Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

Episode 356 of the Sports Media Podcast features Fox NFL producer Richie Zyontz and Fox NFL director Rich Russo. They are the lead production staffers on Fox’s top NFL team.  In this podcast, Zyontz and Russo discuss their second year working with Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen; doing Dallas-Miami; how having two sideline reporters impacts a broadcast; navigating Taylor Swift if she’s at a game; F...

Episode 355 of the Sports Media Podcast features The Boston Globe reporter Chad Finn. In this podcast we discuss Al Michaels not getting a playoff game for NBC; HBO’s “Real Sports” ends; where we think the NBA’s TV deal might head;  the possibility of Bill Belichick taking a TV job; CFP semifinal viewership predictions; AI In Sports Journalism/Media. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podc...

Episode 354 of the Sports Media Podcast features MLB reporter Fabian Ardaya, who covers the Dodgers for The Athletic. In this podcast, Ardaya discusses the challenges and opportunities of covering Ohtani; how the signing changes his job; the Dodgers’ pursuit; what kind of access he anticipates he’ll have to Ohtani; the baseball questions that now exist with the Dodgers; the possibility of covering...

In this featured clip of our longform interview with ESPN's Laura Rutledge that was published on Dec. 8, the ESPN host and reporter discusses the difference of reporting on an NFL sideline versus a college football sideline.

Episode 353 of the Sports Media Podcast features Laura Rutledge, the host of  NFL Live  and  SEC Nation  as well as a reporter for Monday Night Football and the NFL Draft. In this podcast, Rutledge discusses how she defines a good sports television host; morphing between NFL and SEC hosting and sideline reporting on Monday Night Football; her professional development at ESPN; living in the North a...

Episode 352 of the Sports Media Podcast features Ernie Johnson, the host of TNT’s “Inside The NBA” and a 2023 inductee into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. In this podcast, Johnson discusses his Hall of Fame honor; the NBA’s In-Season Tournament; how much he thinks about the upcoming NBA media rights negotiations; why he thinks WBD will retain NBA rights; how father, Ernie Johnson Sr., being...

In this featured clip of our longform interview with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports broadcaster Ernie Johnson that was publish on Dec. 5, the play by play broadcaster discusses his thoughts on the upcoming NBA media rights and why he is confident WBD will retain.

Sports Media Watch editor and founder Jon Lewis and Sports Business Journal managing editor/digital Austin Karp discuss the college football pregame wars; the viewership number for Michigan-Ohio State; the NFL’s Thanksgiving Day ratings; Black Friday viewership; NBA In-Season Tournament; Formula One viewership and more.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, an...

Episode 351 of the Sports Media Podcast features Randy Scott, who co-anchors  SportsCenter:AM , the 7-10 a.m. ET slot. In this podcast, Scott discusses his series of tweets which made public his mental health struggles of the past couple of years; how he used therapy to heal; losing 30 pounds in a month and not sleeping; how SportsCenter anchor Nicole Briscoe helped him; the reaction of colleagues...

Episode 350 of the Sports Media Podcast features Pac-12 Networks, Tennis Channel and NBC Olympics play by play broadcaster Ted Robinson. In this podcast Robinson discusses his final weeks as a college football broadcaster for the Pac-12 Networks; how broadcast crews found out about the end of the Pac-12; the loss of jobs for staffers; working Olympic broadcasts since Nagano; calling dozens of majo...

In this featured clip of our longform interview with ESPN/ABC Monday Night Football broadcaster Joe Buck that was published on Nov. 16, the play by play broadcaster discusses his longtime relationship with partner Troy Aikman. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more.

Episode 349 of the Sports Media Podcast features ESPN/ABC Monday Night Football play by play broadcaster Joe Buck. In this podcast, Buck discusses calling the upcoming Eagles-Chiefs game; his long relationship with Troy Aikman and whether they are getting better as a team; the differences between working at Fox and ESPN; whether he pays attention to viewership; his thoughts on navigating Taylor Sw...

In this featured clip of our longform interview with new Detroit Tigers broadcaster Jason Benetti that was published on Nov. 14, the play by play broadcaster discusses why he left the White Sox for the Tigers. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more.

