The Sports Media Podcast

On this week’s pod, SBJ’s Austin Karp and basketball writer Tom Friend put a bow on NBA Finals viewership and look ahead at what’s next for league’s media rights deals. Later in the show, Karp catches up with some sports media newsmakers. The first interview is with Fox Sports’ Alexi Lalas. The U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer talks about his role as lead studio analyst for the UEFA Euros and Copa America, as well as how MLS is at an inflection point for media coverage . Next, Joe Franzetta of Roku drops in to talk about his platform’s new MLB deal, efforts around the Olympics and Formula E and how the company is navigating the live sports rights landscape. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week’s pod, Ice Cube joins us to talk about the BIG3 and why he is the all-time president of Raider Nation. Later in the show, Mike and Paul Rabil fill us in on how the growth strategy for the Premier Lacrosse League has led to big gains as the season kicks into high gear. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week’s pod, Joel Klatt joins the show to talk all things UFL and college football. The Fox Sports football analyst shares his thoughts on the future of spring football and the changing landscape on the college gridiron. Later in the show, SBJ’s Alex Silverman gets us set for the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers. Plus, Mollie Cahillane fills us in on who’s up and who’s down in sports media. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week’s pod, CBS Sports’ Kate Abdo gets us set for the UEFA Champions League final. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne shares what went into executive producing her upcoming FX mini-series, "Clipped," about the Donald Sterling saga, and SBJ's Mollie Cahillane joins to tell us who's up and who's down in sports media. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week’s pod comes to you from 4se where SBJ’s Austin Karp is joined by basketball legend Sue Bird and award-winning director Dawn Porter as the duo share how their documentary, Power of the Dream, came together and what viewers can expect. Later in the show ,Ricardo Viramontes of The SpringHill Company/UNINTERRUPTED talks about how LeBron James and Maverick Carter are making their own mark in original content. Plus SBJ’s Mollie Cahillane joins the pod to add insight into the WNBA’s hot start and gets us set for the NBA Conference Finals. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week’s pod, SBJ’s Austin Karp chats with our Big Get, NASCAR SVP/Media and Productions Brian Herbst. The pair talk ahead of All-Star Weekend about how the sanctioning body’s media landscape has shaped up. The Poynter Institute’s Tom Jones drops in to share who’s up and who’s down in sports media. Also on the show, David Cushnan of our sister outlet Leaders in Sport talks about how things are going across the pond. Later in the show, SBJ media writer Mollie Cahillane shares the latest from the network upfronts. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week’s pod, SBJ’s Austin Karp chats with SBJ NBA writer Tom Friend about the pending NBA media Deal. Cindy Brunson of NBC and Phoenix Mercury is our Big Get this week. The sports broadcasting pioneer talks the upcoming WNBA season. Later in the show, SBJ media writer Mollie Cahillane gets us set for the upcoming network upfronts. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week’s pod, SBJ’s Austin Karp has two Big Get interviews. The first is with Learfield's Cory Moss as he talks about his company’s collaboration on EA Sports College Football. Later in the show, we hear from MASN/ESPN baseball analyst Ben McDonald on how he sees the college and professional baseball scene shaking out. SBJ’s Adam Stern shares his thoughts on the upcoming Canelo-Mungia bout on Prime Video and DAZN. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week’s pod, SBJ’s Austin Karp has two Big Get interviews. The first is with TNT’s Stan Van Gundy as he breaks down the NBA Playoffs from the booth. Later in the show, we hear from ESPN’s VP of Programming and Acquisitions Tim Reed as the NFL Draft gets set to kick off on Thursday night in Motown. SBJ’s Tom Friend also joins the show to share his insights into NBA viewership trends. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week’s pod, SBJ’s Austin Karp has two Big Get interviews. The first is with Molly Solomon, who will lead NBC’s production of the Olympics, and she shares what the network is are planning for Paris 2024. Later in the show, we hear from ESPN’s P.K. Subban as the Stanley Cup Playoffs get set to start this weekend. SBJ’s Josh Carpenter also joins the show to share his insights from this year’s Masters, while Karp dishes on how the WNBA Draft’s record-breaking viewership is setting the league up for a new stratosphere of numbers. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week’s pod, SBJ’s Austin Karp is joined by Richard Deitsch of The Athletic to talk all things sports media. The duo discuss the Caitlin Clark effect, WrestleMania expectations and the Masters. Later in the show SBJ’s Ben Portnoy drops into talk about his thoughts on the Final Four for both the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball tournaments. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is Fox MLB lead analyst John Smoltz. The Hall of Fame pitcher gets us set for the full start of the MLB season with our host, SBJ’s Austin Karp. Later, SBJ baseball writer Erik Bacharach dives into the latest with RSNs. Also on the show, SBJ golf writer Josh Carpenter dives into the latest as the PGA Tour battles declining TV numbers. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, Peter King is the Big Get. SBJ’s Austin Karp chats with the recently retired sports media legend about what’s next, what story was the most difficult to cover and much more as they reflect on King’s legendary career. The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson also joins the show to share who he thinks is up and who he thinks is down in sports media. Jackson also talks about Caitlin Clark’s potential to move WNBA viewership and the major decisions ahead for David Berson at CBS. Jackson and King also share their fond memories of Chris Mortensen. Later in the pod, SBJ’s Rob Schaefer chimes in with the latest on Netflix’s swing at tennis in Las Vegas and what's coming at Indian Wells. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, SBJ’s Austin Karp is joined by Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network’s lead draft analyst. The pair talk about a potential move for the NFL Combine, how life lead Jeremiah to this moment and much more Also on the show SBJ’s Josh Carpenter provides insight into “The Match” and its move to Monday night on TNT. Later in the show Leaders in Sports Head of Content David Cushnan and SBJ motorsports writer Adam Stern discuss the upcoming media issues around the start of the F1 season and in Karp’s Corner, we see what the latest record Caitlin Clark helped set. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week’s pod, we get you set for the start of the MLS season. SBJ’s Austin Karp is joined by Apple TV+ lead MLS voice Taylor Twellman to talk about the upcoming season. The duo discuss the “Messi Effect” and the storylines to keep an eye on this season. SBJ’s Alex Silverman also chimes in with what he is taking a look at as the Major League Soccer season kicks off. Later in the pod, SBJ’s Rachel Axon talks up expectations for the Paris Olympics. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this Valentine's Day edition of the Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, SBJ's Austin Karp puts a bow on the Chiefs Super Bowl victory and the Big Game's record-breaking audience numbers. With the Daytona 500 right around the corner, SBJ's Adam Stern, NASCAR President Steve Phelps and NASCAR on Fox analyst Clint Bowyer drop in to talk about what to expect in the "Great American Race" as well as the new Netflix series, "Full Speed." And with the NBA All-Star Game set for the Indianapolis, SBJ's Tom Friend holds court on the the league's media landscape and his expectation from the festivities in the Circle City. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, 57 Emmy Awards worth of Super Bowl insight. First SBJ's Austin Karp is joined by Ben Fischer from Las Vegas talk the upcoming Super Bowl. The duo discuss reaction to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's definitive answer on if the Super Bowl's streaming future and other things that have stood out leading up to the Super Bowl. Later in the show CBS Executive Producer and Executive VP, Production, Harold Bryant joins to talk about what we can expect from the entire Paramount family for the Super Bowl and then Fred Gaudelli, Executive Producer of NBC’s “Sunday Night Football and Thursday Night Football on Prime Video joins to give insight on how he is viewing this year's Super Bowl. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New name, same great information. In this week's Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, SBJ's Austin Karp reacts to the Super Bowl matchup between the Chiefs and 49ers with SBJ Football Writer Ben Fischer. The duo also discuss Who's Up and Who's Down in Sports Media, the NFL Pro Bowl, and Super Bowl Opening Night. SBJs's Alex Silverman also joins Karp to talk about the upcoming NHL All-Star Game in Toronto and how some NHL RSNs are finding success in surprising ways. All of this plus Karp's Corner takes a deeper look into the "Taylor Swift effect." Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode 123: On this week's pod, Andrew Marchand is joined by Sports Business Journal's Austin Karp to discuss the $5 billion WWE deal with Netflix and what it means for the future of sports rights. The duo discuss the impact of the agreement on the NBA's forthcoming broadcast negotiations. They also highlight the bonkers NFL TV ratings, while wading into Tony Romo and Jim Nantz' struggles on their broadcasts. Plus, they pick their "Who's up" and "Who's down" of the week. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andrew Marchand and guest host Amazon Prime Video/NBC/Peacock's Michael Smith talk about the current state of media, including the NFL's advanced talks with Disney/ESPN about an equity stake in the network in exchange for NFL Media. The two go into the current state of affairs involving ESPN, Pat McAfee, Stephen A. Smith and Jason Whitlock. All that, and each host gives his "Who's up" and "Who's down" for the week. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's edition, Christopher (Mad Dog) Russo is the guest host, joining Andrew Marchand. Marchand and Russo go into full detail about McAfee, Aaron Rodgers and Norby Williamson. They also dissect ESPN's reaction to McAfee calling Williamson, one of the top executives at the company, a "rat." Marchand and Russo look at the Peacock playoff game that will be exclusively streamed, pitting the Chiefs and the Dolphins. Sports Business Journal's Austin Karp joins the show to discuss how ESPN presented McAfee's ratings and to play the old Mike & the Mad Dog game of guessing the ratings. Plus, Russo goes into First Take and Stephen A. Smith's impact on his career. Plus, Russo joins Marchand in offering his "Who's up" and "Who's Down" with a classic Mad Dog spin on it. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's Marchand and Ourand podcast, Joe Buck is the guest co-host with Andrew Marchand. John Ourand is off to Puck. Marchand and Buck both give their Who's up and Who's Down of the week. The duo discuss Buck's reunion with his Fox family at Jimmy Johnson's Ring of Honor ceremony in Dallas, what Tom Brady will be facing, why Buck and Troy Aikman have that is hard to replace, how Al Michaels has been treated by NBC, Bucks' father's Jack being fired in airport by CBS Radio, Buck's feelings on baseball and what makes a great final call. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week’s Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast Hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand preview the biggest sports media stories of 2024. The includes the return of Marchand’s “Brady Meter,” which gives the odds on whether Hall of Fame QB Tom Brady will call a game as Fox’s top NFL analyst. The two also discuss to options for Greg Olsen, the analyst Brady is replacing. Other topics include predictions about the NBA’s media rights deal, which is expected to be completed in the first part of 2024; ESPN’s direct-to-consumer plans, which are expected to come at some point in 2025; Disney’s push to find investors for ESPN next year; and the likely outcome from all the chaos surround regional sports networks right now. Other topics include: Streaming company strategies, the Paris Olympics, the CFP media negotiations and Orioles broadcaster Kevin Brown. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andrew Marchand published a list of the 25 most powerful people in sports media this year. Stephen A. Smith topped the list, followed by Lionel Messi, CBS’ Sean McManus, ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro and Fox Sports’ Eric Shanks. Hosts Marchand and John Ourand debated the executives and talent who should be on the list; the ones who should be off the list; and the ones that were placed too high or too low. The two then talked about the repercussions from having Amazon potentially invest in the bankrupt RSN company, Diamond Sports Group. Marchand and Ourand handicapped the NBA talks and broke down Josh Krulewitz’ big promotion to run ESPN’s comms team. Ourand ended the pod by discussing his decision to move from SBJ to Puck Media. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Marchand & Ourand Sports Media podcast, hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand offer their best projections about who will wind up with NBA rights. Marchand & Ourand also give a behind-the-scenes account of what actually transpired when the NFL decided to flex a game into “Monday Night Football.” Marchand gives all the information surrounding his scoop that NBC will use Ian Eagle – and not Al Michaels – in the booth for one of its NFL playoff games. The hosts discuss the controversies around inaccurate reports about Shohei Ohtani’s free agency, including one from MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, who mistakenly reported that Ohtani was on a plane to Toronto. Ourand talks about how the most team-friendly RSN deal in the country allowed the Dodgers to afford Ohtani’s monster contract. SBJ’s Austin Karp joins for another installment of Karp’s Korner, where he talks about the television success of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament and the NFL’s regular season. As always, Marchand and Ourand tell listener’s who’s up and who’s down in sports media this week. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As college football readies for the CFP and the NFL enters the final stage of its season, hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand look into the biggest media stories in both sports. For college football, that includes the CFP, the end of the Pac-12 conference and the final SEC on CBS telecast. With the NFL, Marchand and Ourand dissect the NFL’s decision to use flex scheduling on for “Monday Night Football,” and they analyze Amazon’s record-setting viewership for the Seahawks-Cowboys game. Marchand and Ourand devote a topic to the NBA’s on-going media rights negotiations. Marchand looks into how MLB Network is treating MLB’s Winter Meetings. And Ourand explains why the DirecTV-Tegna carriage battle is so important to the sports media business. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The NFL set a viewership record on Thanksgiving Day across CBS, Fox and NBC. It also kicked-off the first Black Friday game in its history, which was carried on Amazon Prime. Pod hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand discuss the league’s media dominance and whether Black Friday will follow that trajectory. Now that the NBA is through the round-robin part of its In-Season Tournament, Marchand and Ourand dissect what they like and don’t like about the tournament and whether it has the staying power to be one of the NBA’s tent-pole events. Two of the most controversial sports media stories of the last two weeks made it onto the pod’s list of topics this week. One is the Futurism report that Sports Illustrated had been using AI-generated stories and AI-generated bylines without properly alerting readers. The other is Charissa Thompson’s comments to the “Pardon My Take” podcast that she used to make up sideline reports when she wasn’t able to track down a coach. This week also sees the return of the “MandO Mailbag.” Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The head of Amazon’s global sports Jay Marine joins the pod this week to discuss Amazon’s sports strategy and how the company uses sports to grow its Prime Video business. Marine opens up to hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand about Amazon’s NBA negotiations, saying that Amazon wants to have meaningful games – including playoffs – on Amazon Prime. Marine also provides updates on Amazon’s negotiations to get NASCAR rights and CFP rights, and offers a preview to what viewers can expect during the first Black Friday game. Marchand and Ourand offer their picks for who is up in sports media, and who is down in sports media. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Disney CEO Bob Iger recently announced the year – 2025 – when ESPN will take its main cable channel direct-to-consumer. Host Andrew Marchand, who has reported on 2025 as the date for a couple of years, and John Ourand discuss what needs to happen before the 2025 launch date. The two hosts identify storylines that should develop over the next two years, as it heads direct-to-consumer. In light of SBJ’s report on Netflix’s interest in the NBA’s In-Season Tournament, Marchand and Ourand discuss Netflix’s aspirations to invest in live sports. The hosts also dive into Marchand’s exclusive interview with Al Michaels and talk about the future of the broadcasting legend. Former NFL legend and current TV star Eli Manning joins the podcast as The Big Get and addresses how his brother Peyton Manning convinced him to do the “ManningCast” and when he knew that the Monday night show would be a success. Manning also dives into how he dealt with the media as a star quarterback in New York, what he learned from Derek Jeter when talking with the media and who his media influences were in his younger days. Manning also discusses the 2-8 New York Giants and offers suggestions on how his former team can improve. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The NBA agreed to a deal with the bankrupt company Diamond Sports Group, which runs the Bally Sports-branded regional sports networks. Hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand discuss how that deal affects the 15 NBA teams that have Diamond deals; how the deal could impact the league’s national TV negotiations; and what the deal means for Diamond Sports. Marchand and Ourand also discuss how MLB will approach its off-season from a sports media standpoint and look into the takeaways from its ultra successful Chiefs-Dolphins game in Germany last weekend. Mike McCarley, the founder and CEO of TMRW Sports and TGL, joins the pod as The Big Get this week and tells the story about how Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and he decided to launch this venture. McCarley details what viewers should expect when it launches in January on ESPN. A long-time veteran of the sports media business, McCarley details the current market for sports media rights and offers his two cents on the LIV Golf controversy that took over the sport this summer. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

