The Varsity

The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand returns to parse MLB’s media rights reshuffle and how the league will be packaged across its many platforms, from Netflix to NBC. Marchand and John also discuss ESPN’s MLB programming pivot, grade Peacock’s Legendary February, and predict who will be the winners and losers of the NFL’s looming rights renegotiations. Plus: Barry Bonds’ new gig with Netflix and his end...

ESPN’s college basketball savant Jay Bilas joins John with a surprisingly optimistic diagnosis of the sport. He argues the on-court product has never been better, and makes a case that N.I.L. has only strengthened—not fractured—collegiate athletics. Plus, his thoughts on reform, his take on March Madness expansion, and why the game’s best days may still be ahead. To learn more about listener data...

Veteran sports columnist Christine Brennan joins John live from Milan to chew over the buzziest storylines emerging from the Winter Olympics. She discusses the unusually charged political atmosphere—including the notable booing of J.D. Vance at the opening ceremony, even as the U.S. team received significant applause—and why politics feels more front-and-center than usual among athletes. They also...

NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell joins John to reflect on his 20-year rise inside the company—going from the infamous “hat dance guy” to the executive now steering the motorsport’s high-stakes future. Then he breaks down the new playoff format, NASCAR’s global ambitions, why staying a “must-have” media property is more critical than ever, and much, much more. To learn more about listener data and...

Ben Strauss, the now-former Washington Post media reporter, joins John to share a firsthand account of being swept up in the paper’s mass layoffs and the shuttering of its sports desk. Then they dive into NBC’s Super Bowl performance and the broader NFL ecosystem—from its international expansion and looming media rights negotiations to the league’s outsized influence over traditional networks, and...

Live from Santa Clara, NBC Sports’ Mike Florio returns to the pod to take stock of the NFL’s biggest off-the-field storylines, from potential reforms to the Hall of Fame voting process after the first-ballot snubs of Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft, to looming changes to the salary cap. They also weigh into the concerns about officiating, the league’s ongoing struggle to make the Rooney Rule effec...

Top NFL exec Jeff Miller joins John for a candid pre–Super Bowl Sunday deep dive. They dig into the league’s landmark new deal with ESPN and what it signals about the NFL’s evolving media strategy, the league’s increasing use of A.I. in player health and safety, why the Rooney Rule fell flat this hiring cycle—and what, if anything, the league can do to fix it. To learn more about listener data and...

ESPN’s Don Van Natta joins John to preview the biggest off-field storylines shaping Super Bowl week, starting with the news that stunned the league: Bill Belichick falling short of first-ballot Hall of Fame induction. They also dig into the NFL’s continued push toward an 18-game season, the criminal investigation into the NFLPA, Jerry Jones’s looming succession questions in Dallas, the Washington...

Axios’s Sara Fischer returns to the pod to discuss the biggest storylines shaping the media and sports business—from the looming mass layoffs at The Washington Post to the implications of a potential Warner–Netflix merger. They also dig into TikTok’s new ownership structure, Peacock’s evolving sports rights strategy, and what it all signals about where the industry is headed. To learn more about l...

Washington Post contributor Danny Funt joins John to explore the uneasy moment facing the sports betting industry. As FanDuel and DraftKings feel the squeeze, Funt explains the hunt for higher margins, the marketing tactics fueling growth, and the growing demand for consumer protections. They also discuss how gambling has been increasingly woven into sports media—and whether the U.S. is inching to...

The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand joins John to break down the future of sports media rights, with a particular focus on the NFL. They discuss why so many leagues’ next deals hinge on the NFL’s upcoming negotiations, which NFL packages are most vulnerable to streamer disruption, why it’s no longer far-fetched to imagine Amazon eventually landing a Super Bowl—and more. Plus, why Travis Kelce is primed...

The Athletic’s Evan Drellich joins John to break down the L.A. Dodgers’ $240 million deal for star outfielder Kyle Tucker and its potential implications on MLB’s next round of labor negotiations. They explore the renewed conversation around a salary cap, the parity between big- and small-market teams, the looming media rights reset, the prospect of a free-agency deadline, the financial strain on R...

Michael Ratner, C.E.O. of OBB Media, joins John to discuss his new joint venture with Michael Rubin’s Fanatics to launch Fanatics Studios—aiming to produce sports content across feature films, documentaries, and live events. Ratner explains how they plan to leverage Fanatics’ deep athlete relationships and league partnerships to disrupt the sports content market—and offers his read on where sports...

