The Varsity

Puck superfriends Julia Alexander, Eriq Gardner, Dylan Byers, and John convene for a rollicking debrief of the most pressing sports media plot lines of 2025: YouTube’s unstoppable march toward inevitability, Netflix’s bold leap into live sports, the boom-bust mood swings of prediction markets and sports betting, and much more. Explore how prediction markets skirt state authority and pose risks to...

Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger joins John to discuss the chaos engulfing college football: ballooning N.I.L. bills, the slow march toward collective bargaining, and the fiscal headaches pummeling athletic departments. Plus, he and John look ahead at how the sport may evolve over the next three years—including what an expanded College Football Playoff might really entail. To learn more about listener data...

Varsity favorite Andrew Marchand reunites with John to debate the week’s biggest sports-media plot lines: the NFL’s holiday-week stacked matchups and Amazon Prime’s outsized role in juicing viewership; MLB’s new media-rights math; ESPN’s quiet strategic wins; and whether streamers like YouTube are ready to jump into the next bidding war. Plus: what Netflix poaching ESPN talent like Elle Duncan rea...

NBC Sports’ Matthew Berry—also the founder of Fantasy Life—returns to the pod to chew over the biggest forces reshaping sports media, from A.I.’s slow commoditization of editorial talent to which major league is most likely to fall behind in the sports rights arms race. They also dig into the industry’s obsession with younger audience, reflect on Berry’s leap from ESPN to NBC, discuss the continue...

Axios’s Sara Fischer rejoins the pod for a rundown of the sports world’s biggest shakeups—from the YouTube TV-Disney standoff and YouTube TV’s crafty deals with Fox and NBCUniversal to the NWSL’s growing pains and the looming Warner Bros. Discovery fire sale. They also dig into the rise of independent creators and how Vox and Netflix are making plays amid the podcasting gold rush. To learn more ab...

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman joins John to discuss the league’s boom times—from surging TV ratings and record-breaking crowds to the league’s ubiquitous media strategy and upcoming expansion into Boston, Denver, and Atlanta—and why the forthcoming men’s World Cup could to supercharge everything. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privac...

Steve Bornstein, the architect behind both ESPN’s golden age and the launch of NFL Network, joins John to remember the late, great Paul Tagliabue—the commissioner who helped turn football into a billion-dollar religion. Bornstein also offers a seasoned view on today’s sports media circus, from the streaming wars to A.I.’s slow invasion of the industry. To learn more about listener data and our pri...

NFL’s top media executive Hans Schroeder joins John to discuss how the league is approaching their next wave of media rights negotiations, what the streaming era portends for the Sunday model, the surprising staying power of traditional broadcasters, the NFL’s global game plan, and much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-polic...

Step inside the mind of NFL legend Von Miller as he goes free range — from the gridiron to the culture at large. Each week, Von breaks down the biggest football stories, dives into the world of sports and entertainment, and chops it up with athletes, artists, and trendsetters shaping the conversation. Equal parts football IQ, locker room energy, and societal curiosity, Free Range is where game mee...

Julia Alexander joins John to discuss how Nielsen’s new out-of-home viewership data is reshaping Saturday night sports programming, and what it means for the leagues and networks chasing live audiences. They also dig into the YouTube TV–Disney standoff—pitting Disney’s content library against YouTube’s deep pockets—and explore YouTube’s broader sports ambitions, from user-generated highlights to i...

Fanatics Betting and Gaming C.E.O. Matt King joins John to break down the ripple effects of the NBA’s betting scandal. He digs into the league’s mostly quiet response, why legal markets matter more than ever, and what it all means for his business—and for the future of sports wagering itself. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-polic...

Live from New York, Amazon sports chief Jay Marine joins John to discuss Prime Video’s evolution from live-sports skeptic to major NFL bidder; why Amazon is pouring money into tier-one rights; and how that $20 billion NBA deal came together.  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://p...

Live from Puck’s In The Arena sports media conference, Fanatics founder Michael Rubin sits down with Bill Cohan and Michael Nathanson to discuss how he reimagined the sports merchandise world, built a digital juggernaut of commerce, collectibles, and betting, and became one of the most connected figures in sports and entertainment. He also opens up about Fanatics’ next chapter—including the path t...

