Front Office Sports Today

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has a new production company with aspirations beyond the athlete stories one expects to see from similar ventures. After releasing a documentary about Giannis himself, the company is working on a heist movie set in Greece and a cooking show, among other projects. The CEO of the company, Improbable Media, joins the pod to talk about the vision for Imp...

March Madness broadcasting rights are highly coveted, but the networks that hold them are signing up for chaos: They have to change plans, narratives and travel schedules with every big upset. ESPN’s VP of production Sara Gaiero joins the podcast to discuss how she prepares for the unknown. Plus, Transfer Portal Monday provides an unwelcome distraction from Selection Sunday, billions in legal bets...

In 2016, CBS looked to make Selection Sunday an event on par with the NFL Draft, ballooning it from a tight half hour to a full two hours. That plan turned upside down when the NCAA tournament bracket was leaked before the network could roll it out. Front Office Sports senior writer Mike McCarthy joins to discuss the network’s nightmare and how it shaped the big day going forward. Plus, a miracle...

Lesley Slaton Brown, the NBA’s chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer, sees her role as one that drives business and guides league expansion as it develops its existing markets and grows internationally. She joins the show to discuss the values, both moral and economic, of her work. Plus, Sports Illustrated is scrambling to find a new manager before layoffs set in, the Kansas City Chiefs t...

Despite weathering multiple scandals throughout his career, Rick Pitino is revered in college basketball. Freelance sportswriter Tim Rohan joins the show to discuss the strange world of Pitino-protectors he discovered while looking into the coach’s past. Plus, Aaron Rodgers is under consideration to join a presidential ticket, MLB is stoking hype about its top prospects, and we check in on “Spulu”...

An investigation from Front Office Sports reveals the identities of the executives accused of facilitating and covering up alleged exploitation by longtime WWE boss Vince McMahon. The story shines a light on the circle of protection around McMahon: high-ranking officials who were complicit in his conduct. Plus, NFL teams are using their extra $30 million worth of cap space in a free agent bonanza,...

Formula 1 has surged into the American consciousness over the last four years, but now it faces the challenge of maintaining interest amid a season that may be uncompetitive from the start. Wall Street Journal sports editor and co-author of The Formula Jon Clegg joins the show to discuss how F1 got as big as it has and whether it can sustain that success. Plus, the Bears are staying in Chicago aft...

Big East commissioner Val Ackerman is wary of the major changes coming to college sports, including the possibility of athletes becoming unionized employees. She joins the show to discuss how the overlapping web of school, conference, state, and federal rules and bylaws create a sea of confusion regarding the future of college sports. Plus, a potential betting scandal encircles Temple University,...

A planned $2 billion development, centered around a new arena for the Washington Wizards and Capitals, appears to be dead, after Virginia lawmakers killed a budget item that would have provided funding. The move could signal a turning point in the attitude toward public funding for sports venues. Plus, Netflix will show a live fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul … as long as it can avoid potent...

The National Rugby League of Australia is looking to harness football’s massive popularity in the US by promoting its similar sport. The NRL hosted games at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas last weekend as part of a long-term push to grow a US audience. Plus, Jason Kelce is in high demand among media companies, Bill Belichick could be as well, we have another sign that women’s sports are on the rise...

Dartmouth basketball players voted to unionize, setting up a precedent that, if upheld, will spell the end of the NCAA’s amateurism model. Front Office Sports reporter Amanda Christovich joins to sort through the implications of the industry-shaking vote. Plus, the Oakland A’s finally produced renderings of their planned Las Vegas stadium and we get the live reaction from Gensler architect Ryan Si...

Brad Gilbert is an ESPN analyst and coach of rising tennis star Coco Gauff, and recently he picked up another client: Zendaya. The movie star turned to Gilbert to learn the game for her upcoming film Challengers. Gilbert joins the show to discuss the parallels he sees between Gauff and Zendaya, the state of tennis in the post “Big Three” era, and how Netflix is changing tennis media. Plus, MLS is...

As Caitlin Clark broke the record for points scored in a Division I college basketball career, Dartmouth basketball players prepared to hold a vote on whether to unionize. Any vote to unionize is sure to be challenged in court, but could ultimately lead to athletes at private schools being declared employees. Plus, freshly retired World Series champion Eric Hosmer and Anthony Seratelli join to dis...

