Front Office Sports Today

The NFL just wrapped up arguably its biggest season yet, and now faces some compelling offseason questions: Will the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders secure new stadium deals? Can the league continue to push the envelope on streaming-exclusive broadcasts? What opportunities are there for the week one Friday game in Brazil? We dive into those issues, plus Sara Bernstein and Justin Wilkes, ex...

Sin City saw its rise as a sports city come to fruition with Sunday’s Super Bowl, but more and more economists are questioning the value of hosting major sporting events. The city is also learning the quirks of Oakland A’s owner John Fisher, as he seeks funding for a new stadium on the Las Vegas Strip. FOS contributor Dan Kaplan and The Athletic columnist Tim Kawakami join the show to discuss the...

The spectacle that is Super Bowl week is reaching new heights in Las Vegas. Long before kickoff, NFL players, media personnel, celebrities, and brands flooded the city for both business and pleasure. Ahead of the game, our writers on the scene join for a roundtable talk on the wild week. Plus, a development firm put out ambitious renderings for a new Chicago White Sox stadium, the NBA is embracing...

Disney’s quarterly earnings showed strength at ESPN and narrow losses from its streaming services. This week, ESPN announced both a joint streaming venture with Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery, and a separate standalone product that will put the ESPN cable channel on a streaming service along with ESPN Bet integration and other features. We dive into how the network is shaping its cord-cutting stra...

A ruling by the National Labor Relations Board puts college athletes on the path to becoming employees of their schools. While appeals are expected, the NCAA could face an equally tough audience from the Supreme Court, should the case progress that far. Plus, the mayor of Las Vegas responds to the reaction from her interview on this show, ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery are launching a sport...

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman applauds the city’s rise as a sports destination with one exception: the Oakland A’s. Mayor Goodman told Front Office Sports that she believes the team’s plans at the Tropicana site don’t make sense and that the team ought to stay in Oakland. She also discussed a potential NBA team there, and how the city will adjust in future years hosting Formula 1 to mitigate har...

The NFL has embraced sports betting with its first Super Bowl in Las Vegas, but the league’s gambling by-laws present a maze of potential hazards for the hundreds of players that will be in Sin City for the week. Players on NFL rosters have to navigate detailed regulations on casino events and the rules around sportsbook locations. The situation is primed for rule breaking, whether intentional or...

A documentary film on Providence and its former head basketball coach Ed Cooley from an anonymous social media user known as “Blue Demon Degenerate” caused a huge stir. The project raises questions about creator content and journalistic ethics. The doc has rippled throughout sports media and prompted an apology from writer Jeff Goodman over messages he sent to the filmmaker. Plus, a University of...

Peter Angelos has agreed to sell the Baltimore Orioles after owning them for 31 years. The new ownership group is led by private equity executive and Baltimore native David Rubenstein. It includes Hall of Famers Cal Ripken Jr. and Grant Hill, as well as former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, and prompts questions on how this will alter team operations and whether it will lead to the sale of...

Newly released deposition transcripts revealed insensitive statements by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. In one instance Goodell referred to former NFL players who committed suicide and left notes asking for their brains to be studied, saying, “I think players who want to participate in the research necessary to advance science is a positive thing for us.” Plus: the second half of our conversation...

Tom Brady joins the show to tell us why he is merging his wellness company, TB12, and apparel company, Brady Brand with the footwear and apparel company NOBULL. Brady and NOBULL owner Mike Repole discuss the deal, and the shared vision they are bringing to the venture. The merger is set to be one of the defining moves of Brady’s post-playing career. Plus: With two popular teams, the spectacle of L...

Paramount Global is exploring a sale as cord cutting continues to eat into its margins and its deal for NFL rights creates as many problems as it solves. CNBC’s Alex Sherman joins for an in-depth report on the trajectory of the legacy media company, and its longtime competitors, Comcast, Disney, and Fox. Plus, Jannik Sinner claims his place in tennis’ youth movement with an Australian Open victory...

A trial brought by the National Labor Relations Board has produced uncomfortable moments for representatives of USC, as schools and the NCAA hope to maintain the amateurism model and prevent college athletes from becoming employees. Reporter Amanda Christovich reports from Los Angeles on some of the trial’s head-turning moments. Plus, North Carolina is legalizing sports betting just in time for th...

