The Grill Room

Julia Alexander returns to discuss OpenAI joining forces with Jony Ive, the legendary iPhone designer, to build an entirely new, A.I.-powered device category. Then Julia and Dylan exchange notes about ESPN’s monumental pivot from a cable TV brand into a full-fledged app and direct-to-consumer platform. The Grill Room Podcast is presented by bp. See all the ways we’re investing in America: https://...

ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro joins Dylan for a deep dive into ESPN’s digital transformation as they prepare to launch their highly anticipated D.T.C. product this fall, named… ESPN. Pitaro unpacks the marketing strategy behind the new app, ESPN’s rights portfolio, the state of their MLB negotiations, the integration of sports betting, and much more. The Grill Room Podcast is presented by bp. See all...

Jeff Collins, Fox’s head of advertising sales, joins Dylan to discuss the network’s strategic focus on live sports and news, which has led to significant growth despite the broader decline across the cable industry. Jeff breaks down how Fox’s diverse portfolio is fueling ratings and advertiser demand, and also explains why upfronts remain a crucial moment for the business. The Grill Room Podcast i...

Julia Alexander reunites with Dylan to explore the key themes emerging from this week’s upfronts in New York, from NBC’s live sports strategy to David Zaslav’s expected decision to spin off WBD’s decaying linear assets. They also consider Fox News’s status as the lone thriving cable news business, and why the NBA might be the best-positioned sports league for the next era of media. The Grill Room...

Gerard Baker, former editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal, joins Dylan to explore the Journal’s critical approach to Trump’s economic and foreign policies—and its unique position as a conservative-leaning publication actually willing to challenge him. Gerard also reflects on the Journal’s influence in this political moment, its editorial stance within the Murdoch media empire, and the streng...

Build the life of your dreams and learn from the world’s most successful people. Emma Grede, one of America’s richest self-made women - wants you to make the most of your life. On ‘Aspire with Emma Grede', learn through thought-provoking conversations with some of the most successful and smartest minds on the planet. Each episode will unpack their habits, philosophy and strategies, covering career...

Julia Alexander is back on the pod to discuss the “Bravo-fication” of the internet—where multi-platform content ignites a 24/7 media cycle, endless engagement loops, and new lanes for monetization. Julia also digs into how platforms like LinkedIn and Substack can be leveraged for content distribution; the influence of niche communities in media, the impact of tentpole events on media consumption,...

Julia Alexander rejoins Dylan to chew over all the challenges facing legacy media brands, like CBS News, in the twilight of the cable TV era. They also dive into the latest twists in the ‘60 Minutes’ saga, as Paramount’s billionaire owner, Shari Redstone—under crippling pressure to close the Skydance deal—has leaned on the network’s prestige newsmagazine to go easy on Trump. The Grill Room Podcast...

The one and only Graydon Carter, architect of Vanity Fair’s golden era, joins Dylan for a candid conversation about the magazine industry's past, present, and future. Fresh off the release of his new book, ‘When the Going Was Good,’ Carter reflects on his legendary tenure with VF, dissects the publication’s decline after his departure, and grapples with the broader headwinds facing today’s media i...

Julia Alexander returns to The Grill Room to chart the media industry’s biggest flashpoints: the D.O.J.’s landmark-in-the-making legal battle against Google and the implications for its ad-tech empire; the tantalizing potential of a YouTube–NFL alliance; and Brendan Carr’s escalating campaign against the media. The Grill Room Podcast is presented by bp. See all the ways we’re investing in America...

MSNBC’s Jen Psaki joins Dylan for a candid convo about her next chapter: hosting the network’s forthcoming nightly show. With today’s political discourse more combustible than ever, Psaki reflects on how she’s drawing from her tenure as White House press secretary to navigate a political-media ecosystem in overdrive. She also dishes on what it takes to cut through the noise in today’s oversaturate...

Julia Alexander reunites with Dylan for a deep dive into the media industry’s most compelling flashpoints: Formula One’s fantasy of a $180 million rights deal, the growing anxiety around non-football sports rights, Mark Zuckerberg’s F.T.C. showdown, and more. As Julia explains, with audience engagement plateauing, streaming giants are under pressure to reinvent the playbook—because where engagemen...

