Business of Entertainment

Special offer for YPO Members

Business of Entertainment

is a self-guided learning experience that takes you behind the scenes of the global entertainment finance industry.

Young Professionals Organization members can enroll at $200 below the regular tuition fee.

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Inside the ‘business’
of show business

Bob Backish

Expand your portfolio

Find your place in an industry that generates $703 billion annually and includes cinema, television, music, broadcasting, radio, streaming media, books, and video games. 

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Fund your passion project

Gain insight in how to finance your independent film or music release. Adjust your approach to find the right audience.

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Follow a vibrant industry

There’s more to entertainment than red carpet premieres and media blitzes. Learn how your favorite productions come to life.

Enroll now

YPO members enjoy $200 off the regular tuition. Start your course right away for $650.

Learn from the leaders

Twenty industry experts will change the way you think about the entertainment business. Your hard work will earn a certificate from the Columbia Business School.

Columbia Business School logo
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Bob Bakish

President and CEO, ViacomCBS

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Peter Blacker

EVP, Revenue, Strategy, and Innovation, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises
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Marc Chamlin

Chair, Television
Loeb & Loeb

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Sean Cohan

Chief Growth Officer and President, International
Nielsen

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Charlie Collier

CEO, Fox Entertainment

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Kathleen Finch

Chief Lifestyle Brands Officer, Discovery

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Jason Flom

Founder/CEO
Lava Records

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Robert Friedman

CEO, Bungalow Media + Entertainment and Former Co-Chair, New Line Cinema / President Television

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Mark Greenberg

Media Entrepreneur
Former CEO, Epix

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Jamie Hector

Actor

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Shahid Khan

Managing Partner, MAG

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Gary Knell

Chairman,
National Geographic Partners

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Kay Koplovitz

Chairman,
Springboard Enterprises and Founder, USA Networks
and Syfy Channel

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John Loeffler

EVP and Head of
the New York label,
BMG

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Anne Kennedy McGuire

Partner, Loeb & Loeb

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Jeff Sagansky

Producer and Media Investor and Former Studio and Network Executive

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Lisa Shalett

Chief Investment Officer, Wealth Management,
Morgan Stanley

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Marshall Sonenshine

Chairman, Sonenshine Partners

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Blair Underwood

Actor, Producer

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Barry Weissler

Theatrical Producer

Miklos Sarvary

Carson Family Professor of Business
Columbia Business School

Miklos Sarvary will be your guide, helping you understand how entertainment products are funded, managed, and sold.

Sarvary is the Carson Family Professor of Business and the faculty lead for the Media and Technology Program at Columbia Business School. A native of Hungary, he has devoted his 25-year career to studying media industries. 

Miklos Sarvary

Sarvary’s most recent research involves agenda setting, user-generated content, social network competition, and online/mobile advertising. For the last decade, he has presented high-quality curriculum for the Media and Technology Program. 

Sarvary’s conversational teaching style has led many of his students to pursue careers at major media companies over the last ten years. 

Miklos Sarvary will be your guide, helping you understand how entertainment products are funded, managed, and sold.

Sarvary is the Carson Family Professor of Business and the faculty lead for the Media and Technology Program at Columbia Business School. His most recent research involves agenda setting, user-generated content, social network competition, and online/mobile advertising. Previously, he studied media and telecommunications competition. 

A native of Hungary, Sarvary has devoted his 25-year career to studying media industries. For the last decade, he has presented high-quality curriculum for the CBS Media and Technology Program. 

Sarvary’s conversational teaching style has led many of his students to pursue careers at major media companies over the last ten years.  

Enroll and begin

Enroll today for $650, and start your journey immediately.

Course topics

Through 20 hours of expert videos and real-world activities, you will become familiar with the industry media, sources of data, and important people to study and follow.

The Industry Landscape

Video, music, news, books, podcasts, and media yet-to-be invented reach us on ever-evolving platforms. 

The Content Equation

The industry is drawn to certain kinds of projects. You will see how new concepts and familiar content work hand-in-hand.

The Value of Entertainment

Big hits are notoriously hard to predict. Learn how to mix risks with safer investments—and why you can’t get too comfortable.

What you will discover

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The value chain revolution

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The history of media innovation

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How to manage risk

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Where to place your bets

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How studios use sleeper hits and engineered blockbusters

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Opportunities in streaming media

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User-generated content

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The rise of global markets

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Professional niches

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Extended profits in sequels, spinoffs, and intellectual property

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Vertical integration

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Who gets paid and how

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Distribution rights

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The value of live appearances

What you will become

Bob Backish

Knowledgeable

You will gain the specialized vocabulary and concepts of the industry to help make sense of company reports and trade media coverage.

Bob Backish

Connected

You will see how the powerful decision-makers of the entertainment business work together and compete. Your mindset will shift from “consumer” to “producer.”

Bob Backish

Selective

You will learn to focus on most important details in a successful media venture—and not be distracted by less important factors.

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Empowered

You will find the confidence to claim a place in the entertainment industry through your insights and understanding of the “big picture.”

Reserve your seat

YPO members can enroll today for $650. We will send you an email to let you know how to get started.