The Grill Room

Julia and Dylan dig into Netflix’s recent bloodletting and what it reveals about the deeper challenges facing the streamer. They discuss whether Netflix’s business model can realistically challenge YouTube, and why YouTube’s creator ecosystem and engagement model are so difficult to replicate. Then they turn to Skydance and whether it can invest in its long-term growth while facing constant pressure to reduce debt.

Julia and Dylan reunite to examine Skydance’s post-merger playbook, and how David Ellison intends to manage an $80 billion debt load and deliver $6 billion in promised synergies. They also get into the fate of CNN and CBS News, which hinges on the power struggle between Mark Thompson and Bari Weiss, as neither seems eager to cede influence. The lingering question, of course: can the company create sustainable growth after the cost-cutting ends?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In this special replay episode, new BuzzFeed majority stakeholder Byron Allen joins Dylan to discuss his plans for the platform—and his long-term goal of building the world’s biggest media company. They discuss how the acquisition could help boost awareness for his app, Local Now, and his plan to ultimately turn BuzzFeed into a free streaming service (like YouTube) to appeal to advertisers and content creators.