The inimitable Michael Wolff stops by The Grill Room to discuss his new profile in New York magazine of Warner Bros. Discovery C.E.O. David Zaslav. Wolff digs into his head-spinning financial incentives, how Zaz became an “accidental media mogul,” and the challenges WBD faces from tech giants like Amazon and Netflix. Then they speculate on the future of the media businesses and CNN’s place in the...

Puck’s resident streaming guru Julia Alexander swings by the pod to discuss a handful of hot-button media topics: the MLB’s crafty use of the “torpedo bat” to boost ratings, the challenges and opportunities for CNBC in the looming SpinCo era, and the early signs of stagnation in the creator economy. The Grill Room Podcast is presented by bp. See all the ways we’re investing in America: https://www...

Bill Cohan stops by the Grill Room to diagnose the anxiety plaguing media executives as MAGA’s economic “detox” takes hold. Bill and Dylan discuss the $11 trillion market loss since the election, the global headwinds to corporate earnings, and whether consumers are due for another bout of inflation—a perfect storm that is tickling the media industry’s 2008 era PTSD. The Grill Room Podcast is prese...

Julia Alexander joins Dylan for a wide-ranging symposium on the state of the media industry: the future of TikTok, Meta’s UFC play, Radhika Jones’ exit from Vanity Fair, the impact of A.I., and how Trump’s global trade war is ricocheting through the advertising market. The Grill Room Podcast is presented by bp. See all the ways we’re investing in America: https://www.bp.com/InvestingInAmerica To l...

Jon Kelly swings by The Grill Room to chronicle the current media moment in Washington D.C.--the evolving major players, the business models, and the after hours schmoozing that lubricates the whole town. The Grill Room Podcast is presented by bp. See all the ways we’re investing in America: https://www.bp.com/InvestingInAmerica To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: ht...

In this special crossover episode with The Powers That Be, Dylan connects with Peter Hamby to discuss the chatter swirling around The Atlantic, which made headlines this week after E.I.C. Jeffrey Goldberg revealed that he was added to a group chat filled with high-ranking national security officials discussing war plans. They discuss why the imbroglio has boosted the magazine’s reputation among th...

Puck’s streaming guru Julia Alexander joins Dylan for a high-level conversation about YouTube’s stranglehold on the news industry—and the seismic shift it’s triggering. Julia explains how digital creators, news influencers, and opinion leaders across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are rewriting the playbook, forcing legacy media giants to either adapt or risk irrelevance in a world where independe...

Caitlin Thompson, founder of ‘Racquet,’ joins Dylan for a deep dive into her mission to make tennis more vibrant and accessible through her quarterly magazine, blending top-tier journalism, tennis fashion, travel, and escapism—and offering a refreshing contrast to the sport’s corporatized past. Caitlin also weighs into the evolving media landscape, underscoring the need of mission-driven storytell...

Jessica Lessin, founder and C.E.O. of The Information, joins Dylan for a candid conversation about how The Information has thrived and remained profitable after 11 years, why deep expertise and loyal audiences are more important than chasing scale, and her approach to backing sharp-minded entrepreneurs through recent investments in Semafor, The Ankler, and others. Jessica also weighs in on how Sil...

Beloved yet controversial Wall Street Journal top editor Emma Tucker joins Dylan for a candid discussion about evolving the historic business, change management, tough choices, and the future of the news media business. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adcho...

Zanny Minton Beddoes, the editor-in-chief of The Economist, joins Dylan for an inside look at the publication’s unusual position within the media firmament, and how the ultimate business traveler rag is refreshing itself for the digital first era: still all-in on the virtues of classical liberalism, but with a dose of A.I. powering its expanding global footprint. Plus, Beddoes and Dylan dig into t...

‘The New York Times’ Peter Baker joins Dylan to dissect the fraught relationship between the Trump White House and the press, from expelling the Associated Press to handpicking the press pool—tactics he likens to historical press suppression in Russia. They also weigh in on the changes at ‘The Washington Post’ under Jeff Bezos, and the fight to maintain journalistic integrity in an increasingly po...

Bill Cohan joins Dylan to dissect the three-year evolution of Warner Bros. Discovery since David Zaslav’s bold 2022 merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery. He breaks down W.B.D.’s rising streaming profits, declining linear TV business, and its $19 billion debt reduction—bringing the company closer to a credit upgrade. With speculation swirling about a potential merger with NBCUniversal or Comcast’s S...