The Varsity

Dany Garcia, former Merrill Lynch executive and co-owner of the UFL, joins John to discuss her game plan for investing in sports and navigating the ever-changing media landscape. Garcia dives into how the UFL is staking its claim with deep-pocketed allies like Disney and Fox, while doubling down on storytelling, fan engagement, and clever innovation. She also tackles the challenges of building a startup league from scratch and the untapped potential of women sports. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Charlie Neiman, Amazon’s head of sports partnerships, joins John to discuss the company’s new deal with Augusta National to air four hours of the Masters each year. Then he pulls back the curtain on Amazon’s broader play for tier-one sports rights—including the NFL, NASCAR, and the upcoming NBA deal—plus how the company is tinkering with A.I. to reimagine its broadcasts, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Shapiro, president of WME Group and TKO, joins John for a candid conversation about his blockbuster UFC and WWE deals, and the market’s broader convulsions. Shapiro also offers his thoughts on Netflix’s and YouTube’s live sports strategies, weighs in on boxing’s resurgence, and ranks where Netflix’s Crawford–Canelo spectacle—which packed 70,000 into Vegas' Allegiant Stadium—belongs in the pantheon of championship bouts. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former pro bowl quarterback Matt Ryan joins John to discuss his transition from the sidelines to CBS’s star football analyst, and the art of calling the game. Then he weighs in on the league’s hottest debates—from the potential 18-game expansion to fantasy football, sports betting, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pablo Torre, former ESPN mainstay turned podcast sleuth, joins John to unravel his latest investigations—into Bill Belichick, the NFLPA, and most recently, his bombshell report on the Clippers’ alleged salary cap circumvention. He also weighs in on the tightrope of balancing independence with partnerships like The New York Times and The Athletic—and his aspirations for his podcast’s future, including potential expansion to television. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dylan Byers joins John to dig into the NFL’s streaming playbook, starting with Friday’s YouTube debut. They discuss how the NFL, NBA, and other leagues are walking a tightrope between expanding their digital footprint and keeping legacy partners appeased. They also explore the so-called democratization of sports and news media, the outsized role of live rights, why ESPN’s shiny new app still needs some polishing—and much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jon Kelly joins John to map the many fault lines in today’s sports media circus, from cable's slow bleed to the sports rights land grab by streamers like Netflix and Amazon. They also dig into YouTube’s NFL experiment in Brazil and why MLB’s golden age may be gone for good. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NBC’s veteran sportscaster Mike Tirico joins John to yap about the upcoming NFL season that’s already brimming with soap opera-esque storylines—most recently the Cowboys shipping Micah Parsons off to Green Bay. Mike and John get into the ripple effects of the blockbuster deal, the NFL’s sustained brand dominance, Tirico’s next act leading NBC’s play-by-play NBA coverage, and much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NBC’s Mike Florio returns to the pod for a wide-ranging NFL season preview, tackling the biggest off-the-field questions facing the league: the NFL's in-house justice system, the league’s potential 10% ownership stake in ESPN and its impact on coverage, the NFLPA's leadership issues, the potential expansion to 18 games, and much, much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fox Sports’ lead college football analyst Joel Klatt joins John to make sense of the sport’s ongoing upheaval—from playoff expansion madness and conference realignment to N.I.L. and the huge debates over the transfer portal. They also delve into ESPN’s continued GameDay supremacy over Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff (even after the Portnoy stunt), plus the Bill Belichick of it all. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ryan Spoon, president of Yahoo Media Group, joins John to announce the launch of the Yahoo Sports Network. He outlines the company’s strategy to serve content across mobile, web, YouTube, and FAST channels like Samsung TV Plus and Fubo. Spoon also discusses partnerships, the shift from linear to streaming, and Yahoo’s collaborative approach in a competitive sports media market. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ESPN’s Jeff Passan joins John to discuss the deepening tensions between MLB owners and the players union, highlighted by Bryce Harper’s recent altercation with commissioner Rob Manfred. Passan weighs the odds of a potential work stoppage and explains how a salary cap could reshape the future of baseball. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Axios’s Sara Fischer returns to the pod to help make sense of the biggest sports media plot lines from the past few weeks: Paramount’s $7.7 billion deal with UFC, ESPN’s respective bombshell pacts with the NFL and WWE, the network’s forthcoming D.T.C. product, and much, much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh Pate, college football’s favorite late-night philosopher, joins the pod to break down his new distribution deal with On3/Rivals and Yahoo. Josh also retraces his winding path through the sports media ecosystem, and addresses a host of other topics affecting the college sports business. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nick Khan, president of WWE, joins John for an exclusive interview about the company’s blockbuster deal with ESPN to bring WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and its other premium live events to the network’s forthcoming streaming platform. They dig into what makes WWE such a coveted media property, the company's ongoing international expansion strategies, their partnerships with Netflix and Peacock, and much, much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sally Jenkins, perhaps the best sports columnist in the business, joins John for a candid conversation about her decision to leave The Washington Post after 25 years and join The Atlantic. She reflects on her rise through the ranks, Bezos’s generous buyout offer, the uncertain future of The Post, what she hopes to tackle in her next chapter—and much, much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Puck’s resident art market expert Marion Maneker swings by the pod for a rollicking conversation about the growing market for sports collectibles, from a recent $660,000 Caitlin Clark rookie card sale to the many ways auction houses are elevating collectibles into high art. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ESPN’s Don Van Natta joins the pod to break down the widespread dysfunction rocking the NFLPA—from sexual harassment claims to collusion accusations and more—that led to the abrupt resignation of executive director Lloyd Howell. They explore the myriad implications for the future of one of the most powerful labor organizations in sports. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sports Business Journal’s Bret McCormick joins John to chart the shifting priorities in sports ownership, from media rights deals to the increased focus on real estate development. They dig into how organizations across professional leagues are leveraging real estate for steady income, touch on the myriad challenges of financing new stadiums, predict whether the Washington Commanders will return to R.F.K. Stadium, and much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Nathanson joins John for a rollicking conversation about the future of sports media. They dig into the R.S.N. slow bleed, CBS’s shocking cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, ESPN’s forthcoming D.T.C. service, which potential streamers will bid on NFL rights—and much, much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices