Description

In this updated 2nd edition, esteemed television executive and Harvard lecturer Ken Basin offers a comprehensive overview of the business, financial, and legal structure of the U.S. television industry, as well as its deal-making norms.

The Business of Television presents a readable, in-depth introduction to the basic structure and recent history of the television and streaming business, rights and talent negotiations, intellectual property, backend deals, licensing, international production, and much more. This expanded and updated second edition reflects the historic impacts of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic and 2023 WGA and SAG/AFTRA strikes, features brand new chapters about streaming and negotiation, and a greater breadth and depth of technical material about a wide variety of common television deals.

Written for working or aspiring creative professionals who want to better understand the entertainment industry - as well as for executives, agents, managers, and lawyers looking for a reference guide. The book also includes breakdowns after each chapter summarizing deal points and points of negotiation, a significantly expanded glossary, an extensive list of referenced articles and cases, and a wealth of real-world examples to help readers put the material into context.

About the Author

Ken Basin is a long-time executive leader in the television industry, innovating new models in content licensing and production management across head and senior business affairs roles at Paramount Television Studios, Sony Pictures Television, and Amazon Studios. Recognized by Variety as one of "Hollywood's New Leaders" and by The Hollywood Reporter in its annual "Next Gen Executives" ("35 Under 35") feature, Ken most recently served as Global Head of Business Operations (Film/TV) at Riot Games.

Reviews

Praise for the First Edition

"Ken Basin has a talent for explaining the TV industry in a way that makes sense to lawyers and laypeople alike. The Business of Television is the essential reference guide for creative professionals."

Josh Berman, Writer and Executive Producer; Creator, Notorious, Drop Dead Diva, The Mob Doctor, and others

"As a practicing lawyer, producer and now professor teaching film artists, this book is a wonderful combination of real workplace knowledge with an understanding of how the television industry functions; an accessible and brilliant book."

Barbara Boyle, Associate Dean, Entrepreneurship and Special Initiatives, UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television

"Ken Basin has created a timely and unique book that perfectly balances a big-picture view of the dynamic television industry with practical details about its business and legal processes. This is an essential reference source for anyone studying or engaging in professional activities related to television production and distribution for all media platforms."

Stuart Brotman, Alvin and Sally Beaman Professor of Journalism and Media Law, Enterprise, and Leadership; Nonresident Senior Fellow in the Government Studies Program, Center for Technology Innovation, The Brookings Institution

"I never knew how much of the television business I didn't know until I read this book! This is THE comprehensive how-to manual on the business."

Jamie Erlicht, Head of Worldwide Video Programming, Apple TV+

"A masterful job! Basin provides a readable and comprehensive guide to the uninitiated, while offering knowledgeable insiders a valuable and incisive analysis of this ever-evolving industry."

Bert Fields (1929-2022), Entertainment Attorney; Partner, Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger LLP

"In The Business of Television, Ken has found a way to encapsulate the knowledge that has taken me 40 years in the industry to learn. If every producer, manager, agent and lawyer in our industry took the time to read Ken's book and really invest in understanding each step in the process of making a great TV show, we could all save a lot of time and pain."

Steve Golin (1955-2019), Founder and CEO, Anonymous Content LLP

"This book would not make a good TV show. It is, however, about as comprehensive and readable a guide to how television gets made as you can find. I'll admit, after over a quarter of a century in the business, there are things in here I didn't know. With an insider's perspective and a lawyer's clarity, Ken Basin lays it all out (even the technical stuff). It is an essential reference book, both dictionary and encyclopedia, for anyone interested in the serious business of television."

Chris Keyser, Writer and Executive Producer; Creator/Showrunner, Party of Five, The Society

"This is the book I have been waiting for...highly readable and forward looking, providing a coherent overview with enough specifics to be of genuine practical value, delivered from the inside perspective of a scholarly television executive currently working at the highest level."

Nick La Terza, Adjunct Professor and Lecturer in Law, UCLA School of Law, University of Miami Law School, and UCI Law School; Partner with law firm The Point Media; Former Senior Legal/Business Executive for Largo Entertainment, New World Pictures, and Alliance Atlantis Entertainment

"With The Business of Television, Ken Basin has created a powerful tool for people of all levels of experience in the television business. In an industry where the rules are being re-written daily, Ken has found a clear through-line that delivers a foundation of knowledge that you can use to jump in and begin to re-write the rules yourself."

Chris Parnell, Senior TV Programming Executive, Apple TV+; former Co-President, Sony Pictures Television Studios

"In the fast-changing environment of the television business, it's never been more important to understand how things are, how they used to be, and where they are going next. This book covers all you need to truly grasp the business of making great TV."

Amy Powell, Head of Entertainment Marketing, Amazon Studios; former President, Paramount Television Studios

"EVERYONE hates Business Affairs people - but NO ONE hates Ken Basin. That's because he's smart, honest, and helpful, and because he behaves with honor. Turns out, he writes that way, too. I thank him for explaining the future to me."

Billy Ray, Writer, Director, and Executive Producer; screenwriter of The Hunger Games, Captain Phillips, Shattered Glass, and others

"Ken Basin has given us a great primer in the nuts and bolts of the rapidly evolving television business - told with insight, brevity, and wit. Basin's experience on both sides of the buyer/seller equation really shows through, and makes this book a valuable tool for anyone who wants to understand the business side of the shows we love to watch."

Dan Scharf, Global Head of Business Operations, Amazon Studios

"It takes a keen analytic mind and experienced dealmaker like Ken Basin to craft this indispensable guide to anyone looking to navigate the increasingly-complicated world of TV production."

Andrew Wallenstein, President & Chief Media Analyst, Variety Intelligence Platform