SPORTS
NBC’s Golden Ratio
A partnership with Nippon TV will give NBC access to new technology meant to optimize its sports content for younger audiences. It’s a timely play—but one that also belies Peacock’s larger problem with viewer engagement.
John Ourand
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January 15, 2026
The ESPYs White Party
ESPN is moving the ESPYs, its moribund 33-year-old awards franchise, to New York, sandwiched between MLB’s All-Star Game and Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Fest. It’s a savvy play.
Dish, Disney & The Micropayment Dilemma
The legal battle between Disney and Dish Network over Sling TV’s “Day Pass” belies a much more pressing question facing networks and distributors: How do you engage diehard and casual sports fans in an era of unlimited choice?
John Ourand
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January 12, 2026
Fox–TikTok Beef & Hard Rock Life
News and notes on the topics keeping the industry’s hearts aflutter in advance of the CFP, the World Cup, and more.
John Ourand
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January 8, 2026
Gentleman, Start the Fire Sale Rumors
After a landmark settlement, a slew of unfavorable publicity, and the departure of its commissioner, NASCAR may finally have to make real room for outside investment. Could it all push the France family to go full sale? Plus: some Fox Sports kremlinology.
Can Netflix Make Podcasts Into Must-See TV?
As the streamer embarks on its experimental, expensive, and inevitably risky foray into the world of hosting sports video podcasts, it’s unclear whether the platform is set up to actually satisfy viewer expectations. Herewith, three suggestions that could make all the difference.
John Ourand
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January 5, 2026
Amazon’s NFL Playoff Jackpot
When the streamer landed a potentially classic playoff matchup between the Bears and Packers this weekend, it looked like the league could be catering to a new favored partner—but executives on all sides of the equation pointed to the thorny decision tree the league stares down this time of year.
Julia Alexander
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December 29, 2025
Will Amazon Go All In With the NFL?
Why Prime Video should win a major NFL package on top of Thursday Night Football, the real endgame for podcasts on Netflix, the future of the UFC-Paramount partnership, and other sports media predictions for 2026.
John Ourand
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December 22, 2025
Netflix’s Circus Maximus
The Jake Paul–Anthony Joshua fight may have bored the in-arena crowd, but it perfectly illustrated Netflix’s live-sports playbook, where ringside celebrity, global reach, and social media chatter far outweigh the competition itself.
John Ourand
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December 18, 2025
The Spirit of $76 Billion
A candid chat with ESPN’s Brian Windhorst about the NBA’s next frontier after its massive $76 billion rights deal—its attempt to make it big in Europe, potentially dip into the Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund pot, and set up a true Champions League–style format.
Has Cable Hit Rock Bottom?
Amazingly, cable just posted its first quarterly sub growth since 2017, thanks to YouTube TV and Hulu+Live TV and the rise of sports-centric skinny bundles. Is it too much to call it a comeback?
John Ourand
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December 11, 2025
South Bend & Down
Athletic director Pete Bevacqua alienated most of the college football world in his rant following the school’s exclusion from the College Football Playoff. But he’s found a defender in his old homies at NBC.
When Will EA Get in the Game?
The world’s second-largest video game publisher is no longer simply battling other game makers for eyeballs. It’s also competing against Netflix, Amazon, TikTok, etcetera. Does that make its entrée into the sports rights wars inevitable?
John Ourand
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December 8, 2025
TNT Sports’s No Man’s Land
No matter which company wins the battle for parentco WBD, TNT Sports could face an unappetizing future. The leagues may feel the pain, too.
John Ourand
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December 4, 2025
The Apple TV of His Eye
Amid revisions to MLS’s controversial deal with Apple, commissioner Don Garber is defiantly proud of the partnership that will go a long way to defining his legacy in sports media.
4 Nations & A Funeral
As audience attention continues to crater and traditional all-star formats wane, leagues and their broadcast partners are doubling down on new, gimmicky midseason spectacles. Is any of it working?
John Ourand
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December 1, 2025
Hell or High Walter
As the Lakers’ regional sports network hits the market, Charter is getting to work separating serious bidders from rubberneckers. Which category does new team majority owner Mark Walter fall into?
