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The Sports Media Podcast

Sports & Recreation Podcasts

The hottest headlines, network deals, ratings, trends and everything else you need to know inside sports media.

Location:

United States

Description:

The hottest headlines, network deals, ratings, trends and everything else you need to know inside sports media.

Language:

English


Episodes
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Big moves for Big Data, Lee Corso’s farewell and The CW’s Brad Schwartz

8/28/2025
On the pod this week, host Austin Karp takes you around the sports media landscape, including major news on how sports will be measured going forward by Nielsen, comings and goings with the U.S. Open and Netflix betting big in Japan with MLB. SBJ college reporter Ben Portnoy chimes in as Lee Corso gets set for his final “College GameDay.” Plus, The CW President Brad Schwartz discusses the network’s rapid transformation into a major player in live sports anchored by NASCAR and college football, and what the company has planned for streaming and beyond. 00:50 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW 15:07 BRAD SCHWARTZ INTERVIEW 29:18 KARP'S CORNER

Duration:00:35:16

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Dallas Cowboys’ docuseries directors Chapman and Maclain Way; TNT Sports’ Adam Lefkoe and the arrival of the ESPN direct-to-consumer app

8/21/2025
On the pod this week, host Austin Karp chats with Chapman and Maclain Way, directors of the new Netflix docuseries “America’s Team: The Gambler and his Cowboys” about how they put the project together and the character that is Jerry Jones. Karp is also joined by SBJ golf reporter Josh Carpenter to discuss a big week in the sport and how the star power of Scottie Scheffler is growing beyond hardcore golf fans. Finally, TNT Sports studio host Adam Lefkoe dishes on the addition of Big 12 football, his foray into tennis at Roland Garros earlier this year and the release that he gets from hosting “The Big Podcast with Shaq.” Be sure to like and subscribe wherever podcasts are available.

Duration:00:34:46

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NFL Films’ Keith Cossrow, Paramount’s knockout power and big moves for ESPN and Fox

8/14/2025
On the pod this week, host Austin Karp chats with SBJ combat sports reporter Adam Stern about the massive Paramount-TKO Group deal for UFC. Karp is then joined by Keith Cossrow of NFL Films about the many projects his group is leading. Finally, we whip around the sports media landscape to talk ESPN and Fox partnering up around DTC, big viewership for the Little League Softball World Series and much more. 1:12 Paramount-UFC Deal 10:03 Keith Cossrow Interview 29:24 Quick Hitters

Duration:00:36:25

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What to make of the NFL and ESPN’s deeper relationship; the McCourty brothers and Greg Olsen get set for the 2025 season

8/7/2025
On the pod this week, host Austin Karp breaks down a number of deals struck between the NFL and ESPN. And with the season fast approaching, Karp is joined by NBC’s Devin McCourty, CBS’ Jason McCourty and Fox’s Greg Olsen to look at what’s in store for 2025. 1:13 ESPN-NFL DEAL 5:18 THE McCOURTY BROTHERS INTERVIEW 25:40 GREG OLSEN INTERVIEW 29:58 QUICK HITTERS

Duration:00:32:18

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NBCUniversal launching another cable sports channel? All things media with The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch

7/31/2025
On the pod this week, co-hosts Austin Karp and Mollie Cahillane break down the latest in sports media, including NBCUniversal potentially launching a new cable sports channel. Also, The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch joins the show to break down the future of NFL Media, including what may happen in the wake of the Paramount/Skydance merger. The trio also examines what a 16-team CFP could look like from a media perspective. Finally, an examination of the media future of both the NBA and MLB. 1:11 NBCU CABLE SPORTS CHANNEL 4:43 NFL MEDIA 24:52 COLLEGE FOOTBALL 33:22 QUICK HITTERS

Duration:00:39:22

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WNBA All-Star Game rewind, Snap’s Anmol Malhotra and Joe Hand Promotions’ Joe Hand Jr.

