The Grill Room

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  NBA’s Amazon Prime Time 06.10.2026 35Min.

  In a special recording live from Puck’s In the Arena conference, Amazon Prime’s Charlie Neiman and NBA media exec Bill Koenig join Dylan to assess the the first year of the NBA–Amazon media partnership and their future for distribution, monetization, and fan engagement. They dig into the viewership numbers that exceeded expectations, Amazon’s broader sports programming strategy, the streamer’s plans for NBA Europe, and much more.
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  C-Suite Dominoes 02.10.2026 34Min.

  Julia and Dylan reunite to discuss the leadership changes rippling across Paramount–WBD, Mattel, and Condé Nast, and what they portend for the future of media companies. They consider whether established players can redefine their products at a moment when media increasingly overlaps with technology, creators, and other industries.
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  Tennis Channel’s Big Serve 29.09.2026 29Min.

  Jeff Blackburn, C.E.O. of Tennis Channel, joins Dylan to discuss how the network is expanding its audience and digital distribution, and its role in the broader tennis ecosystem. Blackburn explains how he’s elevating ATP and WTA 1000 events into major properties—and floats the possibility of pursuing major tournament rights down the road.
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  When the Press Pool Runs Dry 25.09.2026 55Min.

  Julia and Dylan reunite to walk through a busy week in media: the coordinated pushback from news organizations against White House press restrictions, the Paramount–WBD merger and its implications for CNN and CBS News, the buzz around Letterboxd as a target for Sony or The New York Times, app launches from Front Office Sports and Wired, and more.
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  Platypus Economics 23.09.2026 2Min.

  From world events to everyday decisions, economics explains it all. Platypus Economics makes it clear, useful, and actually fun. Available now: link.pscrb.fm/f0281/PE_TGR
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  The Ellison Settlement & The AP’s Tech Pivot 22.09.2026 53Min.

  LightShed’s Rich Greenfield stops by for a quick debrief on the settlement between David Ellison and the state attorneys general, and the many political and media implications lurking behind the deal. Then Julie Pace and Kristin Heitmann of the Associated Press join Dylan to lay out the AP’s pivot from serving newspapers to catering to tech platforms in the age of A.I.
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  Ellison Exit Threats & ESPN Talent Math 18.09.2026 1Std. 2Min.

  Julia and Dylan dig into Paramount’s Nashville-or-Texas brinksmanship with Rob Bonta and the red-state logic behind it, then unpack the Bari Weiss ratings discourse and Nielsen’s shifting methodology. They debate how mainstream media should cover the AI extinction-risk debate, weigh in on Ari Emanuel’s memoir, and close with ESPN’s talent-pay math on Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Tom Brady.
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  The Art of the Argument 15.09.2026 46Min.

  Jessica Tarlov, co-host of Fox’s “The Five” and author of the new book, “I Disagree: Winning Arguments Without Losing Friends,” joins Dylan to discuss why she believes respectful, fact-based debate beats “Molotov cocktail” tactics, how her conservative co-hosts have sharpened her own politics, and why she thinks Fox—not MSNBC—will be the key TV battleground for Democrats heading into 2028.
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  60 Minutes’ Make-or-Break Moment 11.09.2026 1Std. 1Min.

  Julia and Dylan break down this weekend’s high-stakes relaunch of 60 Minutes under Bari Weiss and Nick Bilton, and dig into MS Now’s new $8-a-month membership bet on parasocial fandom with talent like Rachel Maddow. They also cover the newspaper skirmish between Robert Allbritton’s rebranded Washington Sun and a rebuilding Washington Post.
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  MS Now’s Membership Bet 08.09.2026 44Min.

  Rebecca Kutler, president of MS Now, joins Dylan ahead of the network's first-ever DTC launch to unpack the philosophy behind its new membership community. She explains why MS Now is starting from strength: a top cable ranking, a digital business outpacing outlets like The Atlantic, and YouTube numbers beating ABC, NBC, and CBS News combined, and how that fuels a bet on “super fans” and “future fans” alike. Kutler also digs into new features like mindfulness content with Dan Harris and weighs in on why she refuses to call cable's future a decline.
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  The Information Age 04.09.2026 1Std. 9Min.

