Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

Episode 551 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Deirdre Lester, the CEO of Teton Ridge, a leading Western sports and entertainment brands. Teton Ridge owns The Cowboy Channel, a national 24 hour broadcast and digital outlet that airs over 600 annual Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) sanctioned rodeos worldwide among other programming. In this podcast Lester defines the Western sports landscape and why she sees such potential there; how you expand rodeo to more people; The American Rodeo competition, which concludes at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas and airs on Fox; what the Cowboy Channel is and where you can see it; her previous jobs working for MLB Advance Media, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, and Barstool, among other places; how AI playing is shaping Western sports and entertainment, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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

Episode 550 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Sports Media Watch editor and founder Jon Lewis and SBJ media reporter Austin Karp. In this podcast, Lewis, Karp and I discuss MLB's increase in viewership nationally year over year; Karp's SBJ's report on which local MLB markets did well and which struggled; baseball's value as a consumer play for customers; what constitutes a celebrity in sports; ESPN's Paul Finebaum considering an Alabama senate run in 2026; college football in 2025; Snoop Dogg returning for NBC's Olympics coverage; the YouTube/NBCU dispute; the difference between the average age of an MLB viewer on TV now just one year older than a viewer of the NFL; Boston passing the Bay Area in U.S. media market rankings: ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” averaging 1.83 million viewers in its final year; Terry Gannon getting a plum Olympics assignment, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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

Episode 549 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Sports Media Watch editor and founder Jon Lewis and Annie Costabile, a women's sports reporter for Front Office Sports. In this podcast, Lewis discusses Netflix carrying MLB’s Opening Night game next year on March 25 opener at San Francisco; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wanted to return to the media rights negotiations very early; interest in the NFL international games; potential viewership for Ravens-Chiefs and Cowboys-Packers. Costabile discusses the WNBA season and why she considers it a success; what has it been like covering the league as far as player and coach access; the firing of Sandy Brondello, a two-time winning WNBA coach; Caitlin Clark’s injury and why we don’t know more; the Fever advancing to the semifinals without Clark; the WNBA CBA negotiations; where Unrivaled is at the moment, 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

Episode 548 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Sports Illustrated podcaster and writer Jimmy Traina. In this podcast, Traina and Deitsch discuss Tom Brady's dual roles as broadcaster and part-owner; the Yankees versus Blue Jays in the final week of the season; The NFL Today's Throwback show; Molly Qerim departing ESPN; Amazon’s and NBC's NBA coverage; the ACC GameDay Operations Center; ESPN's relationship with the WWE; the challenges of booking for a sports media podcast; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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

Episode 547 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features an hourlong conversation with ESPN president of content Burke Magnus. In this podcast, Magnus discusses ESPN's foray into A.I; wanting Pat McAfee to stay with ESPN beyond his current contract, a five-year, $85 million-plus licensing agreement that McAfee signed with ESPN in the spring of 2023; why Tim Legler replaced Doris Burke on ESPN's top NBA booth; how ESPN will use Inside The NBA; why Molly Qerim is no longer on First Take; how ESPN views Stephen A. Smith's foray into political talk; how ESPN is approaching its upcoming Super Bowl broadcast; the hiring of digital influencer Katie Feeney; his company's relationship with the WWE; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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

Here’s a short clip from our upcoming interview with Burke Magnus, the president of content for ESPN. The full interview will be available on Wednesday. In this clip, Magnus discusses how ESPN views Stephen A. Smith's foray into political talk and whether that impacts other front-facing ESPN employees. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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

Here’s a short clip from our upcoming interview with Burke Magnus, the president of content for ESPN. The full interview will be available on Wednesday. In this clip, Magnus discusses how "Inside The NBA" will be used on ESPN as the iconic show has moved from Turner Sports to ESPN. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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

