NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman joins John for a deep dive into the league’s burgeoning popularity, following a record-breaking season in attendance and TV viewership. She highlights the power of storytelling in building cultural relevance before pulling back the curtain on the league’s massive media rights deals with ESPN, CBS, and Amazon Prime—a game-changing 40-fold increase in game sales. Jessica also weighs in on the impact of high-profile international transfers, like Naomi Girma’s $1.1 million move to Chelsea.

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Axios’s Sara Fischer rejoins John to dig into the rapid decline of R.S.N.s, and in particular, the unraveling of MASN—once the home of the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles. With the Nationals walking away from the network entirely, could this move pave the way for Ted Leonsis to buy the team and create a D.C. sports monopoly? Plus, the duo forecast the fallout of the MLB-ESPN uncoupling and dig into Fox’s forthcoming D.T.C. product expected to launch by the end of the year.

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Roger Bennett, founder of the Men in Blazers Media Network, joins John for an in-depth look at the highly anticipated 2026 World Cup in North America. He explores the challenges of building momentum and awareness leading up to the tournament, its potential to leave a lasting imprint on American soccer culture, and the significance of tentpole events in sports media.

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The Athletic’s Evan Drellich joins John to weigh into the imminent ESPN-MLB divorce, and offer a behind-the-scenes snapshot of how owners are coming to grips with the split. Evan also explains why he doesn’t think this is truly the end of the ESPN-MLB relationship, previews baseball’s upcoming labor negotiations, discusses the financial fallout from the R.S.N. collapse, and hints at potential rule changes for this upcoming season.

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Big East commissioner Val Ackerman joins John for a deep dive into the present and future of college sports. She lays out the Big East’s strategy for thriving in a football-dominated landscape, probes the possibility of a Big East-ACC merger, and breaks down the conference’s approach to revenue sharing. Val also reflects on her groundbreaking role as the WNBA’s first commissioner and explains why the league’s meteoric growth is anything but surprising.

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CNBC’s Alex Sherman joins John for a deep dive into how leagues can maximize profits from social media engagement in the streaming era. They also wade into the brewing media rights battles between traditional networks and streaming giants, with UFC and F1’s rights up for grabs, before Alex shares his personal insights on the overall state of sports media and the business behind the games.

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NBA Hall of Famer Grant Hill joins John for a candid conversation about his pivot from the court to the sidelines, where’s he's become a standout broadcaster. Hill discusses his ownership stakes in various sports franchises, the health of the NBA, and the impact of their blockbuster media rights deal. He also reflects on leading Team USA to back-to-back gold medals and weighs in on ESPN’s evolving media strategy. 

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ESPN’s Shams Charania, the consummate NBA insider and veritable scoop machine, joins John to probe some of the biggest business stories ahead of NBA All-Star Weekend: the impacts of sports betting, Maverick Carter’s attempt to jumpstart an NBA-adjacent international rival, and the league’s evolving trade dynamics. Plus, Shams explains the bizarre Luka-A.D. trade—and how he broke the story.

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NBC Sports president Rick Cordella joins John from Super Bowl weekend in New Orleans for an in-depth conversation on the business of the NFL and the evolving landscape of sports media, breaking down the NFL’s unparalleled ability to draw massive viewership and the complexities of media rights negotiations. Then he offers a preview at what’s in store for NBC’s NBA coverage and a look at next year’s Winter Olympics.

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ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. joins John for a wide-ranging conversation on the NFL’s booming business, where soaring ratings and sponsorship deals underscore the league’s financial dominance—highlighted by the Dallas Cowboys’ staggering $10 billion valuation. They also tackle some of the league’s prime concerns, including the perceived officiating problems, before discussing the power dynamics of owners like Jerry Jones and speculating on Roger Goodell’s future as commissioner.

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