Episode 348 of the Sports Media Podcast features new Detroit Tigers broadcaster Jason Benetti, who also works as a Fox Sports broadcaster as well as Westwood One Audio. In this podcast, Benetti explains his thinking on moving from the White Sox to Tigers; what it’s been like to be the story; his reaction to the Tigers pursuing him; why he ultimately left the White Sox; his fondness for the city of...

Episode 347 of the Sports Media Podcast features two writers from The Athletic who cover women’s basketball — Chantel Jennings and Ben Pickman. In this podcast, Jennings and Pickman discuss the biggest stories of the 2023-24 women’s college basketball year; whether last year’s record viewership for the title game will be a catalyst this year; whether the women’s basketball tournament will become o...

Episode 346 of the Sports Media Podcast features Austin Karp, assistant managing editor/digital for Sports Business Journal and Ben Fischer, who covers the NFL for SBJ.  In this podcast, Deitsch, Fischer and Karp discuss the media-centric issues around the NFL as they head to the second half of the regular season; NFL viewership; YouTube’s relationship with the NFL and Sunday Ticket; the record-lo...

Episode 345 of the Sports Media Podcast features Chad Finn, sports media writer for The Boston Globe, and Jon Lewis, the editor and founder of Sports Media Watch. In this podcast, Deitsch, Finn and Lewis discuss the record-low World Series viewership; whether the Rangers-Diamondbacks numbers mean something bigger for baseball; the buffering issues You Tube’s Sunday Ticket had; Dolphins-Chiefs in G...

Episode 344 of the Sports Media Podcast features Amanda Gifford, a Vice President of Production for ESPN, who oversees the company’s college football event productions (live games) and the XFL. In this podcast, Gifford discusses what her role entails; how ESPN/ABC’s college football game production happens every week; why college football viewership is up this year; where college football should b...

Episode 343   of the Sports Media Podcast features ESPN and Marquee Sports Network broadcaster Jon Sciambi, who will debut as the national radio voice of the World Series for ESPN Radio. In this broadcast, Sciambi discusses how he followed Dan Shulman and Jon Miller as the audio voice of the World Series; working with Jessica Mendoza and Eduardo Pérez in a new three-person booth; morphing between...

Sports Media Watch editor and founder Jon Lewis and Sports Business Journal assistant managing editor Austin Karp discuss the World Series between the Rangers and Diamondbacks; the viewership trends for the World Series; the importance of star power; the NBA’s opening night; Week 7’s NFL viewership and why it was so big; ESPN saying it had its best fiscal year viewership since 2019; the change in...

In this featured clip of our longform interview with ESPN NBA analyst Doris Burke that was published on Oct. 23, the ESPN analyst gives her thoughts on learning that ESPN was parting ways with Jeff Van Gundy. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more.

Episode 342 of the Sports Media Podcast features ESPN NBA analyst Doris Burke, who joins Doc Rivers and Mike Breen on ABC/ESPN’s NBA lead commentator team. Burke will becomes the first female analyst to call NBA Finals games on network TV with the promotion. In this podcast, Burke discusses how and when she learned she would be getting one of the lead analyst chairs; her surprise that Jeff Van Gun...

Episode 341 of the Sports Media Podcast features Jon Lewis, the founder and editor of Sports Media Watch. In this podcast, Lewis and Deitsch discuss the start of the NBA season and viewership possibilities; the importance of the Jets being competitive for the NFL; Pat McAfee paying Aaron Rodgers and other guests; the WNBA Finals viewership; the strength of Pac-12 viewership in 2023; World Series m...

In this featured clip of our longform interview with ESPN football analyst Dan Orlovsky that published on Oct.16, the ESPN analyst gives his thoughts on the point of the season where an observer can declare that an NFL team is a legitimate Super Bowl contender.. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more.

Episode 340 of the Sports Media Podcast features Dan Orlovsky, who has been an NFL and college football analyst for ESPN since 2018. In this podcast Orlovsky discusses his fondness for on-camera film analysis and how he breaks down film for television; how social media helped start his media career; how he has navigated ESPN professionally; his relationship with his NFL Live colleagues; at what po...