The Powers That Be: Daily Legacy Sports Media Strikes Back
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Aug 14, 2025 
John Ourand, host of The Varsity and a sports media expert, joins Peter Hamby to discuss the shifting landscape of sports broadcasting. They uncover Paramount's $7.7 billion investment in UFC rights and ESPN's innovative super app aimed at attracting younger audiences. Ourand emphasizes how traditional media is fighting back against tech giants while retaining larger audiences. The conversation also highlights the cultural significance of the UFC's rise and the challenge of integrating modern social interactions into sports viewing.
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Broadcasters' Coordinated Push Against Tech
- Legacy broadcasters are deliberately buying sports rights to defend against Big Tech and streamers.
- They plan to distribute content across broadcast, cable, and streaming to reach both older and younger viewers.
BCS Bid As Historical Comparison
- John compares this moment to ESPN's 2009 BCS bid that reshaped sports TV economics.
- That precedent shows how a single rights deal can reconfigure an entire media market.
Broadcast Exposure Still Valuable
- UFC chose Paramount over Amazon, Netflix, and Apple to get broadcast exposure on CBS.
- UFC and others see broadcast TV as a way to introduce sports to wider, less digital audiences.