The Varsity The Sports Media Multiverse! w/ Alex Sherman
Jun 18, 2025
Alex Sherman, CNBC's top media reporter, joins to dissect the rapidly changing sports media landscape. He explores the ascent of streaming giants like Amazon and Netflix, juxtaposed against the decline of traditional cable TV. The conversation dives into the future of sports rights for major leagues like F1, UFC, and MLB, revealing the complex negotiations underway. Sherman sheds light on how media partnerships are evolving and the strategies needed to engage younger viewers in a ‘streamified’ world.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Upcoming Sports Media Shakeup
- The next 12-18 months will clarify how media rights for F1, UFC, and MLB will be bought amid a fragmented media landscape.
- New media companies and legacy firms are likely to consolidate or find partnerships as sports media evolves.
Divide Between Sports Rights "Haves" and "Have Nots"
- Sports media rights are dividing into "haves" like the NFL and NBA and "have nots" like the Pac-12, which struggles to find traditional TV deals.
- The middle class of sports rights owners face uncertain futures due to changing media consumption and economics.
Eventizing Sports for Streamers
- Streaming services prefer to "eventize" sports by buying marquee events per month rather than full seasons.
- This approach fits their month-to-month subscription models and addresses discovery issues in massive streaming catalogs.