Jenny Cavnar will be the first female lead play-by-play announcer for an MLB team, following her hire to call games for the Oakland A’s by NBC Sports. She joins the podcast to talk about her approach to the job, breaking barriers, and narrating a singular season in Oakland while the team has one foot out the door. Plus, Caitlin Clark declares for the WNBA draft, another presumptive number one pick...

Spring training is a time when many MLB players say they are in the best shape of their lives, but how about the league itself? We explore the state of the game, and much more, with Jason Kelly of Bloomberg, who is launching a new show with Alex Rodriguez. Plus, Stephen A. Smith could be eyeing a late night gig (amid other intrigue at ESPN), leagues aren’t happy about the coming joint venture betw...

The Caitlin Clark phenomenon has turned into a major opportunity for the business world around her, particularly broadcasters Fox and Comcast. The two media giants are opting for very different approaches when it comes to how to leverage the hype around Iowa’s superstar. Plus, we speak with NFL journalism legend Peter King who just announced he's hanging up his lanyard, Illinois governor JB Pritzk...

The answer might be: depends on the lighting in the room. Uni Watch founder and editor Paul Lukas joins to discuss the fiasco of MLB’s see-through pants and he dissects the Los Angeles Clippers’s revamped logo and jerseys ahead of the Intuit Dome opening next season. We also look into the pay-for-play future of the NCAA in light of a recent court injunction with Front Office Sports reporter Amanda...

Social media impostors of sports reporters are a real challenge for the sports media ecosystem. The trend has been egged on by changes made to X, formerly known as Twitter, under Elon Musk. Front Office Sports senior reporter AJ Perez investigates the phenomenon, which has become a thorn in the sides of reporters like Adam Schefter and Adrian Wojnarowski. Plus, amateurism in college sports may eff...

The Negro Leagues have been kept alive through oral histories and the work of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. That history is coming to life in a new way: through the Storylines option on the popular video game, MLB: The Show. NLBM president Bob Kendrick joins to talk about how the collaboration is one of the most important achievements of the museum and why the Negro Leagues matter more than e...

Ironman has been synonymous with triathlons and other extreme sports for decades. Now the company is working to tap into that legacy to inspire a new generation of athletes who want to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run a marathon in one day. We spoke with Scott DeRue, Ironman Group’s new CEO, on his vision for the company. Plus, the Arizona Diamondbacks are floating relocation if they can’t...

With every passing day, what exactly the Oakland A’s are up to becomes more and more of a mystery. Melissa Lockard of The Athletic joins us with thoughts on where the A’s will play next season and whether they will ever make it to Las Vegas. Plus, with the MLS season starting, Apple is releasing a docuseries on Lionel Messi—we speak with the executive producers of the show. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbapp...

Cleveland is a top-20 market and home to some of the most-beloved franchises in sports. Now there is momentum to launch a National Women's Soccer League team, including funding earmarked for a new stadium. The founders of the group behind this big-league push join the show to discuss all the moving parts involved with the ambitious plan. Plus, the NBA All-Star Game produced almost as many points a...

The NBA All-Star Game has gone from being just a top-shelf scrimmage to a full weekend of concerts—Lil Wayne! Keith Urban! T-Pain!—panels, and events. NBA Senior Vice President, Head of Event Strategy and Management Joey Graziano joins the show to discuss the evolution of the game and what the league learned from the first in-season tournament. Plus, Wilson is selling a $2,500 basketball, Comcast...

Nikola Jokić is a singular basketball player, but he is emblematic of a talent pipeline from Serbia that is growing in prominence for the NBA. The New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas joins the episode to discuss the Serbian team that produced the superstar, the challenges of marketing Jokić, and what he means for the future of the NBA. Plus, Oakland and the A’s are talking again, and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo...

The NHL is looking to this weekend’s Stadium Series to help grow interest in the league. With team values rising, the league is expected to expand in the coming years. However, a hiatus from the Olympics and a fumbled response to the question of whether players can wear pride tape on their sticks shows a league that sometimes causes its own problems. ESPN’s Emily Kaplan joins the show to discuss t...