Sports Media Watch Podcast

On today's episode, Dr. Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner open the episode putting the Women's World Cup viewership in perspective, and discuss who could be interested in acquiring rights for future World Cups. Then, the crew talks a bit about the NBA schedule release and the questionable decisions surrounding the lack of Spurs games in national windows for Victor Wembanyama's rookie year. Jon and Drew close out the show talking about some studio show changes: Scott Van Pelt in his debut as host of Monday Night Countdown, and Michael Irvin joining the rotating panel of guests on FS1's Undisputed.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today's episode, Dr. Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner lead off by discussing the latest at ESPN with Sage Steele parting ways with the network following the settlement of her lawsuit. In more ESPN news, Jon and Drew discuss the NBA studio shakeup that brings Malika Andrews to the host chair while Bob Myers slides in as an analyst. Then, the crew closes the show by touching on the NBA's schedule release for the in-season tournament and the NFL bringing NFL Network and NFL RedZone direct-to-consumer through NFL+.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner discuss ESPN's partnership with Penn National to form ESPN BET and why the partnership signals just how dire the financial situation is for legacy media companies. Then, the crew talks about conference realignment and the collapse of the Pac-12, how the future of college athletics will look, and if the new conferences will actually increase viewership. Plus: Warner Bros Discovery putting live sports on Max, and the intense criticism of Fox analyst Carli Lloyd.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today's episode, Dr. Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner discuss the latest on the potential Pac-12 media rights deal with Apple, whether or not a streaming-centric deal can work for the conference, and if the conference should have perhaps taken a closer look at deals with broadcasters like The CW. Then, Jon and Drew talk about the NBA announcer shuffle at ESPN, how the new team of Doris Burke, Doc Rivers, and Mike Breen will fare, and if the recently ousted Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson have futures at another network. To close out the podcast, the crew discusses the USWNT finishing second in their group at the Women's World Cup, resulting in some less than ideal time slots for the remainder of their games.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today's episode, Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner start off by discussing Carlos Alcaraz's Wimbledon victory and what it meant for viewership. Then, they dive into possible replacements for Jeff Van Gundy at ESPN, weighing in on rumors that one or more of Doris Burke, Doc Rivers, Richard Jefferson, and J.J. Redick could take the seat while Mark Jackson is relegated to a lower team. The crew also touches on viewership for the WNBA All Star Game, what viewership will look like for the timezone-challenged FIFA Women's World Cup, and Messi's debut for Inter Miami.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today's episode, Dr. Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner discuss a number of ratings topics including the Home Run Derby, how the MLB All Star Game will fare, Victor Wembanyama's impact on NBA Summer League viewership and his potential to be a ratings draw in San Antonio, the U.S. Women's Open at Pebble Beach, and Wimbledon. They close the show by discussing the New York Times' recent move to abandon its sports desk in favor of The Athletic, and how that fits into the larger sports media and entertainment landscape.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today's episode, Dr. Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner discuss the ESPN layoffs including the decision to let go of lead NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy. The crew talks about who could possibly replace Van Gundy in the top booth, and what the future of NBA coverage looks like for the network. They also discuss layoffs that hit ESPN's NFL coverage, including Suzy Kolber, Steve Young, and Todd McShay. Then, they touch on the long and winding career of Max Kellerman and College Gameday's David Pollack.Later in the show, Jon and Drew are joined by NASCAR writer Bob Pockrass to discuss the Chicago street race last weekend, and what the series is doing to grow its audience. The show wraps up with the final part of the discussion with NBC's Ahmed Fareed about the future of horse racing and the Triple Crown.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today's episode, NBC's Ahmed Fareed joins the show to discuss his career including hosting Peacock's MLB Sunday Leadoff, his experience anchoring Olympic coverage, advice he received from Mike Tirico, and his journey from local news to national sports anchor. Stay tuned later this week for a conversation with Ahmed about the Triple Crown and the current state of horse racing. Dr. Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner open the show discussing the week's ratings including the Men's College World Series and the NBA Draft. They also touch on ShowBuzz Daily deciding to cease operations, and what that means for online ratings discussion.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today's episode, Matt Winer of NBA TV joins the podcast to discuss his career in sports media including what it's like to work with Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal during the NBA Finals, how he handled covering the death of Kobe Bryant live on the air, and how he called his first baseball game on just three hours notice. Then, Dr. Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner talk a bit about NBC's coverage of the U.S. Open.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today's episode, Dr. Jon Lewis and Drew Lerner wrap up the discussion on NBA ratings, taking a look at how the Nuggets win over the Heat stacked up relative to expectations and how NBA playoff viewership fared overall. Then, Jon touches on Mike Breen calling his 100th NBA Finals game. Next, the crew discusses the low Stanley Cup Finals and asks whether hockey should be considered as the fourth "major" sport in North America given the ratings. Jon and Drew finish with quick hitters: Belmont Stakes, French Open, Champions League, Canadian Open, and College Softball.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy