Episode 72: Fox Sports head Eric Shanks is The Big Get

Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks joins the podcast on the eve of producing a Super Bowl to discuss some of the biggest sports media topics in the business with hosts Andrew Marchand and John Ourand. Shanks discusses his plans for the Super Bowl, from where he will sit to what the viewership will look like. Shanks answers questions about the free agent frenzy among broadcasters, from Troy Aikman and Joe Buck’s decision to leave Fox for ESPN to his decision to elevate Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen to the network’s top NFL booth. Shanks also discloses his role in hiring Tom Brady and what to expect when Brady joins the booth for the 2024 season.

Shanks also tackles some of the biggest sports media topics, from Fox’s decision to not invest as much as other media companies on a standalone streaming service to its decision to get out of the regional sports network business. Shanks talks about potential rights deals with the College Football Playoff and Pac-12 conference, as well as Fox’s role in selling Big Ten rights to CBS and NBC. As usual, Marchand and Ourand open the pod with their picks for Who’s Up and Who’s Down for the week in sports media.