The Los Angeles Times became the latest major media outlet to announce deep cuts to its staff. The paper will not have a traveling beat writer with the Dodgers in Shohei Ohtani’s first year with the team. The cuts speak to broader issues in the media world, as legacy publications look for a sustainable model. Plus, Salt Lake City is looking to become the next big sports hub, Doc Rivers’ departure...

Netflix has leapt into the live sports ring with a 10-year deal for WWE’s Raw, worth more than $5 billion. The move gives Netflix a weekly live program with a devoted audience, and could augur further steps into sports. We also look at a potential labor strike by MLS referees and another viewership record broken by the NFL. Plus, ESPN’s Jay Bilas joins to discuss the state of college basketball as...

Nick Dunlap, a 20-year-old sophomore at the University of Alabama, bested some of the world’s top golfers at the American Express tournament, but was ineligible to claim the $1.5 million first place prize due to his amateur status. The incident raises questions around how the PGA Tour operates, as Dunlap considers whether or not to turn professional or finish out the college golf season. Plus, Tig...

Sports Illustrated is laying off large swaths of its staff, following a missed payment by its managing company, The Arena Group, to SI’s parent company, Authentic Brands Group. The future of the venerated, 70-year-old publication is full of questions, including who will operate the magazine going forward. Front Office Sports senior reporter AJ Perez, who broke the story on the layoffs, joins to br...

The ACC is trying to strip Florida State of its voting power on conference issues while the two sides are locked in a legal dispute. The enmity stems from FSU’s discontent over the ACC’s media deal, and the lack of conference competition that contributed to FSU being left out of the College Football Playoff after an undefeated season. Plus, we look at how conference realignment, NIL, and heavier u...

Amazon is buying into regional sports network provider Diamond Sports Group in a deal that will see the tech giant broadcasting local games. The deal represents a lifeline for Diamond, which remains in bankruptcy proceedings. MLB, the NHL, and NBA will now have to decide how to work with Amazon going forward. However, much remains to be determined as a complicated bundle of deals remain in court p...

Tennis has long been one of the more most buttoned-up of professional sports. Most major tournaments prize civility and discourage noise during play. However, the Australian Open is tacking in the opposite direction with live music and a two-story bar by one of the courts. Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated joins us to discuss the changing face of tennis, a potential merger between the men’s and w...

Sub-Zero temperatures in Kansas City's "Peacock Bowl," an utter collapse by the Dallas Cowboys, and the Lions first playoff win in over 30 years made for a wild weekend in the NFL. Newsletter co-authors Eric Fisher and David Rumsey break down the wild-card weekend that lived up to its name. Afterward, soccer reporter Ben Jacobs joins Owen Poindexter to share all his thoughts on this season's inter...

With Bill Belichick leaving the New England Patriots, a quarter of the NFL has head coach vacancies. Andrew Brandt joins us to discuss why Belichick and the Pats parted ways, the retirement of Nick Saban, Pete Carroll’s exit from his head coaching role with the Seahawks, and the NFL’s lack of patience for success. Plus, ESPN had a very strange day in which Pat McAfee reversed course on his announc...

The Houston Texans are set to host a playoff game amid an unfolding ownership squabble. Robert Cary McNair Jr. has issued a court request for guardianship over the estate of his mother, controlling owner Janice McNair, a move opposed by Janice and another of her sons, Texans CEO Cal McNair. Plus, we dive into the drama surrounding the growing number of NFL coaching vacancies and the big narratives...

Aaron Rodgers continued his public feud with Jimmy Kimmel on Tuesday, using Pat McAfee’s show as a platform. Meanwhile, McAfee is facing off against powerful ESPN executive Norby Williamson. All of it adds up to drama—and possibly big ratings—at ESPN, as the conversation has transcended sports and expanded into the mainstream. Plus, we take a look at the NBA’s efforts to grow in Europe, particular...

Tiger Woods and Nike have parted ways after 27 years of working together. We dive into how the relationship is unlike nearly any other in modern sports history and we may not see anything comparable for a long time. Plus, the Washington Commanders have parted ways with head coach Ron Rivera, and are taking a unique approach to replacing him. The Kansas City Royals and Chiefs have offered the voter...