Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

Episode 156 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is longtime WWE performer Seth Rollins, who will wrestle Edge on Aug. 21 at the WWE’s annual SummerSlam event He is followed by The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman, an Iowa-based college football writer who covered The Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa. In this podcast, Rollins discusses how he views promotion and navigates when some media outlets want him in character and storyline versus others who want to talk about the business of wrestling; how much Rollins can dictate which interviews he wants to do for press; talking to mainstream outlets versus traditional wrestling outlets; his philosophy of doing promos; how much his promo work is improvisation vs. scripted; bringing someone’s real life into a promo; how he and his wife Rebecca Quin, who wrestles under the name Becky Lynch, navigate joint press; how he and Becky would approach the possibility of their real-life becoming part of storyline; navigating a massive social media following and the real mental health strain of toxic comments making their way to you; whether he would be interested in working as a heel or babyface commentator down the road, and much more. Dochterman describes what it was like covering the MLB Field of Dreams game in person; his expectations and the reality; how many media people were in attendance; how the event came together; what it meant to Iowans; whether he expects MLB to make this an annual event; You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 155 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is ESPN staff writer David Purdum, the company’s premier gambling reporter. He is followed by Mirin Fader, a staff writer for The Ringer and the author of GIANNIS: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP. In this podcast, Purdum discusses the opportunities for sports media staffers working in the sports gaming space; former ESPN-ers and others working in the space; the expectations on the handles on college football and pro football this season; the impact of Oklahoma and Texas moving to the SEC; preseason NFL betting; why sports betting is a long-term investment and a grind; why you should only risk 2-5% of your bankroll per wager; sign-up bonuses advantage; the ethics of using your reporting for betting; why futures are not a smart bet and a big house advantage; international soccer betting, and more. Fader discusses why she wanted to write a book on Giannis; how the book came to be; the process of interviewing more than 220 people for the book; her experience reporting in Greece; what it was like to watch the playoffs; the publicity for the book; how much time she got with Giannis; what we don’t know about the racism Giannis and his family faced; her reporting on Jason Kidd as a Bucks coach; how ones promotes a book during COVID; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 154 of the Sports Media Podcast features guest Rebecca Lowe, the host of NBC Sports Group’s Premier League coverage as well as an Olympic host for NBCUnversial. In this podcast, Lowe discusses what working the Tokyo Games has been like; her broadcasting setup in Tokyo; what protocols exist regarding COVID; how she views the declines in Olympic viewership; NBC’s Olympic storytelling; the on-air highlight for her; her Premier League preparation; what she expects from the upcoming Premier League season; if her future at NBC is tied to soccer; England’s World Cup prospects and how they handled Euros, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 153 of the Sports Media Podcast features Kavitha Davidson, a sports and culture writer for The Athletic and the host of Culture Calculus podcast. In this podcast Davidson and Deitsch discuss how much Olympics we are each watching; why the primetime viewership of the Tokyo Games is way down; how we viewed coverage of Simone Biles in different mediums; why the coverage actually holds well for the future; the story around Suni Lee; whether it is time for sports outlets to have a mental health sports reporter; the intersection of COVID and the NFL; whether baseball should have a bigger Olympic presence and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 152 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Chad Finn, the sports media writer and columnist for the Boston Globe. He is followed by Melanie Newman, a broadcaster for the Baltimore Orioles and MASN and the play by play voice for the first game in Major League Baseball history featuring an all-female announcing crew (She called the game alongside analyst Sarah Langs, reporter Alanna Rizzo and pre- and postgame hosts Lauren Gardner and Heidi Watney.) In this podcast, Finn discusses the interest in the Olympics as a television experience; whether NBC will get the viewership it has received in previous Olympics; how NBC will navigate the news elements of the Olympics with the competition; ESPN’s hiring of Peyton and Eli Manning for a Monday Night Football Megacast; the NHL’s television schedule on ESPN and Turner Sports; Cleveland changing its MLB name to the Guardians and more. Newman discusses her journey to do doing MLB play by play and the minor league stops along the way; the women who are following her currently calling minor league baseball; representation in sports broadcasting; whether her all-female group will call another game; the prospects of the O’s heading forward in the A.L. East and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 151 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Jemele Hill, a contributing writer for The Atlantic, the host of the “Jemele Hill is Unbothered” podcast for Spotify, and a creative adviser for Meadowlark Media. She is followed by Fabian Ardaya who covers the Dodgers for The Athletic but up until May covered the Angels and Shohei Ohtani. In this podcast, Hill discusses the impact of the New York Times story that focused on Rachel Nichols saying Maria Taylor earned the job to host 2020 NBA finals coverage because ESPN was “feeling pressure” on diversity; what she expects Taylor do when her ESPN contract expires before the end of this month; whether you can work for management you don’t trust; how this chapter impacts people of color working at ESPN and particular black women in front of and behind the cameras; the ESPN future for Nichols; Hill’s podcast network to elevate the voices and stories of Black women, and more. Ardaya discusses his experience covering Ohtani; how the Angels handle media access for him; his first time interacting with him; what; his desire to market himself; interacting with Japanese media on the beat; misconceptions about Mike Trout as a front-facing person in baseball; what he thought about Stephen A. Smith’s comments on Ohtani and the conversation afterward, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 150 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with two guests: Kavitha Davidson is a sports and culture writer for The Athletic and the host of Culture Calculus podcast. Jane McManus is the