Episode 546 of the Sports Media Podcast features Rich Podolsky, the author of “Madden & Summerall How They Revolutionized NFL Broadcasting.” In this podcast, Podolsky discussed the process of writing a book about John Madden and Pat Summerall; the beginning of Madden's broadcasting career and how he was mediocre at first on air; Madden working with Bob Costas when Costas was just 27; Madden getting the biggest break of his fledgling broadcasting career when he was paired with Summerall; how Vin Scully nearly became Madden's permanent partner; how Summerall's broadcasting career began; what the NFL Today was like in 1975, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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

Here’s a short clip from our upcoming interview with Rich Podolsky, the author of “Madden & Summerall How They Revolutionized NFL Broadcasting.” The full interview will be available on Thursday. In this clip, Podolsky tells the story of how CBS had to decide between Vin Scully and Pat Summerall when it came to being John Madden’s broadcast partner. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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

Episode 546 of the Sports Media Podcast features Jon Lewis, the editor and founder of Sports Media Watch. In this podcast we discuss how sports viewership has been impacted by Nielsen’s use of Big Data and Panel measurement; whether you still make apples to apples comparisons with sport viewership; YouTube revising its viewership for Chiefs-Chargers; our experiences watching Red Zone; whether ads have impacted the RedZone experience; Scott Hanson as a host; the contracts of ESPN's Malika Andrews and Brian Windhorst; a discussion on whether anyone is indispensable in the sports media and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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

Episode 545 of the Sports Media Podcast features Fox Sports NFL producer Richie Zyontz and Fox Sports NFL director Rich Russo. They are the lead production staffers on Fox’s top NFL team. Last February Zyontz produced his eighth Super Bowl as a lead producer while Russo’s directed his sixth as a lead director. In this podcast, the two discuss Fox’s Chiefs-Eagles broadcast, the 11th rematch of a Super Bowl matchup in the following season and just the fourth to occur within the first two weeks of that season; the significance of having a big game this early in the season; why Arrowhead is a great place to broadcast a game; Tom Brady’s second year in the booth; where Brady has improved and what he needs to improve on; working with someone as famous as Brady; the rules imposed on Brady as a broadcaster; the upcoming "Madden & Summerall--How They Revolutionized NFL Broadcasting” book and Zyontz’s role in it; why Fox has two sideline reporters for its top team in Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi; watching the Bills-Ravens incredible finish and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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

Episode 544 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Neil Everett and Stan Verrett, the former ESPN hosts who were longtime partners on SportsCenter. In this podcast, Everett and Verrett discuss the launching of thir new show, beginning Sept. 9, airing live on Twitch; Verrett’s decision not to move to Bristol when ESPN ended the Los Angeles-based SportsCenter; the title of the show and when it will air; why they decided to start on Twitch; how they will measure success; whether they can make money with this project; potential guests, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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

Here’s a short clip from our upcoming interview with Neil Everett and Stan Verrett, the former ESPN hosts who were longtime partners on SportsCenter. The full interview will be available on Tuesday. In this clip, Verrett explains what his new show and collaboration with Everett will feature. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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

Episode 543 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests for a sports media roundtable: Jon Lewis, editor and founder of Sports Media Watch and Austin Karp, sports media reporter for Sports Business Journal. In this podcast, the trio discuss the NFL Red Zone channel featuring commercials and the fallout from that decision; ESPN getting unfairly blamed for the NFL’s call; why the NFL and other sports media businesses will always try to monetize everything; college football’s massive opening week viewership; College GameDay vs. Big Noon Kickoff; Doris Burke being demoted and Tim Legler getting a promotion; Pablo Torre’s reporting on the Clippers allegedly circumventing the salary cap and how long the story will remain of mass interest; the impact of Caitlin Clark being out for the season; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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

Episode 542 of the Sports Media Podcast features Bill Cowher, a studio analyst for The NFL Today on CBS. In this podcast, Cowher discusses being in his 19th year as an analyst for the CBS’s NFL studio show following a Hall of Fame career as a Pittsburgh Steelers coach; whether he feels he is getting better at his job each year; what the on-air cast changes for The NFL Today means for 2025; the NFL Today heading on the road to Lambeau Field for the Week 1 showdown between the Packers and Lions; The NFL Today celebrating its 50th birthday on Sept. 21; how he views Pittsburgh's acquisition of Aaron Rodgers; the AFC favorites including the Ravens, Bills, Chiefs and Bengals; Cowher's definition of leadership; how he identifies a leader; players from his coaching days who personified leadership; whether leaders are made or born; Steve Spagnuolo as a Hall of Famer and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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

Here’s a short clip from our upcoming interview with CBS NFL analyst and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bill Cowher. The full interview will be available tomorrow. In this clip, Cowher discusses the steps he takes to improve as a broadcaster and the kind of feedback he appreciates in his current position. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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

Episode 541 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Rob Hyland, the coordinating producer of Sunday Night Football and Drew Esocoff, the director of Sunday Night Football. NBC's NFL coverage begins on Sept 4 with the Cowboys at Eagles followed by the Bills-Ravens on Sept. 7. In this podcast, Hyland and Esocoff discuss what will be unique about Sunday Night Football this season; the opening games for NBC's NFL schedule; what Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are like in production meetings; why a Super Bowl year is always challenging for the host broadcaster; NBC's confluence of doing the Super Bowl, the Winter Olympics and the NBA All Star Game all within the same month; the NFL's in-game coach and coordinator interviews and locker room footage prior to kickoff; whether the new first down measurement can be a value-add for viewers; the challenges of doing NFL games abroad; keeping memorabilia from assignments, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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

Here’s a short clip from our upcoming interview with Rob Hyland, the coordinating producer of Sunday Night Football, and Drew Esocoff, the director of Sunday Night Football. In this clip, Hyland and Esocoff provide insight on what Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson are like in production meetings, and whether the new virtual measurement technology can get better for viewers during the season. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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

Episode 5TK of the Sports Media Podcast features Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal who recently became the lead media reporter for SBJ. Karp joined SBJ in 2006 and has held a number of positions at the publication. He is followed by Larry Keith, the author of a new autobiography, "Touch 'Em All: My Life And Career At $ports Illustrated." In this podcast, Karp discuss what the media reporting role entails at SBJ; why he moved into the role; how he sees the sports media beat; what he wants to focus on at SBJ; the legacy of John Ourand at SBJ; the challenges of navigating people who attend SBJ conferences while reporting on the same people; the sports business event space; the UFC-Paramount Global and Skydance Media deal and what it means for the industry; YouTube's challenges for its NFL game; the price for sports consumers and more. Keith discusses his career at Sports Illustrated, which included writing 19 cover stories from 1975-80 before serving as a senior editor and assistant managing editor and then SI’s Editorial Projects Director; what it was like writing for SI in an era when it had national cultural relevance; his interviews with Pete Rose and Reggie Jackson, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, covering the famed NCAA Championship when Magic beat Bird; the toughest subject he dealt with; working with all-time great writers and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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

Episode 539 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Michael Nathanson, a Founding Partner & Senior Research Analyst at MoffetNathanson and Robert Fishman, a senior research analyst at Michael Nathanson. Their firm is a leading independent equity research publisher focusing on the most important companies across the Technology, Media and Telecom landscape. In this podcast, Fishman and Nathanson discuss ESPN acquiring NFL Network and other league-owned media assets in exchange for a 10% equity stake in ESPN; why they believe the deal strengthens ESPN’s negotiating posture with distributors; whether the deal gives Disney a heads up on NFL rights in future negotiations; the NFL Network as an asset in carriage negotiations; YouTube's sports ambitions; the TKO Group and Paramount signing a seven-year, $7.7 billion rights agreement; how consumers should view Netflix when it comes to its sports acquisitions; FOX One and how it relates to sports; the Pay TV universe continuing to shrink, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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