The Soccer Media Podcast with John Shrader

JAKE ZIVIN joins Taylor Twellman on Major League Soccer’sApple TV broadcasts. They’ve teamed for four seasons broadcasting the highes profile matches for Major League Soccer. The playoffs are upon us soon, and then 2027 the calendar is turned for MLS. We also talk about the young MLSstars making a big splash on the US National team.

Recorded October 6, 2026

THE SHOW:

American soccer’s frontline storytellers interviewed by EmmyAward-winning John Shrader. It includes insight from the editors of Soccer America, the nation’s longest-running soccer publication, founded in 1971. New episodes released weekly.

You can get more information on the program, produced by the John Shrader Media Group, at https://shradermedia.com/

John Shrader's 30 years of TV and radio sports broadcastingincluded MLS, NBA, NFL and NHL. He is professor of Broadcasting and Sports Media & Communication at the University of Nebraska.

DAVE JOHNSON has been involved with DC United since before they were even named. He is in his 31st year as the voice of the team, and in will soon start his 30th season as the voice of the NBA’s Washington Wizards. He chats here about his career with DC United and his love for soccer and Major League Soccer; the big picture of American soccer broadcasting, the new MLS calendar, and his diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis and how it has impacted his life and work.

Recorded September 22, 2026

THE SHOW:

American soccer’s frontline storytellers interviewed by EmmyAward-winning John Shrader. It includes insight from the editors of Soccer America, the nation’s longest-running soccer publication, founded in 1971. New episodes released weekly.

You can get more information on the program, produced by the John Shrader Media Group, at https://shradermedia.com/

John Shrader's 30 years of TV and radio sports broadcastingincluded MLS, NBA, NFL and NHL. He is professor of Broadcasting and Sports Media & Communication at the University of Nebraska.

MIKE WATTS is a veteran American soccer announcer, covering everything from college to MLS, to providing world-feed play-by-pla of the 2026 World Cup. Watts is the lead voice of the marquee Friday night NWSL broadcasts on Amazon Prime. He does MLS and SEC Network soccer as well.He is a Cleveland native who went to college at Fordham. In this conversation we talk about working with and for all those varied entities, growing up not far from the Kelces, getting Taylor Swift lyrics (lots of them) into a broadcast and much more.

Recorded September 18, 2026

THE SHOW:

American soccer’s frontline storytellers interviewed by EmmyAward-winning John Shrader. It includes insight from the editors of Soccer America, the nation’s longest-running soccer publication, founded in 1971. New episodes released weekly.

You can get more information on the program, produced by the John Shrader Media Group, at https://shradermedia.com/

John Shrader's 30 years of TV and radio sports broadcastingincluded MLS, NBA, NFL and NHL. He is professor of Broadcasting and Sports Media & Communication at the University of Nebraska.

MIKE WOITALLA is the Editor-in-Chief of Soccer America, a publication that has brought soccer journalism to the masses for about 55 years. Woitalla, who has been with Soccer America for about four decades, succeeds the retired Paul Kennedy. In this conversation we talk about the wisdom (or lack of) in signing USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino to a new contract; also, youth soccer in America, the coverage of the World Cup, FIFA’s Infantino and much more.

Recorded September 9, 2026

THE SHOW:

American soccer’s frontline storytellers interviewed by EmmyAward-winning John Shrader. It includes insight from the editors of Soccer America, the nation’s longest-running soccer publication, founded in 1971. New episodes released weekly.

You can get more information on the program, produced by the John Shrader Media Group, at https://shradermedia.com/

John Shrader's 30 years of TV and radio sports broadcastingincluded MLS, NBA, NFL and NHL. He is professor of Broadcasting and Sports Media & Communication at the University of Nebraska.

ALEXI LALAS and his mates at Fox Sports just finished their third men’s World Cup cycle, the tournament this summer inthe United States, Canada and Mexico. Lalas worked in the studio for much of the time during the tournament with Rebecca Lowe, Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It was a grouping that got a lot of attention. In this conversation we talked about that – “three big egos” as Lalas called the formerplayers on set together. Also in this chat, Lalas talks about social media and his conservative politics, the American style of soccer broadcasting and much more.

Recorded August 27, 2026

THE SHOW:

American soccer’s frontline storytellers interviewed by EmmyAward-winning John Shrader. It includes insight from the editors of Soccer America, the nation’s longest-running soccer publication, founded in 1971. New episodes released weekly.

You can get more information on the program, produced by the John Shrader Media Group, at https://shradermedia.com/

John Shrader's 30 years of TV and radio sports broadcastingincluded MLS, NBA, NFL and NHL. He is professor of Broadcasting and Sports Media & Communication at the University of Nebraska.