Director of the Marist's Center for Sports Communication and a Deadspin sports columnist. Both Davidson and McManus previously worked at ESPN. In this podcast Davidson and McManus discuss the New York Times piece on the storm at ESPN over Rachel Nichols’ comments about Maria Taylor; their experiences working as women at ESPN; how they view ESPN on issues of promoting women of color, women overall, and people of color; what they would do if they were Taylor, whose contract is coming up; how big a failure this is of senior management; whether ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro should speak publicly; Kayla Johnson, a digital video producer, being the only person known to be punished and how absurd that is; whether the NBA production situation is salvageable and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 149 of the Sports Media Podcast features Mike Golic, who spent 26 years at ESPN as a radio host, NFL studio analyst and NFL and college football game analyst. In this podcast Golic discusses leaving ESPN and why it happened; how management informed him they were no longer interested in his services; what he’s been doing the last six months; what he’s likely to do next professionally; how his salary impacted ESPN decision-making; his desire to work on radio again calling games; his non-existent relationship today with Mike Greenberg; how he felt about Greenberg wanting his own show; the other interesting candidates for his last ESPN show other than Trey Wingo; whether formal ESPN-ers who have found success in their post-ESPN life motivates him; living outside of Notre Dame; why people liked him on the radio, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 148 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Michael Kay, the television play by play voice of the New York Yankees and the host of The Michael Kay Show, heard on ESPN Radio in New York City from 2:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Kay has a new book out — Centerstage: My Most Fascinating Interviews—from A-Rod to Jay-Z , which is a collection of the interviews Kay has conducted with some of the biggest names in sports, film, and television. Kay is followed by Jon Wertheim, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, a correspondent for “60 Minutes,” and an analyst for the Tennis Channel. Wertheim is the author of “Glory Days: The Summer of 1984 and the 90 Days That Changed Sports and Culture.” In this podcast, Kay discusses what he thinks makes a good longform interviewer; a memorable interview with Sylvester Stallone; how his show has been able to book major names and the importance of the Yankee brand; how long he can reasonable call the Yankees; whether baseball broadcasters will continue to call road games; how he navigates being critical and working on behalf of a team; the challenges of doing sports-talk radio in New York City; why he thinks sports-talk radio still has significant meaning in his city; his obsession to beat Mike Francesa in the ratings; competing against Craig Carton and Evan Roberts; being thin-skinned about criticism; the cost and rewards of responding to media criticism about his work, and much more. Wertheim discusses the genesis for his new book, spending time with a young Michael Jordan in the summer of 1984; the cultural milestones in 1984; the challenges of weaving his story into a narrative; his thoughts on Naomi Osaka; what Osaka’s immediate future will be and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 147 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Ian Darke, the lead play-by-play commentator of ESPN’s soccer coverage. He will be in London this month calling UEFA EURO 2020 for ESPN. Darke is followed by Anthony Crupi, a sports media reporter for Sportico. In this podcast, Darke discusses the favorites for the tournament; calling the Euros from London’s Wembley Stadium and the IMG studios in London; the in-stadium protocols Darke has to follow because of COVID; how he preps for the tournament; why Poland is the toughest team for pronunciations; why the Floyd Mayweather-Logan Paul boxing exhibition was cynical and dangerous; stories from his contemporaries about sparring with all-time greats, and more. Crupi discusses the first round of the NBA playoffs averaging 3.06 million viewers, up 46% over 2020 and up 3% versus 2019; what the viewership numbers mean; why the second round of the NBA playoffs will be a significant viewership challenge for the NBA; the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs averaging a total audience of 642,000 viewers across NBC, NBCSN, USA, CNBC and digital outlets, up 6 percent 2020 but NHL’s least-watched first round since 2013; what those numbers mean; what the best viewership possibilities for the NHL, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 146 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Jemele Hill, a contributing writer for The Atlantic, the host of the “Jemele Hill is Unbothered,” podcast for Spotify, and a creative adviser for Meadowlark Media. She is followed by Tom Hannifan, better known by the announcing name Tom Phillips. He spent nine years with the WWE and during his WWE career he served as the play-by-play commentator on Raw, NXT, SmackDown, 205 Live, and NXT UK. He was recently let go by WWE and is now looking for traditional sports broadcasting opportunities. In this podcast Hill discusses Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal from the French Open; the failure to find a creative solution by French Open organizers; the debate over the value of the post-game/post-match presser; the importance of the press conference for smaller media outlets; the performative aspects and uncomfortable nature of sports press conferences; whether this means something larger for the sports media; a very bad week of fans interacting with athletes including criminality; why we have seen that happen, and more. Hannifan discusses the most challenging thing about being a WWE broadcaster; how long it took him to get product knowledge; how he was initially get hired by WWE; whether he was overproduced while on-air; his surprise to learn he was no longer calling RAW and being replaced by Adnan Virk; the short tenure of Virk; his alltime favorite match called; his friendship with Big E; getting slapped by Stephanie McMahon; what he wants to do next; his attempt to get work in college football and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 145 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Kavitha Davidson, a sports and culture writer for The Athletic and the host of Culture Calculus podcast. She is followed by Sports Illustrated writer Jimmy Traina, the host of the SI Media Podcast. In this podcast Davidson discusses the hiring of Wayne Gretzky by Turner Sports; Kenny Mayne leaving ESPN and what that means heading forward; the challenge of covering the Tokyo Olympics; how NBC will navigate issues of COVID in Japan, athlete protest and other news detrimental to the IOC; how the American public would react to an athlete protesting on the medal stand, and more. Traina discusses the massive amount of