Episode 284 of the Sports Media podcast features WWE star Rhea Ripley and CBS Sports senior writer and college basketball analyst for CBS Sports HQ Matt Norlander. In this podcast, Ripley discusses how a WWE performer navigates interviews where some people want her in character and storyline and other interviewers want to talk about the business of wrestling; being part of a major media and cultural event in the calendar — WrestleMania — which takes place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on April 1 and April 2; how to promote her brand; what kind of media training she has received; how she determines whom or with what outlet she will speak to; navigating social media; scripted vs. improvisation, the rush of an arena of fans hating you; and more. Norlander discusses the most challenging part of covering the NCAA Tournament; the access he receives; why there are more national writers covering college football than college basketball; how basketball coaches and administrators feel about college football dictating their schedules; the best player and coach interviews in the sport, and why this year’s tournament is wide open. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, 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 283 of the Sports Media podcast features San Jose Mercury News reporter Jon Wilner, who authors the “Pac-12 Hotline” column, and Sweeny Murti, an MLB Media as a senior contributor. In this podcast, Wilner discusses where things stand with Pac-12 media rights negotiations; Amazon’s conceptual interest in a Friday night window; the interests of ESPN, Apple and Amazon; the likely time frame of a deal; the potential dollars each school is looking at annually; the proximity of Pac-12 schools to Amazon and Apple; the likely end of the Pac-12 Networks; the basketball and Olympic sport programs of the Pac-12; whether Washington can emerge as a bigger football power and more. Murti discusses his new job for MLB Media after a 30-year year run at New York sports station WFAN; how his new job came about; working 22 years as a New York Yankees reporter; how he feels about WFAN management today; the biggest challenge covering the Yankees every day; Derek Jeter joining Fox and what Murti’s expectations are of Jeter as a broadcaster; the future of sport-talk radio and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, 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 282 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation on covering F1 with Luke Smith, a senior writer for The Athletic, and Madeline Coleman, a staff writer for The Athletic. In this podcast, Smith and Coleman discuss how one goes about covering Formula One given the sheer amount of teams and people in the sport; what kind of access they receive as media; F1 soaring in popularity, especially in North America; why the increased interest in the U.S.; the impact of Liberty Media as well as the sport embracing social media; the addition of new U.S.-based races; the importance of a challenger in 2023 for Max Verstappen; the challenges of getting time with the top drivers; Logan Sargeant and the importance of an American driver emerging, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, 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 281 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with The Boston Globe sports media writer Chad Finn and Sports Business Journal assistant managing editor/digital Austin Karp. In this podcast, the group discusses the NBA All-Star Game averaging a record-l0w 4.6 million viewers on TNT/TBS; what, if anything, can be done to bring back All Star Game viewers; the NBA’s regular-season viewership and average attendance up this year; the expectations for the launch of MLS/Apple Season Pass and what we expect from the look of the product and viewership; the viewership for the Daytona 500; how Daytona compares to other sports properties; the launch of the XFL; whether we think spring football can work; a potential Pac-12 media rights deal’; why the Pac-12 has little leverage over media companies; LIV golf’s prospects as a media play; Charles Barkley as a potential CNN analyst, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, 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 280 of the Sports Media Podcast features Apple and Major League Soccer match analysts Marcelo Balboa, Danielle Slaton, and Taylor Twellman. In this podcast, Balboa, Slaton and Twellman discuss why they decided to pursue an assignment with Apple/MLS; the upcoming MLS Season Pass and how they see the coverage; what is unique about working with Apple so far; the opportunities and challenges of being part of a new entity; their concern level about other sports media entities not covering the league; whether they can be critical of MLS; how their partners were assigned to them; the Spanish language coverage; the success of “Welcome to Wrexham” and whether it could be duplicated with an MLS doc; the prospect of Leo Messi coming to Miami; what Messi’s arrival would mean, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, 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 279 of the Sports Media Podcast features Tashan Reed, a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Las Vegas Raiders and the host of the upcoming podcast series from The Athletic, “Between The Lines.” He is followed by Evan Drellich, a senior writer who covers the business of baseball for The Athletic and is the author of a new book, “Winning Fixes Everything: How Baseball’s Brightest Minds Created Sports’ Biggest Mess.” In this podcast, Reed discusses his narrative podcast about what it means to be Black in the NFL and explains how race impacts each level of the league’s organization chart; why this was a topic he wanted to immerse himself in; the processing of reporting and the interview subjects for the piece; whether the NFL has any incentive to change on race, and more. Drellich discusses why the story of Astros cheating scandal is important; Mike Fiers as a whistleblower and his impact on the reporting; whether baseball is truly interested in policing this; MLB condoning Jim Crane and why so many have been protective of him; the Wall Street–ization and McKinseyization of front offices and of player personnel decision-making; if the ends justify the means in sports; the smart book-buying public, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, 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 278 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Fox Sports NASCAR play by play announcer Mike Joy and race analyst Larry McReynolds. In this podcast, Joy and McReynolds discuss calling the Daytona 500, which will air on Fox on Feb. 19; how they determine success with their broadcast; balancing a broadcast that caters to old school fans while also not being over the heads of new or casual fans; how much a new lead producer will change the Fox broadcast; working alongside Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart versus a booth with one race analyst; how they look at viewership as a broadcasters and does it impact them; how McReynolds feels about the challenge of no longer being at the track on a weekly basis; Joy on how long he wants to call races; the addition of Kevin Harvick to the broadcast booth full-time in 2024; the value of three pit reporters; making a NASCAR race feel like an event and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, 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 277 of the Sports Media Podcast features Jim Trotter, a reporter for NFL Media and a longtime NFL reporter with stops at ESPN and Sports Illustrated among other places. In this podcast. Trotter discusses his interaction with Rihanna, which went viral; having a video viewed by millions; his question of  NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about the NFL’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and how there is not been a black person in senior management in the newsroom in Trotter’s five years at NFL Media; how one asks Goodell a question at that press conference; why he asked the question; what he felt about Goodell’s answer; whether Patrick Mahomes is a Hall of Famer if he retired today; how the Pro Football Hall of Fame voting works; why that vote is not public, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, 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 276 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Boston Globe sports media writer and columnist Chad Finn and  journalist, best-selling author and podcast host Jim Miller. In this podcast, Finn and Deitsch discuss Fox’s Super Bowl LVII broadcast; how Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen did; what Olsen’s performance means for Tom Brady; Terry Bradshaw and Chris Berman; Rhianna’s halftime performance; Fox hiring Derek Jeter as an MLB studio analyst; Super Bowl Media Week and leaks; and more. Miller discusses the passing of Barry Sacks, the longtime ESPN coordinating producer and mentor of many on-air talent; Bob Iger saying ESPN will now operate in a standalone silo within the larger entertainment conglomerate; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, 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 275 of the Sports Media Podcast features a conversation with Fox Sports and Chicago Bulls play by play broadcaster Adam Amin, and Adnan Virk, a host for MLB Network, NHL Network as well as his film podcast, Cinephile. In this podcast, Amin and Virk what they see as the challenges of calling a Super Bowl and hosting a Super Bowl pregame show; the end of Outside The Lines as a linear television show; whether a show like OTL can succeed in 2023; the surplus of sports documentaries right now including Break Point, Welcome to Wrexham; the criticism faced this year by Tony Romo and Al Michaels; WWE co-CEO Nick Khan and his media interview strategy; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, 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