Sign in

Lucas Shaw

@lucasshaw.bsky.social
5.4K followers 116 following 117 posts

Oversee business of pop culture coverage at Bloomberg. Views my own. Write a newsletter: tinyurl.com/bdh7w838 Host a conference: shorturl.at/nuW1F Go Dodgers

PostsRepliesMedia
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
The ongoing quest to remake HBO for the streaming age has resulted in a network that is both cheaper and smaller than Netflix. That & much more in this week's newsletter: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
bloomberg.com
Warner Bros.’ David Zaslav Tried to Rebrand HBO. It Didn’t Work.
Warner Bros. Discovery had a plan to turn HBO into Netflix. Here’s where it went wrong.
3212
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
Snoop Dogg has been railing against streaming services like Spotify and YouTube for two years, claiming they don't pay artists enough. But the Doggfather has declared peace with Spotify -- and he explains why. @SnoopDogg www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Snoop Dogg Makes Peace With Spotify, Releases New Album on Service
‘Iz It a Crime?’ came out Thursday as a surprise to fans
030
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
HBO Max is back. The name of the Max streaming service is changing back to HBO Max. You can't make this stuff up.
1251
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 05/05/2025
Donald Trump floated a 100% tariff on imported movies after spending the weekend with Jon Voight and his manager at Mar-a-Lago. The tariffs are unlikely to bring production back to the US and risk retaliation, which would be devastating for Hollywood. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
bloomberg.com
Trump Plans to Tax Movies. Here's How It Will Impact Hollywood
While more movies and TV shows are being produced abroad, the US entertainment industry still exports three times as much as it imports.
34314
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 05/05/2025
Donald Trump plans a 100% tariff on movies produced overseas. Will have more on this in the newsletter, which is publishing... shortly. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Trump Plans 100% Tariff on Foreign Movies, Escalating Trade War
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he plans to impose a 100% tariff on films produced overseas, extending his restrictive trade policies on US imports to the entertainment sector for the fir...
372
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
For this week's Screentime: a rare interview with Taylor Sheridan, the most successful TV writer of this decade. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
bloomberg.com
How ‘Yellowstone’ Became a $3 Billion Franchise – and Where It Goes Next
The creator of ‘Yellowstone’ talks about turning an unprofitable show into the most-valuable franchise on TV
051
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
Shari Redstone has been upset w/CBS News for months. Her frustration started with Gaza and grew as 60 Minutes’ Trump coverage delayed her $8 billion deal. An inside look at the growing divide between a billionaire media mogul and her newsroom. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Behind the ‘60 Minutes’ Upheaval, a Big Merger Seeking Approval
Shari Redstone wanted to know what 60 Minutes was going to say next about President Donald Trump.
0102
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
People spending more time watching YouTube than Netflix and Amazon Prime Video combined. I spoke with the folks @BBCNews about why Hollywood is very scared of YouTube. www.bbc.com/worklife/art...
bbc.com
Is YouTube making Hollywood irrelevant?
The BBC's Katty Kay speaks with Bloomberg reporter Lucas Shaw about YouTube's meteoric rise and how it became a dominant player in the entertainment industry.
0171
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
Always a good sign when you change CEOs right before an IPO. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Discord Names New CEO as Co-Founder Steps Down Ahead of IPO
Discord Inc., the popular chat app, named a new chief executive officer, replacing co-founder and current CEO Jason Citron.
040
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 20/04/2025
Sinners ends up at $46 million in the US and Canada. A great result for an original movie. International is only $15 million. Not so great.
2180
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
A Minecraft Movie was projected to open to $65 million in North America the Monday before it opened. It made $163 million. I talked to the people responsible for forecasts to understand why -- and what it says about the modern film business. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
bloomberg.com
The Massive Blockbuster That No One Predicted
A Minecraft Movie took in more than $500 million in 10 days. Nobody saw that coming
6373
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
Shares in almost every major media and technology comapny have crashed over the last few days. I spoke to top analysts and executives to better understand how Trump's tariffs will affect their businesses. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
bloomberg.com
Trump Tariffs Will Make Entertainment More Expensive
We asked experts how his trade policy will impact the entertainment business.
