Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

Episode 655 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Gabe Spitzer, Vice President Global Live Sports and Entertainment for Netflix. Spitzer has oversight for the company’s global live sports strategy including managing the rights negotiations and partnerships with leagues such as NFL, MLB, WWE and FIFA for the Women’s World Cup. In this podcast we discuss Netflix airing the NFL's league’s first-ever regular season game in Australia on Sept. 10 (Rams- 49ers); what viewers can expect from the Australia game; why Netflix expanded to five NFL games in 2026; how Spitzer approaches on-air talent hires; why Noah Eagle...

Episode 654 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a roundtable with Jon Lewis, editor and founder of Sports Media Watch; Armand Broady, the co-host of the Sports Media Watch podcast and a contributor to SMW, and Derek Futterman, a multimedia writer and producer for Sports Media Watch. In this podcast our group discusses Tony Romo's plea deal and his statement about his future; what we expect  CBS Sports will do with Romo this season and beyond; whether Romo could land elsewhere in the future; the NBA's punishment of the Clippers as it relates to Pablo Torre and h...

Episode 653 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is Jimmy Traina, a podcast host/writer for Underscore Media. He is followed by longtime journalist Liz Robbins, who has written a book with Billie Jean King titled: See It to Be It: Eleven Champions Leading Women’s Sports Today." The book, for young adults, tells the inspirational stories of modern athletes including Caitlin Clark and Naomi Osaka. In this podcast, Traina discusses his new podcast for Underdog Media; interviewing Alex Rodgiuez after he previously had bashed him on social media; Tony Romo's plea deal an...

Episode 652 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a roundtable with Jon Lewis, editor and founder of Sports Media Watch, Chad Finn, sports media columnist for the Boston Globe and Austin Karp, the media writer for Sports Business Journal. In the podcast we discuss the start of the college football season and the nexus of college football and media; the teams that move the needle the most such as Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame, and  Texas; Pat McAfee's presence in college football; ESPN's decision to cut scores from its bottom line; whether college football broadcasters kiss the a...

Episode 651 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF), one of the most talented professional wrestlers in the world today. Friedman is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and they have one of their biggest shows of the year this Sunday August 30 -- AEW All In: London, live from Wembley Stadium  The event will air live around the world on pay-per-view, HBO Max pay-per-view and MyAEW.com. In this podcast, Friedman discusses how he looks at media; how much say he has when a media request comes in; wrestling at one of the world's m...

Episode 650 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a roundtable with Jon Lewis, editor and founder of Sports Media Watch; Armand Broady, the co-host of the Sports Media Watch podcast and a contributor to SMW, and Derek Futterman, a multimedia writer and producer for Sports Media Watch. In this podcast we discuss Pat McAfee's new role on Monday Night Countdown, a possible MNF alt-cast for McAfee and his crew, and his growing on-air presence on ESPN; whether viewers should think of either McAfee or Stephen A. Smith as the face of ESPN or is the wrong question...

Episode 649 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Jason Hehir, the director of "Novak Djokovic:The Wolf in Winter," a documentary that will debut on Prime Video on August 20. The documentary examines what has driven Novak Djokovic and the sacrifice one makes to become a tennis champion. In this podcast, Hehir discusses what interested him about the project; what makes Djokovic a fascinating subject; the access he got for his film; how he approached Djokovic being banned from Australia prior to the 2022 Australian Open; how growing up in war-torn Serbia impacted Djokovic; how he approached Djokovic with...

Episode 648 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Pierre Moossa, a coordinating producer for NBC Sports' coverage of the Premier League as well as a director on NBC's NBA and NFL coverage and Netflix's NFL games. In this podcast we discuss the upcoming Premier League season; what a World Cup year will mean for NBC's coverage of the Premier League; whether new eyeballs will come to the Premier League; how to introduce stars such as Erling Haaland to U.S. audiences; why the Premier League Live studio team of Rebecca Lowe, Robbie Earle, Robbie Mustoe, and Tim...