sports gambling money in sports media right now and what that means; whether the majority of sports writers will be working for places such as Draft Kings one day; if we are headed for gambling addiction issues; Adnan Virk’s exit from WWE; streaming services for sports fans; the challenges for WWE and AEW as media properties; sports teams asking people if they have been vaccinated, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 144 of the Sports Media Podcast features three guests. First up are ESPN feature producers Lauren Stowell and Jenna Contreras, the directors of “144” a behind-the-scenes documentary on what unfolded on and off the court over the tumultuous two-and-a-half-month 2020 WNBA season. The second guest is Julie Stewart Binks, who hosts Drinks with Binks on Fubo TV and NHL Twitter Live. In this podcast, Stowell and Contreras discuss how the project came about; how producer and ESPN on-air personality Chiney Ogwumike helped make the access possible; whether they got any internal pushback on the topics at hand; how they decided on who would be at the center among the league’s players; how they got beyond-the-scenes conversations of the players; dedicating the season to Breonna Taylor and getting her family on film; where the WNBA goes next, and more. Stewart-Binks discusses how to do a show from home; the challenge of getting press in a crowded sports media space; getting people to drink on-air; her reaction to ESPN and Turner getting the US rights to the NHL and whether they can they grow the game; how the playoffs feel this year; Leah Hextall getting a play by play job, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 143 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live and the host of the “Origins” podcast. In this podcast, we discuss Kenny Mayne departing from ESPN; what Miller thinks of Mayne being asked to take a 61 percent pay cut; what the market is for former ESPNers; Miller’s thoughts on ex-ESPN-ers in the marketplace at other places; Miller’s upcoming HBO book and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 142 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Sports Media Watch founder and editor Jon Lewis and Sports Business Daily managing editor/digital Austin Karp. In this podcast, we discuss the three days of the NFL Draft averaging 6.1 million viewers and what that means; how the opening round’s 12.5 million average should be judged against the overall number; why Day 3 of the NFL Draft was down on viewership; analyzing NBC’s Kentucky Derby viewership numbers, which drew 14.5 million viewers for the race portion; what can be learned from the Derby in relation to upcoming jewel events; what Karp and Lewis’s expectations are for the NBA postseason and NHL postseason; whether the NBA Finals will be up over last year; the recent increase in NASCAR ratings; the upcoming Olympics in Tokyo and why both Lewis and Karp think the numbers will be down from 2016; what NBC can do to try to juice the Olympic viewership and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 141 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Steve Kornacki, an NBC News and MSNBC national political correspondent who will serve as an insight analyst for NBC’s coverage of the Kentucky Derby. Kornacki previously analyzed NFL playoff probabilities for Football Night In America. He is followed by Tashan Reed, who covers the Las Vegas Raiders for The Athletic. In this podcast, Kornacki discusses how he landed assignments with NBC Sports including the Kentucky Derby; how he felt his Football Night In America experience went, and whether he expects to be back this fall; whether a knowledge of sports helps with understanding politics and elections; the notion of horse racing coverage within a political context; growing up as a horse racing and Patriots fan in Massachusetts; how is analyzing the Derby for viewers; whether he will place bets at the Derby; the feedback he has received from his sports segments; how conscious he is that some viewers will autonomically wonder or question why a political analyst is on a sports broadcast; the tribute videos Leslie Jones has made for him, and more. Reed discusses covering an NFL team in Las Vegas; working while family members were suffering with COVID; the challenges of covering the NFL Draft amid COVID; what he expects Las Vegas to be as an NFL city; where he expects the Raiders to go in the Draft; his piece on Raiders owner Mark Davis and the Raiders’ social media feed, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Audacy, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 140 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests — ESPN staff writer David Purdum and soccer writer Grant Wahl, the host of the Football With Grant Wahl podcast. In this podcast, Purdum discusses where the U.S. and Canada are regarding the number of places where sports gambling is legal; the interest in non-NFL betting; where legacy media outlets are today regarding sports gambling content on air and where they will be in a couple of years; how big players such as DraftKings are hunting for media entities; how he covers his beat and what he thinks are interesting stories; the limited value of pick segments on air beyond entertainment; whether Jake Paul-like events have a big gambling future; the NFL partnering with Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings and FanDuel and what it means, and much more. Wahl discusses the collapse of the Super League; what the Super League might have commanded in the open market as a media play; MLS going to market for a media deal and what it means; whether Fox still has long-term interest in MLS; the interest in soccer from the streaming services in the U.S. and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Audacy, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 139 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests — Sports Illustrated writer Jimmy Traina and Boston Globe columnist Chad Finn — for a roundtable discussion on various sports media topics. In the podcast we discuss Paul Pierce and ESPN parting ways and why the decision was made; did ESPN make the correct decision with Pierce; the ascendency of Kendrick Perkins; Alex Rodriguez working for ESPN and Fox Sports and whether that constitutes a conflict of interest; why none of us think Rodriguez is good in his ESPN role; when the NHL’s second media rights package will be signed; baseball fans being shutout with Hulu and YouTube TV among other carriers; the role of sports gambling in sports media in 2021 and forward; the plans for Meadowlark Media; why Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman are great at what they do, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Audacy, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 138 features Paul Heyman, a longtime WWE performer — he currently is the special counsel for Universal Champion Roman Reigns —and sports entertainment impresario. In this podcast, Heyman discusses how doing press has changed for wrestling performers from the 2000s to current day; how much the public should the media know