the "multiplier"—how much it makes compared to its budget.
- The Power of the Pivot: Watch how the big streamers are shifting back to "old school" tactics, like adding ads or licensing shows to other platforms. Belloni calls this out months before it hits the mainstream news.
- The "Ego" Variable: Never underestimate how much a Hollywood deal is driven by one executive wanting to beat another executive. It’s often less about logic and more about being the biggest person in the room.
The 2026 Outlook
As we move further into 2026, the stakes for "The Town" are higher than ever. With the looming threat of more strikes, the consolidation of major studios, and the total transformation of how we consume content, Belloni’s voice is only going to get louder.
He’s basically become the ombudsman of Hollywood.
Whether you're an agent at WME, a producer with a script in development, or just someone who wonders why there are suddenly six different streaming services on your credit card bill, you need a guide.
Start by listening to the "Box Office Year in Review" episodes. They give you a perfect snapshot of what's working and what's dead. Then, sign up for the Puck newsletter trial. You'll see the stories break in the morning and hear them analyzed on the pod by the afternoon.
It’s a fast-moving world, and Belloni is one of the few people who can actually keep up with it without losing his mind—or his sources.
Next Steps to Master the Hollywood Beat:
- Subscribe to the Podcast: Find The Town with Matthew Belloni on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Listen to the latest episode featuring Lucas Shaw for the best entry point into current industry drama.
- Monitor Trade Headlines: Cross-reference Belloni’s takes with Variety or The Hollywood Reporter to see where the "official" story differs from the "inside" scoop.
- Track Box Office Splits: Use sites like Box Office Mojo while listening to Matt’s predictions to see how domestic vs. international numbers dictate a film's ultimate success.