Last week, golf’s premier circuit, the PGA Tour, announced it was partnering with its rival circuit LIV Golf, an upstart league backed by Saudi Arabia, giving the country a powerful new seat at the table of international sports.Alan Blinder, who covers golf for The New York Times, explains what was behind the deal and what it means for the business of sports.Guest: Alan Blinder, a reporter who covers golf and health for The New York Times.Background reading: The deal to merge LIV Golf with the PGA Tour is a big win for oil-rich Saudi Arabia, headlining a banner week that also includes a visit from the American secretary of state.The U.S. Senate opened an inquiry into the PGA Tour’s deal with LIV Golf.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Alan Blinder, former Fed Vice Chairman known for his expertise in monetary policy, joins top-rated analyst Mark Mahaney and CFRA's Angelo Zino. They dive into Meta's impressive earnings, underscoring AI investments and the digital advertising landscape. Qualcomm's CEO shares insights on the chipmaker's success in the automotive sector. The conversation also touches on the Fed's potential interest rate cuts and their impact on the market, along with discussions on other notable tech earnings from companies like Arm, eBay, and MGM.

Throughout its 115-year history, the N.C.A.A.’s bedrock principle has been that student-athletes should be amateurs and not allowed to profit off their fame.This week, after years of agitation and legislation, the rule was changed.What will this new era of college sports look like?Guest: Alan Blinder, a reporter covering college sports for The New York Times. Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: Here’s a breakdown of why the N.C.A.A. finally relented to pressure to allow athletes to make money beyond the cost of attending their universities.Despite the N.C.A.A’s argument that payments would be a threat to amateurism, this month, the Supreme Court backed payments to student-athletes.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.