0112
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 05/04/2025
Minecraft is the first big hit of the year at the box office. It's on track to double the initial estimates for its opening weekend. deadline.com/2025/04/box-...
deadline.com
‘A Minecraft Movie’ Mania Grips Nation, Opening Now At $130M+ For Warner Bros Legendary Pic – Update
'A Minecraft Movie' from Warner Bros amassed $10.55 million in Thursday previews, the best ever for a videogame movie. The outlook is a huge $100M opening at the box office.
7253
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
Two immediate impacts from tariffs: StubHub paused plans for an IPO. Nintendo delayed pre-orders for the Switch 2 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Nintendo Delays Pre-Orders for Switch 2 After Trump Tariffs
Nintendo Co. said it’s delaying pre-orders for the new Switch 2 due to concerns over the impact of global tariffs instituted by US President Donald Trump.
041
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
A boston guy from a journalism family has one of the biggest true crime podcasts in the world. @ashleycarman.bsky.social with the definitive @mrballen.bsky.social profile www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
The True Story Behind MrBallen’s Crime Podcasts
John Allen, known online as MrBallen, operates a 70-person company with his Pulitzer Prize-winning family on staff.
040
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
People watched more Suits on Netflix in 6 months than Suits on TV in 9 years. And that's not even the largest bump a show has gotten from Netflix. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
0171
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
A streaming service in India has 100 million paying subscribers for the first time. It's controlled by Asia's richest man. Is this an inflection point for the local media industry in the world's largest country? www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
bloomberg.com
Asia’s Richest Man Takes Aim at Netflix, YouTube in India
More than 100 million people now subscribe to India’s largest paid video service.
040
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
The New York Times was never a national destination for cooking recipes. So how did it become one over the last few years? We spoke to the team behind the Cooking app. www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
bloomberg.com
New York Times Cooking App Finds Right Ingredients to Vanquish Rivals
After launching 10 years ago, NYT Cooking has succeeded in a crowded field with its blend of sleek videos, massive recipe catalog and an active community of home chefs.
270
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
For this week's Screentime, I wrote an update the race to be the next CEO of Disney. Find out who is in, who is out and who is lurking. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
bloomberg.com
Disney Executives Audition to Be the Company’s Next CEO
The two leading candidates to succeed Bob Iger have delivered public performances that address their perceived weaknesses.
1100
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
New: @billsimmons.bsky.social is sticking around at Spotify. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Spotify Signs Bill Simmons, Its $250 Million Man, to a New Deal
Bill Simmons is sticking around at Spotify.
282
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
The biggest YouTube star in the world (@MrBeast) makes more money from chocolate than his entertainment business, according to two different investor decks. We took a dive into one of the most interesting creator businesses around. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
YouTube’s Biggest Star MrBeast Makes More Money From Chocolate Than Videos
Beast Industries is looking to raise a couple hundred million dollars to expand into new areas, including video games, beverages and wellness
071
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
It would appear Skydance is officially fed up with Project Rise, the group trying to scuttle its deal for Paramount. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Skydance Refutes Project Rise’s Paramount Bid in Letter to FCC
Skydance Media, the independent movie and TV studio that’s seeking to merge with Paramount Global, fired back at complaints by rival bidder Project Rise Partners in a letter to the Federal Communicati...
031
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
Four months ago, media executives hailed Trump as a more business-friendly president who would likely usher in a wave of dealmaking. Now? Not so much. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
bloomberg.com
Media Moguls Were Excited for Trump to Make Them Rich. Are They Still?
The new administration has already caused problems for two major deals and isn’t making it easy for potential IPOs.
062
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
I will do a reader mailbag for the newsletter in the near future. What questions do people have about media/entertainment meets tech?
