Hosted by former Marvel entertainment lawyer Paul Sarker and entertainment enthusiast Mesh Lakhani, Better Call Paul will delve into the business and legal issues at play behind the glitz and glam. This show takes you beyond the catchy headlines to find out what’s really at play behind the scenes and gives you an introduction to the business side of show business.
Latest episodes
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31 min
540. Kevin Hart Microdrama Ramp Up; GTA 6 Trailer Drops; and Character AI Files for BK
This week, Paul and Jess begin with a report out of MIPCOM that Fox and Kevin Hart's Hartbeat agreed to a deal where Fox will have preferential rights to develop film and tv projec…
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31 min
539. Skydance's New Era; LA Soundstage Market Corrects; Joe Rogan Re-Ups
This week, Paul and Jessica recap Skydance/Paramount closing its acquisition of WBD and the new leadership team's initial announcements. Next, Paul provides an update on the steep…
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27 min
538. Senate Passes Protect College Sports Act , UTA Re-Org, and Feige Honored
This week, Paul provides an update on the Protect College Sports Act which passed by a wide margin in the Senate. Next, Paul and Jess discuss an internal restructuring at United Ta…
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29 min
537. Paramount/Skydance reaches deal with State AGs (for now); Puck Sold
This week, Paul and Jess begin with an update on the Paramount WBD saga as Paramount and the 12 state attorney's general announce a settlement that is awaiting judicial confirmatio…
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33 min
536. Disney's Creator Deals, A New (Federal Film Tax Credit) Hope?, and CA's AI Disclosure Law for Advertiseme…
This week, Paul and Jess cover a diverse range of topics from Disney's new deals with influencers and content creators, a new potential federal Film tax credit, and finally, a rece…
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31 min
535. Emmys Recap & Artist Residencies Expand Geographically
This week, Sean Gupta resumes his BCP residency and provides an insider perspective on the 2026 Emmys. Sean and Paul recap the biggest winners of the night and greatest TV shows of…
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29 min
534. Venice Film Festival, Tupac's Killer Convicted (?), and Ramayana Release Date Set
This week, Paul and Jess begin with a high level description of some of the most compelling works at this year's Venice Film Festival. Next, Paul breaks down the recent conviction…
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29 min
533. Love Island USA Renewed, Drake Cashes Out OVO
This week, Paul welcomes Jessica back into her co-hosting chair as they wrap up the summer. They begin with a recap of Drake's sale of a controlling interest in his clothing and li…
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34 min
532. Angela Yu: Co-Founder and Co-Ceo Storeel (Vertical Drama Company)
This week, Paul and Sean interview one of Sean's former Columbia Business School students who co-founded Storeel, a vertical drama distributor and production platform that enables…
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33 min
531. Paramount WBD Deal Drama, and Lakers Sold Again(!) as Team valuations soar.
This week, Paul and Sean begin with an update on the potential Skydance/Paramount WBD merger that has polarized Hollywood. While federal regulators have signed off on the deal, 12…
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28 min
530. SVOD's Ponder Free Tier, Media Consumption Survey, and WGA Analyzes Writer Economy
This week, Paul and Sean begin with the recent development that several prominent SVOD platforms are exploring adding a free tier to expand their subscription funnel and sell incre…
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30 min
529. Spider-Man Soars; Jason Cloth Indicted; and Broadcast Cap in Limbo
This week, Sean Gupta brings his passion and business savvy to BCP. Paul and Sean start off with a celebration of Spider-Man: Brand New Day which had the largest ever domestic box…
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32 min
528. Comic Con, Protect College Sports and Q2 Media Earnings
This week, Paul and Jess begin with a quick recap of San Diego Comic Con in its pop culture glory. Next, Paul provides a break down of the proposed Senate bill, the Protect College…
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30 min
527. Moving Studios, Fandango Revamp
This week, Paul and Jessica begin by congratulating Spain on their 2026 World Cup win. Next, they discuss FCC Chair Brendan Carr's intention to remove the 39% broadcast ownership c…
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29 min
526. Emmys, Nolan's Odyssey, and Comcast Spin-o-Rama
This week, Paul and Jess come back from their 4th of July break in a big way. First they break down the 78th Emmy nominations - once again dominated by the streamers. Next, they di…
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20 min
525. July Box Office Preview and Vetter's Copyright Termination Drama
This week, Paul and Jess discuss the scorching summer box office with July expected to be a major month for tent pole films including Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Next, P…
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24 min
524. New Fox buys Roku and Old Fox signs Quinta Brunson
This week, Jess and Paul begin with a major streaming update as legacy media power house Fox Corp announced a $22B purchase of Roku which will position Fox as a major player in the…
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29 min
523: Go Knicks, World Cup Arrives, and Brendan Sorsby Shakes up NCAA
This week, Paul and Jess focus on a sports-themed episode to celebrate the NBA champion New York Knicks, the arrival of the World Cup in North America for the first time in over 30…
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35 min
522: Sean Gupta Discusses Media Tech Trends
This week, Paul welcomes back special guest Sean Gupta who provides an update on how technology and AI are impacting the media business from areas such as search, recommendations,…
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33 min
521: DOJ Vets Paramount + WBD; NJ's Film and TV Production Boom; and Curry Barker Has Hollywood Obsessed
This week, Paul starts with the update that the DOJ appears likely to approve the Skydance-Paramount purchase of WBD. Next, Paul and Jess discuss the dramatic impacts of NJ's film…