The Media Machine

The creator economy is maturing, and the rules of media deals are changing fast. Buyers are becoming more disciplined, creators are expected to bring audiences and business infrastructure with them, and leverage no longer comes from visibility alone.
In this episode of The Media Machine, Johanna Salazar and Julie Kellman Reading sit down with Scott Kaufman, Vice President of Alternative and Media Publishing at Buchwald, for a deep dive into how media deals are actually getting made in today's market.
Scott's work spans books, licensing, podcast partnerships, live experiences, sports, and intellectual property development, giving him a front-row seat to how creators, platforms, publishers, brands, and buyers are adapting to a more data-driven and competitive ecosystem.
The conversation explores how leverage has shifted since the peak creator boom years, why audience ownership and IP matter more than ever, how podcast deals are being structured today, and what creators, producers, and operators need to understand to build sustainable media businesses moving forward.
 
****
 
WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERS
The media industry is undergoing a structural reset.
Studios and publishers are becoming more selective. Podcast networks are moving away from large guarantees. Buyers expect creators to arrive with audiences, engagement, proof of concept, and clear monetization potential already in place.
At the same time, creators have more tools and distribution opportunities than ever before. Brands are becoming media companies, independent creators are building direct-to-audience businesses, and intellectual property is increasingly moving fluidly across podcasts, books, live events, and streaming platforms.
This episode explores what leverage actually looks like in this new media economy.
Scott Kaufman shares how buyers are evaluating talent and IP today, how deal structures are evolving, and why creators who control audience relationships and intellectual property are better positioned for long-term success.
For creators, producers, founders, and media executives, this conversation offers an inside look at the mechanics shaping the future of media deals.
 
****
 
ABOUT THE GUEST
Scott Kaufman is Vice President of Alternative and Media Publishing at Buchwald.
His work spans books, podcast partnerships, licensing, live experiences, sports, and intellectual property development across the evolving creator economy.
Over the course of his career, Scott has worked across talent representation, publishing, podcasting, and content packaging, helping creators, talent, and production companies navigate a rapidly changing media landscape.
At Buchwald, he works closely with creators, publishers, podcast networks, brands, and platforms to structure deals and identify opportunities across multiple revenue streams and distribution channels.
His perspective sits at the intersection of traditional media, creator-led businesses, and the next generation of intellectual property development.
 
****
 
GUEST SOCIAL PAGES
LinkedIn: LinkedIn Profile
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skaufman99/
 
****
 
WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE
How the media deal market has changed since the creator boom of 2021 and 2022
Why buyers are becoming more data-driven and selective
Who is actually writing checks in today's media environment
How creators are expected to bring audiences and business infrastructure to deals
Why audience ownership and IP control matter more than visibility alone
How podcast deal structures are evolving
Why minimum guarantees are becoming less common in podcasting
How creators and brands are partnering in more integrated ways
What publishers and buyers now expect from creators before making deals
Why books remain foundational intellectual property in the modern media ecosystem
The growing relationship between brands, creators, and long-form content
What opportunities still exist for emerging creators and producers
 
****
 
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Leverage has changed in the creator economy. Audience size alone is no longer enough. Buyers increasingly prioritize ownership, engagement, monetization potential, and audience relationships.
Media buyers are more disciplined. Studios, publishers, podcast networks, and brands are scrutinizing deals more carefully and relying heavily on analytics and data before committing capital.
Creators are expected to arrive with infrastructure. Today's creators are often expected to bring audiences, engagement, proof of concept, and monetization pathways before deals are made.
Podcast economics are evolving. Large minimum guarantees are becoming less common as podcast networks move toward more revenue-share-driven models.
Brands are becoming media companies. Brands are investing more heavily in creator partnerships and original content as they compete for audience attention and cultural relevance.
Books remain powerful foundational IP. Scott explains why books continue to serve as valuable intellectual property that can expand into podcasts, television, film, and live experiences.
 
****
 
STANDOUT QUOTES
"Audience size alone is no longer enough."
"The onus is really on us to build our audiences before we take projects to market."
"Buyers are still buying. They're just being much more selective."
"You can now create your own platform and have your own voice."
"Leverage today comes from having a foundation."
"Brands are becoming media companies."
"Books are foundational IP."
 
****
 
SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW
If someone sent you this episode, it's because they care about your future in media.
Follow The Media Machine for weekly conversations breaking down the systems, deals, and decisions shaping the future of media.
 