about the private lives of performers such as Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch or Charlotte Flair; whether he would let a media outlet go behind the scenes for WrestleMania; the freedom to ad-lib as opposed to being tightly scripted; the upcoming Wrestlemania 37 in Tampa; the ease of booking Becky Lynch in next year’s WrestleMania; the challenge of performing the last calendar year in front of no crowds; his comfort level in taking bumps; his time in ECW; how he has been able to work with people who are main event stars; the status of his WWE contract, which is set to expire; whether he would consider hosting a podcast about wrestling; perpetually changing greatness, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Radio.com and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 137 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is NFL Network reporter Stacey Dales. She is followed by ESPN national baseball reporter Marly Rivera. In this podcast Dales discusses her journey from Canada to becoming an All-America basketball player at the University of Oklahoma to playing professional basketball to landing a job at ESPN; the challenges of navigating a high-profile media job in her 20s; how she ended up at the NFL Network after leaving ESPN; the challenges of focusing on an entire league; how to get better as a reporter; her duties and responsibilities at the NFL Network; why offensive lineman are excellent interviews; the state of women’s college basketball and the NCAA’s leadership’s attitude toward its most prominent women’s sport; and much more. Rivera discusses the major stories the baseball media will focus on to start the season; what kind of access MLB reporters will have this year; the challenge of covering amid COVID and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 136 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch examines the NFL media deals. The guests are Jim Miller, James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live and the host of the “Origins” podcast, and Anthony Crupi, the sports media reporter for Sportico. Miller focuses on the ESPN deal and what it means for that network including getting in the Super Bowl rotation; more flexibility for games; and the historical nature of the deal. Crupi discusses the deals made by CBS, Fox, NBC and Amazon including why each outlet decided to focus on what they did; why the NFL wanted to keep the traditional broadcasters; what it means for Amazon to get exclusivity for Thursday Night Football; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 135 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Sean Shapiro, an NHL reporter for The Athletic who specializes in the business of hockey, and Ryan S. Clark, who covers the NHL and Seattle Kraken for The Athletic, for a discussion on ESPN’s seven-year television, streaming and media rights deal. The new agreement will run from the beginning of the 2021-22 season through the 2027-28 season. In this podcast, the panel discusses their impressions of the ESPN-NHL deal; what the deal means for the popularity of hockey in the U.S.; the impact of streaming on the deal; whether it will create more NHL talk on ESPN platforms; the prospect of NBC or Fox getting the other package; whether the NHL should re-align next year and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 134 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Conrad Thompson and Jim Ross, the duo that make up the popular “Grilling JR” podcast. In this podcast, Thompson, the host of six immensely popular wrestling podcasts, and Ross, one of the iconic voices in the history of professional wrestling and a current broadcaster for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), discuss how they formed their partnership; their initial impressions of each other; what expectations they had for the podcast; how they format shows and select topics; the importance of podcast momentum; how they have marketed the podcast and found ancillary revenue sources; their pre-show process; Conrad’s wish-list for future co-hosts; the impact of COVID on the podcast; how each view their roles; the number of downloads per podcast; how the revenue share works; the next evolution for the podcast, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 133 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a conversation with Sports Business Daily media writer John Ourand on the NFL media rights. In this podcast, Ourand and Deitsch discuss where things stand between the football-airing networks and the NFL regarding a rights extension; why John believes CBS and NBC are the furthest along in the deal; the money gap between Disney and the NFL and whether that can be bridged; why some ESPNers believe they have more leverage today than they did in 2011; what ESPN would owe distributors if it jettisoned the NFL; what ESPN would look like without an NFL rights contract; Amazon’s role for Thursday Night Football; the change in Disney leadership impacting the NFL deal; how much of an increase the NFL is likely looking at for its rights; ViacomCBS using the NFL to drive subscriptions to Paramount+; whether there will be a gold rush for soccer rights on streaming and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 132 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features longtime ESPN Monday Night Football play by play broadcaster Steve Levy. In this podcast, Levy discusses calling Monday Night Football this season; the challenges of broadcasting during a pandemic; what management has told him about returning to the booth along with partners Louis Riddick and Brian Griese; whether he believes their group has earned the right to come back; reading about others rumored to be getting the MNF job; the differences between calling hockey and the NFL; thoughts on ESPN getting part of the game rights to the NHL; navigating ESPN over three decades and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 131 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a roundtable on Super Bowl viewership with Sports Business Daily media writer John Ourand and Austin Karp, the Managing Editor/Digital at Sports Business Journal. In this podcast, Deitsch, Ourand and Karp discuss the Super Bowl averaging 96.4 million viewers across all platforms, the lowest since Super Bowl 41 on CBS in 2007; why viewership was down; the declines in the 18 to 49 demographic; the broader context of jewel sports being down during the pandemic; the long-term impact on the NFL; the prospect of post-COVID sports viewership, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 130 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests: Chelsea Janes, a national baseball writer for the Washington Post who previously covered the 2020 U.S. Presidential election. She is followed by Donnovan Bennett, a host, podcaster and writer for Sportsnet in Canada (where I work as well in addition to The Athletic). In this podcast, Janes discusses her professional path of covering the Nationals as a beat writer to covering the 2020 U.S. Presidential campaign to becoming a national baseball