7/24/2025
On the pod this week, co-hosts Austin Karp and Mollie Cahillane break down the latest in sports media including Barstool Sports and Fox Sports teaming up, what sports programming is resonating on Netflix and ESPN’s latest . SBJ’s Rachel Axon also stops by to break down WNBA All-Star weekend and where the league goes from there. Later in the show, Snap’s Anmol Malhotra discusses how the social media giant is making sports even more accessible for fans. Finally, Joe Hand Jr. of out-of-homedistributor Joe Hand Promotions breaks down his company’s business. 1:03 FOX BARSTOOL 4:31 WNBA ALL-STAR GAME 13:07 NETFLIX SHOWS 18:30 ANMOL MALHOTRA INTERVIEW 29:11 NFL MEDIA & ESPN RATINGS 31:40 JOE HEAD JR. INTERVIEW 45:11 QUICK HITTERS

Duration:00:47:27

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F1 to Apple, ESPN’s John Lasker on DTC and MLB festivities

7/17/2025
On the pod this week, Austin Karp and Mollie Cahillane are joined by SBJ’s Adam Stern for a deep dive into the reported $150 million/yearF1 and Apple media deal -- and what it could mean for ESPN and UFC. The pair also speaks with ESPN’s head of direct-to-consumer John Lasker around the company’s upcoming DTC service and the growth of ESPN+. Lastly, they break down Home Run Derby and MLB Draft numbers, as well as the reception for the new “Swing Off” at the MLB All-Star game. 1:31 F1 TO APPLE? 12:38 THIS WEEK IN SPORTS MEDIA 22:20 JOHN LASKER INTERVIEW 38:02 QUICK HITTERS

Duration:00:42:53

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Fox’s Joe Davis, MLB Network’s Robert Flores and “The Decision” 15 years later

7/10/2025
On the pod this week, Austin Karp and Mollie Cahillane take a look back 15 years to “The Decision” and LeBron James taking his talents to South Beach. They then take a deep dive into Apple’s pole position to land F1 media rights. With MLB All-Star festivities around the corner, the duo also chats with Joe Davis of Fox Sports about what he is looking forward to in Atlanta and why Shohei Ohtani is a man ahead of his time. Finally, MLB Network’s Robert Flores joins the show to talk about the state of the league ahead and why the league-owned network continues to have success.

Duration:00:48:16

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MLB and ESPN talking again?; Another big summer of soccer for Univision

7/3/2025
This week on the Sports Media Podcast, Mollie Cahillane and Austin Karp explain why conversations between ESPN and MLB are what many expected and what those talks could yield. The duo also takes a deep dive into the results for both the NBA and NHL drafts, and whether the “F1” movie can help draw fans to live races and bolster fortunes for a media rights pact. Finally, Cahillane and Karp are joined by TelevisaUnivision’s Olek Loewenstein to examine the Spanish-language network’s approach to concurrent international soccer competitions. 1:19 MLB ESPN 3:56 NBA 8:19 DRAFTS 10:39 F1 MOVIE 14:38 QUICK HITTERS 18:08 OLEK LOEWENSTEIN INTERVIEW

Duration:00:37:20

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Game 7 puts NBA Playoffs in positive territory; Inside the Pac-12/CBS deal

6/26/2025
This week on the Sports Media Podcast, Mollie Cahillane and Austin Karp dive into the significance of NBA Finals Game 7 and whether a potential a run by Oklahoma City would be good for the NBA’s media fortunes. SBJ’s Ben Portnoy also joins for a deep dive into the Pac-12/CBS media rights agreement and where the league sits in the pantheon of college athletics. Finally, the duo breaks down ESPN’s equity stake in the Premier Lacrosse League and what that means for both sides. 0:31 NBA 6:01 PLL 8:18 QUICK HITTERS 12:09 PAC-12 CBS MEDIA DEAL

Duration:00:21:49

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How Brian Rolapp’s move impacts NFL, PGA Tour media; SailGP, Vice TV look to crack the code

6/19/2025
On the pod this week, Austin Karp chats with SBJ colleagues Ben Fischer and Josh Carpenter to break down the implications of Brian Rolapp’s move from the NFL to the PGA Tour (and whether he may still be on the NFL commissioner short list in the future). Then, fresh off a successful event in NYC, Karp talks with Melissa Lawton of SailGP to check in on the series’ deal with CBS and other media efforts. Finally, Vice TV’s Pete Gaffney joins Karp to talk about the strategy shift for the company into more sports programming. 0:48 THIS WEEK IN SPORTS MEDIA 2:07 BRIAN ROLAPP TO PGA TOUR 11:50 MELISSA LAWTON INTERVIEW 29:16 PETE GAFFNEY INTERVIEW

Duration:00:39:26

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ESPN’s Holly Rowe; WBDivorce; Championship Viewership

6/12/2025
On the pod this week, co-hosts Austin Karp and Mollie Cahillane discuss Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to split into separate entities. They break down how they expect it to work and what this means for the broader sports media landscape. The duo then deep dive into the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final viewership numbers and experience. Later in the pod, ESPN’s Holly Rowe explains how reality far exceeded expectations on Women’s College World Series viewership. 1:10 WBD NEWS AND ROLAND GARROS 9:57 NBA AND NHL FINALS 12:06 WCWS RECORDS 16:04 WNBA 19:14 MLB AND BELMONT STAKES

Duration:00:21:19

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NBA Finals has small markets, but new stars; Ally Financial's Andrea Brimmer

6/5/2025
On the pod this week, Austin Karp and Mollie Cahillane break down the opportunity for the NBA Finals to showcase budding stars who play in smaller TV markets. The duo also discusses whether“Inside the NBA” could change on ESPN next season,and what ESPN talent might make sense to mix in with the current crew. Also, a look at the NHL Stanley Cup Final rematch between Edmonton and Florida and what’s going on with MLB media. Finally, Cahillane catches up with Ally Financial’s Andrea Brimmer to discuss how the brand, a big sponsor in sports, views the media value of the properties it has deals with.

Duration:00:29:44

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Memorial Day weekend rewind, former NFLPA exec George Atallah and Big3’s Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz

5/29/2025
On the pod this week, coming off a memorable Memorial Day weekend, SBJ’s Austin Karp catches up with motorsports writer Adam Stern to talk about his time at the Indy 500 and his first impressions of Prime Video’s NASCAR debut. Karp then chats with longtime NFLPA senior exec George Atallah about his time with the union and how players are thinking about media issues. Finally, Big3 co-founders Jeff Kwatinetz and Ice Cube, stop by to talk about what to expect in the league’s upcoming season.

Duration:00:39:40

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WNBA; TNT Sports,; Indy 500

5/22/2025
On this week’s SBJ Sports Media Podcast, co-hosts Austin Karp and Mollie Cahillane break down the strong start to the WNBA season, but question whether there is any CaitlinClark fatigue yet. The duo also looks at the final four teams for the NBA and NHL postseasons and why ScottieScheffler may not be a needle-mover. Plus, Karp talks to TNT Sports Chair & CEO LuisSilberwasser about the company’s debut at Roland-Garros. And with the Indianapolis 500 making its debut on Fox on Sunday, IndyCar analyst TownsendBell chats with Karp about the open-wheel series.

Duration:00:50:21

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Upfront season; WNBA; UFL

5/15/2025
On this week’s SBJ Sports Media Podcast, co-hosts Austin Karp and Mollie Cahillane discuss how sports has taken over the annual upfront season. Plus, Karp talks to WNBA Dallas Wings CEO and managing partner Greg Bibb ahead of the start to Paige Bueckers era for his club. And with just a few weeks left in the UFL season, President & CEO Russ Brandon joins Karp for a talk about how Season 2 is going.

Duration:00:29:59

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Upfronts, NBA & NHL Playoffs, Kentucky Derby, and the NBA on NBC

5/8/2025
On this week’s SBJ Sports Media Podcast, co-hosts Austin Karp and Mollie Cahillane preview what to expect with Upfronts and break down numbers for the Kentucky Derby and the first rounds of the NHL and NBA playoffs. Plus, the duo talks about John Skipper’s Meadowlark Media exit, DAZN’s renewed push in the U.S. and FanDuel Sports Network having early success with DTC subscriptions.

Duration:00:16:34

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NBA Playoffs, NFL Draft and Sports.ish’s Lily Shimbashi

5/1/2025
On the pod this week, Mollie Cahillane is joined by SBJ basketball writer Tom Friend. The duo deep dive into TNT’s last playoff run and what to expect at the start of the WNBA season. Later in the show, Austin Karp catches up with Sports.ish founder Lily Shimbashi to chat about the women and sports-focused media outlet. Finally, Cahillane puts a bow on the 2025 NFL Draft and gives the latest on Pac-12 media rights.

Duration:00:25:03

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NFL Draft is here, NFL Network's Charlie Yook, Baltimore Orioles' Catie Griggs

4/24/2025

Duration:00:27:14

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The Masters, all things basketball and NBC NFL analyst Sports Chris Simms

4/17/2025
This week on SBJ’s Sports Media Podcast, Austin Karp and Mollie Cahillane break down the viewership numbers for the Masters, NBA regular season and WNBA Draft. The duo is also joined by Chris Simms of NBC Sports to discuss the NFL Draft and it’s evolution as a television property.

Duration:00:31:50