Эпизоды
-
Michael Ratner, C.E.O. of Fanatics Studios, and Lance Fensterman, C.E.O. of Fanatics Events, join John to discuss the wild growth and evolution of Fanatics Fest—and why immersive, interactive experiences built around high-profile athlete appearances are central to its appeal. Ratner also gets into the thinking behind a reimagined ESPYs, which he’s overseeing and which should kickstart a major weekend for Fanatics.
-
Wells Fargo Securities analyst Steven Cahall joins John to cut through the noise on sports media’s biggest storylines: why a sale of NBC is less likely than the market assumes, the fuzzy logic surrounding the $22 billion Fox–Roku deal, whether linear networks can actually afford to pay more for the NFL, and much more.
-
Пропущенные эпизоды?
-
With Wimbledon in full swing, John is joined by Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of tennis. They get into Serena Williams’ return to the court, the WTA’s player protests over fair wages, and the challenges and opportunities facing the sport in the U.S. Wertheim also illuminates how tennis keeps finding itself at the forefront of women’s sports’ remarkable rise.
-
C.E.O. Eric Shanks joins John to gush about the World Cup and Fox’s decade-long investment in soccer. He discusses his biggest surprises, Fox’s always-on approach to coverage, Zlatan Ibrahimović’s unlikely TV career, the controversial hydration breaks, the looming 2030 rights war, and more.
-
The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand is back on the pod to discuss the World Cup’s runaway success, from its strong attendance numbers and high TV ratings to its positive impact on social media. He also predicts what the momentum means for the 2030 rights, and whether it could land on a streamer for the first time. Plus, how MLS can capitalize on the moment to become a top league globally.
-
FanDuel President Christian Genetski joins John to talk shop about World Cup engagement, the sports betting scandals putting the industry under a microscope, and FanDuel’s foray into prediction markets. Genetski addresses the looming transparency and regulation questions head-on, and explains how he’s threading the needle between legal complexities and a consumer appetite that's only intensifying.
-
NBC Sports’ Nicole Auerbach rejoins The Varsity to gab with John about all the latest chaos in college sports, from a bizarre twist in the Big Ten–SEC rivalry to the ongoing legal drama surrounding Brendan Sorsby and an unexpected political threat in Washington.
-
Fresh off of the Knicks' historic championship victory, John sits down with ESPN's Brian Windhorst and New York's own Mike Breen to dig into James Dolan's ownership of the team, the undervalued roster Leon Rose quietly assembled, and why Jalen Brunson is essentially funding his own teammates. Breen also expands on his emotional call as the clock hit zero.
-
John sits down with Axios media correspondent Sara Fischer to discuss the throw down set for next Sunday on the White House lawn. They discuss the press access issues and the potential growth opportunities for the UFC. The pair also chat about the brands flocking to F1's Apple era, and the Murdoch vs. NFL leverage war playing out on Capitol Hill.
-
Rich Greenfield, the LightShed partner and sports guru, joins John to weigh in on the looming NFL rights renegotiation bonanza: who wins, who blinks first, and why the league still has all the leverage in the post-cord-cutting era.
-
Puck legal guru Eriq Gardner joins John Ourand to explain how Capitol Hill and a veritable army of lawyers are reshaping college athletics: the fight over the Sports Broadcasting Act, the usual NIL mishegas, the Sunday Ticket time bomb, and much more.
-
ESPN head of content Burke Magnus joins John to discuss what's working for the network and what's in store. They chat about Inside the NBA, the state of the NBA booth, the NFL Network acquisition, and what it takes to draw younger audiences in through digital and social. They also discuss the MLB.tv experiment, and Magnus reveals what's still on his wish list for the network.
-
John sits down with Dan Helfrich, COO of US Soccer, ahead of the World Cup. Helfrich makes the case for the US team’s readiness and discusses how this three-nation-hosted tournament is so unique. He also explains why the pipeline to a top-tier MLS starts with youth development, college soccer, and the communities that support them.
-
Peter Supino, the Wolfe Research super analyst, joins John to gab about the changing sports media landscape and the insider math behind two of the biggest rights deals of the decade: Apple’s curious bet on F1, and whether Paramount overpaid for UFC.
-
The Athletic's Andrew Marchand joins John to discuss Apple’s use of numerous iPhone 17 Pros to produce a live soccer match, and whether iPhone broadcasting could become the norm. They also get into the 2026 World Cup and whether issues like ticket pricing, immigration concerns, and stadium occupancy will significantly impact the event. Finally, they discuss Netflix’s acquisition of the Women's World Cup.
-
Horizon Media’s Adam Schwartz hops on the pod to discuss the state of the ad sales market with John. They talk about the vitality of the 30 second ad spot, A.I. optimization for commercials during sports broadcasts, social media sponsorships…. and why there’s still nothing that beats the Super Bowl.
-
UTA Sports chief Jerry Silbowitz joins John to discuss the newly released 2026 NFL schedule, including the league's experimentation with games on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Saturdays in December, and a whopping nine games abroad. Then they turn to the rise of talent-led IP—like Dave Portnoy's Barstool—and the impact of the creator economy on sports media.
-
Jason Stein, the sports investor and indefatigable pickleball advocate, joins John to discuss the flow of private equity into sports at all levels, the commercialization of the NCAA, the future of youth sports…. and Apollo’s $225 million investment in Pickleball Inc.
-
Business Insider’s Peter Kafka joins John for a deep dive into ESPN’s effect on Disney’s bottom line. Kafka explains why Disney chief Josh D’Amaro ultimately decided against spinning ESPN into a separate company and looks into what needs to happen for his position to change. The two also highlight the new creator economy in sports media and handicap what’s likely to happen during the NFL’s media rights negotiations.
-
Paul Rabil, co-founder of the Premier Lacrosse League, joins John for a candid chat about the challenges of carving out space in today’s overcrowded sports media landscape. They dig into the essential changes the league is implementing this upcoming season, its rights deal with ESPN, and an exciting women’s league launch slated for this year—including the budding superstar Rabil believes could transcend the sport, á la Caitlin Clark. Rabil also looks ahead to LA28 and shares what he’s learned about building a league with genuine staying power.
- Показать больше
