The Sports Media Podcast IMG’s Hillary Mandel, NFL’s Week 1 audience bonanza and U.S. Open goes big
Sep 11, 2025
Hillary Mandel, Executive Vice President at IMG, joins to discuss vital media rights deals for the UFC, WWE, and the U.S. Open. They explore the explosive viewership trends for Week 1 of the NFL season and the growing influence of data analytics in sports broadcasting. Mandel also shares insights on potential growth avenues for leagues like the NWSL. Additionally, the conversation highlights the U.S. Open’s cultural significance and record attendance, alongside emerging trends in college football and basketball's appeal in America.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Big Data Shifted NFL Viewership Baselines
- Big Data and out-of-home measurement inflated NFL Week 1 superlatives by roughly 5–8% and changed viewership baselines.
- Networks like NBC, CBS, and Fox benefited because aggregated measurement revealed larger audiences than prior metrics indicated.
YouTube Can Aggregate Large Live Audiences
- YouTube's free Chiefs-Chargers stream drew about 16.3 million viewers, proving nontraditional platforms can aggregate big U.S. audiences.
- That performance signals YouTube could compete for marquee NFL rights in the future if it pursues more games.
Choose Partners With Reach And Innovation
- When evaluating partners, prioritize a combination of traditional reach and new energy to grow a sports property.
- Seek platforms that offer distribution scale plus innovative approaches rather than only legacy relationships.