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Rating

★★★★☆

3.8

from

71 reviews

Description

Finally, a media podcast about what’s actually happening in the media—not the over-sanitized, legal-and-standards-approved version you read online. Every Tuesday and Friday, join Dylan Byers, Puck’s veteran media reporter, and Julia Alexander, a longtime media analyst, as they sit down with TV personalities, moguls, political pundits and industry executives for raw, honest, sometimes salacious conversations about the business of media and its biggest egos. “The Grill Room,” an homage to the exclusive dining room within The Four Seasons where a generation of media executives consummated deals and traded gossip, is produced in partnership with Audacy Podcasts. The Grill Room is an extension of In the Room, Dylan’s private email for Puck, where he chronicles the intrigue and inside stories behind what’s really going on in the media industry—from the board room to the newsroom to the green room and everything in between. Subscribe here: https://puck.news/dylanbyers

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Check latest episodes from The Grill Room podcast

Tennis Channel’s Big Serve

2026/09/29

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.

When the Press Pool Runs Dry

2026/09/25

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.

Platypus Economics

2026/09/23

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

The Ellison Settlement & The AP’s Tech Pivot

2026/09/22

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.

Ellison Exit Threats & ESPN Talent Math

2026/09/18

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.

The Art of the Argument

2026/09/15

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.

60 Minutes’ Make-or-Break Moment

2026/09/11

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.

MS Now’s Membership Bet

2026/09/08

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.

The Information Age

2026/09/04

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.

The Next Weather Media Supercycle

2026/09/01

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.

Media’s Great A.I. Shrug

2026/08/28

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...

Do Democrats Need a Rebrand?

2026/08/25

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.

The Times–Pablo Torre Loophole

2026/08/21

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.

The Smart Brevity Manifesto!

2026/08/18

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.

YouTube’s New Velvet Rope

2026/08/14

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.

Podcast reviews

Read The Grill Room podcast reviews

3.8 out of 5

71 reviews

★★☆☆☆

Mb546 2026/07/01

Too biased

Sometimes good info, but always using conservative and republican examples/issues to show what is wrong in politics or media, but never used liberal o...

★★★☆☆

SAB133 2026/03/08

Boosting extremism

Disappointed to hear Julia boosting Hasan Piker, an open antisemite and terrorist-supporter.

★★★★★

Josh 6873 2025/11/20

Yes.

I get a lot out of this podcast. Hope Jon Kelly realizes that Julia Alexander is not just a sidekick, she is the reason many people tune in.

★★★★★

FrannyMV 2025/08/24

Such a great point of view

Dylan does such a wonderful job of bringing the audience to what feels like a chic off the record conversation.

★★★★★

lipstick315 2025/08/24

Love this show but Ruthless was ruthless

I love this show. Listen every week. But those Ruthless guys were a bunch of bro’y gaslighters. First Grill Room I didn’t listen to all the way thru.

★★★★★

CJMcMac 2025/08/13

Ruthless Guys Are a Bit Toothless

Dylan was brilliant to have the Ruthless guys on the pod. But I found it interesting that after all the bloviating about their unique and all-importan...

★★☆☆☆

CredibleReviews 2025/06/13

Leftwing centric

Like Puck, it’s a leftwing-centric universe of stories and reporting from that perspective. Broaden the scope out Dylan, why has the Free Beacon been ...

★★★★★

nbwLANY 2025/05/02

60 Min ep

Seriously Dylan? The old 60 Min didn't do news relevant stories? Mike interviewing Ayotollah, Tim McVeigh interview investigations of big corps- suga...

★★★★★

Sblevi 2024/12/19

Barry Diller

Very insightful interview with Barry Diller. My impression was that Dylan may have been somewhat surprised by Barry’s response to some of his question...

★★★★★

Andy Bolognese 2024/12/12

New essential listen

Dylan has some real mic skills, drops great insider intel (as an extension of his terrific newsletter reporting), and has the Rolodex to book interest...

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