****
 
CREDITS
Created by: Johanna Salazar
Hosts: Johanna Salazar and Julie Kellman Reading
Executive Producers: Johanna Salazar and Julie Kellman Reading
Edited by: Love + Daydreams, Canvas Films Colombia
 
****
 
WEBSITE LINK
the-mediamachine.com
 
****
 
SOCIAL LINKS
Instagram: @themediamachinepodcast
TikTok: @themediamachinepodcast
Facebook: @themediamachinepodcast
X/Twitter: @themediamachinepod
YouTube: @TheMediaMachinePod
 
****
 
PODCAST LINKS
Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-media-machine/id1805996037
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/66NrkMVorc47Ov6qDsvfwn
Amazon Music -  https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d9671a97-b026-45a5-8cf0-1e389f052b9e/the-media-machine
 
****
 
HOST SOCIALS
Johanna Salazar
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_johannasalazar/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannasalazar/
Website: the-mediamachine.com
Julie Kellman Reading
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveanddaydreams/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliekellmanreading/
Website: https://www.loveanddaydreams.com
 
****
 
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Johanna Salazar
Johanna Salazar is a media systems builder with more than two decades of experience operating across television, streaming, sports, and digital platforms. She brings an operator's lens to the industry, breaking down how media systems function and how incentives and decisions shape outcomes.
Julie Kellman Reading
Julie Kellman Reading is a creative executive, executive producer, and founder with experience spanning television, digital media, and independent ventures. She brings a people-first perspective and deep creative insight into how media is built, scaled, and sustained.
 
****
 
ABOUT THE PODCAST
THE MEDIA MACHINE is a strategy podcast that breaks down how media really works. Created by Johanna Salazar, the show explores the systems, deals, and decisions shaping the future of media, tech, and content.
Each episode examines the industry through four core pillars:
Process: the strategies, tools, and systems shaping media production and distribution.
Profits: the business models, investments, and revenue engines driving the industry.
People: the creators, executives, and operators redefining the landscape.
Planet: the broader cultural and societal impact of media.
The goal is not to react faster, but to see more clearly, understand long-term shifts, and make smarter short-term decisions.
This show is for operators, builders, and decision-makers who want signal over noise, clarity over hype, and confidence over urgency.

Hollywood says it's harder than ever to get a project made, so how is Michael Sugar still getting them financed?
In this upcoming episode of The Media Machine, we sit down with Academy Award–winning producer Michael Sugar, founder and CEO of Sugar23, to unpack how the business of storytelling is evolving.
Many know Michael for producing the Oscar-winning film Spotlight. But today, his company Sugar23 is exploring new ways to connect brands, creators, and entertainment in a rapidly changing media landscape.
In this conversation, we dive into:
• How brand partnerships are reshaping content financing • Why the traditional Hollywood model is under pressure • What makes a project "brand-ready" without turning it into an ad • And what the future of storytelling might look like over the next decade
If you're a creator, producer, marketer, or media leader trying to understand where the industry is headed, this episode is for you.
🎧 Full episode coming soon.

The creator economy is maturing, and the rules of media deals are changing fast.
In this episode of The Media Machine, Buchwald executive Scott Kaufman takes us inside today's media deal market to unpack who actually has leverage, where capital is moving, and what creators, producers, and operators are still getting wrong.
From podcast deals and IP ownership to audience control, brand partnerships, and shifting buyer behavior, this conversation breaks down how the business of media is evolving in real time.
🎧 Full episode coming soon.

Artificial intelligence is transforming everything, from the way we work to the way we create media. But one question is becoming impossible to ignore:
Who is responsible for making sure AI is safe, fair, and ethical?
In this episode of The Media Machine, host Johanna Salazar sits down with Soribel Feliz, founder and CEO of Responsible AI = Inclusive AI and former Meta program manager, to explore the human side of artificial intelligence.
While AI promises massive productivity gains and new creative possibilities, it is also raising serious questions about the future of work, economic inequality, and the systems being built behind the scenes.
Soribel shares insights from inside the tech industry on:
• How AI is reshaping the global labor market • Why many experienced professionals are struggling to transition in the AI era • The hidden workforce responsible for moderating and training AI systems • Why diversity in AI development is critical to preventing biased technology • The growing role of governments and companies in AI regulation • How generative AI could reshape media, storytelling, and content creation
This conversation also explores a critical concept rarely discussed in public conversations about AI: the "integrity workers" behind the technology, the people responsible for monitoring, auditing, and correcting AI systems.
As artificial intelligence continues to scale globally, Soribel argues that ethics cannot be an afterthought. It must be built into the system from the beginning.
If you work in media, technology, or the creative industries, this episode will challenge the way you think about AI and the responsibility we all share in shaping its future.
Note: This conversation was recorded in 2023, published in 2025 during Season 1 of TMM, but the issues discussed have only become more urgent as AI adoption accelerates across industries.

Hollywood says it's harder than ever to get a project made. Studios are tightening budgets, streamers are slowing development, and creators across the industry are facing increasing friction in getting projects financed.
In this episode of The Media Machine, Johanna Salazar and Julie Kellman Reading sit down with Academy Award–winning producer Michael Sugar, founder and CEO of Sugar23, to explore how the business of storytelling is evolving.
Best known for producing the Oscar-winning film Spotlight, Michael has spent the last several years building Sugar23 into a hybrid media company operating across management, production, brand partnerships, and venture investment.
The conversation explores how brands, creators, and studios can work together to finance premium entertainment in a rapidly changing media ecosystem.
Drawing on his experience producing award-winning films and television series, Michael shares how Sugar23 is building a new marketplace connecting Hollywood creators with global brands to help get projects made.
 