NCAA president Charlie Baker joins John to confront the growing sense that college sports are in troubled waters. Baker breaks down the chaos of the transfer portal, the accelerated professionalization of college athletics, and why Congress may need to step in to impose uniform eligibility rules. He also discusses the NCAA’s media rights deal with ESPN, makes the case for expanding March Madness,...

Mark Marshall, NBCU’s global ads chief, joins John to talk shop about the sports media market. Marshall recounts selling out the Olympics weeks ahead of the opening ceremony (alongside the Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Weekend…); what really went down with NBC’s big NBA deal; the action behind MLB’s new contract, and much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https...

The New York Times’ Ken Belson joins John to discuss the professionalization—and monetization—of youth sports, and the mental-health toll for kids caught in the middle. He explains how private equity and big money have turned youth athletics into a sprawling $40 billion ecosystem, driving up costs and pressure on families nationwide. Then Ken shares the biggest storylines he’s pursuing for the upc...

Sports media analyst Michael Nathanson swings by the pod to reveal the sports media plotlines insiders are tracking over the coming year. They discuss YouTube’s growing footprint in the sports streaming ecosystem, how legacy players like ESPN can maintain relevancy, whether a Netflix-WBD merger might impact TNT Sports, and much more. Explore how prediction markets skirt state authority and pose ri...

The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand joins John to bestow The Varsity’s inaugural Sports Media Awards—from the most overhyped plot line and the sleeper story that flew under the radar, to the best play-by-play announcer, top analyst, and the executive who moved the industry the most. Then they look ahead and call their shot on which executive takes home the 2026 crown. Explore how prediction markets ski...

NBC Sports college football insider Nicole Auerbach returns to the pod to assess the state of the game through the College Football Playoff. She pores over the dud first-round matchups, explains why CFP expansion is probably off the table for 2026 thanks to Big Ten–SEC infighting, considers whether Notre Dame’s snub could force a conference move, digs into the intensifying financial strain on athl...

Netflix vice president of sports Gabe Spitzer joins John for a deep dive into the streamer’s event-first sports strategy—from the Jake Paul–Anthony Joshua fight to NFL games on Christmas Day. Spitzer explains why Netflix is chasing tentpoles, not volume, and how selective rights plays like the Women’s World Cup and MLB fit into a broader global sports push. They also dig into Netflix’s approach to...

ESPN’s NBA reporter Brian Windhorst joins John for a state-of-the-union on the league—and where it's headed next. They dig into the NBA Cup and its new 10-year Amazon deal, the league’s push into Europe, the enduring All-Star Weekend dilemma, and why, for all the handwringing, the on-court product has never been better. Plus, the rise of superstars in small markets like OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexand...

USA Sports president Matt Hong joins John to talk shop about the post-Versant spin era. He breaks down the significant push into digital, their big investment in women’s sports like volleyball and the WNBA, why NASCAR has more gas left in the tank, and how USA is trying to keep one foot in linear TV while sprinting toward a very digital future. Explore how prediction markets skirt state authority...

Puck superfriends Julia Alexander, Eriq Gardner, and Dylan Byers reunite with John to debate the sports-media class of the year: David Ellison muscling into the rights wars, Pat McAfee cementing himself as the on-air talent north star, and the rest of the industry’s biggest winners of 2025. Explore how prediction markets skirt state authority and pose risks to consumers at AmericanGaming.org/predi...

MLS commissioner Don Garber joins John live from the University of Maryland’s Povich Symposium to chart the league’s MLS 3.0 blueprint. They discuss MLS’s rising fortunes, including its $21 billion collective valuation, and dig into the much-scrutinized Apple deal, now ending ahead of schedule. Garber stands by the partnership and lays out why he thinks MLS is well-positioned for the streaming age...

It’s been 20 years since How I Met Your Mother premiered, and just over 10 years since the finale. Josh Radnor, who played “Ted” for nine seasons teams up with series co-creator Craig Thomas for this episode-by-episode rewatch podcast. For the superfans, HWMYM (listen to the trailer to learn how it’s pronounced) will get into all the secrets, theories, and pineapples, but we'll also use HIMYM – an...