Episode 523 of the Sports Media Podcast features Kurt Badenhausen, a reporter who covers sports business for Sportico. In this podcast, Badenhausen explains the process of reporting out pro sports valuations; how the work changes based on the sport; Sportico releasing its second annual WNBA valuation report, which showed the average WNBA team is now valued at $269 million, a 180 percent increase compared to last year’s report; why the Golden State Valkyries are worth a $500 million valuation, a ...
Jun 30, 2025•47 min
Episode 522 of the Sports Media Podcast features Jason Benetti, the television voice of the Detroit Tigers and a play by play announcer for Fox Sports. In this podcast, Benetti discusses what it's like calling the best team in baseball (so far); why the Tigers have been successful; how calling a winning team impacts how the viewer perceives a broadcast; Detroit as a sports city; the best stadium experiences for a visiting broadcaster; chatting with Jack White and J.K. Simmons about baseball; his...
Jun 26, 2025•38 min
Episode 521 of the Sports Media Podcast features Jon Lewis, founder and editor of Sports Media Watch and Donnovan Bennett, host and podcaster for Sportsnet. In this podcast we discuss the NBA's Game 7 viewership (16.35 million viewers) and how it bailed out what would have been a catastrophic viewership story; Game 7 being the most-watched NBA Finals game in six years; the viewership issues for Thunder-Pacers; why people did not watch the series before Game 7; ESPN/ABC's negative-centric NBA Fin...
Jun 24, 2025•44 min
Episode 520 of the Sports Media Podcast features Chantel Jennings, who covers women's college basketball and the WNBA and Ben Pickman, who covers the WNBA for The Athletic. Both are regulars on the "No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show," which is a twice-weekly podcast on all things women's basketball. In this podcast Jennings and Pickman discuss the pace at which interest in Caitlin Clark has been accelerated; why the interest has exploded; the Fever-Sun game becoming a national s...
Jun 23, 2025•43 min
Episode 519 of the Sports Media Podcast features Jon Lewis, the founder and editor of Sports Media Watch. In this podcast, Lewis and Deitsch discusses ESPN's NBA presentation; Lewis's piece on Stephen A Smith; how much big cities matter with viewership for the NBA and NHL; why the Stanley Cup Final has struggled to find an audience in the U.S.; a historical look at Game 7 viewership for the NBA Finals; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn mor...
Jun 18, 2025•49 min
Episode 518 of the Sports Media Podcast features Jon Wertheim, a longtime Sports Illustrated writer and editor, 60 Minutes correspondent, and Tennis Channel and Turner Sports tennis commentator. Wertheim is a producer on the upcoming HBO documentary "Surviving Ohio State" which delves into the Ohio State sex abuse scandal and the victims of Dr. Richard Strauss, employed by the university from 1978-1998. The documentary debuts June 17. In this podcast, Wertheim discusses how the Ohio State docume...
Jun 17, 2025•44 min
Episode 517 of the Sports Media Podcast features Howard Megdal, a longtime women's basketball writer and the author of a new book. "Becoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar." He is followed by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli, the co-authors of "Ice Breakers: A Kids' Guide to Hockey and the Greatest Players Who Changed the Game." In this podcast Megdal discusses why he decided to write a book on Caitlin Clark through the prism of the growth of women's ...
Jun 13, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Episode 516 of the Sports Media Podcast features Cheryl Reeve, the Head Coach and President of Basketball Operations for the Minnesota Lynx. Reeve's resume includes coaching the Lynx to four WNBA titles, winning two championships with the former Detroit Shock and coaching the 2024 U.S. women's Olympic team to a gold medal. In this podcast Reeve discusses how much she thinks about media coverage; how she looks at local coverage versus national media; why Lynx star Napheesa Collier did not have a ...
Jun 11, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Here’s a short clip from our upcoming interview with Cheryl Reeve, the head coach and president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Lynx. The full interview will be available on Wednesday In this clip, Reeve discusses why Lynx star Napheesa Collier is finally getting the national attention she previously did not. 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-polic...
Jun 10, 2025•7 min
Episode 515 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Sports Media Watch founder and editor Jon Lewis and Austin Karp, the managing editor of Sports Business Journal. In this podcast, Lewis and Karp discuss the Mike Breen, Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson; the comp to Joe Buck, Tom Verducci and Harold Reynolds; the NBA's Game 1 viewership numbers; TNT's French Open debut was a strong showing; the future of TNT Sports post-NBA; the NHL's Stanley Cup viewership and more. You can s...
