Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

Episode 519 of the Sports Media Podcast features Jon Lewis, the founder and editor of Sports Media Watch. In this podcast, Lewis and Deitsch discusses ESPN's NBA presentation; Lewis's piece on Stephen A Smith; how much big cities matter with viewership for the NBA and NHL; why the Stanley Cup Final has struggled to find an audience in the U.S.; a historical look at Game 7 viewership for the NBA Finals; 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 518 of the Sports Media Podcast features Jon Wertheim, a longtime Sports Illustrated writer and editor, 60 Minutes correspondent, and Tennis Channel and Turner Sports tennis commentator. Wertheim is a producer on the upcoming HBO documentary "Surviving Ohio State" which delves into the Ohio State sex abuse scandal and the victims of Dr. Richard Strauss, employed by the university from 1978-1998. The documentary debuts June 17. In this podcast, Wertheim discusses how the Ohio State documentary came to be; what it's like to interview survivors of sexual assault; the question of male athletes being worth less than female athletes who are survivors of abuse; whether Ohio State has taken accountability and responsibility; Jim Jordan and this story; where the Alcaraz-Sinner final rates all-time; Turner Sports's coverage of the French Open; the future of Tennis Channel, 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 517 of the Sports Media Podcast features Howard Megdal, a longtime women's basketball writer and the author of a new book. "Becoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar." He is followed by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli, the co-authors of "Ice Breakers: A Kids' Guide to Hockey and the Greatest Players Who Changed the Game." In this podcast Megdal discusses why he decided to write a book on Caitlin Clark through the prism of the growth of women's basketball; how Megdal views Clark's popularity; ESPN finally promoting the WNBA as it should; his thought on Clark's impact as a parallel to Michael Jordan in 1984; her awareness of his book; competing against another high-profile Clark book out at the same time; why Iowa has always been a hotbed for women's basketball; opportunities that exist today for people covering the WNBA; Clark's longterm ceiling, and more. The Caracciolis discuss the market for kids hockey books; how one writes for kids; how they decided who made the cut of the greatest NHLers; advice to get into sports public relations 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 516 of the Sports Media Podcast features Cheryl Reeve, the Head Coach and President of Basketball Operations for the Minnesota Lynx. Reeve's resume includes coaching the Lynx to four WNBA titles, winning two championships with the former Detroit Shock and coaching the 2024 U.S. women's Olympic team to a gold medal. In this podcast Reeve discusses how much she thinks about media coverage; how she looks at local coverage versus  national media; why Lynx star Napheesa Collier did not have a higher profile prior to this year; the history of media coverage in the WNBA; what she would do if she was in charge of  WNBA broadcasting; whether the league can be more transparent when it comes to fines for coaches/players; how much of a motivator last season is for her team; her comments last year after the Finals loss; what she learned about coaching Hall of Fame caliber players; her best leadership lessons 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 upcoming interview with Cheryl Reeve, the head coach and president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Lynx. The full interview will be available on Wednesday In this clip, Reeve discusses why Lynx star Napheesa Collier is finally getting the national attention she previously did not. 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 515 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Sports Media Watch founder and editor Jon Lewis and Austin Karp, the managing editor of Sports Business Journal. In this podcast, Lewis and Karp discuss the Mike Breen, Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson; the comp to Joe Buck, Tom Verducci and Harold Reynolds; the NBA's Game 1 viewership numbers; TNT's French Open debut was a strong showing; the future of TNT Sports post-NBA; the NHL's Stanley Cup viewership 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 514 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Cat Osterman, one of four general managers for The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). Osterman is one of the greatest pitchers in the history of softball, a four-time All-American pitcher for Texas who also starred for Team USA. The AUSL begins play on June 7 and games will air on ESPN and MLB Network among other entities. In this podcast, Osterman discusses why 2025 is the right time for the American sports public to support a pro softball league; why the league is not city-based in Year 1; the funding for the league; games airing across ESPN Platforms, MLB Network, MLB.com, FanDuel Sports Network and All Women’s Sports Network, with regional coverage across MSG Network, NESN, Fox 32 Chicago; what kind of player access the broadcasters will have; the robust viewership for the Women College World Series; softball returning to the 2028 Olympics; wanting to face Jeff Bagwell 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 513 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features host and podcaster Donnovan Bennett of Sportsnet (Canada), Sports Media Watch founder and editor Jon Lewis and Boston Globe sports media columnist Chad Finn. In this podcast, we discuss what kind of interest the Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals will have; what it means that last year's NBA Finals averaged 11.31 million viewers; why we have not seen an NBA Finals game get more 14 million in five years; the Stanley Cup Final between the Oilers-Panthers; why this series will pop in Canada; WBD doing the series as opposed to ABC/ESPN and what that means; the celebrations for Inside The NBA; will ESPN keep the show the same, 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 512 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Kate Scott, who hosts UEFA Champions League Today studio coverage alongside analysts Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards. CBS Sports will air UEFA Champions League Final coverage between PSG and Inter Milan in Munich on May 31 across the CBS Television Network, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network. In this podcast, Scott discusses Munich as a setting for the Champions League Final; what to expect from PSG and Inter Milan in the final; the broadcast prep for a Champions League Final day; the fame of Thierry Henry; why her show continues to grow in popularity; Netflix’s upcoming Women’s World Cup event; working on both boxing and soccer productions; 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 511 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Mike Breen, the lead NBA game-caller for ESPN and ABC. Breen will be the play by play voice of the NBA Finals, which will be his 20th straight NBA Finals, the most any play-by-play voice has called consecutively. In this podcast, Breen discusses what is unique about calling games in Oklahoma City and Minneapolis; how surreal it would be to call the Knicks in the Finals given he is the long time play-by-play announcer for Knicks telecasts on MSG Networks; whether people outside of New York care about the Knicks;  calling Game 5 of the 1994 NBA Finals between the Knicks and Rockets as O.J. Simpson led Los Angeles police on a low-speed chase after a warrant for his arrest was issued in connection to the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman; adjusting to significant analyst turnover over the last few years; his interest in how NBC and Amazon will put on NBA games; being part of Hubie Brown's last broadcast; NBA viewership 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