The Business of Television: Expanded and Updated Second Edition

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.

Ken 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.