Happy Friday and welcome back to The Daily Courant, your afternoon digest of Puck’s best new reporting. First up today, Matt Belloni sits down with Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria—charged with deploying/disbursing the streamer’s $18 billion content budget—for a remarkably candid conversation on everything from the streaming behemoth’s live sports strategy to Greta’s Imax deal, the Emilia Pérez Oscar scandal, the Prince doc, and so much more. Plus, below the fold: Peter Hamby chronicles Rick Caruso’s frenetic return to California politics and a possible showdown with Kamala Harris. John Ourand digs into ESPN and MLB’s hardball media rights negotiations. And in an Inner Circle–exclusive dispatch, Lauren Sherman takes a close look at Oscar de la Renta’s unorthodox marketing philosophy—and whether C.E.O. Alex Bolen’s splashy new hire can help it blossom. Meanwhile, on the pods: On Impolitic, John Heilemann and Adrian Wojnarowski reflect on the former NBA insider’s journey since dropping his final “Woj bomb.” On The Grill Room, Dylan Byers is joined by Feed Me’s Emily Sundberg to break down her meteoric rise in indie media. On Fashion People, Lauren rings up menswear designer Todd Snyder to discuss life in the designer trenches at Ralph Lauren, Old Navy, and J. Crew. And on The Powers That Be, Kim Masters joins Peter to reveal Jeff Bezos’s role in Amazon’s $40 million bid for the forthcoming Brett Ratner–directed Melania documentary.

HOLLYWOOD

Despite hitting 300 million global subscribers and a stock price above $1,000 (after bottoming out at $190 in 2022), Netflix executives often complain that the company is misunderstood. During a presentation at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood this January, Bela Bajaria, who replaced now-co-C.E.O. Ted Sarandos as chief content officer in early 2023, echoed that concern. But how could the most celebrated pure-play entertainment company somehow be underappreciated? To chew over that existential question, Matt connected with Bajaria for an unfiltered conversation about the 2025 slate, how she’s spending her $18 billion annual content budget, the impact of Greta Gerwig’s Narnia Imax release, the Emilia Pérez scandal, and much more. Read Now

WASHINGTON

In the month following the apocalyptic Los Angeles firestorms, Rick Caruso, the city’s polarizing former mayoral candidate, has been everywhere, embarking on a national media blitz that’s fueled speculation about his obvious political ambitions. And given Caruso’s near-daily media condemnations of L.A. mayor Karen Bass, as Peter discovered, it’s impossible to talk to him about the fires and not also about his political prospects. While discussing his philanthropic efforts to help the city rebuild after the tragedy in January, Caruso also told Peter he’s considering a run for governor of California next year—which could set up a titanic showdown with Kamala Harris to lead the nation’s biggest state. Read Now

A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR

SUGARCANE follows a groundbreaking investigation that exposes a shocking cover up of cultural genocide perpetrated by the church and government, while also illuminating the enduring love, courage and beauty of an Indigenous community. Described by The New York Times as "a must-see film...stunning.”  For your consideration in Best Documentary Feature, SUGARCANE is now streaming on Disney Plus and Hulu. To uncover a glimpse of the truth, watch the trailer.

SPORTS

A new, more fiscally conservative era has dawned under ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro, but the network’s belt-tightening has put him in an awkward spot with Major League Baseball. To wit: MLB commissioner Rob Manfred believes the league’s media rights will get a lot of interest when they come up, and that they can squeeze ESPN for more than the $500 million that their deal is currently worth. ESPN executives have told MLB that, as early as next month, the network is likely to exercise an out in its contract to try and negotiate for a less expensive package. MLB, for its part, has made it clear that it would respond by shopping the package to other partners. The league has already begun talks with other mediacos, including Netflix and Amazon, to gauge their interest in taking over ESPN’s rights if things do, in fact, go south. Read Now

FASHION

A few years back, Oscar de la Renta C.E.O. Alex Bolen decided to stop investing in runway shows and instead direct his marketing budget toward celebrity dressing. Bolen didn’t just say goodbye to big, expensive runway to-dos—he also declined to share lookbooks with members of the press, or permit any reviews of collections. And yet, Bolen didn’t really stop staging shows altogether. Very Important Clients continued to be treated to runway presentations across the country, one of which Lauren attended this week. But as she notes, the only ingredients missing from this affair were journalists and editors, given Bolen’s “friendly” press ban, which has ironically gotten Bolen more attention than any review ever could. Can the brand’s freshly appointed C.M.O., Chloe Popescu, expand on this strategy? Read Now

WASHINGTON

On the eve of NBA All-Star weekend, John is joined by former pro basketball reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, whose breaking news prowess and social media savvy made him a star at ESPN and ushered in a new era in sports journalism. Having shocked the world last fall by leaving his TV job to become general manager of the hoops squad at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure University, Woj discusses how his life has changed since dropping his final “Woj bomb,” how the end of restrictions on compensation for student athletes is transforming the NCAA, and whether history will judge the Dallas Mavericks trade of Luka Dončić to the L.A. Lakers the dumbest deal in NBA history. Woj also recalls the time he emailed Republican Senator Josh Hawley to say “fuck you”—and reveals what he does and doesn’t regret about that missive. Listen Now

A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR

SUGARCANE follows a groundbreaking investigation that exposes a shocking cover up of cultural genocide perpetrated by the church and government, while also illuminating the enduring love, courage and beauty of an Indigenous community. Described by The New York Times as "a must-see film...stunning.”  For your consideration in Best Documentary Feature, SUGARCANE is now streaming on Disney Plus and Hulu. To uncover a glimpse of the truth, watch the trailer.

MEDIA

Emily Sundberg, creator of Feed Me, joins Dylan for an in-depth look at her meteoric rise as an independent Substacker. Having amassed 60,000 subscribers—and counting—Emily shares how authenticity, adaptability, and audience engagement have fueled her success. She also discusses self-funding her company without outside financing, the potential risks of a fully decentralized media landscape, and her plans to expand beyond Substack while leveraging her growing platform. Listen Now

FASHION

Today on the pod, Lauren is joined by menswear designer Todd Snyder, whose chinos and linen shirts are beloved by pretty much every guy who cares, from San Vicente Bungalows to Inness. Fresh off of Todd’s New York Fashion Week show, they discuss his life in the designer trenches at Ralph Lauren, Old Navy, and J.Crew, what it was like to be a sartorially inclined kid growing up in Iowa in the 1980s, how he raised the money to open his brand, why he decided to sell his brand to the parent company of American Eagle, how to be profitable, what he wears to the airport, and plenty more. Listen Now

HOLLYWOOD

Kim Masters joins Peter for an inside look at Amazon’s perplexing $40 million bid for a forthcoming Melania Trump documentary, directed by disgraced Hollywood filmmaker Brett Ratner. Kim reveals the list of MAGA-adjacent characters pushing for Ratner’s Hollywood comeback, and considers the role Jeff Bezos may have played in this whole, strange ordeal. Listen Now

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