YouTubeTV experienced a lot of streaming problems on Sunday, and Bally Sports’ app was not working on Monday night. Co-hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand dive into what those two problems say about where and how streaming fits into the current state of sports media. In other topics, Marchand and Ourand offer their predictions on the NBA’s next rights deal, talk about MLB’s success this season regardless of World Series ratings and dive into MLS post-season run on AppleTV+. Marchand discusses the sports media listening tour he took last week in Minnesota, where local fans had a lot of opinions about how much they would pay to stream their teams’ games. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

DirecTV’s top content executive Rob Thun joins the pod as co-host this week to discuss the problems regional sports networks are having today and talk about how the satellite operator plans to handle local sports rights in the future. Thun tells co-host John Ourand how some of the local broadcast deals some teams have made aren’t as good as they seem, and he calls on network groups to work more closely with DirecTV as they push out direct-to-consumer services. This is the first time in nearly 30 years that DirecTV is not carrying the NFL Sunday Ticket package, and Thun talks about why he made the decision to pass on it. The voice of baseball for Fox, Joe Davis, joins the pod as The Big Get and talks about how his preparation for the upcoming World Series differs from how he prepared for his first one last year. Davis gets into how the pitch clock affected how he called games this season; what it’s like to call games in Philadelphia; why so many young play-by-players are calling games nowadays; how he got started in the business; and the difference between a Texas chop and a Baltimore chop. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As rumors about ESPN’s streaming plans continue to swirl around, hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand separate fact from fiction. They look at the types of companies that would be interested in taking an ownership stake in ESPN and discuss the timing for when ESPN takes its main network – the mothership – direct-to-consumer. Other topics have the hosts handicapping expected winners in the rights negotiations happening with the NBA, NASCAR and College Football Play. They discuss Marchand’s report of Pat McAfee paying guests and offer a review of the MLB playoffs so far. Marchand and Ourand offer a tribute to the retiring NHL analyst Barry Melrose. And they talk about Chris LaPlaca, ESPN’s long-time communications executive who announced his retirement this week. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Negotiations for the College Football Playoff’s media rights negotiations have starts, and pod hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand break down the media companies that will be involved and the likely winners once the CFP expands to add at least four more games. The hosts discuss the NFL’s request to have TV networks run ads for Taylor Swift’s upcoming movie and preview what to expect this week when Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs play on Thursday. As the NBA preps for a media rights negotiation, Marchand and Ourand look into what leagues can do to make their regular season games more valuable. This week’s episode sees the return of Karp’s Korner, as SBJ’s ratings guru Austin Karp breaks down MLB’s regular season ratings, provides an update on MLB’s post-season ratings and previews what to expect with MLB’s World Series ratings. Karp provides the reasons why national numbers are lagging local viewership trends in the sport. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Last week, Sean McManus announced that he was stepping down as CBS Sports chairman next spring after a 27-year run. This week, McManus joins the podcast to talk about his career and the state of sports media. In a wide-ranging interview, McManus talks about his start in the business, working for legendary executives like Don Ohlmeyer, Geoff Mason and Mark McCormack. McManus takes listeners behind the curtain for the NFL deal he struck in 1998 that changed the fortunes of his network. McManus also discusses the current state of sports media, including the rise of digital streaming and Paramount+, CBS’ appetite for new sports rights deals and Tony Romo’s performance as the network’s top NFL game analyst. Pod hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand discuss ESPN’s alternate “Toy Story” telecast that ran on ESPN+ alongside its exclusive Falcons-Jaguars game from London. They banter about the effect Taylor Swift and Deion Sanders have on NFL and college football TV ratings. Marchand talks about Mark Jackson’s broadcasting future, and Ourand offers an update on Diamond Sports Group’s bankruptcy saga. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred joins Andrew Marchand and John Ourand on this week's show for a half hour interview. During the sit down, Manfred goes deep into the future of local media, blackouts, Apple, Peacock, ESPN, fragmentation, Yankees TV, what the future of sports gambling will look like, how a different pitch clock was considered for October, the future of the Orioles in Baltimore and the A's in Oakland.Prior to the interview, Marchand and Ourand give their "Who's up and Who's down for the week" and delve deep into the legendary career of retiring CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus. Plus, there is Taylor Swift talk. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A bunch of breaking news this week dominate this week’s topics, from Bob Iger’s decision to simulcast most of ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” games on ESPN and ESPN New York’s decision to relinquish its 98.7 FM signal next year to Warner Bros. Discovery plan to launch a live sports add-on tier via its Max streaming service and the XFL and USFL’s plan to merge spring football leagues. Hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand have reported on all these stories and dissect why they are happening and explain how these moves will alter the sports media landscape. Now that we’re through two weeks of the 2023 NFL season, Marchand and Ourand dive into the biggest sports media storylines that have emerged, including YouTubeTV’s debut with “NFL Sunday Ticket,” the potential for “NFL RedZone” to cut into YouTubeTV’s subscriber numbers and the massive audience Amazon Prime brought to its first “Thursday Night Football” game of the season. Marchand and Ourand also tackle the impact Colorado coach Deion Sanders already has had on the college football landscape. Other topics include rights negotiation updates for the NBA, NASCAR, UFC and WWE. And Ourand pays homage to a week’s worth of great Orioles calls by MASN’s Kevin Brown. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Just hours before the first “Monday Night Football” game of the season, Disney and Charter reached a deal to restore ABC and ESPN on Spectrum cable systems. Disney’s Justin Connolly was one of the key executives on that deal, and he joins the pod’s first “Inside the News” segment. Connolly discusses what last weekend was like as the two sides had round-the-clock discussions to close the deal. Other topics include why the deal works for ESPN, whether this deal provides a blueprint for other distributors, what implications this deal has on ESPN’s planned direct-to-consumer service and how this deal will affect ESPN’s aggressiveness in acquiring sports rights. Following the interview, hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand offer their opinions on the deal and discuss the NFL’s first week of the 2023 regular season.ESPN analyst Marcus Spears joins as The Big Get and entertainingly outlines his progression from the NFL to ESPN. Spears talks about his new deal to stay at ESPN and the other opportunities that cropped up as he went through the negotiating process. Other topics include the media challenges involved with playing for bigger market teams; his influences in sports media; and an animated discussion of Paul Finebaum’s hairstyle. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

All Disney networks, including ESPN, went dark on Charter’s Spectrum cable systems on Aug. 31, affecting close to15 million subscribers. Pod hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand discuss how ESPN and Charter got to this point and predict what should happen next. The outcome of this deal has tentacles well beyond just ESPN and Charter. It has big ramifications for the entire sports business. Just a couple of days before the start of the NFL’s regular season, Marchand and Ourand identify the NFL media story lines they will be following most closely this season. And they discuss Chris Fowler’s Instagram video explaining why he made several mistakes announcing a recent college football game. Fox Sports’ top NFL broadcast booth of Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen join the pod as The Big Get this week. The duo tell stories from last season when they replaced Joe Buck and Troy Aikman as the top crew. And they talk about the specter of another season calling games with Tom Brady waiting in the wings to take over as Fox’s top NFL analyst for the 2024-25 season. Marchand brings out his Brady Meter for this conversation. Burkhardt and Olsen also discuss some of the biggest sports media stories, including the current state of college athletics.Topics1:16 Who's Up/Who's Down5:58 ESPN-Charter24:10 NFL Preview26:12 Fowler's Flubs29:05 The Big Get: Kevin Burkhardt & Greg Olsen Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Changes to the college football television landscape is the top topic on this week’s show, the hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand discussing the new Big Ten deals that take effect this season on CBS, Fox and NBC. The co-hosts discuss everything from the analysts that will be used on these games to Peacock’s role in streaming games. The hosts then turn their attention to the free-agency frenzy that had Stephen A. Smith’s “First Take” show compete with Skip Bayless’ “Undisputed.” The TV networks’ ratings dispute with the NFL, Nielsen and Amazon is one of the biggest topics in sports media today, and Marchand and Ourand talk about why the TV networks are so publicly