writer; the challenges and advantages of moving from sports to political reporting; what the Washington Post newsroom was like on January 6, 2021; the most interesting story in baseball right now; how to report baseball in a pandemic; how many women reporters have a story that tracks the allegations against Mickey Callaway, and much more. Bennett discusses how the sports media has approached the nexus of sports and COVID with regard to daily coverage; the possibility of the NBA All Star game; how we can discuss the Olympics/China in an intelligent way; the BIPOC mentorship pilot program he has started at Rogers Sportsnet; why the program is vital, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 129 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a conversation with Sports Business Daily media writer John Ourand. In this podcast, Deitsch and Ourand discuss NBCSN shuttering at the end of the year and assets moving to Peacock; what the end of NBCSN means for the NHL upcoming media rights deal; the future of Dan Le Batard and John Skipper’s Meadowlark company; potential Super Bowl viewership; the WWE Network morphing to Peacock in the U.S.; the prospect of a canceled Olympics for NBC;; what sports TV PR departments should pitch, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 128 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests for a roundtable discussion on the Jared Porter story and sexual harassment of female sports reporters: Rhiannon Walker, a staff writer who covers Washington football team for The Athletic; Jane McManus, the Director of the Marist's Center for Sports Communication, a Deadspin sports columnist and the co-host of “Ladies Room” podcast with Julie DiCaro, and Britt Ghiroli, a national MLB writer for The Athletic and an MLB Network contributor. In this podcast Ghiroli, McManus and Walker discuss how they processed the Porter story; getting sent penis pics from sources and potential sources they covered; how often sexual harassment happens in the business; Ghiroli’s piece in the Athletic and the line of “if you’re too nice, you are asking for trouble and if you aren’t nice enough, you’re a bitch”; the exhaustion of dealing with this during your career, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 127 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is Noah Eagle, who called Nickelodeon’s first-ever NFL broadcast and is also the radio voice of the L.A. Clippers. He is followed by Ryan S. Clark, who covers the NHL and Seattle Kraken for The Athletic. In this podcast, Eagle discusses the Nickelodeon NFL broadcast; what made the broadcast unique and the planning for it; how he got the assignment; navigating having a well-known father in the sports media business; how he feels about criticism of being gifted jobs; calling the Clippers; being interviewed by Steve Ballmer, and more. Clark discusses covering a team that exists but does not yet play on the ice; what kind of Kraken stories he does today; the interest in the NHL in Seattle; the most interesting stories in the NHL right now; how COVID has impacted coverage; what NHL teams have said about media coverage heading forward; how Clark evaluates diversity and gender among those covering the game; whether those numbers will get better; how the numbers of people in color covering the NHL can get better, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 126 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live and the host of the “Origins” podcast. In this podcast, Miller and Deitsch discuss a dark day for American democracy and Miller’s time working at the U.S. Capitol; what ESPN’s 2021 will look like; the importance of the NFL to ESPN; will they get a Super Bowl; how staffing will look at ESPN; whether ESPN still has the swag as a company; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 125 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Renee Paquette, who worked for nearly eight years as a WWE broadcaster under the name Renee Young. She is the host of “Oral Sessions with Renée Paquette,” an uncensored and unscripted weekly in-depth conversation with a personality. She is followed by Shalise Manza Young, a columnist for Yahoo Sports and a former Boston Globe sports writer. In this podcast, Paquette discusses her pregnancy (she and the AEW wrestler Jon Moxley are having a girl); how the pregnancy announcement came to be on AEW; the shock of the death of Brodie Lee (Jon Huber); missing people in pro wrestling; whether we will see a woman at the main announcing desk of “Raw”; the creative freedom of AEW versus WWE; her upcoming cookbook, “Messy In The Kitchen: My Guide to Eating Deliciously, Hosting Fabulously, and Drinking Copiously” which will come out in May 2021; whether her husband practices promos in her house; if she thinks Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey will return to pro wrestling; the future of Roman Reigns as a heel or a face; missing out on being a heel commentator and much more. Young discusses her column on how Aqib Talib is representing Black Americans in the Fox NFL broadcast booth; how for decades we’ve been trained to believe that live sporting events must be broadcast a certain way; covering Talib while he was with the Patriots; cornerbacks as analysts; why it was Fox that hired Talib; why representation matters; how the coverage of women’s sports and women in sport as we head to 2021; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 124 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is Sports Illustrated writer Jimmy Traina, the host of the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast. In this podcast Traina and Deitsch discuss the state of NFL broadcasting; ESPN’s Monday Night Football booth and what will happen next; whether an Amazon or Netflix would ever get a standalone NFL package. the challenges of a hosting a niche podcast; interviewing people from the wrestling world, Peyton Manning as a broadcaster, WWE vs. AEW, and much more. He is followed by Jane McManus, the Director of the Marist's Center for Sports Communication, a Deadspin sports columnist and former ESPN staffer. She is the co-host of “Ladies Room” podcast with Julie DiCaro. McManus discusses the coverage of college football during the pandemic and the trouble she has with it; why she feels how the young people in her program look at sports journalism; what she thinks ESPN is now after the latest round of the layoffs; journalism at ESPN; and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 123 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live and the host of the “Origins” podcast. In this podcast, Miller and Deitsch discuss ESPN and Dan Le Batard announcing they are mutually parting ways; why that relationship ended; the impact of ESPN management on that decision; Trey Wingo leaving the company; the impact of ESPN management on Wingo not being retained; longtime ESPN writers Wayne Drehs, Bonnie Ford and Ian O’Connor announcing last week they were no longer at ESPN; the impact of losing as many sports journalists as ESPN had over the past five years; what ESPN’s commitment to sports journalism