150
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
A few takeaways from Netflix's latest data dump:
174
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 02/03/2025
Screentime: On Oscar Sunday, I wrote about the show's future on TV. Disney has had the deal for 50+ years, but its exclusive window is up and the Academy is looking to see if anyone else will offer a major increase. Yes, that includes Netflix. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
bloomberg.com
The Oscars Consider Move from Disney to Netflix, Other Networks
The audience for the Oscars has declined more than 50% over the last decade. Will that lead to a break-up with its home of more than 50 years?
062
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
YouTube is the biggest podcasting platform in the world. It's the biggest music service in the world. It's the biggest video service in the world. It's the biggest entertainment platform ever. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
A Billion People Are Watching Podcasts on YouTube Every Month
The video site has leapfrogged Spotify to become the most popular podcasting platform in the US
3103
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
Disney has made a lot of moves in streaming over the last 3 years, and yet its services share of total TV time hasn't budged. YouTube, Netflix and Amazon have all grown quite a bit. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
281
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
For this week's newsletter, I wrote about an independent podcasting company based in Indianapolis that makes $45 million in profit a year. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
bloomberg.com
050
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
Dr. Phil is trying to invent himself as a newsman. It's not going very well. www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
bloomberg.com
Can Dr. Phil’s Streaming Makeover Find an Audience in the MAGA Era?
Merit TV has entered a crowded field of news networks.
171
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
Why is a Chinese gaming company with a big hit game cutting staff and closing studios? @cecianasta.bsky.social and Ping investigate. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
NetEase’s Billionaire CEO Slashes Jobs and Games in Profit Push
After years of expanding overseas, video-game billionaire William Ding is hitting the brakes at NetEase Inc., the pioneering Chinese company behind hits like Eggy Party and its newest blockbuster Marv...
010
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
Wow. Amazon has gained creative control of the James Bond franchise. www.aboutamazon.com/news/company...
aboutamazon.com
Amazon MGM Studios announces new joint venture with Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for James Bond franchise rights
Amazon MGM Studios, Michael G. Wilson, and Barbara Broccoli today announced that they have formed a new joint venture to house the James Bond intellectual property rights, and those parties will remai...
62812
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
Streaming has grown its share of TV time by almost 7% in just one year. (Cable and broadcast both continue to decline.) YouTube's share alone is up about 2%. Netflix growing a lot as well.
2227
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
Netflix is the cheapest major streaming service by a pretty major metric. How much we pay for how often we watch it. That's according to MoffettNathanson. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
273
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
The hottest phrase in the music business is "super fans." Streaming services are building more expensive tiers for them. Record labels are hawking apps & merchandise. I examined these plans -- and whether they will work -- for this week's newsletter. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
bloomberg.com
Spotify Wants to Sell You Concert Tickets
Spotify is developing a more expensive version of its service that will offer high-quality audio, early access to concert tickets and remixing tools.
1112
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 16/02/2025
Captain America: Brave New World did... fine. $88 million opening weekend, $192 global opening over the holiday. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
‘Captain America’ Kicks Off Hollywood Comeback for Superheroes
Walt Disney Co.’s latest Captain America film introduces a new lead actor in the role at a time when Hollywood studios are looking to reenergize the superhero genre.
180
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
Back when the NFL was struggling with falling ratings & many scandals, the head of ESPN suggested that Disney not renew its deal with the league and spend that $$ on March Madness, the World Series and soccer. Good thing for Disney that Bob Iger said no. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
bloomberg.com
How the NFL Swallowed the Entertainment Business
While viewership of everything else on traditional TV plummeted, the NFL somehow got bigger.
051
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
This week's newsletter is about the most dominant cultural force in US history: the NFL. Hannah Miller and I spoke with some smarty pants to understand how football has overcome cord-cutting, falling ratings and a few scandals to grow its audience. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
bloomberg.com
How the NFL Swallowed the Entertainment Business
While viewership of everything else on traditional TV plummeted, the NFL somehow got bigger.
271
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
Ne Zha 2 has grossed more than $1 billion in just 10 days. I believe it is the first movie to gross $1 billion in just 1 country (China). All-time US leader is The Force Awakens at $936 million. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
‘Ne Zha 2’ Sets China Box Office Record With $1 Billion in 10 Days
Ne Zha 2 grossed more than $1 billion in China over its first 10 days in cinemas, setting the country’s new box office high mark.
