Kentucky Derby Sets Record with 19.6M Average Viewers
The Kentucky Derby averaged 19.6 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, up 11% over last year’s Derby audience That's the most-watched Derby in history. (We note here Nielsen's measurement changes as with other sporting events.) Viewership peaked at 24.4 million viewers from 7-7:15 p.m. ET. The peak audience was also the largest ever for an NBC Sports presentation of the Kentucky Derby (up from 21.8M last year).
Sports Media Roundtable Dissects Amazon Deal, TV Futures
Just taped a sports media roundtable with @paulsen_smw, @Armand_Broady, @GlobeChadFinn and @derekfutterman. Topics include Amazon's Duke deal, whether Russell Wilson will be good on TV, CW partnering w. ESPN and where Vrabel-Russini goes from here. Out tomorrow at 3AM. TO LISTEN:...
NYT Could Secure Second Cup Coffee Sponsorship
First, I hope The Athletic staffers can occasionally hang out here. But more importantly: Big opportunity for the NYT to get a coffee sponsorship from Second Cup. "All the coffee that's fit to drink. Second Cup is a proud sponsor of...
Wilson's Networking Makes Him Fit—If He Quits Playing
Good scoop by Marchand. Wilson has always been a great networker with league officials and media rightsholders. I think he’d be good in this role if he truly is committed to not playing again.
Invest $250K in Toronto Tempo, Expect $1M Return
If they were opening up shares for people, I would legit throw $250,000 into the Toronto Tempo and check back in 5-7 years. Because I’d bet it will be worth close to 1M or more.
Yahoo Launches Sports‑finance Hub with Top Industry Partners
Some sports media news here below as Yahoo Sports goes big in a space that has always had more readers than legacy media realized. Anyone wishing to pay me $60 million over four years can sign me exclusively. I will...
John Strong, Stu Holden to Lead Fox's World Cup Coverage
Fox announced its World Cup Broadcast teams today, with John Strong and Stu Holden once again as the lead team. That means they call the Final and the U.S. games. Story: https://t.co/DfHZKAfKqj
National Market Gives Franchise Unbeatable Advantage for Success
Nearly eight years ago I snapped this photo. I've said it many times. I'll say it again: This franchise will be a success. They have everything in place (deep finances, smart people running it, a coach with championship pedigree, a...
Tempo Basketball's Canadian TV Deal Details Expected This Week
Here's viewership info on tomorrow's game. Some of you asked about this: From everything I've heard, I would expect info/details about @TempoBasketball 's Canadian TV deals to come out very soon and I'll predict this week.
Toronto Tempo TV Deal Details Expected This Week
Some of you asked about this. From everything I heard, I would expect details about the @torontotempo's Canadian TV deals to come very soon and I'll predict this week.
Legal Risks of Sports Gossip and Prediction Markets
NEW PODCAST: The legal implications of the Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini story — and the legal questions surrounding the sports prediction market. The guest is @McCannSportsLaw. https://t.co/ldSOoKDIvD
NFL Draft First‑Round Viewership Drops to 13.2 M
The first round of the NFL Draft declined in viewership year over year. 2026: 13.2 million viewers on all linear and digital platforms. 2025: 13.6 million viewers across all linear and digital platforms
Kay Nurse Outlines WNBA's Lasting Canadian Impact
Today at @TempoBasketball media day, @KayNurse11 gave a tremendously perceptive answer when asked about the long-term aspect of what having a WNBA team in Canada will mean. She nailed it. https://t.co/2nPfoPPEto
Media Coverage Signals Franchise’s Long‑term Success
One funny early moment. @BrittBundlez walked into her media day presser and saw 20 or so media people covering. "Oh, shit, it's packed." W players have always been aware who (and how many) are covering the league. Again, a good sign...
Chris Simms Exits; Mike Tomlin Joins NBC's NFL Pregame
Chris Simms announced this morning that he is out at Football Night In America. A source at NBC Sports confirms. Obviously NBC has changed up its NFL pregame show with the addition of Mike Tomlin.
