Channels with Peter Kafka How long can sports keep TV alive?
9 snips
Mar 26, 2025 
John Ourand, a seasoned sports business reporter at Puck, dives into the critical interplay between sports and television. He examines how shrinking TV audiences impact sports broadcasting and local networks. The conversation touches on college sports changes with NIL deals reshaping player dynamics. Ourand also explores the challenges facing regional sports networks and the shift from traditional TV to streaming platforms. He discusses sports gambling's growing influence, highlighting how these trends affect the future of sports viewership.
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TV Ratings and March Madness
- Viewership records are being broken across sports, but Nielsen's methodology changes make comparisons tricky.
- Counting out-of-home viewership inflates numbers, especially for events like March Madness.
NIL's Impact and Concerns
- NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals in college sports have become a way to pay players directly.
- The lack of regulation creates a "Wild West" scenario with broken promises and unenforceable contracts.
RSN Model and Cord-Cutting
- Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) charge high fees to cable providers, increasing costs for all subscribers.
- As cord-cutting increases, RSNs face challenges, and sports rights may become less exclusive.