Jun 10, 2025•34 min
Episode 514 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Cat Osterman, one of four general managers for The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). Osterman is one of the greatest pitchers in the history of softball, a four-time All-American pitcher for Texas who also starred for Team USA. The AUSL begins play on June 7 and games will air on ESPN and MLB Network among other entities. In this podcast, Osterman discusses why 2025 is the right time for the American sports public to ...
Jun 05, 2025•35 min
Episode 513 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features host and podcaster Donnovan Bennett of Sportsnet (Canada), Sports Media Watch founder and editor Jon Lewis and Boston Globe sports media columnist Chad Finn. In this podcast, we discuss what kind of interest the Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals will have; what it means that last year's NBA Finals averaged 11.31 million viewers; why we have not seen an NBA Finals game get more 14 million in five years; the Stanley Cup Final between th...
Jun 03, 2025•54 min
Episode 512 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Kate Scott, who hosts UEFA Champions League Today studio coverage alongside analysts Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards. CBS Sports will air UEFA Champions League Final coverage between PSG and Inter Milan in Munich on May 31 across the CBS Television Network, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network. In this podcast, Scott discusses Munich as a setting for the Champions League Final; what to...
May 29, 2025•39 min
Episode 511 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Mike Breen, the lead NBA game-caller for ESPN and ABC. Breen will be the play by play voice of the NBA Finals, which will be his 20th straight NBA Finals, the most any play-by-play voice has called consecutively. In this podcast, Breen discusses what is unique about calling games in Oklahoma City and Minneapolis; how surreal it would be to call the Knicks in the Finals given he is the long time play-by-play announcer for Knick...
May 27, 2025•46 min
Here’s a short clip from our upcoming interview with Mike Breen, the lead play by play caller ESPN/ABC’s NBA coverage. The full interview will be available on Tuesday. In this clip, Breen discusses calling Game 5 of the 1994 NBA Finals between the Knicks and Rockets as O.J. Simpson led Los Angeles police on a low-speed chase after a warrant for his arrest was issued in connection to the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podc...
May 26, 2025•5 min
Episode 510 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of many books including on CAA, ESPN, Saturday Night Live, and HBO. In this podcast, Miller discusses the end of Around The Horn after a 23 year run and nearly 5,000 episodes; why the show was successful for so long; the show's true success as an incubator of young sports TV talent; praise for Tony Reali for being ego free as an on-air talent; whether Horn deserves criticism for bei...
May 23, 2025•43 min
Episode 509 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features host and podcaster Donnovan Bennett of Sportsnet (Canada) and Sports Media Watch founder and editor Jon Lewis. In this podcast we discuss the NFL schedule overall; what network schedule looks best; the Monday Night Football doubleheader issue; have the Chiefs passed the Cowboys as the NFL’s most popular viewership; why has schedule release day become so big; the WNBA’s opening weekend; the depth of major stars from A'ja Wilson...
May 19, 2025•49 min
Episode 508 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s EVP for Media Distribution. In this podcast, Schroeder discusses whether the NFL front-loaded its schedule and how the league thinks about the first two weeks of the season; Fox’s desire to have more AFC teams on its schedule this year; how the league parcels out the Chiefs and Cowboys knowing everyone wants them; the most request game; the NFL’s Christmas Day schedule and how should fans of other spo...
May 16, 2025•39 min
Episode 507 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Annie Costabile, a women's sports reporter for Front Office Sports. In this podcast we discuss the WNBA's upcoming season; where the league is as far as media coverage; the importance of Caitlin Clark and the Fever to the product; the challenges of covering the league as a beat reporter; covering the WNBA as you would cover any other sport; why Costabile left the Chicago Sun-Times; the future of beat reporting at newspapers; e...
May 15, 2025•49 min
Episode 506 of the Sports Media Podcast features S.L. Price, the longtime Sports Illustrated writer who has a new book out: "The American Game: History and Hope in the Country of Lacrosse." The book comes out May 20. In this podcast, Price discusses why he wrote the book; where the sport sits today in America; how the Duke rape case and the murder of Yeardley Love still resonates and reinforces the sport’s elite “laxbro” image; the tie between Wall Street and finance and lacrosse; where the grow...
