Plus: AI film studios have movies to sell. Hollywood isn't buying Ooo la la! Our team made a splash in our Cannes Lions debut, hosting three days of memorable conversations and glam gatherings that kicked off with our CEO and editor-in-chief Janice Min moderating a spicy news-making Q&A with YouTube CEO Neal Mohan on June 17. CHIEF COMMUNICATORS YouTube CEO Neal Mohan and Ankler Media CEO and editor-in-chief Janice Min at ADWEEK House Cannes Lions on June 17. (Sean T. Smith/Adweek)During the live recording of The Ankler pod at ADWEEK House at Le Majestic Hotel, Mohan hit back at recent jabs at his platform from Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who recently compared “killing time” on YouTube with “spending time” on Netflix, and challenged the economics of working with YouTube vs. Netflix. Mohan also revealed how YouTube has aged down the audience for the NFL through its Sunday Ticket, and what led to him “double down” and cut the platform’s first deal for a live NFL game this fall: Read and watch the full interview here: 🎧 YouTube's Neal Mohan on Netflix Jabs, Sports Rights & the Creator Coup Janice Min·Jun 18Read full storyOr listen: With 2025 the first year ad money in creator-led programming will surpass that of traditional media (creators will receive $185 billion in ad money to be precise), we honed in on some of the space’s hottest talent. Natalie Jarvey of Like & Subscribe interviewed creator Jake Shane and his friend, Main Street Advisors CEO Paul Wachter (also chairman of UTA) at the DPAA space at the Hotel Martinez; at ADWEEK House, Jarvey interrogated Josh Richards and Chris Sawtelle, CEO of CrossCheck Media. Over at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, The Ankler and Meta hosted an exclusive lunch for 25 big creators including Katie Fang and Dylan Efron (see more here); then, aboard Kismet — the 122-meter superyacht owned by sports mogul Shad Khan — Janice, ADWEEK CEO Will Lee and Activate Consulting CEO Michael J. Wolf hosted an intimate dinner with CMOs and more of the world’s biggest Gen Z talent, including Brandon B, Mythical Chef Josh (aka Josh Scherer), Kinigra Deon and many more. YACHT ROCK 1. Brandon B snapped a selfie with, clockwise from top left, London Sanders, Janice Min, Anna Engelschall, JD Grant, Matti Levesque, Gaby Cohen, Josh Shaffer, Dani Verdari and Hanna Hensler. 2. Sarah Lezito, left, and Charlotte Degreve. 3. Kismet in all her glory. 4. Kinigra Deon and husband Reggie Washington. 5. From left: Shad Khan, Will Lee, Janice with an All Elite Wrestling prize belt and Michael J. Wolf. 6. Josh Scherer and Julia Levy Scherer. (Gabriel Redd Hutchinson)But our European adventure isn’t over! I’m looking forward to the Mediterrane Film Festival in Malta today, where Janice and I will hit the kickoff of the fest’s third edition alongside directors Catherine Hardwicke, Jon Watts, Jake Schreier and many more. I’m set to moderate a Q&A with Josh Gad tomorrow evening after a screening of Murder on the Orient Express (shot in part in the island nation) and a masterclass on Friday with Amazon exec Glenn Gainor. Now, without further ado, ICYMI, our best of the week:Series Business: 12 Rising Execs; Scripted Sports A high-level agent-turned-manager on (paid subscribers only) dished to Elaine Low on what the market looks like if you’re trying to sell a TV show right now and where he sees “pockets of energy”; and delivers a list of a dozen studio executives he sees as future industry leaders:Private Thoughts of an Anonymous Top Agent-Turned-ManagerElaine Low·Jun 16Read full storyAs live sports draw bigger audiences, so does scripted shoulder programming. Lesley Goldberg delivers news about a slew of shows in development, including a scoop about the live-action Speed Racer series from J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot; strategy insights from Skydance Sports’ Jason T. Reed, Warner Bros. TV’s Clancy Collins White and other execs; and how pro leagues are becoming a new category of IP:Scripted Sports TV is Having its