What James Murdoch Is Really Buying In The Vox Deal

BusinessMediaWhat James Murdoch Is Really Buying In The Vox DealByMaureen Kerr,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Maureen Kerr covers AI, media and entertainment economics.Follow AuthorMay 21, 2026, 05:18am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.James Murdoch at the Tribeca Festival in 2021. His investment firm Lupa Systems has held a controlling stake in Tribeca Enterprises since 2019. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)Getty Images for Tribeca FestivalOn May 20, 2026, Lupa Systems, James Murdoch’s media and technology holding company, agreed to acquire three divisions of Vox Media: New York Magazine, the Vox Media Podcast Network and Vox. Eater, Popsugar, SB Nation, The Dodo and The Verge will remain with the rest of the company under a new corporate name. Jim Bankoff, Vox Media’s co-founder and CEO, will run the acquired group, which will continue to operate as Vox Media. Terms were not disclosed.The deal is bigger than a magazine and news-site purchase. New York brings more than 400,000 paying subscribers, around 1 million email subscribers and 12 million social followers, alongside eight National Magazine Awards including the 2026 award for general excellence. Vox brings a YouTube channel with close to 13 million subscribers and a membership program in the tens of thousands. The podcast network has nearly 50 shows including Pivot, Criminal, Where Should We Begin?, Today, Explained, Unexplainable, The Gray Area and America, Actually. Vox says the network has grown faster than its other businesses and reaches tens of millions of people across audio, video, social media and live events.Podcasts are no longer an add-on to publishing. Edison Research’s Infinite Dial 2026 found that 58% of Americans aged 12 and older consumed a podcast in the last month, an all-time high, while 68% of people 35 to 54 did the same. Th...