Rupert Murdoch flies to New York as his media empire reshapes streaming

Rupert Murdoch landed at Teterboro Airport on Saturday evening aboard N898NC, a Gulfstream G650ER registered to 21st Century Fox America Inc. The flight departed from Diversified Equipment Airport in California and arrived in New Jersey after a three-hour, 50-minute crossing, consistent with a trip from the West Coast to the New York area.

The same week, Lachlan Murdoch announced Fox Corp.'s $22 billion acquisition of Roku, a deal that would combine Fox's sports, news, and Tubi streaming platform with Roku's connected-TV ecosystem, per the Observer. Meanwhile, James Murdoch struck a deal to acquire New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network from Vox Media, as reported by the Associated Press. The two moves signal a strategic realignment of the family's media holdings, with Lachlan deepening Fox's streaming footprint and James building an independent portfolio focused on ambitious journalism and culture.

Murdoch, who stepped down as chair of Fox and News Corp in 2023, maintains homes in New York, Los Angeles, and London. His recent flights show a pattern of West Coast activity, including a June 14 trip from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, before this weekend's return to the New York area, where the family's business dealings and editorial direction continue to unfold.