JOAQUIN DURO is the Executive Vice-President for Sports and Head of Streaming at Telemundo. He was in charge of the efforts that led to record-setting viewership for the 2026 FIFAWorld Cup. Duro talks about how they approached the production of the games as well as the marketing that helped them protect their Spanish-language audience and attract more English speakers.

Recorded August 26, 2026

THE SHOW:

American soccer’s frontline storytellers interviewed by EmmyAward-winning John Shrader. It includes insight from the editors of Soccer America, the nation’s longest-running soccer publication, founded in 1971.New episodes released weekly.

You can get more information on the program, produced by the John Shrader Media Group, at https://shradermedia.com/

John Shrader's 30 years of TV and radio sports broadcastingincluded MLS, NBA, NFL and NHL. He is professor of Broadcasting and Sports Media & Communication at the University of Nebraska.

STU HOLDEN has now worked three World Cups for Fox Sports, 2018 in Russia, 2022 in Qatar and 2026 in North America. He has developed a very good relationship on and off camera with John Strong. The two did 21 games in the most recent World Cup, including the final, a Spain 1-0 win over Argentina, that drew more than fifty million viewers to Fox. In this conversation we talk about his career, working the World Cup, broadcasting styles, his beginning in the TV business and much more.

Recorded August 24, 2026

THE SHOW:

American soccer’s frontline storytellers interviewed by EmmyAward-winning John Shrader. It includes insight from the editors of Soccer America, the nation’s longest-running soccer publication, founded in 1971. New episodes released weekly.

You can get more information on the program, produced by the John Shrader Media Group, at https://shradermedia.com/

John Shrader's 30 years of TV and radio sports broadcastingincluded MLS, NBA, NFL and NHL. He is professor of Broadcasting and Sports Media & Communication at the University of Nebraska.

SEBASTIAN SALAZAR is the Saturday night host of NWSL soccer on ION. He spent about a decade at ESPN, hosting soccer programs, doing Play-by-Play and covering major tournaments around the world. Sebastian hosts a podcast with Herculez Gomez, “Duel Nats,” part of the Men in Blazers Network.  In this conversation we talk about the value of bilingual presentation in soccer and the phenomenon of English speakers watching Spanish-language television.

Recorded August 10, 2026

THE SHOW:

American soccer’s frontline storytellers interviewed by EmmyAward-winning John Shrader. It includes insight from the editors of Soccer America, the nation’s longest-running soccer publication, founded in 1971. New episodes released weekly.

You can get more information on the program, produced by the John Shrader Media Group, at https://shradermedia.com/

John Shrader's 30 years of TV and radio sports broadcastingincluded MLS, NBA, NFL and NHL. He is professor of Broadcasting and Sports Media & Communication at the University of Nebraska.

DEREK RAE is a long time American and European soccer announcer. He’s a native of Scotland and now splits his time between the US and Europe as the voice of Bundesliga, whichcan be seen this year on USA and Fandango in the United States. For nine years now he is the voice of EA Sports soccer video game, EAFC.  He was one of the lead announcers for Fox in this 2026 World Cup. In this conversation we talk about the tournament, about his career, and connection between the 1994 World Cup and now.

Recorded July 31, 2026

 THE SHOW:

American soccer’s frontline storytellers interviewed by Emmy Award-winning John Shrader. It includes insight from the editors of Soccer America, the nation’s longest-runningsoccer publication, founded in 1971. New episodes released weekly.

You can get more information on the program, produced by the John Shrader Media Group, at https://shradermedia.com/

John Shrader's 30 years of TV and radio sports broadcasting included MLS, NBA, NFL and NHL. He is professor of Broadcasting and Sports Media & Communication at the University of Nebraska.

RICHARD DEITSCH is the host a popular industry podcast on sports media, titled The Sports Media Podcast, heard where you get your podcasts. He spent nearly 20 years at Sports Illustrated, then nearly eight years at The Athletic, leavingthere in early 2026. In this conversation we talk about the broadcast coverage of the World Cup, including Fox Sports and Telemundo, as well as developments at ESPN, including layoffs and big money for their big talent.

Recorded July 29, 2026

THE SHOW:

American soccer’s frontline storytellers interviewed by Emmy Award-winning John Shrader. It includes insight from the editors of Soccer America, the nation’s longest-runningsoccer publication, founded in 1971. New episodes released weekly.

You can get more information on the program, produced by the John Shrader Media Group, at https://shradermedia.com/

John Shrader's 30 years of TV and radio sports broadcasting included MLS, NBA, NFL and NHL. He is professor of Broadcasting and Sports Media & Communication at the University of Nebraska.