The Varsity The Varsities: Sports Media’s 2025 Superlatives
Dec 28, 2025
Sports media reporter Andrew Marchand, also the host of a media podcast for The Athletic, joins John to dish out this year's Sports Media Awards. They highlight everything from the most overhyped storylines to the sleeper media deals that captured attention. Marchand shares insights on TV ratings, debates the best play-by-play announcers like Joe Buck and Mike Tirico, and discusses Tom Brady's growth as an analyst. They also predict executives poised to shine in 2026, especially focusing on Mark Shapiro's major deals and Rob Manfred's potential impact.
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Streaming Is Scaling For Live Sports
- Amazon Prime grew Thursday Night Football viewership year-over-year, showing streaming can scale for live sports.
- Nielsen's methodology changes amplify headlines, so absolute growth claims need context.
Amazon Used Premier League Playbook
- John Ourand recounts Amazon using its Premier League experience as a guide for NFL growth.
- That strategy led to sustained double-digit year-over-year increases for Thursday Night Football.
Overhype In Sports Media Coverage
- Many media narratives this year were overhyped, especially breathless takes about TV ratings increases.
- Context and measurement changes mean those stories often lacked real novelty.