What do you know about Overtime? It runs one of the most interesting leagues in sports in OTE and have figured out how to reach young audiences that every other league is struggling to reach.

On this episode of Business Decision, Mike Vorkunov talks to Overtime CEO Dan Porter about OTE, how they've changed over the years, how they have success on social media and reaching young people. Dan discusses the keys to the company's success and what might have happened had TikTok actually been banned in the United States.

Also, Mike finally learns what 6-7 means, thanks to Dan since Overtime helped propel the meme to popularity.

Guest: Overtime CEO Dan Porter

Reading List:

What is ‘6-7′? It started with this high school basketball and social media star

How Overtime Elite became a college basketball ally instead of a threat

Something big happened in the sports business world this week and nobody is talking about it. But these sports experts are! On this week's episode of Business Decision, Mike Vorkunov talks to Sportico's Jacob Feldman about why a famed investment bank bought one of sports' most prominent player agencies. Goldman Sachs took a majority stake in Excel Sports, giving it control of the agency that represents some of the world's most famous athletes like Caitlin Clark, Nikola Jokić, Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter, Cal Raleigh and others.

It's a big deal. But why did they do it and what does it mean? Mike and Jacob explain it all.

Also, another sports gambling scandal just hit. This time, it's two Cleveland Guardians pitchers who got indicted by the federal government. What did Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz do, and what does it mean for MLB?

The Business Decision question of the week is something Nico Harrison answered incorrectly. It's why the Dallas #Mavericks fired their GM Tuesday.

Reading List:

Goldman Sachs to become majority stakeholder of Excel Sports Management

Goldman Sachs Buys Talent Agency of Tigers Woods, Caitlin Clark

The WNBA is in a precarious place and facing its most important offseason ever. The WNBA CBA talks between the league and the players union will determine where the WNBA goes next, and even when they can begin its 2026 season. Who has the upper hand: the league or the WNBPA? Does the union need Caitlin Clark to voice her power?

That and more on this new episode of Business Decision with The Athletic's Sabreena Merchant and Ben Pickman. Watch and listen to the wonkiest WNBA show you can. We discuss all the details of the latest WNBA CBA talks and where they go from here. We even predict when a deal might get done. It's a tricky dynamic that goes beyond just Cathy Engelbert, Adam Silver, the NBA and the public PR battle.

Plus: Name that 2011 NBA lockout player!

Guests: Sabreena Merchant and Ben Pickman

Why was a federal courthouse the most important place to be so far this NBA season? Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Heat guard Terry Rozier were both arrested and charged by federal law enforcement as part of an illegal sports gambling and rigged poker ring that involves the mafia. Two days into the NBA season! It's unprecedented. What does it mean for the NBA? How does the league respond? Mike Vorkunov and Yaron Weitzman talk about a crazy day and what it means.

Guest: Yaron Weitzman

READING LIST:

Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier arrests escalate sprawling NBA betting scandal

Jontay Porter pays the price, as NBA and other leagues play with fire on gambling

Big parlays, fake injuries and Telegram tips: The betting scandal in college and pro sports

The best way to understand the NBA this upcoming 2025-26 season is by knowing who holds the power around the league. It's not just about being in control, it's about having the juice. The Athletic's Fred Katz comes onto the show to discuss which people in (and outside) the NBA will have the most impact on the league this upcoming season and dictate where the league goes in the short and long term. Mike Vorkunov and Fred Katz draft their top five selections and it's not who you think.

Guest: Fred Katz

READING LIST:

The Top 10 front offices in NBA

The Clippers, Kawhi Leonard, and Aspiration

Buss family sale of Lakers signals a new dawn for the franchise — and NBA ownership

Does the Knicks trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo even make sense?

Sports media is changing quickly, even for the fans who want to get into it. Jonathan Macri is a Knicks fan who turned his love for the team into Knicks Film School, now a thriving Knicks media ecosystem and his full-time job. Mike Vorkunov talks to Jonathan about how he did it, what it says about sports media now and how legacy media is trying to be more like him than he is trying to be like them.

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Have you heard of Project B? It's got a lot of money, it's trying to sign stars, it might one day compete with the WNBA, it could be a problem for Unrivaled, and it's talking about starting a men's basketball league one day that could also be an issue for the NBA. Oh, it also used to have Maverick Carter — a longtime business partner for LeBron James. What should we make of this new project and what could it mean for the NBA, WNBA and Unrivaled?

SEGMENT 2

LeBron James just made a second (bad) decision. Let's get into his cryptic and unpopular ad campaign, and the bad week for the Los Angeles Lakers star. We get into why the Second Decision was repeating the mistakes of The Decision.

SEGMENT 3

Bill Belichick, the University of North Carolina, Amazon, and John Wall — who had the good decision of the week and who made the bad decision of the week

GUEST: Yaron Weitzman

Reading List:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6699988/2025/10/08/project-b-global-basketball-wnba-nba-threat/

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6704076/2025/10/10/bill-belichick-unc-football-collapse-one-month/

Buying a European basketball club is the new trend for American investors. Underdog Global Partners founder Matt Rizzetta explains why he bought Napoli, how he thinks NIL could become a billion dollar industry for European basketball, and how he sees the NBA's European project. Plus, who's got the better pizza: New York or Napoli?

And watch it on YouTube

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier gave the WNBA one of its craziest days ever by ripping commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the league, but what did it actually say about the league? Mike Vorkunov and Ben Pickman, The Athletic's WNBA reporter, digest the most important 4-and-a-half minutes in WNBA history and what it means for a future lockout, CBA negotiations, Engelbert's job, and Unrivaled.

Steve Ballmer isn't just the richest owner in the NBA, he's the richest owner in sports. He's one of the richest men in the world. Period. The Kawhi Leonard/Aspiration scandal has also opened up another touchy subject: is he also too rich for the NBA? The Information's Sara Germano comes on to talk about wealth inequality in sports and how pro sports is trying to figure out the sheer amount of money its now dealing with, from the NBA to MLB, from Ballmer to Steve Cohen.

Reading List:

Is Steve Ballmer Too Rich for the NBA?

The World’s Richest Sports Team Owners 2025