Episode 647 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a roundtable with Jon Lewis, editor and founder of Sports Media Watch, Chad Finn, sports media columnist for the Boston Globe and a surprise appearance from Jimmy Traina, who is leaving SI after 20 years for a sports media startup. In this podcast, we examine CBS Sports president David Berson's comments about Tony Romo during CBS Sports' NFL Media Day; how we saw Berson's specific use of the words image and brand; whether CBS and Romo would engage in buyout talks; how J.J. Watt might do with Jim Nantz...

Episode 646 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a roundtable with Jon Lewis, editor and founder of Sports Media Watch; Armand Broady, the co-host of the Sports Media Watch podcast and a contributor to SMW, and Derek Futterman, a multimedia writer and producer for Sports Media Watch. In this podcast we discuss Bloomberg reporting that the NFL has agreed to pause its media rights negotiations with CBS while the network’s parent company Paramount deals with the multi-state lawsuit challenging its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery; the Fox Corporation announced it will not pursue an early re...

Episode 645 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a roundtable with Austin Karp, the media writer for Sports Business Journal and Jon Lewis, editor and founder of Sports Media Watch. In this podcast we discuss CBS Sports placing Tony Romo on leave following his arrest last week on suspicion of driving under the influence; JJ Watt joining Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson as CBS Sports' lead NFL team during Romo's absence; what could happen next with its NFL teams; whether there is a scenario where Romo would be let go; what if Watt has the greatest broadcasting...

Episode 644 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests: Linda Cohn announced her retirement from ESPN after 34 years last month and you can now find her at "Linda Cohn Sports" on YouTube where she is building that channel. She is joined by Neil Everett, who worked at ESPN for 23 years as well as television studio host on Portland Trail Blazers games from 2021 until 2026. In this podcast, Cohn and Everett talk about working together at ESPN; Linda's ESPN departure after 34 years and starting her own YouTube channel; the ESPN layoffs; meeting famous musicians as a result of...

Episode 643 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a roundtable with Austin Karp, the media writer for Sports Business Journal and Jane McManus, an editor at Storied Sports and the author of "The Fast Track: Inside the Surging Business of Women’s Sports." In this podcast Karp and McManus discuss the ESPN layoffs; why they happened; ESPN once being in more than 100 million and now being in a touch below 55 million; Linda Cohn having a great take and mentioning 150 people behind the scenes; why people still care about ESPN still in 2026; what is the ESPN fundamental brand; in...

Episode 642 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features longtime Canadian sports broadcasters Donnovan Bennett and Arash Madani, both of whom you can find on CBC's coverage of basketball. In this podcast Bennett and Madani discuss whether they see the World Cup as a success; the impact of the World Cup on the U.S. and Canadian domestic leagues; whether more people will watch soccer heading forward; why the Blue Jays collapsed this year; why Blue Jays fans will continue to watch games this year no matter the record; the ESPN layoffs and its impact beyond ESPN; why...

Episode 641 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Sports Illustrated podcaster and writer Jimmy Traina. In this podcast, Traina and Deitsch discuss Howard Stern's media legacy; the impact of Stern going to one live show per week; Stern morphing from an iconoclast to the establishment; why Stern remains relevant; MLB’s Home Run Derby drawing its lowest audience since 2003, how Netflix does sports; the use of celebrity in a sporting event; the five best working play by play people today; why Traina had Ian Eagle, Kevin Harlan, Joe Buck, Sean McDonough and Mike Tirico on his list; why ce...

Episode 640 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Derek Rae, a long-time soccer broadcaster whose resume includes calling 12 men's World Cups since 1990 including this year for Fox Sports. Rae has also been the lead English commentator for the EA Sports FIFA and EA FC video game series since 2019. In this podcast, Rae discusses his match-calling for Fox at this year's World Cup and what the experience was like; the different venues he worked from such as Mexico City, Guadalajara. Toronto, L.A. and Houston; where his broadcast setup was located at stadiums; how he uses the World...

Episode 639 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Jon Lewis, founder and editor of Sports Media Watch. In this podcast, we discuss the final combined viewing on FOX + Telemundo for USA-Belgium (50.1 million viewers) and Mexico-England (46.7 million); what those numbers mean; CNBC's Alex Sherman reporting that Netflix, Disney and YouTube are interested in challenging Fox for the U.S. broadcast rights to the 2030 and 2034 World Cup; FIFA alerting media companies during preliminary talks that English- and Spanish-language U.S. rights will likely be sold together; the performative people return with Caitlin Clark; WNBA viewership; Wichita being selected as...

Episode 638 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features UConn women's basketball Geno Auriemma. Alongside Beth Mowins and Robin Roberts, the 12-time NCAA championship coach will broadcast the Dallas Wings-New York Liberty game on July 7 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. In this podcast, Auriemma discusses why calling the Wings-Liberty appealed to him; how ESPN contacted him for the assignment; his interest in broadcasting in a post-UConn life; how often he watches the WNBA today; staying in contact with his former players such as Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd;what he thinks of the officiating right now in...

Episode 637 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a roundtable with Austin Karp, the media writer for Sports Business Journal and Jane McManus, an editor at Storied Sports and the author of "The Fast Track: Inside the Surging Business of Women’s Sports." In this podcast we discuss the preliminary U.S. audience numbers for the USMNT’s knockout win Wednesday over Bosnia and Herzegovina; what it means to have the most-watched English-language soccer telecast and the most-watched Spanish-language soccer telecast in U.S. history; what is realistic for viewership of the U.S.-Belgium on Monday; Tele...

Episode 636 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Paul Tenorio, a senior writer for The Athletic who covers soccer. In this podcast we discuss what World Cup access is like for the media; why Tim Ream and Weston McKennie are the best talker on the USMNT; where the media seating is at this World Cup; what is realistic for the Americans at this point at the tournament; what would be considered a successful tournament for the United States; the best team so far in Paul's eyes; his thoughts on Canada coach Jesse Marsch; what the World Cup...

Episode 635 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a roundtable with Jon Lewis, editor and founder of Sports Media Watch; Armand Broady, the co-host of the Sports Media Watch podcast and a contributor to SMW, and Derek Futterman, a multimedia writer and producer for Sports Media Watch. In this podcast we discuss Sports Media Watch's grades of the NBA's media partners after the first season of the league's new rights deal; Linda Cohn leaves ESPN 34 years and over 5,500 SportsCenter episodes; how high can World Cup viewership go; will the Caitlin Clark situation hurt WNBA interest and what...

Episode 634 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Stan Van Gundy, the lead analyst for NBA on Prime who will call his first-ever WNBA game this week when the Sparks play the Tempo in Toronto at 7:00 p.m. ET on June 25. In this podcast, we discuss how the WNBA assignment came to Van Gundy; how he prepares for a league he has never called before; his fondness for Tempo coach Sandy Brondello; what he wants to know from a coach in production meetings; working with Ian Eagle, Kevin Harlan and Michael Grady; what is unique about Prime...

Episode 633 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Jon Lewis, editor and founder of Sports Media Watch; Sports Business Journal media reporter Austin Karp. In this podcast we go deep into the start of the World Cup and the phenomenal viewership numbers; how much more interest the tournament can draw; the hydration breaks as a media story; how we feel Fox is doing as far as its studio coverage; the feelings around Alex Lalas and Rebecca Lowe and others; the NBA Finals and NHL Stanley Cup Final viewership; Fox's potential $22B Roku acquisition and why it's about...

Episode 632 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is Monica McNutt, an NBA, WNBA and college basketball analyst for ESPN, a basketball studio analyst on MSG Networks, and the primary lead radio analyst for the New York Knicks on 98.7FM ESPN New York. She is followed by Mike Breen, the lead voice of ESPN/ABC's NBA coverage. In this podcast, McNutt talks about calling Knicks games with partner Tyler Murray and getting emotional when they won the title; why Knicks fans have taken to her; her relationship with Jalen Brunson; why playing at...

