Skydance’s David Ellison Explores Purchase of Bari Weiss’s The Free Press

Skydance Media chief executive David Ellison has held preliminary discussions about acquiring The Free Press, the digital news outlet launched in 2021 by journalist Bari Weiss, according to people familiar with the matter. The exploratory talks, described as early-stage and without agreed terms, come as both Ellison and Weiss attend the annual Allen & Co. conference in Sun Valley, a regular venue for media deal-making. Weiss has previously signalled a preference to keep The Free Press independent, while Ellison is focused on completing Skydance’s separate bid to merge with Paramount Global. Any transaction for The Free Press remains uncertain, but it would give Ellison another media asset as he pursues his $8 billion takeover of Paramount. The Free Press counts more than 1.5 million free and paid subscribers and recently raised $15 million, valuing the publication at about $100 million.