The Varsity

John sits down with NBC’s top two Olympics TV producers, Molly Solomon and Amy Rosenfeld, for a candid talk about what went into bringing the Paris Olympics to the U.S. and whether L.A. 2028 can beat the hype. Then the duo discuss why they decided to give so much airtime to Snoop, how international stars like Léon Marchand factored into the ratings, and their own roles as women producers in a male-dominated field.

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Axios media reporter Sara Fischer joins John to discuss all the feels on the sports media beat—Disney vs. DirecTV, Zaz’s Charter deal, ESPN Flagship hypotheticals, and much, much more.

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John sits down with Paul Rabil, the lacrosse G.O.A.T., and co-founder of the Premier Lacrosse League for a candid chat about his journey as a player and the genesis of the PLL. Paul extemporizes candidly about his pro career, the white space in the market, the fundraising hurdles and the early challenges of standing up the league. Then the duo discuss the opportunity ahead for niche and niche-ish sports in the current media ecosystem.

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With the NFL season kicking off, The Washington Post's Ben Strauss joins John to discuss Jimmy Pitaro’s plan to turn ESPN into a veritable streaming juggernaut, the incredible ascendance of Pat McAfee, and the confounding economics of live sports in the post TV era. Then they trade notes on Tom Brady’s underwhelming debut as a Fox Sports talking head.

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WNBA Cathy Engelbert is called up to The Varsity to discuss the league’s digital transformation, her league’s new media deal, this new generation of star power and her relationship with Adam Silver.

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Puck co-founder Jon Kelly joins The Varsity for a spirited conversation about the Disney-DirecTV grudge match, Disney's channel-shedding journey, and Amazon's great expectations for its third season of Thursday Night Football. 

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ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro sits down with John in Bristol for an incredibly candid and detailed conversation about the state of his business and the industry. The duo delve into ESPN’s various broadcast negotiations with the top leagues, its streaming strategy, an evolving view on talent, and so much more.

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Welcome to the maiden voyage of The Varsity. On this debut episode, John chats with Peyton Manning about the origins of his post-football career, the rise of the ManningCast, the genesis of Omaha Productions, and so much more—Brady, Bill, Tennessee, NIL, Eli, etcetera. It’s really great!

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Welcome to “The Varsity,” your new favorite podcast about what’s really happening in the business of sports and the players who run it all. Join Puck sports media correspondent John Ourand and a rotating cast of industry experts for inside-the-room conversations about the money behind the major leagues, the biggest network executive dramas, media rights battles, and so much more.

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