Episode 118: The power of Stephen A Smith; Can Amazon save the RSNs; and John Ourand’s long goodbye
Dec 20, 2023
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Stephen A. Smith, the most powerful person in sports media, tops the list of the 25 most powerful people in sports media this year. The podcast discusses the potential of Amazon investing in the bankrupt RSN company, Diamond Sports Group. They also discuss NBA talks, Josh Krulewitz' promotion to run ESPN's comms team, and John Ourand's decision to move from SBJ to Puck Media.
Stephen A Smith is recognized as the most powerful person in sports media for his influential presence and strong athlete connections.
Amazon's potential investment in bankrupt diamond sports could revive the company and establish a national local streaming service.
Deep dives
Most powerful people in sports media for 2023
Steven A Smith is named the most powerful person in sports media for 2023 due to his ubiquitous presence in sports broadcasting and his strong relationships with athletes.
Diamond Sports and Amazon Negotiations
David Prechlak, head of the bankrupt diamond sports group, is in deep negotiations with Amazon for investment in the company. If successful, this deal could potentially revive diamond sports and lead to the emergence of a national local streaming service.
NFL Network Play-by-Play Problem
The NFL Network has struggled to find top-notch play-by-play announcers for their games, leading to distracting and subpar broadcasts. This issue needs to be addressed to improve the overall quality of their broadcasts.
ESPN Communications Promotion
Chris Laplaca retires as head of ESPN's communications after 43 years, and Josh Kurlowitz is promoted as his successor. This promotion ensures that the company's DNA and internal relationships remain intact, contributing to positive morale and a smooth transition.
Andrew Marchand published a list of the 25 most powerful people in sports media this year. Stephen A. Smith topped the list, followed by Lionel Messi, CBS’ Sean McManus, ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro and Fox Sports’ Eric Shanks. Hosts Marchand and John Ourand debated the executives and talent who should be on the list; the ones who should be off the list; and the ones that were placed too high or too low. The two then talked about the repercussions from having Amazon potentially invest in the bankrupt RSN company, Diamond Sports Group.
Marchand and Ourand handicapped the NBA talks and broke down Josh Krulewitz’ big promotion to run ESPN’s comms team. Ourand ended the pod by discussing his decision to move from SBJ to Puck Media.
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