is amid their larger ecosystem heading forward, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 122 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Trey Wingo, who joined ESPN in 1997 and anchored multiple sports and events for the network including serving as the lead host of ESPN’s NFL Draft coverage. Wingo is debuting a new podcast series this week — Half-Forgotten History. In this podcast Wingo discusses his new podcast venture; why he is no longer at ESPN from his perspective; what ESPN management told him when he told them last year that he no longer wanted to continue co-hosting his ESPN Radio show upon the conclusion of his current contract; being the subject of negative news; whether he was a casualty of the company purging high-salaried, long tenured folks; how he viewed the outpouring of praise he received on Twitter after the annoucement; working with Mike Golic on ESPN; why Golic is no longer hosting a prominent spot on ESPN Radio; hosting the September 11, 2001 SportsCenter with Bob Ley; how social media has impacted ESPN; his thoughts on future television work and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 121 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests. First up is ESPN and YES Network broadcaster Ryan Ruocco, who serves as a play-by-play announcer for ESPN’s NBA and WNBA coverage and was most recently named to serve as ESPN’s lead play-by-play commentator for Women’s college basketball. He is followed by Lindsey Adler, who covers the Yankees for The Athletic and Olivia Witherite, who is the social media lead for The Athletic. In this podcast Ruocco, who has worked for ESPN since 2008, discusses how the women’s college basketball assignment come about; whether he will be traveling for it this year; if feedback from producers and executives is different for women’s basketball vs the NBA; the anticipation of calling the Nets this year; why he thinks Brooklyn are legit NBA Finals contenders; his relationship with C.C. Sabathia, and more. Adler and Witherite discuss the impact of Kim Ng becoming the first female general manager in MLB; Adler’s column on on what Ng’s hiring meant for women in baseball and why it matters beyond her; Witherite’s piece on what Ng’s hiring meant to her and Korean-American representation in sports; how much Adler feels her gender on a daily basis covering baseball; Witherite on often being the only Asian person in the room during her sports career; the reaction to their pieces; representation heading forward in sports; Witherite on the skills needed to become a social media lead at an organization; Adler on the challenge for Ng with the Marlins talent base, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 120 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is Hall of Fame basketball coach Muffet McGraw, who served as the head women's basketball coach at Notre Dame from 1987 to 2020, leading her team to nine Final Fours, seven championship game appearances, and two National Championships. Last month McGraw joined ESPN to work in a studio analyst role for the ACC Network. She is followed by soccer journalist Grant Wahl, who hosts the "Fútbol with Grant Wahl" podcast. This week Wahl debuts "American Prodigy: The Freddy Adu Story," a seven-part series on the American soccer player Freddy Adu. In this podcast, McGraw discusses her decision to join the ACC Network and how it came about; why she is sure she will not coach again; why studio work is interesting to her; reaching out to former college basektball coaches Andy Landers and Seth Greenberg about the transition to broadcasting; the challenge of being associated with Notre Dame while analyzing Notre Dame; her relationship with current Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey; the decision to play college basketball this year amid COVID; teaching at Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business and working on Election Day as a poll worker; promoting women’s equality and speaking on behalf of women across the country; her former players in the WNBA and their activism; her relationship with Pete Buttigieg and more. Wahl discusses his new narrative podcast on Freddy Adu, a 7-part series including nearly two dozen interviews with people who have been closest to Adu; the reporting process for such a podcast; why Adu turned down media requests over the years; why Adu did not turn into an American Messi; what Adu told Wahl during their conversation; what Adu is doing now, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 119 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live the host of the “Origins” podcast. In this podcast, Miller discusses the ESPN layoffs; the behind-the-scenes impact of the layoffs; what it means for the company heading forward; the industry trends at work; how ESPN’s desire for the NFL plays into this; the future of ESPN talkers; and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 118 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests. First up is ESPN’s Chris Fowler, the lead college football and tennis voice for ESPN. He is followed by Jordan Cornette and Shae Peppler Cornette, who co-host ESPN Radio’s GameDay each Sunday during football season from 1-5 p.m. ET. It is the first time a married couple has co-hosted an ESPN Radio show. The final guest is the longtime New York Times sportswriter Harvey Araton. He is the author of “Our Last Season: A Writer, a Fan, a Friendship,” which chronicles his bond with Michelle Musler, a longtime season-ticket holder for the Knicks. In this podcast, Fowler discusses his new podcast, “Fowler, who you got?”; why he likes long-form interviews; trying to book guests away from ESPN; doing a non-sports podcast; the adjustments he has made regarding calling college football this year; the lack of a crowd; calling an NFL game this year with Kirk Herbstreit; his interests in doing the NFL long-term; his approach to social justice and politics publicly and much more. Cornette andPeppler discuss co-hosting ESPN Radio’s GameDay each Sunday; what it means to them to be the first married couple to co-host an ESPN Radio show; how they describe their on-air chemistry and show; how their professional partnership come together; moving from successful jobs in Chicago and navigating the ESPN ecosystem; how they decides who leads each show; how much sports is a part of their day to day relationship; whether they hope to continue to work together, and much more. Araton discusses the role of the general sports columnist in 2020 and whether the position is endangered; opinion writing versus reporting; why he wrote his book and the impact personally of his relationship with Musler; how COVID might change the dynamic of the courtside fan; selling a book during a pandemic, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 117 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests as part of a roundtable. The guests are: Michael Mulvihill, the head of strategy and analytics and an executive vice president for Fox Sports; Flora Kelly, the senior director of Strategic and Brand Insights at ESPN and Austin Karp, the Managing