The Grill Room

Julia and Dylan break down David Ellison’s imminent acquisition of Bari Weiss’s The Free Press—and how her anti-establishment worldview could reverberate through the editorial D.N.A. of CBS News. They also explore how the likely nine-figure deal could spark a fresh cycle of digital media M&A, and what it augurs for the Substack economy and creator economy writ large. Then Dylan and Julia decode the landmark Google antitrust ruling that effectively sanctifies the company’s “pay-to-play” strategy.

The Grill Room Podcast is presented by bp. See all the ways we’re investing in America: ⁠https://www.bp.com/InvestingInAmerica

Andrew Rosen, the former Paramount executive and founder of PARQOR, joins Dylan to break down the divergent digital strategies of The New York Times and ESPN. While the Times is precise and leans into product design tailored to specific consumer habits, ESPN continues to chase mass scale and broad reach. Rosen argues that ESPN’s model risks leaving engagement on the table—and makes the case for a more personalized, fan-first approach, à la the Times and The Athletic.

The Grill Room Podcast is presented by bp. See all the ways we’re investing in America: ⁠https://www.bp.com/InvestingInAmerica

Julia Alexander and Dylan reunite to hash out the week’s biggest media stories: The New York Times’ increasing investment in A.I.; how technology is undermining Disney magic—and what this portends for Bob Iger’s media strategy; the spectacle of the U.S. Open; the brewing Portnoy-McAfee rivalry, and much, much more. 

The Grill Room Podcast is presented by bp. See all the ways we’re investing in America: ⁠https://www.bp.com/InvestingInAmerica

Andy Lack, former chairman of NBC News and MSNBC, joins Dylan to pore over the myriad existential crises rattling television news, from CBS’s messy Trump settlement to the Versant spin that leaves MSNBC in the wilderness—and more. He also discusses his new act as a purveyor of local news startups across the Deep South, and his bid to build sustainable outlets at a time when local journalism is facing significant headwinds.

The Grill Room Podcast is presented by bp. See all the ways we’re investing in America: ⁠https://www.bp.com/InvestingInAmerica

Julia Alexander reunites with Dylan to break down ESPN’s long-awaited “super app,” which launched yesterday as the network’s boldest bid yet to remain the central hub for sports fans in an increasingly crowded rights landscape. They also touch on Fox’s new streaming gambit, Fox One—a leaner, no-frills play for cord-cutters—and what these parallel moves reveal about the shifting future of sports media.

The Grill Room Podcast is presented by bp. See all the ways we’re investing in America: ⁠https://www.bp.com/InvestingInAmerica

Mosheh Oinounou joins Dylan to discuss his leap from legacy media to independent journalism with the founding of Mo News, which, despite early challenges, has grown to more than 12,000 paid subscribers and expanded into podcasts and newsletters. Oinounou also digs into the importance of A.I. in news customization, the potential for future collaborations between independent creators and legacy media, and the challenges at CBS News following the Paramount-Skydance merger.

The Grill Room Podcast is presented by bp. See all the ways we’re investing in America: ⁠https://www.bp.com/InvestingInAmerica

Julia Alexander swings by the pod to dig into the recent slew of licensing deals, à la ESPN-McAfee and Fox-Portnoy, which allow creators to maintain their independence while benefiting from additional exposure and revenue. This leads to a broader conversation about the challenges and opportunities for legacy media companies in adapting to the creator economy writ large.

The Grill Room Podcast is presented by bp. See all the ways we’re investing in America: https://www.bp.com/InvestingInAmerica

On this special episode, the Ruthless Podcast co-hosts, Josh Holmes, Michael Duncan, John Ashbrook, and Shashank Tripathi, join Dylan to discuss the origins of their podcast—and more intriguingly, their new licensing deal with Fox News. They also dig into their unique approach to politics, the lack of conservative humor in the media landscape, the challenges faced by legacy media, and much more.

The Grill Room Podcast is presented by bp. See all the ways we’re investing in America: https://www.bp.com/InvestingInAmerica

Dylan and Julia chew over the most pressing media news of the week: Disney’s dynamic NFL deal, the finalized Paramount-Skydance merger, the chatter surrounding David Ellison’s interest in Warner Bros., and much more.

The Grill Room Podcast is presented by bp. See all the ways we’re investing in America: https://www.bp.com/InvestingInAmerica

Katie Drummond, global editorial director of Wired, joins the pod to reflect on her overhaul of the tech magazine—transforming it into a sharp-edged outlet covering the dystopian intersection of technology, politics, and culture. She discusses the significance of original reporting, Wired’s notable growth and ambitions growth strategy, A.I.’s threat to journalism, and much, much more.

The Grill Room Podcast is presented by bp. See all the ways we’re investing in America: https://www.bp.com/InvestingInAmerica