Austin Karp

Jon Lewis, founder of Sports Media Watch, and Austin Karp, media reporter for Sports Business Journal, dive into the recent surge in MLB's national viewership and the divergent performances of local markets. They explore the evolving definition of celebrity in sports, discuss the implications of viewer age trends as MLB closes the gap with the NFL, and assess NBC's strategy for the Olympics with celebrity involvement. Other topics include Paul Finebaum's potential Senate run and the complexities of streaming subscriptions in sports.

Sports Business Journal's Austin Karp joins Andrew Marchand to discuss the $5 billion WWE deal with Netflix and its impact on sports rights. They also highlight bonkers NFL TV ratings and Tony Romo's struggles as a broadcaster. Plus, they speculate on Amazon's involvement in NBA partnership decisions.

Austin Karp, a sports media reporter for Sports Business Journal, and Jon Lewis, founder of Sports Media Watch, dive into Major League Baseball's new three-year media rights deals with ESPN, NBCUniversal, and Netflix. They explore the implications of NBC's return to MLB coverage after 26 years and how Netflix plans to elevate events like the Home Run Derby. The duo analyzes ESPN's acquisition of MLB.TV rights and the potential future of the World Series amid evolving broadcast strategies and fan engagement.

Jon Lewis, founder of Sports Media Watch, and Austin Karp, lead media reporter for Sports Business Journal, dive into the NFL Wild Card games from a media perspective. They discuss Prime Video's success with the Packers-Bears matchup, predicting viewership dynamics for various games. The trio explores the influence of prominent figures like Tom Brady and Troy Aikman taking on team roles while advising in media. They also analyze the ratings potential of college football playoff games, shedding light on emerging storylines and their impact on audience engagement.

Jon Lewis, founder of Sports Media Watch, and Austin Karp, media reporter at Sports Business Journal, dive into their bold predictions for 2026. They forecast the World Cup as a record-breaking TV event, though its impact on U.S. soccer may be fleeting. Discussions also touch on MLB’s evolving broadcast rights and potential turmoil in regional sports networks. They analyze the futures of smaller leagues and debate whether Turner Sports can maintain its hold amid corporate changes, all while addressing the star power of athletes like Caitlin Clark.