041
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
Mini dramas -- web series that run 60 to 90 seconds -- are now a bigger business than movies in China. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
China’s 60-Second Dramas Head to the US After Beating Box Office
Venture capitalists and startups convened at the Conrad Beijing hotel in mid-December, looking to exploit the newest phenomenon in Chinese media: the mini soap opera.
361
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Over the past year, OpenAI met with Hollywood studios to show off its new video tool Sora. They talked about Sora's creative and commercial potential for filmmaking. And then... nothing. We looked at why studios have yet to embrace AI in a big way. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
OpenAI’s Sora Filmmaking Tool Meets Resistance in Hollywood
Newspaper publishers have licensed articles for millions of dollars. Record labels have filed lawsuits. But when it comes to the commercial potential of artificial intelligence, movie studios aren’t s...
190
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
China just posted $1.3 billion in ticket sales during 1 week. That's more than the entire Korean box office in 2024. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
China’s Lunar New Year Box Office Reaches Record $1.3 Billion
China posted a record $1.3 billion in box office receipts over the week-long Lunar New Year holiday period, suggesting efforts by Chinese officials to boost consumer spending are working.
030
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
Spotify added 73 million customers while posting its first annual profit ($1.2 billion). Investors are happy. The company is worth $120 billion. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Spotify Beats on Subscribers, Records Its First Annual Profit
Spotify Technology SA posted another quarter of better-than-expected subscriber growth in the fourth quarter, helping the Swedish music company record its first-ever annual profit.
050
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and Amazon Hollywood boss Mike Hopkins have both joined forces with @RickCarusoLA for a new non-profit to rebuild LA. There are now several different initiatives with the same mission. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Billionaire Caruso Starts Nonprofit for LA Fire Rebuilding
Billionaire developer Rick Caruso, a vocal critic of Los Angeles leadership during last month’s wildfires, announced he’ll lead a nonprofit aimed at accelerating private-sector involvement in the area...
37418
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
Warner Records -- home of Madonna & Fleetwood Mac -- was in decline. To turn things around, its owner hired two executives. One young and unproven. The other a wily veteran. I spoke with the two of them about their turnaround story for this week's newsletter. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
bloomberg.com
How Two Strangers Turned Around the Home of Fleetwood Mac and Madonna
Two music bosses share the future of TikTok, the right price for Spotify and the key to breaking new music acts.
050
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
Rich Paul knew about the AD-Luka trade 48 hours in advance but didn't tell LeBron? If you believe that, I have a used car to sell you.
2190
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
Kids are the most dependable moviegoers. deadline.com/2025/02/box-...
deadline.com
‘Dog Man’ Barking Up Second-Best January Debut For Animated Pic With $35M+, ‘Companion’ $8M-$10M – Saturday AM Box Office Update
'Dog Man' is expected to lead the box office with a $20M+ opening after $1.36M in previews. R-rated horror movie 'Companion' will be second.
1111
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Scoop: Carlyle is investing in Entertainment 360, the Hollywood management firm that represents Margot Robbie, Greta Gerwig and Blake Lively. It also produced Game of Thrones. Link TK
271
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
“I expect that this is going to be the year when a highly intelligent and personalized AI assistant reaches more than 1 billion people." www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Meta Says Current Quarter Sales to Fall Short of Estimates
Meta Platforms Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg defended the company’s ambitious spending plans, predicting a “really big year” in which its artificial intelligence assistant will become t...
040
Lucas Shaw @lucasshaw.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Scooplet: 3Arts, one of Hollywood's largest management companies, is seeking to raise up to $250 million to expand its business. The company produces hit TV shows such as Sex Lives of College Girls and Welcome to Wrexham. @tgbuckley www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
‘The Office’ Producer Is Seeking to Raise Up to $250 Million
3 Arts Entertainment, the film production and talent-management company majority owned by Lionsgate Studios Corp., is seeking to raise as much as $250 million to finance expansion, according to people...
030