The Varsity

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. 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

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

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. 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

Joe House and Nathan Hubbard, hosts of The Ringer’s Fairway Rollin podcast, join John to weigh in on LIV Golf’s strategic misfires, from its combative marketing to its Saudi entanglements, which they suggest ultimately undercut the golf startup’s lofty ambitions. They also discuss PGA Tour’s ratings rebounds, the potential return of LIV players to PGA, the future of TGL, 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

Family Lore is a weekly narrative podcast that celebrates and investigates ancestral mystique. Each episode begins with a guest sharing a fascinating family legend, followed by a historical deep-dive to uncover the truth and meaning behind the tale. Available now: https://link.pscrb.fm/f0281/FLFD 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

Guggenheim Securities analyst Mike Morris rejoins the pod to assess how the negotiating table has shifted for the Shield and its media partners over the past few months, YouTube’s deepening relationship with the NFL, Amazon’s football fantasy, and how the league has transformed the sports rights landscape writ large. This show is brought to you by the Sports Betting Alliance, advocating forregulated, responsible, and legal online sports betting. Learn more atsportsbettingalliance.org. 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

Andrew Marchand joins John to recap the NFL Draft—and which broadcasters won the weekend, from ESPN and ABC to NFL Network and Pat McAfee. They also explore the growing political scrutiny surrounding the league, Mike Tomlin’s move into media with NBC, how NFL Network could evolve under ESPN, and more. This show is brought to you by the Sports Betting Alliance, advocating forregulated, responsible, and legal online sports betting. Learn more atsportsbettingalliance.org. 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

Live from the National Association of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas, top NBC exec Jon Miller joins John for a candid conversation about his network’s strategy for competing with trillion-dollar, sports-hungry streamers. He also discusses why MLB left money on the table to partner with NBC, whether the sports rights bubble is real, where Peacock fits in NBC’s bigger picture, and much more. This show is brought to you by the Sports Betting Alliance, advocating forregulated, responsible, and legal online sports betting. Learn more atsportsbettingalliance.org. 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

NBC Sports’ Matthew Berry joins John to discuss this week’s NFL Draft through a fantasy football lens—and what to watch for when the picks start rolling in. They also dig into ESPN’s acquisition of NFL Network and what fans should expect from the programming. The NFL’s media rights negotiations come into focus too, along with a bigger picture conversation about the evolution—and future—of fantasy sports. This show is brought to you by the Sports Betting Alliance, advocating forregulated, responsible, and legal online sports betting. Learn more atsportsbettingalliance.org. 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

Dylan Byers joins John to parse the Diana Russini–Mike Vrabel scandal, and shed light on the tensions it has exposed between The New York Times and The Athletic. Dylan breaks down the Times’ internal investigation, The Athletic’s initial defensive posture, and what the episode reveals about the ongoing challenges of integrating the two newsrooms. This show is brought to you by the Sports Betting Alliance, advocating forregulated, responsible, and legal online sports betting. Learn more atsportsbettingalliance.org. 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

Michael Nathanson rejoins the pod to discuss what the NFL must do to lock in its next round of media deals ahead of September’s kickoff—and what’s at stake if it doesn’t. They also examine the potential ripple effects of the D.O.J.’s latest investigation, which Michael says could spell more trouble for broadcasters than for the NFL itself. Plus, Michael explains why he believes the sports media landscape writ large is as strong as it’s ever been. This show is brought to you by the Sports Betting Alliance, advocating forregulated, responsible, and legal online sports betting. Learn more atsportsbettingalliance.org. 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

NBC Sports’s Mike Florio joins John to tackle the most pressing questions facing the NFL as it stares down a highly consequential offseason—from looming media rights negotiations and the potential loss of its antitrust exemption to referee labor talks, the continued push for an 18-game schedule, the league’s expanding appetite for marquee midweek games, and much more. This show is brought to you by the Sports Betting Alliance, advocating forregulated, responsible, and legal online sports betting. Learn more atsportsbettingalliance.org. 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

Kentucky Wildcat legend and former NBA veteran Jamal Mashburn joins John to break down the strange duality of college basketball, where the business is increasingly chaotic but the on-court product has arguably never looked better. He explains how mid-majors can navigate the N.I.L. maze, emphasizes the growing premium on education and career development for student-athletes, and reflects on how his own playing career laid the groundwork for his second act as an entrepreneur. 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

ESPN’s Jeff Passan joins John to break down the sweeping changes reshaping MLB—from the new robo umps to the ripple effects of the pitch clock. They also discuss Netflix’s MLB debut and baseball’s evolving streaming future, the global momentum of the World Baseball Classic, whether Olympic participation is finally within reach, and much 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

Top ESPN exec Susie Piotrkowski joins John to talk about the explosion of women’s sports, from the surging popularity of the WNBA and women’s college basketball to the growing reach of the NWSL. She also dives deep into ESPN’s push to mainstream the category, including the launch of “Women’s Sports Sundays” this summer—and discusses how stars like Trinity Rodman and Caitlin Clark are accelerating the shift. Twenty nations and territories will compete in the World Baseball Classic with rosters featuring 78 MLB All-Stars, the most ever. Learn more at ⁠WorldBaseballClassic.com⁠. 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

On the Draymond Green Show, no topic is off limits. In this episode Draymond welcomes Skip Bayless to discuss Michael Jordan, Stephen A Smith, LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and they debate whether or not Draymond is really the dirtiest player of all time. 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

The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand joins John to break down the biggest media storylines shaping the MLB season—from its Netflix “experiment” to the future of the World Series and World Baseball Classic. They also dig into the NFL’s looming rights negotiations and whether the league is pushing too far with its ask, plus what the PSKY-WBD deal could mean for the future of March Madness. Twenty nations and territories will compete in the World Baseball Classic with rosters featuring 78 MLB All-Stars, the most ever. Learn more at ⁠WorldBaseballClassic.com⁠. 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

Curtis LeGeyt, C.E.O. of the National Association of Broadcasters, joins John to assess the future of local TV in a streaming-first world. He weighs in on the need for scale in competing with tech giants like Netflix and Amazon, scrutinizes the Tegna-Nexstar deal, argues for modernized regulations to keep broadcasters in the game, discusses the NAB’s role in defending the First Amendment—and much more. Twenty nations and territories will compete in the World Baseball Classic with rosters featuring 78 MLB All-Stars, the most ever. Learn more at ⁠WorldBaseballClassic.com⁠. 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

ESPN senior vice president Mike Foss joins John to spill the secrets on running the network’s studio shows, from SportsCenter to First Take to Get Up. He explains why The Pat McAfee Show is in a league of its own, how ESPN balances talent across different shows and platforms, their biggest digital headaches and opportunities, and much more. Plus, his take on why collaboration beats top-down management. Twenty nations and territories will compete in the World Baseball Classic with rosters featuring 78 MLB All-Stars, the most ever. Learn more at ⁠WorldBaseballClassic.com⁠. 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

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman joins John to preview the upcoming season as its 14th is set to kick off tomorrow. She dives deep into the league’s meteoric growth, rising attendance, and viewership records. She also sheds light on the league’s expansion plans, media rights deals, the logic behind its new “high-impact player rule,” and much more. Twenty nations and territories will compete in the World Baseball Classic with rosters featuring 78 MLB All-Stars, the most ever. Learn more at ⁠WorldBaseballClassic.com⁠. 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