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In the 37-minute pod, Andrew Marchand and Jon Meterparel go deep into what Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred should do next and what the league has done wrong in the wake of ESPN’s $550 million opt-out.

Here’s what you need to know:

* To listen to the full 37-minute podcast subscribe at AndrewMarchand.com

* Marchand outlines his plan for how MLB should set up its future rights around scarcity and simplicity, while taking advantage of its tonnage

* Meterparel says that fans need to easily know where to find their games

* Manfred’s scorched earth approach toward ESPN makes no sense

* Manfred says he has two potential new partners, but nearly everyone in the sports media business thinks his best option should be ESPN

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* Could Amazon, Apple, Netflix, NBC, etc. be interested in the ESPN MLB package

* What will ESPN do with their Sunday inventory and their $550M savings

* Will women’s sports benefit from ESPN’s MLB opt-out

* Sean McDonough and P.K. Subban on the NHL earn praise

* Will ESPN pay the SEC more for a ninth league game

* Why is Charles Barkley popular

* Christopher (Mad Dog) Russo absolutely butchered the name of John Ourand from “Sports Business Journal”

* “Off The Record with Andrew Marchand presented by WSC Sports" is an event series that features the biggest dealmakers in sports, talking about the future of technology in an intimate setting.

ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro is the inaugural guest on March 18th starting at 4 p.m. The location is in midtown Manhattan. In this closed door conversation, Marchand will ask Pitaro to expand on his optimistic thoughts about AI and more.

The event is free and includes light appetizers and cocktails.

Register by clicking here. Space is limited so signing up does not guarantee a spot

* Related Pods: Joe Buck and the craft of sportscasting … Marchand & Ourand on MLB-ESPN and NFL-ESPN (2/20/25) … Mark Shapiro is The Main Event

* Sponsor: WSC Sports … Tell them Marchand sent you

* On-deck Thursday.: The Main Event with Adam Schein

* Subscribe at AndrewMarchand.com