Editor/Digital at Sports Business Journal and Sports Business Daily. In this podcast, the trio discusses the macro trends of sports viewership and where things are on linear television and on-demand; why the numbers for so many signature sports properties – Stanley Cup Finals, Kentucky Derby, NBA Finals, Indy 500, and U.S. Open golf etc… — have gone down so much; the NBA and how much impact social justice messaging has had on viewership; why the NFL generally speaking has kept afloat with viewership; general college football viewership trends; social media changing the way perceptions are created about the success of leagues and networks; how much will streaming be a factor over the next five years; can sports gambling produce more sports viewership; what the next 12-36 months might bring in sports viewership trends, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 116 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. The first guest is Sports Business Daily media writer John Ourand. He is followed by Turner Sports NBA analyst Stan Van Gundy. In this podcast Ourand discusses where NFL viewership is after Week 5; how much the Presidential Election coverage will impact sports viewership; the NFL’s thoughts on ratings; the use of ABC has a sports channel; the conclusion of the NBA season and more. Van Gundy discusses his experience and challenges and joys working in the Orlando bubble; spending time with his brother, Jeff Van Gundy, inside the bubble; the current popularity of the NBA; the nexus of sports and politics and race and his willingness to discuss them publicly; how having money gives you the freedom to speak your mind in sports; how he sees owners in the NBA; and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 115 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features ESPN NBA reporter Malika Andrews, whose work appears across ESPN platforms including ESPN.com, SportsCenter and ESPN Radio. In this podcast Andrews discusses working inside the NBA bubble for four months; the challenges and rewards of the experience; the medical protocols of the bubble; being the youngest television sideline reporter ever to work the Eastern Conference finals; how she has found her age to be a factor in her reporting and access; her choking up on camera on SportsCenter following the Louisville grand jury’s decision in the Breonna Taylor case; her social media experience; flunking out of middle school suffering from an eating disorder; how she views her future and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 114 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is Jeff Pearlman, the author Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty. He is followed by Donnovan Bennett, a senior writer and host for Sportsnet Canada (where I also work). In this podcast, Pearlman discusses his reporting on Kobe Bryant and what it was like to report and write critically on Bryant; reporting on the 1996 to 2004 Lakers, interviewing more than 300 people for his book; his reporting interactions with Shaq, Phil Jackson and J.R. Rider; why he thinks people spoke with him; how he views Bryant today, and much more. Bennett discusses the differences and similarities of Canadian sports coverage versus U.S. sports coverage; debate versus conversation in sports; the intersection of the sports media and social justice and racism in the U.S. and Canada; counsel culture; what kind of NBA Finals the Lakers-Heat will be; his take on American college football playing, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 113 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests. First up is John Ourand, the media reporter for Sports Business Daily. He is followed by writer Seyward Darby, the author of “Sisters In Hate: American Women on the Front Lines of White Nationalism” and writer Corey Sobel, the author of “The Redshirt,” selected for the 2020 Long List of the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize. Darby and Sobel are married. In this podcast Ourand and Deitsch discuss the seven game windows for the NFL to start the season, which averaged 15.8 million viewers and was down 9% from 17.3 million last year; the mega-viewership for Fox national window, which drew 25.8 million for Bucs-Saints and was the most-watched Week 1 game for Fox in four years; NFL viewership issues in New York and L.A.; what we expect from the Las Vegas market this year as a ratings play; the Big Ten consulting with network partners such as Fox and ESPN before making its decision to play football this fall; whether ESPN and Fox will cover COVID issues during a broadcast; the Eagles and Fox Bet signing a multiyear sponsorship deal and ESPN’s deals with Caesars Entertainment, William Hill U.S. and DraftKings; the Peacock streaming service; how PR departments deal with politicization of their viewership numbers amd more. Both Darby and Sobel discusses their books, and how they found the current climate to sell a book; Darby’s examination of women as a driving engines of white supremacist hatred; what inspired Sobel to write a fictional novel about college football players; Darby on whether hate has increased or whether our awareness to hate has increased; Sobel on college football being played this year; where Darby’s optimism lies when it comes to hatred in America; what is next for both. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 112 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features four guests. First up is Steve Wyche and Jim Trotter. Both are reporters for NFL Media, where they frequently appear on the NFL Network. They are co-hosting a new podcast, "Huddle and Flow." They are followed by Kavitha Davidson of The Athletic and author and writer Jessica Luther. They are the co-authors of “Loving Sports When They Don’t Love You Back: Dilemmas of the Modern Fan.” In this podcast, Wyche and Trotter discuss their new podcast, Huddle and Flow and what they plan to bring to listeners; why Washington coach Ron Rivera was on the first pod; what they expect from NFL players this far as activism on the field in either the pregame and postgame and what they expect the public reaction to be; Tom Brady moving to Tampa Bay; is this the best group of quarterbacks in history; surprise NFL teams in 2020 from both guests, and more. Davidson and Luther discuss why they wrote the book; your conscience vs. your fandom; the relationship between sports, society and doping; feeling like an outsider because of your gender and race in the sports media; whether true diversity can be achieved in the sports media; owning your own content in the space; marginalized people in the sports media and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 111 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is Renee Paquette, who worked for nearly eight years as a WWE broadcaster under the name Renee Young. She is followed by Turner Sports and NBA TV reporter Stephanie Ready. In this podcast, Young discusses leaving the WWE after nearly eight years; her desire to host a longform audio and video interview podcast in the future; getting the coronavirus and how that still impacts