Super Bowl Moment (as Long as You Don't Whiff)Lesley Goldberg·Jun 18Read full storyReel AI: Legacy Studios Balk at AI FilmsA whole cottage industry has sprung up around AI-native studios — but will legacy studios be buyers? Erik Barmack has doubts, and he lays out (paid subscribers only) why distributors aren’t ready to scoop up AI-generated films and how studios are embracing AI behind the scenes:A $5M Film? AI Studios Bet on a Cheap Future Hollywood Won't Buy (Yet) Erik Barmack·Jun 17Read full storyRichard Rushfield Between fewer genres, fewer originals and less pride, our industry has shifted its focus away from winning over audiences to milking them for more. Richard lists out all the ways how — and how to turn the tide. Plus: The Oscars’ off-camera Oscar for Tom Cruise, and how The Traitors became a reality breakthrough:Warner Bros. Divorce, Netflix & Never Living in Regret Richard Rushfield·Jun 19Read full storyA Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste (Except in Hollywood)Richard Rushfield·Jun 17Read full storyPrestige JunkieAs Emmy noms voting draws to a close, Katey Rich’s five-part series outlines the overarching trends among this year’s buzziest shows. Plus, she chats with Brian Tyree Henry about Apple TV+’s Dope Thief and The Black List founder Franklin Leonard on how to fix Hollywood:The TV Year of Billionaires Puppeteering the PresidentKatey Rich·Jun 16Read full storyThey Love L.A.: The Shows That Brought Hollywood Back to the Small ScreenKatey Rich·Jun 17Read full storyStealing the Show: The Oners That Ruled the Small ScreenKatey Rich·Jun 18Read full storyReunited on TV: Tina Fey, Luke Kirby, Walton Goggins on the Joy of a 'Fun Hang'Katey Rich·Jun 19Read full story‘Andor,’ ‘The Last of Us’ & Sci-Fi Shows That Went Political This YearKatey Rich·Jun 20Read full storyNotable: Jerry Bruckheimer’s Banger Music One way to make a film with staying power? A killer soundtrack. Ahead of their F1 releasing next week, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Kevin Weaver, who’s behind soundtracks for F1, Barbie and Twisters, tell Rob LeDonne how they match their films with songs that slay:'Top Gun' to 'F1': Jerry Bruckheimer on the Art of the Blockbuster BangerRob LeDonne·Jun 20Read full storyThe Wakeup All it took was $417.5 million to acquire Village Roadshow’s library — a catalog that includes Ocean’s Eleven, The Matrix and much more. Sean McNulty takes stock of the all-important Hollywood library sector and its value tumble:☀️ Movie Libraries Get Reality Check From Investor CommunitySean McNulty·Jun 19Read full story☀️'Straw' Gives NETFLIX Its Biggest '25 Movie WeekSean McNulty·Jun 18Read full story☀️PAR Adds To Q2 Movie Comedy Buying 🔥Sean McNulty·Jun 17Read full story☀️UNI's 'Dragon' Soars, A24's 'Materialists' Makes MatchSean McNulty·Jun 15Read full storyMonday Morning QBsMake sure to catch our weekly live show with Richard & Sean on Monday mornings PT to review what just happened with weekend box office. This week, the duo makes sense of How to Train Your Dragon’s over $80 million U.S. opening — and how live-action family became a hot genre:🎧 PODCASTSTHE ANKLERYouTube vs. Netflix: Rumble on the Riviera A war of words between two CEOs reveal a new streaming war front amid a generational shift in money and audience:Subscribe on Apple PodcastsMARTINI SHOTWhat Keith McNally Can Teach Hollywood Rob Long on the restauranteur who makes you feel like the star of your own scene:Like and subscribe on Apple PodcastsTranscript here👓 THE OPTIONIST BY ANDY LEWISThe Optionist IP Picks🔎: Is This the Next 'Spotlight'?This week’s can’t-miss IP picks feature a true-crime procedural about a journalist who frees a wrongly convicted man, a mystery about a trio of former teen detectives who reunite 25 years later and an Antarctica-set psychological horror tale…Read more2 days ago · Andy LewisFINAL HOUSEKEEPING!As an Ankler subscriber, you are automatically subscribed to all of our newsletters and podcasts by default. 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