In a special episode, live from Puck’s inaugural In the Arena sports media conference, RedBird founder Gerry Cardinale joins John to discuss his investment philosophy for live sports, whether leagues have become overvalued, and how technology can save legacy media from itself.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more ab...

Josh Harris—owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils, and Washington Commanders—joins John for a candid conversation about life as a multi-team owner and the cultural turnaround underway in D.C. He shares his vision for the Commanders’ future, his blueprint for a new stadium, and his thoughts on how private equity is reshaping sports ownership. He also weighs in on the NFL’s global ambit...

Ken Belson, The New York Times’ longtime sports business reporter, swings by the pod to discuss his new book on the NFL’s gargantuan and many-tentacled business, aptly titled Every Day Is Sunday: How Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, and Roger Goodell Turned the NFL Into a Cultural & Economic Juggernaut. They break down the league’s long arc to cultural dominance, and whether anything can derail its succ...

NBC’s Frank DiGraci and Noah Eagle join John for a spirited NBA season preview, as the network and league reunite for the first time since the 2002 Finals. They break down how the deal came together, how NBC plans to evolve its coverage while nodding to its iconic hoops legacy, and why reaching younger fans is more important than ever. They also touch on the rise of athlete-owned media—and much mo...

ESPN’s NHL analyst Greg Wyshynski joins John for a rollicking preview of the NHL season, which kicked off yesterday. He discusses the league’s labor peace and breaks down the new C.B.A. set to hit next September. He also weighs into their new media rights windfall, global expansion ambitions, the fiery USA-Canada rivalry, and much, much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy pract...

Cody Campbell, the billionaire Texas Tech booster and visionary behind the “Saving College Sports” campaign, joins John to diagnose what’s ailing college athletics, from the NCAA’s broken governance to its outdated economic model. He lays out a few provocative fixes, including a push to modernize media rights under the Sports Broadcasting Act—a move that could unlock as much as $7 billion in new r...

Axios’s Sara Fischer reunites with John to discuss ESPN’s blockbuster deals with the NFL and MLB and the early splash of ESPN and Fox’s new D.T.C. products, each racking up over a million sign-ups in under two weeks. They also weigh in on NBC’s simmering turf war with YouTube TV, the looming possibility of an early NFL rights shake-up, and much more. To learn more about listener data and our priva...

Veteran media analyst Michael Nathanson returns to the pod for a romp through the sports media circus: David Ellison and Paramount’s sports rights binge, the NFL’s looming $110 billion rights bonanza, legacy media’s curious flirtation with niche sports, and much, much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about...

Simpsons fans —THE VAULT IS OPEN!  I’m Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson for 35+ years, and I’m finally taking you inside Springfield. Simpsons Declassified is your all-access pass to the world’s most iconic, animated  series.   Each week, we crack open wild predictions, eerie coincidences and fan conspiracies and stories  from 36 seasons (that’s 800+ episodes!) behind-the-scenes with wr...

Dany Garcia, former Merrill Lynch executive and co-owner of the UFL, joins John to discuss her game plan for investing in sports and navigating the ever-changing media landscape. Garcia dives into how the UFL is staking its claim with deep-pocketed allies like Disney and Fox, while doubling down on storytelling, fan engagement, and clever innovation. She also tackles the challenges of building a s...

Charlie Neiman, Amazon’s head of sports partnerships, joins John to discuss the company’s new deal with Augusta National to air four hours of the Masters each year. Then he pulls back the curtain on Amazon’s broader play for tier-one sports rights—including the NFL, NASCAR, and the upcoming NBA deal—plus how the company is tinkering with A.I. to reimagine its broadcasts, and more. To learn more ab...

Mark Shapiro, president of WME Group and TKO, joins John for a candid conversation about his blockbuster UFC and WWE deals, and the market’s broader convulsions. Shapiro also offers his thoughts on Netflix’s and YouTube’s live sports strategies, weighs in on boxing’s resurgence, and ranks where Netflix’s Crawford–Canelo spectacle—which packed 70,000 into Vegas' Allegiant Stadium—belongs in the pan...