at odds over Nielsen’s plan to incorporate first-party data from Amazon into its “Thursday Night Football” ratings report. The hosts then turn their attention to Warner Bros. Discovery Sports’ plan to get out of the regional sports network business. As always, Marchand and Ourand offer their picks on Who’s Up and Who’s Down for the week. This week, those picks include Patrick Crumb, Kevin Connors, Rob Manfred and Tony Romo. The hosts debut a new segment this week: the MandO Mailbag.1:46 Who’s Up/Who’s Down8:10 College Football Kickoff15:08 “First Take” v “Undisputed”21:01 Networks vs NFL vs Amazon on ratings27:05 WBD Sports leaves RSN business31:27 MandO Mailbag35:03 The Big Get: Mark Ingram II Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fantasy guru Matthew Berry joins the pod this week just a week after news broke that he raised $2 million for his Fantasy Life with an all-star roster of investors including everyone from Casey Wasserman and Tony Khan to Josh Allen and Joe Burrow. Berry discusses his move from ESPN to NBC and how he rode the rise of fantasy sports to create a career. A student of the sports media business, Berry opined on his thoughts of where the business is headed and how today’s sports media stars can amass audiences. Hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand discuss the biggest sports media news of the day: ESPN’s decision to part ways with Lee Fitting, the executive behind the massive success of College GameDay. Fitting oversaw the production behind all college and pro football at the network. Marchand and Ourand discuss daytime studio changes at ESPN and Fox shows “First Take” and “Undisputed.” The two hosts also highlight reader feedback from their regular disagreement over Amazon’s and Apple’s interest in sports media.Time stamps1:28 Who’s Up/Who’s Down5:07 ESPN and Lee Fitting7:54 The Fox and ESPN talent battle14:56 Apple and Amazon23:00 The Big Get: Matthew Berry Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Less than two weeks after Arizona, Arizona State and Utah bolted the Pac-12 for the Big 12, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark joins the show to explain how it all went down. Yormark details the Big 12’s media rights deals for ESPN and Fox Sports and the rationale behind his decision to renew those deals early. Yormark outlines his vision when he started at the conference a year ago and how closely the events of the past few months aligned with his plans. He spoke about his relationships in the business, including a recent phone call with his Pac 12 counterpart George Kliavkoff. And he makes his case for college basketball to be valued more by networks. As this marks the 100th episode of the Marchand & Ourand Sports Media Podcast, hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand discuss the top five sports media stories over the past 100 weeks, including changes at ESPN, the emergence of Amazon and Apple in the sports media business, the wild media success of the NFL, the pending media success of the NBA and the implosion of regional sports networks. Marchand and Ourand give their Who’s Up and Who’s Down over the past 100 episodes in sports media.TIME STAMPS1:48 Who’s Up/Who’s Down8:57 ESPN in transition15:11 Amazon v Apple22:50 NFL Media gains30:45 NBA Media future33:39 RSN implosion40:53 The Big Get: Brett Yormark Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Media implications from the Pac-12’s demise make up the biggest topic in this week’s Marchand & Ourand Sports Media podcast, with hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand talking about Pac-12 missteps over the past 12 months, why some university presidents did not like the Apple deal and the changing media marketplace when it comes to sports rights. Marchand and Ourand identify the three main culprits responsible for the Pac-12’s demise. Conversation turned to the College Football Playoff, which currently is negotiating a new rights deal, and NBA, which will start negotiating in earnest early next year. This leads to a discussion of the overall market and why television companies and streamers are driving harder bargains on sports rights than they have in the past. Marchand and Ourand also discuss the plight of Orioles announcer Kevin Brown, who has not called the team’s games in two weeks. The hosts outline reasons why the team decided to keep their top announcer on the bench for two weeks and offer their opinions on the escalating situation. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Host Andrew Marchand broke all the news about ESPN’s new NBA booth next season, and on this week’s podcast, he explains why ESPN let go of Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy. Host John Ourand broke news this week of NASCAR signing a rights deal with The CW, and on this week’s podcast, he breaks down what the deal means for both The CW and NASCAR. Other topics on this week’s pod include the frightening subscriber numbers sports channels are posting this year; the state of negotiations around the Pac-12’s media deal; an update on the MLS-Apple deal; and the status of ESPN Radio now that the company has outsourced the group’s operations and sales to Craig Karmazin’s Good Karma. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week’s Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast sponsored by WSC Sports:In this week’s Marchand & Ourand Sports Media Podcast, Mike Tirico joins the show one year before the start of the Summer Olympics in Paris. Tirico talks about his preparation for hosting those games with NBC and his role in covering geopolitical stories during the games. Tirico describes how he broke into the business, how he landed a job at ESPN and what made him move to NBC. Tirico also discusses the situation early in his NBC tenure when he wasn’t calling NFL games and how he kept from being frustrated. Marchand and Ourand open the podcast with a discussion around the company Disney is most likely to pick as a strategic partner on ESPN, from Comcast to sports leagues to venture capital to Big Tech to gambling. The two hosts then talk the story Ourand broke about the number of MLS Season Pass subscribers approaching 1 million. The conversation turns to parsing Apple’s sports ambitions further and a review of the Pac-12’s Media Day. As always, Marchand and Ourand give their picks for Who’s Up and Who’s Down in sports media for the week.For more information about WSC Sports http://bitly.ws/AUVk Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week’s Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast sponsored by WSC Sports:In this week’s Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, BoA Securities Analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich joins hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand to discuss ESPN’s future. Reif Ehrlich dissects Bob Iger’s CNBC interview from last week, when he spoke about looking for a strategic partner for ESPN. She talked about who the likely partners on ESPN would be, when ESPN would take its main channel direct-to-consumer and whether Disney is a stronger company without ESPN right now. Reif Ehrlich also analyzed where the multichannel universe is headed, the companies that are best situated for the changes in media and the decision facing the NBA, as that league takes its rights to market. Marchand and Ourand discuss broadcaster moves at ESPN (“MNF Countdown” and NBA games) and FS1 (“Undisputed”). They preview the FIFA Women’s World Cup, give MLS a report card as the league meets for its annual All-Star Game and review ESPN’s coverage from Wimbledon. As with every pod, Marchand and Ourand offer their picks of who in sports media had a good week, and who did not. For more information about WSC Sports http://bitly.ws/AUVkDisclosures for Jessica Reif Ehrlich / BofA Securities on DISThe issuer is or was, within the last 12 months, an investment banking client of BofAS and/or one or more of its affiliates.BofAS or an affiliate expects to receive or intends to seek compensation for investment banking services from this issuer or an affiliate of the issuer within the next three months.BofAS or an affiliate has received compensation from the issuer for non-investment banking services or products within the past 12 months.The issuer is or was, within the last 12 months, a securities business client (non-investment banking) of BofAS and/or one or more of its affiliates.The issuer is or was, within the last 12 months, a non-securities business client of BofAS and/or one or more of its affiliates.BofAS or one of its affiliates has a significant financial interest in the fixed income instruments of the issuer. If this report was issued on or after the 15th day of the month, it reflects a significant financial interest on the last day of the previous month. Reports issued before the 15th day of the month reflect a significant financial interest at the end of the second month preceding the report.One or more analysts responsible for covering the securities in this report owns stock of the covered issuer. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week’s Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast sponsored by WSC Sports:Andrew Marchand returns from vacation to offer his perspective on ESPN’s layoffs, from which high-profile on-air departure is the most surprising to educated guesses on who will call NBA games given Jeff Van Gundy’s layoff. Marchand and John Ourand go on to discuss the New York Times’ decision to scrap its sports desk and move its existing sports reporters to the business section. As MLB enters the mid-way point of its season, Marchand and Ourand take a deep dive into the regional sports network crisis that teams, leagues and media companies are facing. The co-hosts discuss MLB’s local media strategy and Charter’s plan to deal with the high-cost channels on its Spectrum cable systems. The two also talk about personnel changes on Fox Sports’ Big Noon Kickoff and opine on the newest Twitter threat: Threads.For more information about WSC Sports http://bitly.ws/AUVk Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.