Not many other details about the potential sale are really available yet. Back in late March, it was reported that Versant, the cable company recently spun-off from NBCUniversal, was interested in buying the podcast network. Apparently, that deal fell apart, which isn’t all that surprising as it was still considered “early talks” when that was going on. Nor is it all that surprising that Murdoch and his wife, Kathryn Murdoch, would be interested in the portfolio for their Lupa Systems investment company. The company also has stakes in Tribeca Enterprises—which runs the Tribeca Film Festival—and the MCH group, which runs Art Basel.
What is a bit more surprising, however, is seeing New York as part of the conversation. The magazine has been owned by Vox Media since 2019, but has some older history with the Murdoch family. Per Variety, Rupert acquired New York in a hostile takeover in 1976 and sold his holdings of it in 1991. Vox has been exploring a sale of the company for a little while, reports WSJ. This sale wouldn’t necessarily mean the content of New York would go the way of Fox News; Kathryn owns The Bulwark, a Trump-critical digital media outlet. Still, the name “Murdoch” alone is enough to strike fear into the hearts of journalists everywhere.
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