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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

NYT’s Credit Drama & Google’s Downturn

2026/10/30

Julia and Dylan reunite to chew over a smorgasbord of media headlines: The New York Times’s tiff with Hunterbrook over matters of credit—and the Times’s murky crediting policy— Google’s latest earnings, Instagram’s re-pivot to long-form content, lingering Buck-Aikman fallout, and more.

Keeping Up With The Times

2026/10/27

Sam Koppelman, co-founder of Hunterbrook Media, joins Dylan to discuss his company’s thesis: that investigative reporting still has real value and is worth investing in. Three years in, Koppelman says the company is profitable, and he gets into how they balance journalistic ethics with keeping investors happy. They also dig into Hunterbrook’s recent dispute with The New York Times over overlapping investigations.

Aikman-Buck Fallout & ESPN’s Super Bowl Blitz

2026/10/23

CNBC’s Alex Sherman joins Dylan to discuss ESPN’s upcoming Super Bowl debut and its ambitious multi-platform strategy, in which the network plans simultaneous broadcasts across ABC, ESPN, Disney+, and other channels. They also weigh the ripple effects of Troy Aikman’s contract dispute, then turn to the bidding picture for future World Cup rights and why Disney may hold the strongest hand.

ESPN’s Announcer Empowerment Era

2026/10/20

The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis and Business Insider’s Peter Kafka join Dylan for a deep dive into the media reporting beat—and how sports-media talent and business pressures are reshaping coverage. They discuss finding distinct angles on popular beats, why they’re bullish on newsletters, and how talent’s growing leverage has become a genuine brand headache for networks like ESPN.

Is Netflix In Trouble?

2026/10/16

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.

How Big Can Women’s Soccer Really Get?

2026/10/13

In this special live recording from Puck’s In the Arena, Dylan convenes NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman, Gotham FC owner Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, and Project Level exec Jason Wright to discuss the state of women’s soccer and women’s sports writ large. They get into the NWSL’s media deals, the league’s expansion plans, turning World Cup curiosity into real fandom, and plenty more.

Ellison’s $80 Billion House of Cards

2026/10/09

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?

NBA’s Amazon Prime Time

2026/10/06

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.

C-Suite Dominoes

2026/10/02

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.

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.

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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