Evaluating Tomlin's Analyst Potential Amid Vrabel‑Russini Debate
NEW: Can Mike Tomlin be impactful as an NFL studio analyst and our follow-up discussion on the Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini story. Sports Media Roundtable with @paulsen_smw. @Armand_Broady and @derekfutterman: TO LISTEN: https://t.co/ldSOoKDIvD
McCann Leads Legal‑Sports Nexus on New Podcast
Again, there is nobody better on the nexus of legal and sports than McCann. Really interesting stuff, which we cited on the next Sports Media Podcast (w. @paulsen_smw, @Armand_Broady and @derekfutterman) coming out tomorrow.
ESPN, NFL Network Still Won’t Leak Draft Picks
It has become an annual thing but once again on the record: ESPN and NFL Network front-facing reporters will not tip picks (if they find out early) on social during the first round of the Draft.
NFL Draft Hosting Drives Surge in Local Viewership
Per @nielsen: You can see how hosting the NFL Draft amps up viewership in that city. https://t.co/hD1W2QpEmC
Toronto Tempo Secures Only 19
The Toronto Tempo will appear on national television in the United States 19 times this season. (Not surprising this is a low number in the States.) Highlights: ESPN will air Fever @ Tempo on Aug. 18 CBS will air Mercury @ Tempo on...
NBC Sports Returns to WNBA After 24-Year Hiatus
On Sunday May 17 NBC Sports will air its first |WNBA game in 24 years. They open with defending champion @lvaces against the @atlantadream in Angel Reese's Atlanta home debut – 1:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. That's followed later...
Overhyped PR Backfires, Amplifying Lando Norris Controversy
Great piece by @donaldgmcrae of @guardian on overzealous public relations and management people for Lando Norris. The Streisand Effect in full. HT: @pearbea1 https://t.co/jg0L5Fg0Ll
NHL TV Ratings Surge 30% on ESPN/ABC
Very good year for the NHL as far as viewership on ESPN/ABC. ESPN averaged 760K viewers across 54 games on ABC and ESPN, up 30 percent over last year. New measurement helps, as do increased games on ABC. But we definitely...
AUSL's Wonka‑style Promotion Surprises Invited Players
This is pretty genius. The AUSL sets up a Wonka-like promotion and surprises players who have been invited to join the team. Cool story.
Major Media Coverage Crucial for Women's Basketball Visibility
One thing I always pay attention to having covered sports media since 1873 is which outlets are covering something. Was very good to see The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and CTV at the first practice. I was there for...
Why Draft Coverage Needs Critical Play‑by‑Play Voices
NEW PODCAST: Should NFL broadcasters be more critical during NFL Draft coverage — and why this is the greatest era ever for play by play broadcasters. SI's Jimmy Traina is the guest. https://swap.fm/l/4apy5A6FmakGYZa2Tfop
Timeline Reveals Build‑up to Eric Swalwell Story
‘Keep digging’: What happened in the days leading up to the @sfchronicle Eric Swalwell story: https://t.co/PkEkbdDtfV
Franchise's Big Move Set to Attract Free Agents
This is massive news for this franchise and it's going to help attract free agents.
Big‑event Hosting Hurts Taxpayers, Benefits the Wealthy
Toronto is one of a long line of cities when officials realize after its too late how much of an economic misstep the World Cup or the Olympics turns out to be for a city. It's not absolutely this but...
Satou Ohtani Secures Sweet Deal for Liberty
Just call her Satou Ohtani because she just hooked up the Liberty with a sweet deal.
Clarence Seedorf Joins Fox Sports World Cup Panel
SOME NEWS: Clarence Seedorf will join Fox Sports as a World Cup studio analyst. He joins Rebecca Lowe, Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Javier (Chicharito) Hernández as Fox has brought in some interesting people to enhance its coverage. STORY FOR @SBJ: https://t.co/UO7DiAyqLA
Caitlin Clark's Return Could Spark WNBA Viewership Surge
One media-centric thing I would watch for this year with the @WNBA. The @IndianaFever should be title contenders and Caitlin Clark will be healthy. Her absence impacted viewership last year in the network windows where the league would have gotten...