May 13, 2025•38 min
Episode 505 of the Sports Media Podcast features Jon Lewis, the founder and editor of Sports Media Watch. In this podcast we discuss ESPN unveiling its direct to consumer product; the impact of the move and potential pricing; NBA and NHL postseason viewership; NBC hiring of Carmelo Anthony as an NBA studio analyst; Comcast’s sports division using an AI-generated version of the late Jim Fagan’s voice for select title sequences, opens and game promos, and praise for Ahmed Fareed. You can subscribe...
May 09, 2025•28 min
Episode 504 of the Sports Media Podcast features NBC Sports hostAhmed Fareed, who served as the main host for the Kentucky Derby coverage after Mike Tirico had an allergic reaction. Fareed has hostedthe Olympics, Paralympic Games, Premier League, Big Ten Football and Basketball, and other sports for NBC. In this podcast, Fareed discusseshow he was informed that he had to replace Tirico; what a sports broadcaster has to do in an emergency situation such as the one he faced; the value of over-rese...
May 07, 2025•34 min
Episode 503 of the Sports Media Podcast features Donnovan Bennett of Sportsnet (Canada). In this podcast we discuss whether LeBron James will return for his 23rd year; how seismic it would it be if LeBron left; what the league does in a post-LeBron era; the favourites for the NBA title; why F-1 managememt is so obsessed with cursing, 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.aud...
May 05, 2025•39 min
Episode 502 of the Sports Media Podcast features Peter King, one of the iconic NFL writers and voices of his generation. He is currently writing a book about his 40 years of covering the NFL and changes in the league during his tenure. In this podcast, King discusses this year's NFL Draft and how he processed it; the uselessness of early Mock Drafts; how he saw Mel Kiper's commentary on Shedeur Sanders; whether the Draft is an entertainment product;UNC football coach Bill Belichick in his recent...
May 01, 2025•49 min
Episode 501 of the Sports Media Podcast features Donna Brothers, who serves as a reporter on NBC Sports’ horse racing coverage, including the Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Brothers will be part of NBC's Kentucky Derby coverage on NBC and Peacock this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET. This is NBC's 25th presentation of the Derby. In this podcast, Brothers discusses how she prepares for the Derby and what that prep consists of during Derby week; her race day routine; how she choo...
Apr 30, 2025•42 min
Episode 500 of the Sports Media Podcast features Cassidy Hubbarth, who worked at ESPN for more than a decade including prominently as a game reporter on NBA coverage and as an NBA host. She will move to Amazon Prime Video next year as that streamer's lead NBA sideline reporter. In this podcast we discuss ESPN's very public goodbye to her; why she succeeded at ESPN where others did not; why Amazon Prime Video was the right fit; how the Amazon job came to be; the excitement of starting a new job; ...
Apr 28, 2025•58 min
Episode 499 of the Sports Media Podcast features Sports Media Watch founder and editor Jon Lewis. In this podcast, we discuss the reports of ESPN retaining the NFL Draft; the value of the NFL Draft as a property; Lee Corso announcing his retirement from College GameDay; NHL viewership dropping and what it means; TNT Sports not sending announcers to Winnipeg and Edmonton for early Stanley Cup playoff games; Robert Griffin III working college games on Fox Sports; Jay Bilas getting another primetim...
Apr 25, 2025•37 min
Episode 498 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Charlie Yook, an NFL Network executive producer and the longtime point person for the network's NFL Draft coverage, and ESPN vice president of production Seth Markman, who oversees the Disney presentation of the NFL Draft on ESPN and ABC. In this podcast, Yook and Markman discuss how they look at the NFL Draft from a producer perspective; why the NFL Draft remains so relevant; the role of Green Bay in this year's production; w...
Apr 22, 2025•55 min
Episode 497 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a roundtable discussion with Donnovan Bennett of Sportsnet (Canada) and Austin Karp, the managing editor/newsletters for SBJ. In this podcast we discuss the NBA's regular season viewership numbers; ABC, ESPN and TNT averaged 1.53 million viewers, slightly below last season’s four-year high; the NBA playoffs and our viewership expectations; the prospect of an Thunder-Cavs final; the Masters viewership of 12.9 million for the fi...
Apr 16, 2025•43 min
Episode 496 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Joon Lee, an independent sports journalist and content creator whose YouTube launch video was titled, "My ESPN Layoff Taught Me Why Sports Media is Broken." In this podcast Lee talks about why he sees big opportunity in sports content creation on YouTube; the current sports media information ecosystem; how to build content away from a legacy outlet; being let go by ESPN in July 2023 after four years there; how he moved forward...
Apr 14, 2025•47 min
