Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

Episode 571 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Rick Cordella, the president of NBC Sports. In this podcast Cordella discusses his company’s remarkable upcoming set of events in February 2026, including the Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games, the Super Bowl and the NBA All-Star Game; what it means business-wise to have all of these properties in such a relative short period; what the events should mean for Peacock subs; the process of how Rebecca Lowe ended up with her studio assignment for Fox Sports during the World Cup; NBCU’s three year rights deal with MLB and what Sunday Night Baseball on NBC, Peacock and NBCSN should look like; why NBC wants to be in the MLB business; the NBA's strong viewership to start the season; the usage of Michael Jordan heading forward; his thoughts on Notre Dame not making the CFB playoffs and Notre Dame's response to that; NBC having the rights to Super Bowl 64 in 2030; Puck’s report that NBC plans to sell Amazon the rights to next year’s Big Ten Championship game, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Austin Karp, a sports business reporter for Sports Business Journal, dives into the Influence 125 list, highlighting the most impactful figures in sports business over the last 25 years. He explains how selections were made while avoiding recency bias, discusses powerful agents like Ari Emanuel, and celebrates Bill Simmons as a unique content creator. They predict potential future influencers for 2040 and discuss major viewership trends in college football, notably the Big Ten Championship's impressive 18.3 million viewers.

Here’s a short look from our upcoming podcast with Rick Cordella, the president of NBC Sports. In the podcast Cordella goes deep on his company’s remarkable upcoming set of events including the Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games, the Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Game. In this preview clip, Cordella discusses Michael Jordan’s involvement as an NBA special contributor and how he feels about Notre Dame, a partner of NBC Sports, being left out of the college football playoffs. The full interview will be out Dec. 15. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 570 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Troy Aikman, the lead analyst for ESPN's coverage of Monday Night Football. In this podcast, Aikman discusses where his enjoyment level for the job stands after three decades in the booth; how he accesses ESPN's culture versus Fox's; how he defines honesty in sports broadcasting — and particularly as it relates to officiating calls; why he won't be in the job at age 70; ESPN's upcoming Super Bowl on February 14, 2027; who he talks to for honest feedback on his work; his thoughts on Lane Kiffin and NIL; the Eagles-Chargers and the AFC's unpredictable year; why he'd love to meet Warren Buffett and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 569 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a roundtable with Austin Karp of the Sports Business Journal and Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch. In this podcast, we discuss Netflix to buy Warner Bros. in a $72 billion deal and what it means or might not mean for those sports properties; whether Netflix will go more all-in on sports; the future of TNT Sports as an entity; the interminable World Cup draw show; why we think Fox made a great move bringing in Rebecca Lowe and Thierry Henry, the battle between ESPN and Fox Sports PR departments as far as college football pregame viewership and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here's a short clip from our interview with ESPN's Troy Aikman. In this preview clip, Aikman discusses how he approaches being critical of NFL officials when the moment calls for it. The full interview will be out Dec. 8. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 568 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Malika Andrews, the host of ESPN's NBA Countdown, NBA Today, WNBA Countdown and the NBA Draft, and Chiney Ogwumike, an ESPN studio analyst and host for the NBA, WNBA and women’s college basketball. In this podcast, Andrews and Ogwumike discuss why they both signed long term with ESPN; how they describe navigating ESPN as young, on-air talents; their relationship on and off camera; how they see the NBA's new media rights holders outside of ESPN; Andrews return to the sideline reporting; Elle Duncan leaving for Netflix and how that impacts ESPN's women's basketball coverage; who the Dallas Wings should pick at No. 1 in the WNBA Draft; what they expect from their agents and whether young broadcasters should pursue a talent agent; navigating media coverage about yourself and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here's a short clip from our interview with ESPN's ESPN's Malika Andrews and Chiney Ogwumike. In this preview clip, the two broadcasters talk about how they see their agents and how young people in the business should think about talent agents. The full interview will be out Dec. 4. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 567 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Teresa Resch, the president of the Toronto Tempo, which makes its WNBA debut in 2026. In this podcast Resch discusses the process of hiring Sandy Brondello as the franchise's first head coach; how the interviews with Brondello were conducted; the challenges of building a WNBA franchise; the number of employees the Tempo will need; the practice facility situation; what games will look like at Coca-Cola Coliseum; the team's ticketing situation; where things stand on media deals; how to think about merch and a mascot; philosophically, building with young players versus veterans; whether Golden State's success impacts the Tempo's thinking; interviewing for the Blackhawks GM role in 2022; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Teresa Resch, President of the WNBA's Toronto Tempo, is on a mission to build a brand-new pro sports franchise set to debut in 2026. She dives into the excitement of hiring, revealing they've attracted around 32 employees already, with plans to grow to 55 by opening night. Teresa shares her aspirations for ticket sales, aiming for sell-out crowds while maximizing unique visitors. She also discusses exciting games planned outside of Toronto to reach new fans, emphasizing the importance of a solid foundation for the team's success.