The Sports Media Podcast

On this week's pod, SBJ media reporters Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter break down Disney's decision not to spin off ESPN, as well as the CW landing on ESPN's app. The NFL Draft's opening round was surpisingly down on TV, and Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever set a record with 44 national broadcasts. Also, Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen breaks down what to expect at the Kentucky Derby. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, co-hosts Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter dive into the NFL Draft, which is trying to follow up on near-record viewership for 2025's event. Staying on the NFL: Mike Tomlin has a new job, but not on the sidelines. And amid questions around its funding, where does LIV Golf go for its next media deal? Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, SBJ media reporters Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter go deep on a number of pressing topics. First, the duo looks at the impressive audience numbers for the Masters final round juxtaposed with the production hiccups. Then, it’s the latest on media rights for the Preakness, the NBA’s strong regular season, what to make of the DOJ investigation into the NFL and some ESPN talent moves. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, SBJ media reporters Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter – making his debut as co-host – discuss Prime Video’s debut at Augusta National and what it could portend for Amazon’s deeper involvement in golf. The duo also put a bow on March Madness, talk about the latest with NFL Network and look at where the local game delivery market is headed. Plus, Athletes First’s Gideon Cohen, an SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree in 2019, joins Karp to discuss how the agency has built out a media representation business and what he’s paying attention to in the space. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, host and SBJ media reporter Austin Karp is joined by SBJ special contributor Richard Deitsch to break down the impact of Big Data on viewership for both the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments. They duo also breaks down the future of NFL media with streaming partners and how Tiger Woods stepping away from golf could impact the media rights discussions around the TGL. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, host and SBJ media reporter Austin Karp discusses record NCAA Tourney viewership numbers for TNT Sports and CBS Sports headed into the Sweet 16. Karp also looks at Brian Rolapp’s comments regarding a tightening media rights market, how the debut Fanatics Flag Football Classic performed and whether President Trump’s executive order regarding Army-Navy will slow the CFP’s expansion. Plus, Elle Duncan joins the pod to discuss her move to Netflix, while Brian Josephs of Sportradar also joins to dig into the data and analytics that his company is bringing to sports TV telecasts. Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, host and SBJ media reporter Austin Karp discusses the big audience numbers for college basketball’s regular season and the conference tournaments. Karp also looks at the healthy prospects for the WNBA with a CBA done, how the WBC delivered big numbers and the PWHL getting its first national TV deals done in the U.S. Plus, with the NCAA Tournament underway, NBC Sports’ John Fanta comes on to talk about the broader college hoops landscape. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, host and SBJ media reporter Austin Karp opens up with a conversation at the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament with Commissioner Jim Phillips, who dishes on the recent meeting with President Trump at the White House, resurgent viewership for college hoops and likely expansion of the ACC’s efforts with in-game replay review audio for fans. Plus, Karp gets into college basketball regular season viewership, the prospects for an NFL game on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, CBS’ UFC debut, Apple TV’s F1 debut and the “Soul Power” doc currently on Amazon Prime Video. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, host and SBJ media reporter Austin Karp discusses the implications of David Ellison and Paramount Skydance winning a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. Also, what the Red Wings and Tigers are doing for local games in Motown and what Unrivaled needs to accomplish in Season 3. Plus, CAA Sports’ Matt Kramer and Tom Young dish on what they look to accomplish for their broadcasting clients, and what trends they’re following for talent in 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week on the SBJ Sports Media Podcast, host and SBJ media reporter Austin Karp delivers his takeaways from the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, including a look at NBC’s cross‑platform strategy that helped drive record viewership for the USA–Canada women’s hockey gold‑medal showdown. Later in the episode, the president of NHL Business Keith Wachtel joins the show to share on‑the‑ground insights from his Olympic experience and to lay out why the league views major global events as a cornerstone of its long‑term plan to expand hockey’s international reach. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, host and SBJ media reporter Austin Karp discusses what the end of Main Street Sports Group and the FanDuel Sports Networks means for teams across the NHL, NBA and MLB. Plus, he breaks down numbers for the NBA All-Star Game’s return to NBC, the Daytona 500 and first week of the Milan Cortina Winter Games. And SBJ’s Rachel Axon gives an on-the-ground report from Italy and what she’s hearing concerning all things Olympics. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, host and SBJ media reporter Austin Karp is joined by SBJ special contributor Richard Deitsch, and the duo break down Super Bowl viewership, changes coming to NFL media rights, the start to the Milan Cortina Olympics, this weekend’s NBA All-Star Game and Daytona 500 and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, host and SBJ media reporter Austin Karp brings on colleague Tom Friend to talk about the latest with Main Street Sports Group and its RSNs. Then, Karp gets into the closing of the NFL-ESPN equity deal and what surprised him. Then, Octagon media rights expert William Mao joins the pod to dish on the NFL, college sports, a potential squeeze on mid-tier properties and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, host and SBJ media reporter Austin Karp breaks down the NFC/AFC conference championship, and whether he thinks Patriots-Seahawks will set a Super Bowl audience record. He also breaks down the CFP title game number, and why the SEC’s regular season numbers still dwarf the Big Ten on the whole. Plus, FanDuel President Christian Genetski gives insight on how sports betting is helping TV viewership, how he’s monitoring the Main Street Sports RSN mess and why the company’s ads feel different. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, host and SBJ media reporter Austin Karp looks into what a potential CFP format expansion would mean for interested media. Sticking with college, the hardwood is heating up and so are audience numbers, as Karp shares why the Big Ten Network isn’t just relying on football for a record start. Plus, with the NFC and AFC championship games set for Sunday, NFL media chief Hans Schroeder dishes on the matchups, plus where things stand on media rights and Nielsen’s Big Data. 00:55 CFP RECAP 01:45 FIRST TRIP TO TGL 03:27 CFP EXPANSION? 05:20 HANS SCHROEDER INTERVIEW 23:17 KARP'S CORNER Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, host and SBJ media reporter Austin Karp looks at the latest movement in the battle for WBD, as well how the numbers looked around NFL Wild Card weekend and the CFP semifinals. Plus, some chatter on the latest with MLB teams and RSNs and Fanatics getting into the content production business. Then, a conversation with TikTok executive Kat Marquez on how the platform views sports, as well as a talk with the new head of Playfly Media, Nick Cartan. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, host and SBJ media reporter Austin Karp shares what could be next for Main Street Sports Group as the RSN saga continues. Plus, the path to Super Bowl LX is set and we put a bow on NFL regular season viewership trends. Plus, Indiana's trouncing of Alabama did not slow down the Rose Bowl juggernaut, and Karp shares why the audience numbers will only continue to grow as the College Football Playoffs roll on. And speaking of the CFP, ESPN’s Bryan Jaroch drops in to share what they have planned for the semifinals. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, host and SBJ media reporter Austin Karp starts off 2026 with his experience taking in the Pop-Tarts Bowl and why bowl season on TV continues to be ripe for brand experimentation. Plus, some talk on how the NBA and NFL delivered on Christmas Day and what’s next for a potential DAZN-FanDuel RSNs marriage. Then, a conversation with top Wall Street media analysts David Karnovsky (JPMorgan) and Naveen Sarma (S&P Global) from SBJ’s Media Innovators event on key issues around sports media. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, host and SBJ media reporter Austin Karp brings home the last pod of 2025 with an eye on Christmas Day. First, Kay Adams joins to talk about the second iteration of Netflix’s NFL doubleheader and how she sees her role in sports after departing NFL Network. Then, longtime ESPN play-by-play announcer Mark Jones dishes on the five-pack of Christmas NBA games and whether the Pop-Tarts Bowl has the best postseason trophy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's pod, host and SBJ media reporter Austin Karp brings in colleague Ben Portnoy to look at the future where Army-Navy falls on the calendar. The duo also discuss the Heisman Trophy telecast, TNT’s CFP future and predictions for the first round this weekend. Finally, in Karp’s Corner, a look a new “MNF” alt-cast, WBD rejecting David Ellison’s hostile offer, DAZN looking for U.S. inroads with FanDuel Sports Networks and Netflix expanding its video podcast offerings with Barstool Sports. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.