Happy New Year’s Eve and welcome back to The Daily Courant, your afternoon guide to Puck’s best new reporting. First up today, Matt Belloni crowns Hollywood’s Hero of the Year: Shari Redstone. Yes, yes, after you’ve finished scratching your head, consider that Redstone’s decision to sell her family heirloom, Paramount Global, to the gazillionaire Ellison family, was ultimately a shrewd decision that probably saved the studio from falling into the hands of a buyer looking to “streamline” it out of existence. In a bleak 2024 for the entertainment industry, that qualifies as heroic. Plus, below the fold: John Ourand and ESPN A-list hosts Scott Van Pelt and Mike “Greeny” Greenberg reveal what Stephen A.’s bonkers deal means for their own contract negotiations. Lauren Sherman chats with Jonathan Anderson about his side hustle as an award-nominated costume designer. Abby Livingston investigates the mysterious disappearance of Rep. Kay Granger. On Fashion People, Lauren and the inimitable Marisa Meltzer hand out end-of-year reports cards for Hermès, Alaïa, and Chanel. And on The Grill Room, Troy Young reunites with Dylan Byers to outline a few reasons to feel optimistic about the media business in 2025.

In a year when thousands were fired, laid off, or simply fled from the ever-contracting entertainment business, Paramount owner Shari Redstone earned her place as What I’m Hearing’s Hero of the Year for shrewdly selling the company to a Silicon Valley heir with the means to revitalize the studio, not “streamline” it out of existence. In the great race to consolidate Hollywood for the digital age—a movement that, in 2024, led far too many industry moguls to embarrass themselves by publicly cheerleading for M&A activity that would wipe out entire studios—Redstone liked Ellison’s pitch because it was the opposite. He and his father would buy her studio and leverage the family’s wealth to, ultimately, try to save it. Read Now

In the post-cable universe—where ratings declines are inevitable, streaming dreams are quixotic, and multiplatform appeal is the coin of the realm—ESPN appears to be pinning its hopes on an enormous investment in live sports rights, an even more enormous investment in new platforms, and the anointment of a core group of talent known in Bristol as the needle-movers. In this candid conversation, ESPN star hosts Mike “Greeny” Greenbergand Scott Van Pelt discuss the value their fellow needle-movers—Stephen A. Smithand Pat McAfee—bring to the table, and how their respective deals have set the precedent for others’ future negotiations. They also share their thoughts about where they fit in the new sports media ecosystem, and what they’ll be looking for when it comes time for them to re-up their own contracts. Read Now

This painting sold for $8 million and these everyday investors made a profit When a Monet painting was bought for $6.8 million and sold for $8 million just 631 days later, everyday investors profited. It’s all thanks to Masterworks, the premiere platform for investing in blue-chip contemporary art. To date, each of their 23 sales has returned a profit to investors. With 3 representative sales, investors realized net annualized returns of 17.6%, 17.8%, and 21.5%! Now, 67,000+ members, from billionaires to everyday people, have invested in offerings from icons like Banksy, Picasso, Basquiat, and more. A total of 450+ works collectively valued over $1 billion. Shares in each offering are limited, but Puck readers can skip the waitlist with this exclusive link.

**Investing Involves Risk. Past performance not indicative of future returns. See Important Reg A Disclosures and performance methodology at masterworks.com/cd

Paris and Hollywood might be thousands of miles apart, but they’ve never needed each other more. A few weeks ago, before the holiday season began, costume designers Jonathan W. Anderson, Janty Yates, Colleen Atwood, and Virginie Montel joined Lauren at Puck’s inaugural Stories of the Season event in Los Angeles—our atypical riff on for-your-consideration fodder. In this choice excerpt, Lauren chats with Anderson and Montel about how the worlds of fashion and entertainment are merging, from Saint Laurent Productions’ involvement in Emilia Pérez to how an LVMH designer wound up making costumes for Luca Guadagnino. The panelists also reveal what it was like to collaborate with their respective filmmakers, discuss sourcing pieces versus designing their own, and explain the challenge of crafting clothes for a period film. Read Now

On the Saturday before Christmas, as Congress was racing to approve a new spending package to keep the government open, a far more mysterious scandal was quietly unfolding in the Lone Star state. A local news outlet revealed that the 81-year-old Fort Worth congresswoman Kay Granger had not cast a vote since July, and was said to be residing in an assisted living facility. On one hand, the report reignited a debate on Capitol Hill about how aging members can retire with dignity—but on the other, the grim news about Granger’s health, and the outrage surrounding Washington’s very real problem with aging lawmakers, are not entirely proportionate to her unique situation. Read Now

For this special 2024 wrap party, Lauren is joined by Glossy author Marisa Meltzer to discuss Hermès, Alaïa, and Chanel… and every other brand they thought about and wrote about this year. But also: the online luxury blow-up (remember that Matches closed?), the return of mall brands, the Nike crisis, the Devil Wears Prada sequel, The Row’s billion-dollar-plus valuation, Glossier’s attempted comeback, LVMH succession wars, and of course, Chanel’s appointment of Matthieu Blazy. Listen Now

This painting sold for $8 million and these everyday investors made a profit When a Monet painting was bought for $6.8 million and sold for $8 million just 631 days later, everyday investors profited. It’s all thanks to Masterworks, the premiere platform for investing in blue-chip contemporary art. To date, each of their 23 sales has returned a profit to investors. With 3 representative sales, investors realized net annualized returns of 17.6%, 17.8%, and 21.5%! Now, 67,000+ members, from billionaires to everyday people, have invested in offerings from icons like Banksy, Picasso, Basquiat, and more. A total of 450+ works collectively valued over $1 billion. Shares in each offering are limited, but Puck readers can skip the waitlist with this exclusive link.

**Investing Involves Risk. Past performance not indicative of future returns. See Important Reg A Disclosures and performance methodology at masterworks.com/cd

Former Hearst Magazine president Troy Young reunites with Dylan to discuss what lies ahead for the media industry as we turn our calendars to 2025. In particular, they home in on the significant role that A.I. will play in transforming how news is consumed and distributed—and the need for media companies to adapt to new consumer behaviors in order to stay relevant. Listen Now

Need help? Review our FAQ page or contact us for assistance. For brand partnerships, email ads@puck.news. You received this email because you signed up to receive emails from Puck, or as part of your Puck account associated with . To stop receiving this newsletter and/or manage all your email preferences, click here.

Puck is published by Heat Media LLC. 107 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10006