Front Office Sports Today

On FOS Today, we’re ringing in the new year with all of our predictions for what is going to happen in 2024.Will Disney sell ESPN? Is Las Vegas the new sports capital of the world? Will the NFL finally announce plans for an international division?Owen Poindexter hosts a roundtable discussion with all of our writers and reporters on what’s to come in the year ahead.

With Taylor Swift taking over the NFL, Prime Time in Colorado, or the ongoing saga between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, it is easy to say that a lot has happened this year. No one is more aware of that than our two newsletter co-authors, Eric Fisher and David Rumsey. As we continue our review of 2023, Fisher and Rumsey join FOS Today to share their favorite stories of the year—and with so much to talk about, make sure you check out this jam-packed episode.

This year, the sports world was rife with controversy — from Dan Snyder's troubled era of the Washington Commanders coming to an end, to Brett Favre's welfare scandal in Mississippi, to P.J. Fleck's questionable behavior in Minnesota. The person responsible for breaking each of these stories, FOS' senior reporter A.J. Perez, joins us to break down what it was like reporting on the biggest controversies of 2023.

NIL. Conference realignment. The transfer portal.The world of college sports is ever-changing, and this has never been more apparent than in 2023. On the latest episode of FOS Today, we are taking a look back at all of the biggest stories to come out of the collegiate landscape — including the shifting NIL landscape, the rise of women's athletics, and the fall of the Pac-12. To help us out, we spoke with our resident college athletics expert, Reporter Amanda Christovich.

With the year coming to an end, we decided to use this week to take a look back at all the biggest stories of the year from Front Office Sports. To start off our 2023 review, we brought on Senior Writer Michael McCarthy to discuss the most important narratives in sports media — including the fall of regional sports networks, streaming giants entering the sports landscape, and the upcoming battle for the NBA's media rights.

Warner Bros. Discovery is in talks with Paramount about a merger. A combined entity could bring together NFL and NBA rights, and unite the companies that collaborate around March Madness. However, WBD could pivot to Comcast, and any deal would attract ample regulator scrutiny.Plus, we look at FC Barcelona taking desperate measures to address its dire finances, the top female athlete earners, and Florida State potentially ramping up its efforts to leave the ACC.

Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer are in a dispute regarding whether MLS teams will participate in the U.S. Open Cup. The fight pits the largest entities in American soccer against each other as the sport continues to surge in popularity.Plus, Erik Allebest, CEO of Chess.com joins to discuss Endeavor’s investment in the company, their plans to make chess a spectacle with mainstream appeal and how Chess.com is addressing lingering concerns over cheating.

The NFL has seven national broadcasts this week, with all of its major media partners involved. That includes three games on Christmas, typically the NBA’s territory. Front Office Sports newsletter co-author Eric Fisher joins the show to discuss the league’s ever more ambitious media plans.Plus, U.S. Ski & Snowboard president and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt discusses the state of winter sports in the U.S., the Winter Olympics, the growing revenue of her organization, and how snow sports are responding to a changing climate.

Amazon is in talks with Diamond Sports Group on a deal that could lead to the tech and retail giant becoming a broadcaster of local MLB, NBA, and NHL games. The reported talks come on the heels of a MLB and Diamond reaching a framework agreement on broadcasts for the 2024 season. The uncertainty around local media revenues has led to some MLB teams taking a tentative approach to spending this offseason.Plus, Front Office Sports reporter Amanda Christovich calls in from Los Angeles, where a trial is underway that could lead to college football and basketball athletes becoming employees, with all the associated rights and benefits.

MLB is approaching a deal with regional sports network owner Diamond Sports Group that would provide certainty on costs and plans teams that have contracts with Diamond. However, that clarity will only last a year, as 2025 and beyond remain an open question regarding baseball’s media future. We also look at two woeful NFL teams and the latest voice calling for wholesale change in college sports.Plus, we hear from Bay FC CEO Brady Stewart on launching an expansion team with huge expectations. Bay FC will play its inaugural NWSL season next year. It enters with the reported largest sponsorship deal in league history, as the NWSL looks to capitalize on the momentum from its groundbreaking media rights deal.