Sports Media Watch Podcast

On today's episode, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner lead off the podcast discussing yet another Caitlin Clark viewership feat -- this time with a record-setting WNBA Draft. Then, the crew takes a look at how NBA regular season viewership fared and looks forward to potential playoff scenarios. Jon and Drew close out the show with a discussion on the subpar Masters viewership, and whether the property...

On today's episode, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner lead off the show with a March Madness viewership discussion, headlined by the massive rating for South Carolina-Iowa in the women's tournament and why the WNBA can't seem to capitalize on the successes of women's college basketball. Then the crew turns its focus to the men, where UConn-Purdue finished a tick up from last year's tit...

On today's episode, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner dive deep into the record-setting viewership for Iowa-LSU. The crew covers the 12.3m viewers number in context, what this number means for the Final Four games this Friday, where expectations should be set for women's college basketball next season without Caitlin Clark, and if this was the most heavily anticipated viewership number ever. Then,...

On today's episode, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner discuss viewership for both the men's and women's NCAA Tournaments, including Caitlin Clark and Iowa's record-setting numbers, and how the chalky setup for both tournaments can lead to strong viewership here on out. The crew also discusses the impending Washington Post story on Kim Mulkey and a potential Iowa-LSU rematch in the Elite 8....

On today's episode Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner discuss Selection Sunday viewership and the countless comparisons between the men's and women's tournaments in the media. The crew also talks about the new College Football Playoff rights deal and the return of the national title game to ABC. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today's episode, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner discuss a potpourri of sports media topics, starting with the huge viewership that women's college basketball had last week, and whether the sport can sustain that strength post-Caitlin Clark. Then, the crew hits on a few storylines in men's college basketball including Greg Gumbel's absence from the CBS studio this year, Ian Eagle taki...

On today's episode, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner dive into the impact Caitlin Clark is having on women's basketball. The crew covers the recent viewership records that Clark has helped set, whether a deep run by Iowa in the tournament could threaten to post bigger viewership numbers than the men's tournament, what Clark's viewership impact will be for the WNBA, and if she has earned a...

On today's episode, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner take a look at all things NBA, starting with whether the league suffers from its "activist" label stemming from the 2020 season. Then, the crew previews the exclusive negotiating window that starts next month between the league and its incumbent media partners ESPN and TNT. Jon and Drew close out the show talking about how NBA media coverag...

On today's episode, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner start off by discussing NBA All-Star Weekend, which Sports Media Watch was on-site to cover. The crew talks about viewership, if the format can be changed for the better, and the NBA Tech Summit. Then, Jon and Drew discuss the ongoing uncertainty amidst the College Football Playoff, if ESPN would ever actually pull the agreement, and whether the ES...

On the latest edition of the Sports Media Watch podcast, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner discuss the Super Bowl ratings, Tony Romo's performance on the "Big Game," the new College Football Playoff extension with ESPN, JJ Redick's promotion to the NBA Finals broadcast team and more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today's episode, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner are joined by the voice of Patrick Star, Bill Fagerbakke, to discuss his role in the upcoming Nickelodeon Super Bowl broadcast. To start the show, Jon and Drew talk about the joint sports streaming venture announced by Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros Discovery. The crew also previews Sunday's Super Bowl and discusses the NFL's announcement of...

On the 50th episode of the Sports Media Watch Podcast, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner break down viewership for the Championship Weekend games, how the Swift-NFL discourse has reached its inevitable conclusion, Tony Romo's AFC Championship Game performance, and Greg Olsen's future in the top Fox booth. Then the crew closes the show with more top broadcaster drama, speculating about reports that...

On today's episode, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner discuss viewership for the NFL divisional round, including over 50 million for Bills-Chiefs on Sunday night, and then previews the conference championship games. The crew then talks about Netflix inking a deal with WWE for the 'Raw' franchise, and if Netflix could be a serious player for other upcoming live rights properties. Jon and Drew c...

On today's episode, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner discuss the NFL's Super Wild Card Weekend, including the viewership success of the Peacock exclusive game. The crew then talks about the possible strategic partnership between ESPN and the NFL, questioning whether it makes sense for either side. Jon and Drew close out the show discussing the odd decision for NBC to tout its Peacock viewership n...

On today's episode, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner dive into the controversy surrounding Pat McAfee, Aaron Rodgers, Jimmy Kimmel, Norby Williamson, and Disney/ESPN. Then, the crew jumps into how NFL regular season viewership fared, the schedule for Super Wild Card Weekend, and ESPN reportedly bidding to extend its exclusive rights for the expanded College Football Playoff. Advertising Inquiries: ht...

On today's episode, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner run through the past two weeks in sports viewership starting with the College Football Playoffs and New Year's Six bowl games. Then, the crew discusses Amazon's 24% increase year-over-year for Thursday Night Football. Jon and Drew also cover how Peacock's NFL exclusive fared and what to think of the NFL-NBA competition on Christmas Day....

On today's episode, Jon and Drew are joined by industry veterans John Kosner and Ed Desser for a big picture look at sports media. John Kosner previously served as the NBA's VP of Broadcasting during the Dream Team era and most recently served as ESPN's Executive Vice President and General Manager, Digital and Print Media before beginning his consultancy firm Kosner Media. Ed Desser se...

On today's episode, ESPN's Hannah Storm joins the show to discuss her prolific career on television including her start at CNN Sports, calling the inaugural WNBA season, hosting an NBA Finals with Jordan's Bulls, her time at The Early Show, the challenges she has faced as a woman in sports media, and more. To start the show, Jon and Drew cover the news that Amazon may be interested in...

On today's episode, Jon and Drew welcome longtime Indiana Pacers play-by-play announcer Chris Denari to the show to talk about the In-Season Tournament, Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers, what it's like to become part of the fabric of a franchise, the Indiana Fever possibly getting Caitlin Clark, and living in a basketball-crazed state. Beforehand, Jon and Drew discuss the news that Al Mich...

On today's episode, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner discuss if  ratings  were what kept Florida State out of the College Football Playoff. Plus: the Philadelphia Eagles as the NFL's new ratings darling; a look ahead to the rest of the NFL season; and NASCAR's new media rights deal in context. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today's episode, Bryan Curtis of The Ringer joins the show to discuss a potpourri of media topics, starting with the news that Sports Illustrated used fictitious, nonexistent authors to byline AI generated stories on their website. Then, Bryan weighs in on the unusual pile-on that happened in the wake of Charissa Thompson's situation last week, and why he doesn't care much for ratin...

On today's episode, Jon and Drew are joined by play-by-play announcer Alex Faust who currently calls NHL for TNT and MSG Network and also does college football for Fox. Faust discusses his career as a broadcaster that covers a wide range of sports, the circumstances leading to his departure from the Los Angeles Kings last season, and how starting his career in corporate America has helped him...

On today's episode, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner are joined by ESPN play-by-play announcer Dave Pasch to talk about his career in broadcasting, what it's like to work with Bill Walton, his two decades as voice of the Arizona Cardinals, and calling a Luka Doncic buzzer beater from his basement. Jon and Drew also provide the normal ratings discussion -- how the NFL fared in a week with lacklust...

On today's episode, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner discuss the situation between Diamond Sports and the NBA and how the local media rights situation will look after the 2023-24 season. Then the crew debriefs on the lackluster World Series viewership and revisits the question of if the ratings actually matter for the sport. Jon and Drew wrap up by discussing the Chiefs-Dolphins game from Frankfurt,...

On the new edition of the Sports Media Watch podcast, Jon Lewis discusses the record-low ratings for the World Series, whether and how much ratings should matter to fans, Mike Breen's extension with ESPN and more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy