The Sports Media Podcast

On this week's SBJ Sports Media Podcast, Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter break down some big-name retirements at ESPN, what's next for Troy Aikman and "Monday Night Football," and how the WNBA will navigate a potential clinching Finals game being contested on a Thursday afternoon.

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This week on the SBJ Sports Media Podcast, co-hosts Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter welcome in SBJ’s new college sports reporter, Matt Fortuna, to talk about the 24-team playoff and what it could mean for ESPN. Karp and Carpenter then delve into Bel Bajaria’s exit from Netflix and what sports could look like at the streamer under Peter Rice. And with the World Series starting Friday, Fox Sports’ lead play-by-play voice Joe Davis joins the pod to preview the Fall Classic and who the faces of baseball are in 2026.

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On this week's SBJ Sports Media Podcast, Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter break down Netflix's acquisition of World Cup rights in Spain, as well as ramifications from a potentially expanded 24-team CFP. Also, longtime sports media experts John Kosner and Ed Desser join the show to talk about their new book, "Inside the Big Business of Sports Media."

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This week on the SBJ Sports Media Podcast, co-hosts Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter look at what’s next for sports within Skydance as David Berson takes control. Plus, the duo look at the Fox Sports-Barstool relationship after Dave Portnoy’s “Big Noon Kickoff” exit and how Disney+ landed a Super Bowl simulcast. And with Religion of Sports having its first theatrical release around “Portrait of an Artist: Steph Curry,” the film’s director (and Religion of Sports founder) Gotham Chopra talks about the film and the broader sports doc landscape.

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Tony Romo is officially out at CBS. In this emergency pod, co-hosts Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter dive into the decision and what could be next for Romo and the lead CBS NFL booth. 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.

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Diving into Kirk Herbstreit's extension with Amazon Prime Video and what it means for other lead analysts; the NFL has a big weekend in Brazil, and puck drops on the NHL season. Also, UTA's Ryan Hayden and Jerry Silbowitz join the show.

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This week on the SBJ Sports Media Podcast, co-hosts Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter look at what’s next for TNT Sports and CBS Sports after a settlement allows the Paramount Skydance-WBD merger to go through. Plus, the duo look at this weekend’s Presidents Cup, a rash of NFL QB injuries impacting team appeal and MLB regular-season viewership. And with a new book hitting shelves this week, Baltimore Orioles owner David Rubenstein joins the pod to discuss why he decided to pen a book on sports team ownership.

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This week on the SBJ Sports Media Podcast, co-hosts Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter discuss the ramifications around Joe Buck's new ESPN deal, as well as the network's decision to get political on "College GameDay" last week. Finally, NASCAR COO Ben Kennedy joins the show to dig in on the property's future media deals and playoff format.

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This week on the SBJ Sports Media Podcast, Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter get heavy into football with the start of the NFL season and the CFP inching closer to a 24-team format. The duo also dishes on a Ben Shelton-Frances Tiafoe showdown at the U.S. Open semifinals, two Taylors shining during the Michigan game and the PWHL’s latest deal. And amid the start to the NFL season, Falcons President & CEO Greg Beadles joins the pod to discuss the latest from his perch down in Atlanta.

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This week on the SBJ Sports Media Podcast, Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter break down the latest around Tony Romo, a new media deal in the golf space, and look back at Week 0 in college football. Also, CBS analyst Charles Davis joins the pod to break down his return to college football and how being the voice of Madden NFL has given him street cred.

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On this week's pod, SBJ’s Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter talk about the myriad moves being made by DAZN, including more NBA rights, adding a channel for Monumental+ and acquiring EverPass. With college football’s Week 0 set for this weekend, ESPN’s Rece Davis joins the show to talk about his time as host and how the show stays relevant. Plus, with the Tour Championship underway in Atlanta, CBS’ Trevor Immelman talks about the state of the PGA Tour and more.

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.

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.

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We've got a bonus episode this week. SBJ Sports media podcast co-host Austin Karp recently went one-on-one with NFL Senior Vice President of Data and Analytics Paul Ballew, diving into the data, trends, and decision-making shaping today's NFL. The conversation was packed with insights, so we're bringing you the full extended interview. Here's Austin with the NFL's data chief.

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SBJ tennis reporter Rob Schaefer joins the show this week to preview the U.S. Open, and we’re also joined by Andy Roddick to discuss the Open, as well as his new role at ESPN. NFL executive Paul Ballew dives into data and analytics around the league.

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On this week's pod, SBJ’s Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter look at what came out of CBS NFL Media Day in the wake of the Tony Romo’s leave of absence. The duo also looks at what stands out from the NBA schedule release, what a 20-team CFP would mean for ESPN and other outlets and an interesting new hire for the PGA Tour.

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On this week's pod, SBJ’s Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter break down Disney's early ad sellout of the Super Bowl and its Q3 earnings. Also, the latest on Tony Romo's future with CBS and the Preakness Stakes makes substantive changes to sure up its future. Finally, with a new ESPN Radio show starting this week, Mike Golic Sr. and Mike Golic Jr. join the pod to discuss the new show and more.

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On this week's pod, SBJ’s Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter dig into why MSG and YES Network are taking streaming from the Gotham App over to DAZN, and what it means for DAZN cracking the U.S. market. Plus, the duo breaks down what MLS might get in its next media deal, the sports angles related to Paramount Skydance’s upcoming court case and the WNBA’s strong first half.

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On this week's pod, SBJ’s Austin Karp is joined by Richard Deitsch, Alex Silverman and Bret McCormick for a deep dive into the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The quartet looks back at the tournament’s record-breaking viewership for Fox and Telemundo, forecasts the future of World Cup media rights, and discuss FIFA’s first World Cup halftime show. Plus, Silverman and McCormick share on-the-ground insights from host cities across the country.

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On this week's pod, SBJ’s Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter reflect on the massive viewership around the World Cup quarterfinals, as well as Bundesliga's shift away from ESPN. We look back at Netflix's debut around MLB's Home Run Derby, and Chicago Sports Network's Mike McCarthy joins the pod to talk RSNs.

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On this week's pod, SBJ’s Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter reflect on the U.S. and Mexico exits from the FIFA World Cup, and how Fox and Telemundo will continue to deliver viewership numbers. Plus, the duo look at who might want rights to the next iterations of the tournament. Then, Karp and Carpenter address Versant’s recent acquisition of Full Swing. Plus, with MLB All-Star weekend around the bend, MMLB Network’s Matt Vasgersian, who will call the Home Run Derby, breaks down Netflix’s debut with the event and what he sees regarding MLB’s labor situation.

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Coming up on this week’s pod: Diving into World Cup viewership, what’s next for NBC and Comcast from a sports perspective, Bonnie Bernstein joins the show, and our hosts offer a peak at their Fourth of July plans.

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