her health today; feeling lost during the time she was assigned as the first full time woman to be on the RAW commentary desk; hearing Vince McMahon in her ear and what it is like to be produced and overproduced by the WWE; the surreal juggling act she had to do when calling her husband’s (Jon Good, who performs as Jon Moxley) matches; her non-compete clause after leaving the WWE; what she thinks about the prospect of joining AEW after her non-compete is over; why Paul Heyman is a genius; traveling with her husband in airports and elsewhere; her upcoming cookbook, “Messy In The Kitchen: My Guide to Eating Deliciously, Hosting Fabulously, and Drinking Copiously” which will come out next year, and much more. Ready discusses her assignment inside the NBA bubble in Orlando; how she and her family came to the decision that she should go; the decision of NBA players to protest games; how she reported within the bubble; her desire to work as a game analyst again; how she sees the athlete movement heading forward; and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 110 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests. First up is Austin Karp, the managing editor for the Sports Business Daily and Sports Business Journal and one of the country’s foremost sports television ratings experts. He is joined by Anthony Crupi, sports media reporter for Sportico, a long time Ad Age staffer, and also one of the country’s foremost sports television ratings experts. Curipi and Karp join Deitsch for a wide-ranging discussion on NBA viewership; where viewership is heading; the impact of LeBron James on the viewership of the sport; whether the NBA’s support for China and Black Lives Matter has impacted viewership and much more. The final segment features Kate Abdo, who hosts UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League for CBS Sports and Premier Boxing Champions on FOX, and has covered significant soccer events for Fox Sports and Sky Sports. In this episode Abdo discusses a remarkable stretch in which she has worked for Fox, Turner and CBS; her surprise that Turner Sports opted out of its Champions League deal; how the CBS job come about; traveling to London and then going through the mandatory 14-day quarantine for travelers arriving from the United States; being fluent in Spanish, French and German and how she is able to translate in real-time different interviews during live Champions League play; her love of languages; the current run of Bayern Munich and PSG and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 109 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live the host of the “Origins” podcast. He is followed by NBC NHL studio analyst Anson Carter. In this podcast, Miller discusses what college football moving from fall to spring would mean for ESPN both for the business as well as the on-air talent and producers that work on it; the impact the move might have on Monday Night Football; Nick Khan, the former Co-Head of Television for CAA Sports, leaving CAA to take the job as President & Chief Revenue Officer of WWE and what impact it will have on the sports media; the decisions ahead for former Khan clients such as Kirk Herbstreit; Sage Steele; Colin Cowherd, Mike Greenberg and others; the current salary structure for sports television talents on TV; how COVID-19 has impacted the financials for talent; what kind of clients agents want today in the sports media, and much more. Carter discusses his new multi-platform show, Hockey Culture, which will highlight stories on inclusion in hockey and people of color working in the sport; why this new initiative is important to him; whether the NHL is serious about issues of inclusion and diversity; how he viewed the experiences of Matt Dumba, a defenseman for the Minnesota Wild, has raised his fist during the Canadian and U.S. anthems before games; his views on the hockey media and his part in it, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 108 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests. First up is ESPN reporter Holly Rowe, who is covering the WNBA season from inside the bubble in Bradenton, Fla. Next is Tania Ganguli, the Lakers beat writer for the Los Angeles Times who is covering the NBA season from inside the bubble in Orlando. She is followed by ESPN’s Stefano Fusaro, who is covering the “MLS Is Back” tournament from inside the bubble in Orlando. In this podcast, Rowe discusses how she landed the assignment and why she wanted it; her experience leading up to going inside the bubble and her first week there; speaking to her doctors about taking the assignment; the access she has inside the bubble; what WNBA players have told her so far about the experience; getting a daily COVID-19 test; her role on WNBA game broadcasts; navigating stories on social activism with game coverage and much more. Ganguli discusses getting the assignment and how she arrived in Orlando; what the opening weeks were like for NBA reporters; the access she has inside the facility; her interaction with players; what she has been told about game access for reporters; the challenges of covering the Lakers; navigating stories on social activism with game coverage and much more. Fusaro explains how he got the assignment and why he wanted to come to Orlando; his opening weeks inside the bubble; the access he has to MLS players; what players have told him about the experiences; navigating stories on social activism with game coverage; providing news for multiple parts of ESPN; how it works for him during game broadcasts; his experience with doctors prior to arriving inside the bubble and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 107 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests. First up is ESPN national MLB writer Marly Rivera. Next is James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live the host of the “Origins” podcast. His latest project is a deep dive into the Cameron Crowe classic coming-of-age-film, “Almost Famous.” He is followed by agent Steve Herz, the president of The Montag Group and the author of a new book, “Don't Take Yes for an Answer: Using Authority, Warmth, and Energy to Get Exceptional Results.” Rivera discusses her piece on Black MLB players past and present on what needs to change; how a piece like that gets put together at ESPN; covering MLB amid COVID-19, the recent New York Times piece featuring ESPN employees criticizing the career pipeline and diversity of top leadership, and more. Miller discusses Wojnarowski’s suspension by ESPN for tweeting “f--- you”to a U.S. Senator; leaks at ESPN; whether this was selective discipline by ESPN; what this means for President Jimmy Pitaro heading forward in terms of discipline and much more. Herz discusses his new book and why he wrote it; the importance of Authority, Warmth and Energy; how COVID-19 has impacted the talent market right now and how it might 18 months down the road; how he advises clients on the intersection of politics and race and social media; what he would say to a young person who wants to enter the business and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices