By the time they left, Dunn was a total mess.
His Versace suit, worth over $50,000, was officially toast.
Penelope Cruz, on the other hand, emerged unscathed—lucky for her, as a lady. Champagne stains on her gown would've been… awkward, to say the least.
"They were so out of line!" Penelope twisted Dunn's sleeve, wringing out actual liquid, her face sour with annoyance.
Dunn just laughed it off. "No big deal. They were just having fun."
"But I bought you that suit!" she grumbled, clearly not over it.
"Then buy me another one!" Dunn grabbed her hand, spotting Chris Albrecht heading out. He waved him over. "Chris, come on, I'll drop you at your hotel."
Chris used to work at HBO, so his home was in New York. Now with STARZ, he was based in Denver. In L.A., he was stuck crashing at a hotel.
Chris didn't hesitate, hopping into Dunn's tricked-out Lincoln sedan.
"Man, these doors are solid—bulletproof, right? Probably bomb-proof too," Chris marveled as soon as he settled in.
Dunn sighed. "This one 'crappy' car set me back over two million bucks!"
Chris chuckled. "Cars like this? They've got reinforced fiber run-flat tires, and I bet there's a steel rim inside the wheel. Even with a blowout, it'd keep going. And these doors? Looks like ballistic steel—same stuff they use on a Boeing 757."
"Whoa," Dunn's eyes lit up. "You know your stuff, huh?"
Chris smirked. "What can I say? Guys and fancy cars—it's a thing."
Dunn jumped on it. "Alright, deal. If STARZ really, truly overtakes HBO and becomes North America's top premium cable network, I'm gifting you one of these modded rides!"
"Thanks." Chris's eyes gleamed with a hint of longing, but he stayed grounded, shaking his head. "STARZ is where it is today because of content—Six Feet Under, Band of Brothers. That's all you. I didn't do much."
Dunn laughed, clapping his shoulder. "Don't sell yourself short. Running a network takes more than just content. You need distribution, connections, equipment, a solid team. Chris, don't let me down!"
Chris nodded firmly. "Got it!"
Dunn gave a soft "mm," and as the car rolled out, he glanced at Brian Roberts waving them off in the rearview mirror. Casually, he asked, "What's your take on young Roberts?"
Chris thought for a moment. "Haven't dealt with him much, but… he's got a vibe kinda like yours."
"Oh?" That piqued Dunn's curiosity.
"It's hard to pin down, but you both have this 'I'm the center of the universe' aura. Magnetic, you know? People who vibe with you get drawn in, naturally orbiting around you. Of course, some folks just can't stand it. Biggest difference? You're 20 years younger."
Even Penelope couldn't help but giggle.
Chris nailed it, but he quickly shifted gears. "Boss, I think… Comcast's strategy is off. At least for where STARZ is right now."
Dunn's eyes narrowed. "Spill."
Chris explained, "To cut operational losses, Comcast started pulling back on installations this week. They say they're dropping households that only subscribe to basic packages—ones unlikely to spring for a premium like STARZ. But just because someone's on a basic plan doesn't mean they're broke. Maybe they're just not into generic TV."
Dunn nodded.
Set-top boxes cost money to produce. More "dead" boxes mean higher manufacturing and installation costs for the operator. Sure, there's a deposit, but that's a liability—eventually, it's gotta be refunded.
Right now, STARZ had boxes in 45 million households but only 10 million paying subscribers.
Comcast's goal was to get that ratio down to 3:1, citing Time Warner's setup with HBO as precedent.
Problem was, HBO's subscriber growth had stalled, so Time Warner cut back on investment—HBO's boxes were pricier since they carried more channels.
STARZ, though, was in hyper-growth mode. More installed boxes meant a bigger potential market. As STARZ's rep grew, those households would eventually cave and subscribe.
But pull the boxes? Out of sight, out of mind.
It's like retailers offering free trials—don't see it, don't try it, don't want it. Use it, and you're hooked.
Comcast's move was all about their own bottom line, ignoring their partner's interests.
Classic Brian Roberts.
Dunn said, "Flooding the market with boxes fits STARZ's potential and future growth. Scaling back fits Comcast's short-term gains—10 million subscribers already blew past their expectations."
Penelope, catching on, gasped. "Comcast's playing dirty?"
Dunn shot her a look. "No interruptions!"
She stuck out her tongue, pouting with a little huff, clearly miffed.
Their dynamic had clearly moved beyond "fling." Girlfriend? Nah, she didn't check those boxes. But a close friend? Definitely possible.
Chris frowned, his voice low. "Comcast's only looking out for their immediate profits. They don't care about STARZ's long-term future. Maybe even…"
"What?"
Chris hesitated, shaking his head. "Just feels off."
"Hm?"
"Roberts—Brian, I mean. He's sharp. He's gotta know the rumors about you, how you don't take crap. This move by Comcast… it's kinda reckless, no? Isn't he worried about pissing you off?"
Dunn's body stiffened, a thought hitting him like a bolt.
The car pulled up to Chris's hotel, but he didn't budge, turning to look at Dunn.
Dunn's face was like stone, flashing back to what Brian Roberts said at the party.
Brian wanted to team up with Dunn to tank Disney's stock price!
And then… buy Disney!
Comcast's cutback on STARZ installations—maybe it was a test, a way to feel Dunn out.
"Is he actually signaling he wants to cap STARZ's growth?"
Dunn's mind raced, connecting the dots.
He'd dealt with too many business sharks to think otherwise: always assume the worst of your rivals!
From Disney's Michael Eisner and Roy Disney to Viacom's Redstone to Hollinger's Conrad Black—every one of these tycoons had their own schemes. Not a single one was a saint!
Dunn hadn't crossed paths with Murdoch directly, but he'd clashed plenty with Fox. Even DreamWorks, a fellow indie studio that should've been an ally, had sparked some serious beef.
Business was all about outsmarting each other—a den of wolves, no one nobler than the next!
"Think… could Brian be doing this on purpose?" Dunn threw out the theory boldly. "Tonight, he pitched me on working together on… something. Maybe this is his way of showing his cards."
Chris looked stunned. "No way. He's not scared we'd cut ties?"
"Think harder."
Dunn's face was dead serious.
Chris went quiet, his expression darkening. "STARZ is huge now. Those tens of millions of boxes and installations? That's hundreds of millions in costs. Smaller operators couldn't handle that risk. Nationwide, only three players can swing it."
Dunn nodded. "Exactly. Comcast, Time Warner, and Disney."
Chris gritted his teeth. "Time Warner's all-in on HBO—they'd never give STARZ the time of day. Disney? Even if they buried the hatchet with Dunn Films, they'd never run a gritty network like STARZ. It's against their family-friendly brand. Hmph, Comcast's got no fear, do they?"
Dunn said, "Premium cable's a high-cost, high-stakes game. HBO's got Time Warner. Showtime's tied to Comcast because Viacom and Comcast are tight, even shareholding. That leaves STARZ—us—floating without roots!"
Chris ventured, "Could Redstone and Brian have some kind of understanding?"
Dunn thought it over, shaking his head. "Doubt it. I've got a deal with Redstone—he's not the type to pull petty stunts like this. It's probably just Brian."
Chris frowned. "Didn't expect STARZ getting big would turn it into a bargaining chip."
"Chip?" Dunn let out a cold snort, his face icy.
"Boss, you…"
Chris had seen that look before—when HBO provoked Dunn, and he dropped a fortune in penalties to poach their entire content team.
Dunn's voice was frigid. "You focus on growing STARZ. Let's hope this is all in our heads. But if it's real? They'll see what happens when I stop playing nice!"