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Erik Hayden

Executive Editor, Business

Erik Hayden oversees business news for The Hollywood Reporter and edits the weekly print magazine's leading Report section. He began writing and editing for THR in 2012 and has a focus on media, corporate and production reporting. Hayden also curates the brand's archives through @THRArchives social, launched its flagship daily Today in Entertainment newsletter in 2016 and created the data-driven THR Charts section in 2024. He previously wrote for The Atlantic Wire, the website of Time magazine and the iPad newspaper The Daily.

More from Erik Hayden

Los Angeles Times Owner’s Pitch Deck to Investors Reveals Vision for Public Offering Bet

The paper generated $237 million in revenue, saw a net loss of $48 million last year, has about 500,000 combined print and digital paying customers and 615 full-time staff — and is making investments in D.C. and in a scientific journal.

CNN Tests the Waters With a Creator-Driven Concept

A new team, based in Qatar, will focus on "news-adjacent topics" for a what sounds like a competition-themed weekly show and multiplatform content on "AI, tech, art, culture, sport, and social trends."

Major Talent Agencies Circle the Wagons As Sora 2 Destabilizes Hollywood

CAA and UTA call the AI-powered, hyperrealistic video app a "misuse" of emerging technology and "exploitation, not innovation," respectively, while WME opted all its clients out.

Where Are Extras Finding Work Now? A Hollywood Payroll Firm Has a Good Idea

Background actor payroll processor Everyset, an emerging rival to Central Casting, has raised $9 million in an expansion as extras' work bounces back due to new tax incentives pushed across the U.S.

California Passes Law Banning Loud Commercials on Streaming Services

Starting July 1 of next year, Netflix and Co. will need to keep the audio levels consistent from movie and TV shows to advertisements.

MPA Chief: OpenAI “Needs to Take Immediate and Decisive Action” to Prevent IP Infringement On Sora

The lobbying group, which counts all the major studios, called on the tech giant to at least acknowledge that it needs to follow established copyright law.

WME to OpenAI: All Our Clients Are Opting Out of Sora 2

The firm's chief of digital strategy sent a memo to agents noting that — regardless of what the studios are doing with their IP — the talent agency is taking a protective stance for artists it reps.

Media Trust Hits New Low, But One Detail Gets Overlooked

Ask about an individual journalist, news anchor or reporter and you'll see a different story.

Donald Trump Tries Movie Tariff Saber-Rattling Again

In a dig at Gavin Newsom, the president raises the specter of a "100% Tariff" on any movie that's "made" — a vague description — outside the U.S. The California governor's office calls it "100% stupid."

America’s Most Trusted News Anchors in the Trump Era Are …

Fox News hosts rise, Joe Scarborough and Chris Cuomo fall and David Muir reigns in primetime, THR's exclusive poll finds.

Paramount Staffers Expected Back at Office 5 Days a Week

As David Ellison steps in to his CEO role, he's set a January 2026 date for employees to be back on the lot or office in Los Angeles and New York.

Spin Magazine Sale Collapses After Buyer Doesn’t Wire the Money

The owner of the brand had been in talks for eight months to be sold to a Florida-based music app company. A deal was said to be in place — but the closing cash wasn't sent.