  Jessica Lessin, the founder, editor in chief, and C.E.O. of The Information, joins Dylan and Julia to unpack the record growth behind her 13-year-old subscription business. She explains her bet on China coverage as rivals shutter Asia bureaus, the push into finance reporting to track AI’s reshaping of Wall Street, and her expansion into video with TITV and a new AI Deep Dive show. Lessin also weighs in on the “information mafia” of alumni going independent and tech’s cratering public image.
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  The Next Weather Media Supercycle 01.09.2026 35Min.

  Julia and Dylan make the case that climate and weather coverage—supercharged by an incoming Super El Niño—could become news media’s next dominant storyline. They discuss why outlets like CNN and the New York Times are investing early, how AI skepticism is boosting trust in authoritative reporting, and why reframing weather through food, sports, and daily life could turn it into a real subscription business.
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  Media’s Great A.I. Shrug 28.08.2026 53Min.

  Julia and Dylan spar over Stan Druckenmiller’s A.I.-assisted Wall Street Journal op-ed and what it signals for trust in media. Julia argues transparency is essential as A.I. creeps into newsrooms and op-eds alike, while Dylan makes the case that the line between “using A.I.” and “writing” is blurrier than purists admit...
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  Do Democrats Need a Rebrand? 25.08.2026 31Min.

  Peter Hamby joins Dylan to decipher new polling on the Democratic Party’s perception problem—to wit, Trump may be historically unpopular, but voters still don’t love Democrats, either. Then they dig into the A.O.C.-Mamdani favorability gap, why Bernie’s brand of populism ages better than the “intersectional” variety, and the Gavin Newsom content-studio model for winning back young men and Latino voters ahead of 2028.
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  The Times–Pablo Torre Loophole 21.08.2026 44Min.

  Julia and Dylan trade notes on the dueling NBA and ESPN investigations into the Clippers and the odd dynamics of the Times’ licensing deal with Pablo Torre, using it to explore how legacy outlets increasingly outsource journalism—and risk—to independent creators. They also dig into CNN and MS Now’s new “all-access” membership services, and whether cable news can reinvent themselves for a D.T.C. world.
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  The Smart Brevity Manifesto! 18.08.2026 44Min.

  Axios’s Jim VandeHei joins Dylan to make the case for radical simplification in the age of A.I., drawing on his new book, Simplify, as well as Axios’s own moves to kill off sports and Policy Pro while doubling down on politics, tech, events, and local news.
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  YouTube’s New Velvet Rope 14.08.2026 42Min.

  Dylan and Julia break down YouTube's new monetization rules—an A.I. slop-proof 8,000 view threshold designed to crown a class of “premium” creators and pull news brands deeper into its orbit. Plus: What Bob Iger and Josh Kushner’s $12.5 billion Lakers bid reveals about the state of sports and Bob’s post-Disney life.
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  Politico's Power Play 11.08.2026 48Min.

  Jonathan Greenberger, the unconventional editor in chief of Politico, joins Dylan to explain how a business-side executive ended up running the newsroom—and what it means for Politico's future. They discuss the relaunch of Playbook and its early scoop streak, the push to make every franchise multi-platform (podcasts, video, events), and Politico's bet that its global footprint can turn political disruption into a worldwide story. Greenberger also opens up about newsroom AI hackathons, the competitive threat from Punchbowl and Notus, and his pitch to TV talent thinking about jumping ship.
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  The Business Insider Rescue Plan 07.08.2026 25Min.

  Christian Baesler, the new C.E.O. of Business Insider, joins Dylan to lay out his strategy for revitalizing the media company. He makes the case for monetizing scale beyond the website, doubling down on pro-consumer niches like AI Insider and CMO Insider, and using A.I. to sharpen the publication’s journalism. Baesler also shares his vision for Business Insider to become a platform for independent creators—like a music label for journalists or… Substack.
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  The Times’ Talent Trap 04.08.2026 48Min.

  Julia and Dylan discuss Ross Douthat’s move from The New York Times to CBS’s 60 Minutes—and what it signals about the Times’ pivot to video, which may have inadvertently created a star system with real talent-retention consequences. They also dig into the broader challenge of holding onto talent inside legacy organizations, the growing pull of going independent, and why video has become so central to driving engagement and keeping audiences.