****
WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERS
The traditional model for financing film and television is under pressure.
Budgets are tightening, buyers are more risk-averse, and creators face increasing barriers to getting projects developed and produced.
At the same time, brands are spending billions on marketing while struggling to capture audience attention in an increasingly fragmented media environment.
This episode explores how those two worlds are beginning to reconnect.
Michael Sugar shares how Sugar23 is building a model that brings brands, creators, and studios together earlier in the development process, helping unlock new pathways to finance and distribute premium storytelling.
For producers, marketers, and media leaders, this conversation offers insight into how the economics of storytelling may evolve over the next decade.
 
****
ABOUT THE GUEST
Michael Sugar is an Academy Award–winning producer and founder and CEO of Sugar23, a hybrid management, production, and investment company operating across film, television, and brand partnerships.
He produced the Best Picture–winning film Spotlight and has served as executive producer on series including:
• The Knick
• The OA
• Maniac
• 13 Reasons Why
He also produced the political drama The Report.
Prior to founding Sugar23 in 2017, Sugar was a partner at Anonymous Content, where he helped develop and produce a wide range of film and television projects.
Through Sugar23, he is building a media ecosystem that connects talent, creators, brands, and distributors to help finance and produce premium entertainment.
 
****
GUEST SOCIAL PAGES
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-sugar
https://www.sugar23.com
 
****
WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE
• Why Hollywood has become significantly harder for producers trying to finance new projects
• How Sugar23 is connecting brands and creators to unlock new financing models
• The process Sugar23 uses to match brand strategy with premium entertainment projects
• Why brand partnerships must focus on storytelling rather than product placement
• How early brand involvement can help reduce financial risk in development
• The difference between projects that are "brand ready" versus "Hollywood ready"
• What the success of Spotlight revealed about the cultural power of storytelling
• How media fragmentation is forcing studios, brands, and creators to rethink traditional models
• Why the audience, not studios or platforms, ultimately controls culture
 
****
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Hollywood's financing model is under pressure
Studios and streamers are becoming more selective, creating friction for producers trying to get new projects developed and financed.
Brands represent an untapped funding partner for storytelling
Brands are increasingly exploring long-form entertainment as a way to build audience loyalty and cultural relevance.
Brand partnerships work best when integrated early
Bringing brands into the development process early allows creative teams to shape projects that align with brand values without compromising storytelling.
Great projects must still succeed without a brand
Sugar23 only pursues projects that could succeed in Hollywood on their own before introducing brand partnerships.
Consumers ultimately drive culture
While platforms and studios shape distribution, Michael argues that audiences, not companies, ultimately determine what stories succeed.
****
STANDOUT QUOTES
"Hollywood is under a lot of pressure, and there's a lot of friction around getting things made."
"The core premise we bet the company on was: what if we could rewrite the relationship between brands and Hollywood?"
"If audiences love the story and they know a brand helped bring it to life, that creates brand loyalty."
"If it's not good enough that we could sell it in Hollywood, we don't bring it to a brand."
"Consumers control culture."
 
****
SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW
If someone sent you this episode, it's because they care about your future in media.
Follow The Media Machine for weekly conversations breaking down the systems, deals, and decisions shaping the future of media.
 
****
CREDITS
Created by: Johanna Salazar
Hosts: Johanna Salazar and Julie Kellman Reading
Executive Producers: Johanna Salazar and Julie Kellman Reading
Edited by: Love + Daydreams
 
****
WEBSITE LINK
the-mediamachine.com
 
****
SOCIAL LINKS
Instagram: @themediamachinepodcast
TikTok: @themediamachinepodcast
Facebook: @themediamachinepodcast
X/Twitter: @themediamachinepod
YouTube: @TheMediaMachinePod
 
****
PODCAST LINKS
Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-media-machine/id1805996037
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/66NrkMVorc47Ov6qDsvfwn
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d9671a97-b026-45a5-8cf0-1e389f052b9e/the-media-machine
****
HOST SOCIALS
Johanna Salazar
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_johannasalazar/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannasalazar/
Website: the-mediamachine.com
Julie Kellman Reading
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveanddaydreams/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliekellmanreading/
Website: https://www.loveanddaydreams.com
****
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Johanna Salazar
Johanna Salazar is a media systems builder with more than two decades of experience operating across television, streaming, sports, and digital platforms.
She brings an operator's lens to the industry, breaking down how media systems function and how incentives and decisions shape outcomes.
Julie Kellman Reading
Julie Kellman Reading is a creative executive, executive producer, and founder with experience spanning television, digital media, and independent ventures.
She brings a people-first perspective and deep creative insight into how media is built, scaled, and sustained.
****
ABOUT THE PODCAST
THE MEDIA MACHINE is a strategy podcast that breaks down how media really works. Created by Johanna Salazar, the show explores the systems, deals, and decisions shaping the future of media, tech, and content.
Each episode examines the industry through four core pillars:
Process: the strategies, tools, and systems shaping media production and distribution.
Profits: the business models, investments, and revenue engines driving the industry.
People: the creators, executives, and operators redefining the landscape.
Planet: the broader cultural and societal impact of media.
The goal is not to react faster, but to see more clearly, understand long-term shifts, and make smarter short-term decisions.
This show is for operators, builders, and decision-makers who want signal over noise, clarity over hype, and confidence over urgency.