Elon’s Party Crashers, ESPN’s Austerity Era, Ackman’s Double Fault
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Welcome back to The Daily Courant, your afternoon medley of Puck’s best new reporting. First up today, Julia Alexander digs into Warner Bros. Discovery’s plans for the newly re-rebranded HBO Max, as David Zaslav and Casey Bloys course-correct their streaming strategy and stop chasing Netflix. After years of brand confusion and middling results, the platform seems to be pivoting back to its core competency: prestige TV and big I.P., with a
twist. In an industry obsessed with volume, can quality still be a winning formula? Plus, below the fold: Lauren Sherman chronicles the latest round of LVMH executive musical chairs as Bernard Arnault tries to resuscitate his luxury empire. John Ourand and NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps break down the motorsports arms race. And
Abby Livingston scrutinizes Elon Musk’s ostensible threat to form a third party—and why the G.O.P. has mostly responded with a collective shrug.
Meanwhile, on the pods: Matt Belloni and Lucas Shaw reunite on The Town to discuss the strong opening weekend for Superman and Marvel’s post-Avengers strategy. On The Grill Room, Dylan Byers and John unpack
what ESPN’s new austerity era portends for the broader battle for sports rights. On Fashion People, Lauren and veteran fashion editor Becky Malinsky chew over all the latest fashion controversies in their group chat. And on The Powers That Be, Julia and Bill Cohan dissect Bill Ackman’s latest headline-generating antics.
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| Julia Alexander
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After a two-year identity crisis at the newly re-rechristened service, how can David Zaslav and Casey Bloys make the
streamer successful, and not just the butt of every joke? Read Now |
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| Lauren Sherman
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Amid LVMH’s significant challenges (tariffs, China, the post-Covid correction, bored consumers, a depressed stock),
Bernard Arnault is quickly adjusting course for his luxury conglomerate, and shuffling around prized executives. Will these be enough to combat the luxury recession, or are they the first strategic moves in a larger vision? Read Now |
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| John Ourand
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While Formula 1 seems to be grabbing all the headlines these days—from the wildly successful Hollywood movie to a rich
new potential rights deal with Apple—NASCAR has quietly reinforced its position as the dominant domestic motorsport. Not gonna lie, as the kids say, it’s not even close. Read Now |
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| Abby Livingston
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Musk is threatening to go scorched-earth on the G.O.P., and the party has responded, so far, with a collective shrug.
How much damage can one scorned billionaire do? Read Now |
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| Matthew Belloni
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Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Superman’s strong opening weekend and whether it’s enough
to kick-start a DC reboot. They also revisit Marvel’s post-Avengers strategy, looking ahead to The Fantastic Four: First Steps and beyond. Then they dissect the impressive and timely run of box office successes from the Warner Bros. movie studio, and take a look at which studio heads are on the hot seat as we near the end of summer. Listen Now |
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| Dylan Byers
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John Ourand joins Dylan to dissect Apple’s $150 million bid for F1’s U.S. media rights—and what it reveals about the
company’s growing ambitions in live sports. They also examine why ESPN, facing a new era of financial restraint, chose not to compete, and what that decision portends for the broader sports rights arms race. Listen Now |
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| Lauren Sherman
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Double the guests, double the fun. Lauren is joined by her friend, the writer, stylist, and fashion editor Becky
Malinsky of 5 Things You Should Buy fame. They discuss five topics weighing heavy on the group chat: the best denim shorts, why running tights with pockets are annoying, why no men’s pants fit, the fashion in the Jessica Biel vehicle The Better Sister, and the $10 million Hermès Birkin prototype. Plus, Puck’s media-industry scoop machine, Dylan Byers, ducks in to review the most important runway of the year: the promenade up to the lodge at Allen & Co.’s annual Sun Valley
conference. Listen Now |
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| Julia Alexander
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| William D. Cohan
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Bill Cohan joins guest host extraordinaire Julia Alexander to dissect Bill Ackman’s latest headline-generating
antics—this time at a tennis tournament—and the optics of his increasingly erratic behavior. Then Bill breaks down the escalating crisis at Saks Global, where a debt restructuring effort has devolved into intra-creditor warfare, and why Chapter 11 may be on the horizon. Listen Now |
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_01K07MKJA1BBZGTH31NV28FSZE.png "Arnault Fly Zone")
_01K07MKMX4KWD4VHVG0VT4T48E.png "Commissioners in Cars Getting Coffee")
_01K07MKH8R7WK9HYW584YNZK55.png "Elon’s America Party Crasher")
