Paramount in talks to buy Bari Weiss’s The Free Press for up to $200 million
Sources say the potential deal would fold the outlet into the newly merged Paramount and include a senior editorial role for Weiss at CBS News
Paramount Global is in advanced talks to acquire Bari Weiss’s media venture, The Free Press, for a price reportedly between $100 million and $200 million and to install Weiss in a senior editorial role at CBS News, according to people familiar with the discussions.
The potential purchase — reported by the newsletter Puck and circulated by other outlets — would fold The Free Press into Paramount as the company integrates assets following last month’s Skydance-Paramount transaction. Paramount declined to comment on the reported talks.
Bari Weiss, a former New York Times opinion editor who launched The Free Press in 2022, built the outlet around a podcast and an online platform that has drawn attention for its contrarian commentary and interviews. The reported deal would bring the outlet and Weiss’s editorial voice into the corporate fold as Paramount retools its news properties.
People familiar with the discussions told Puck that the talks are in late stages and that the $100 million to $200 million range reflects potential valuations under consideration. The Free Press would be integrated into Paramount’s portfolio as executives reshape the company following a series of high-profile transactions.
The reported negotiations come on the heels of an $8 billion merger that combined David Ellison’s Skydance Media with Paramount Global, ending decades of Redstone family control and placing CBS and CBS News under new ownership. The Federal Communications Commission signed off on that transaction earlier this year.
Industry observers and some current and former employees at CBS News have expressed unease about how the new ownership and potential editorial hires could affect newsroom direction, according to media reports. Representatives for Paramount and CBS did not respond to requests for comment through the outlets reporting the talks; Puck’s reporting noted sources close to the negotiations declined to be identified.
The reported acquisition would mark an aggressive move by Paramount to expand its digital and opinion-content footprint at a time when legacy broadcasters are seeking new revenue streams and audience niches. The Free Press’s programming, including Weiss’s flagship show, has drawn both attention and controversy since the outlet’s founding.
If completed, the deal would be one of several recent industry moves in which large media companies have bought independent outlets or invested in personality-driven brands as a way to attract dedicated audiences and subscribers. Paramount’s interest in The Free Press follows broader consolidation trends in broadcast and digital media, driven in part by the costs of content production and the search for growth after major corporate mergers.
Any final agreement would be subject to customary regulatory and contractual reviews. The reported price range and the contours of Weiss’s prospective role at CBS News have not been confirmed by Paramount or The Free Press. Puck’s reporting remains the primary source for details about the negotiations.
Paramount’s potential purchase of The Free Press and the prospect of a senior editorial appointment at CBS News underscore the immediate strategic choices facing the company as it integrates newly acquired assets and defines editorial priorities under new leadership.