Mixed Signals from Semafor Media Clay Travis on mixing sports and politics, his ‘pudding strike,’ and the billion-dollar bet on sports gambling
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May 9, 2025 Clay Travis, founder of OutKick and a conservative voice in sports media, dives into his journey from a ‘pudding strike’ to navigating sports and politics. He discusses the rising intertwine of gambling with sports culture, revealing how this impacts audience engagement. The conversation covers the NBA's declining ratings influenced by social justice movements and the challenges of maintaining relevance in today’s media landscape. Travis also shares insights on building a male audience and his direct interviews with Trump.
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Clay's Pudding Strike Start
- Clay Travis started his media career with a "pudding strike" to access NFL Sunday ticket in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- This stunt brought him media attention and triggered his shift from law to sports media.
Woke Era Changed Sports
- Sports became politically charged between 2015 and 2022, spurred by events like Kaepernick's kneeling.
- This shift marked a move from neutral sports coverage to identity politics dominating sports discourse.
Keep Politics Out of Sports
- Clay believes athletes should avoid political statements in sports regardless of viewpoint.
- He advocates a return to an era when athletes' political views didn't impact their sports perception.