Episode 631 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a sports media conversation with Boston Globe sports media writer Chad Finn. In this episode, we analyze the NBA's momentum during this postseason and whether it can continue; why ESPN went so heavy on the celebrities following the Knicks; how the broadcast team of Mike Breen, Richard Jefferson and Tim Legler did; how Inside the NBA dominated its time slot; Fox's start with the World Cup; Alexi Lalas's work as an analyst; the Stanley Cup drawing more than an average of five million viewers for Cup games; whether the...

Episode 630 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a roundtable with Jon Lewis, editor and founder of Sports Media Watch; Armand Broady, the co-host of the Sports Media Watch podcast and a contributor to SMW, and Derek Futterman, a multimedia writer and producer for Sports Media Watch. In this podcast we discuss the remarkable interest in this year's NBA Finals; why viewership has soared; what the Spurs losing Game 4 might cost ESPN/ABC; what it means for the NBA's future; the celebrity element; how Inside the NBA has thrived; our early World Cup thoughts on Fox's...

Tim Kawakami and Richard Deitsch share some thoughts on the state of WNBA media after the Fever revoked the credentials of reporter Scott Agness.

Episode 629 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Adam Crafton, a British journalist based in New York City, having relocated from London in 2024. He primarily covers soccer for The Athletic. In this podcast we discuss how a journalist can cover the duration of the tournament; the safety issues surrounding the World Cup; FIFA's terrible issuing of tickets and the exorbitant prices consumers are being asked to pay; the lack of access journalists get when it comes to FIFA officials; the expectation for the Iranian team and whether we see protests around those games; the tournament favourites including...

Episode 628 of the Sports Media Podcast features a sports media roundtable with Jacob Feldman, a senior sports business writer for Sportico and Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter, both of who cover sports media for SBJ. In this podcast, we discuss the World Cup airing on Fox Sports from June 11 through July 19; what we are expecting from Fox's coverage; how much Fox Sports will cover news events away from the pitch; the new on-air talent from Rebecca Lowe, to Thierry Henry to Zlatan Ibrahimović; a great NBA Finals Game 1 and what it means; the robust Stanley Cup viewership numbers for G...

Episode 627 of the Sports Media Podcast features Mike Breen, the lead voice of ESPN/ABC's NBA coverage. The NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs begin June 3 at 8:30 PM ET on ABC. Breen will call games with Richard Jefferson, Tim Legler and Lisa Salters. In this podcast, Breen discusses his thoughts of this Spurs-Knicks series; the immense value of Victor Wembanyama being in the Finals; why he thinks the series will appeal nationally; what it's been like for him to do a lot of press on the series as the TV voice of the Knicks; the celebrity row that...

Episode 626 of the Sports Media Podcast features a roundtable with Jon Lewis, editor and founder of Sports Media Watch; Armand Broady, the co-host of the Sports Media Watch podcast and a contributor to SMW, and Derek Futterman, a multimedia writer and producer for Sports Media Watch. In this podcast we discuss the NBA Finals; why the Spurs being in the Finals would be much better for viewership; whether the Knicks have viewership juice because of New York City; why Wemby is such a TV draw; ESPN's Pat McAfee landing multiple league commissioners; why the league heads went on McAfee...

Episode 625 of the Sports Media Podcast features Jon Wertheim, who does features and player interviews for TNT Sports's live coverage of the French Open and also works as a "60 Minutes" correspondent, a Tennis Channel analyst, and a Sports Illustrated Senior Enterprise Writer. In this podcast we discuss Jaxson Dart introducing President Donald Trump at a rally on behalf of Representative Mike Lawler which caused an eruption on social media and the greater sports media ecosystem; whether that act opens up Dart for journalistic inquiry about the decision; whether it is fair to ask teammates about it; why it's fair...

Episode 624 of the Sports Media Podcast features Jon Lewis, editor and founder of Sports Media Watch and Sports Business Journal media reporter Austin Karp. In this podcast, we discuss Victor Wembanyama as a longterm television draw; why Wembanyama looks like the league's most attractive media commodity heading forward; Spurs-Thunder Game 1 averaging a combined 9.16 million viewers on NBC across Nielsen and a streaming audience measured by Adobe Analytics, officially marking the largest audience on record for a Game 1 of the West Finals; Fox taking a studio show on the road for the World Cup; the NFL owners voting to drop...

Episode 623 of the Sports Media Podcast features Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers Tamika Catchings and Chamique Holdsclaw. The two are working as analysts for the WNBA on USA Network this season, with Tamika as a game analyst and Chamique in the studio. This is USA Sports's inaugural season of covering the WNBA, and they will air more than 50 games this season, including the WNBA Finals. Barring a sweep, the champion will be decided on USA Network in 2026. In this podcast we discuss how they ended up getting their jobs; the discussion around being an advocate for the WNBA versus...

Episode 622 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up is Al Michaels, the lead game-caller for Prime Video's football package since 2022 and an iconic figure in sports broadcasting. Michaels has called prime-time NFL football for the past 40 seasons. He is followed by Sports Business Journal media reporter Austin Karp. In this podcast, Michaels discusses Amazon's schedule this season; how he feels about the Lions at Bills opener and the number of times he has been on the call when a new NFL stadium has opened; Prime Video's very strong end of season schedule including Texans vs. Eagles...

Episode 621 of the Sports Media Podcast features play by play broadcaster Ian Eagle, who will call Game Six of Spurs-Timberwolves series for Prime Video this Friday. Eagle is the lead broadcast for Prime's coverage of the NBA as well as the lead broadcaster for CBS/WBD coverage of March Madness. He also calls NFL games for CBS and the Brooklyn Nets for the YES Network. In this podcast, Eagles discusses his fondness for Kevin Harlan; the most impressive thing he's seen in person so far from the NBA postseason games; calling the duration of LeBron James' career; what it...

Episode 621 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a roundtable with Jon Lewis, editor and founder of Sports Media Watch; Armand Broady, the co-host of the Sports Media Watch podcast and a contributor to SMW, and Derek Futterman, a multimedia writer and producer for Sports Media Watch. In this podcast, we discuss the announcement that the NCAA women and men's tournament will be expanding to 76 teams; the NCAA receiving an additional $50 million each season from partners CBS and Turner; what it means for viewers; the women's basketball tournament's expansion and how that will play on ESPN properties...

Episode 620 of the Sports Media Podcast features two WNBA-specific segments. First up is Sandy Brondello, the first-ever head coach of the Toronto Tempo, which begins play in the WNBA this season. Brondello previously was a head coach in San Antonio, Phoenix and New York and won WNBA titles in 2014 and 2024. She is followed by a roundtable with Annie Costabile, a senior writer for The Athletic, a co-host for the "No Offseason" podcast and a writer for the "No Offseason" newsletter, and Savannah Hamilton, a Toronto-based sportscaster covering the Tempo who previously covered the Toronto Raptors. In this podcast, Brondello...

Episode 619 of the Sports Media Podcast features Donna Brothers, who has served as the riding reporter on NBC Sports’ horse racing coverage since 2000 and will retire after the Preakness on May 16. In this podcast, Brothers talks about her decision to retire from broadcasting after this year's Preakness; what it was like to work her final Kentucky Derby; Golden Tempo winning the Derby, and winning trainer Cherie DeVaux telling Brothers that "it is an honor that you get to do your last walkover with me"; what DeVaux winning will mean for the sport; the best horses Brothers covered during her NB...

Episode 618 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Jon Lewis, editor and founder of Sports Media Watch; Armand Broady, the co-host of the Sports Media Watch podcast and a contributor to SMW, and Derek Futterman, a multimedia writer and producer for Sports Media Watch, and Chad Finn, media writer and columnist for The Boston Globe. In this podcast we discuss Duke and Amazon's Prime Video announcing a multi-year partnership where the streamer will carry three high profile Duke non-league games against UConn, Michigan and Gonzaga; the CW partnering with ESPN Unlimited to give the broadcast network a...