College Stars Turning Brands Boost WNBA Draft Interest
These are all very good signs for the league. I imagine Austin agrees with me but the best women's college players are becoming brands of their own, plus developing massive social followings. So that should correspond to more interest in...
ESPN's WWE Push Marks Major Win for Ari Emanuel
WWE and its PR staff has always worked hard to get cross-over coverage in mainstream outlets. I say that as someone who benefitted from this working at SI and The Athletic. PR would always cater to what you needed. It's...
Declining NBA Viewership Sparks Fear of League Collapse
These viewership numbers for the NBA this season as well as the $76 billion media rights contract they signed has me thinking this league is going to fold next year. It's over for the NBA. https://t.co/HYZi0sIQ0c
Ukrainian Diaspora Rallies as US Cuts Ukraine Aid
Shoutout to the massive 🇺🇦 population in Canada and elsewhere. You fight against tyranny. You were invaded. Many Americans are with you still.
Chris Branch Turbocharged My Reach and Earnings
Chris Branch does an incredible job. On a personal note, he was beyond generous to me by putting a ton of my media stories in The Pulse. I will always believe he was a part of me getting paid on...
Podcast Explores NBA Playoffs Streaming Shift and Masters Coverage
NEW PODCAST: @paulsen_smw, @AustinKarp and @JoshACarpenter join me to discuss Prime Video and NBC joining ESPN for the NBA playoffs, CBS’s Masters coverage and the Russini-Vrabel story. TO LISTEN: https://t.co/ldSOoKDIvD
Tempo's
The longshot dream of the @TempoBasketball getting Lauren Betts just got "slightly" more possible with Miles going No. 2.
New Podcast Episodes Discuss NBA, Masters, NHL Media
PODCASTS: Out now: Joe Buck. Tomorrow: Roundtable with @AustinKarp, @paulsen_smw and @JoshACarpenter. Topics: New NBA playoff media partners, our thoughts on Russini/Vrabel, the Masters TV coverage and which NHL teams can draw nationally. TO SUB/LISTEN: https://t.co/jq91gZ7Mmt
Super Teams Drive Business by Capturing Polarized Attention
New York Liberty going full L.A. Dodgers. Personally, I like it. Super teams are very good for business because they draw love and hate equally but attention above all.
Giving up a 2028 First‑round Pick Is Reckless.
Giving up a 2028 first round pick is insane given who will be at the top of the WNBA Draft. https://t.co/KemDXI6Xmt
Best Tempo Contract Yet: Great Player, Great Price
This, to me, is the best contract so far for the Tempo. She's a very good player and that's a really good price.
Toronto’s Multicultural Appeal Draws Global Basketball Talent
The Tempo has invested money in international scouting and Brondello obviously has international roots as the Aussie coach. Toronto is a world-class city with a massive immigrant culture. I would expect internationals to want to play here in the future....
Hopeful Appreciation for NASA Sparks Support for Science
One thing that makes me happy tonight: The appreciation for science. There will at least be some people in the States who see how incredible these people at NASA are and might think (however briefly) about not supporting those who cut...
Sandy Brondello Boosts Tempo, Disrupts 2027 Draft Tank
I think @TempoBasketball will be competitive this season and maybe that was always going to be the case if you hire Sandy Brondello. This is good for season ticket holders, good for the league and good for a world-class city...
Joe Buck Aims to Finish Career at ESPN
NEWS: Joe Buck says he wants to remain at ESPN for the rest of his career. His ESPN contract expires at the end of this NFL season. Story for @SBJ: https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2026/04/10/joe-buck-hopes-to-remain-at-espn-for-the-rest-of-my-career/
Last Year’s WNBA Draft Ranks Second‑Highest Viewership
Below: TV viewership info on ESPN's coverage of the @WNBA Draft. Last year's Draft averaged 1.25 million viewers, the second most-watched WNBA Draft in history, only behind the 2.4 million viewers who watched Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese etc.. in 2024....
CBS’s Evolving Partnership with Augusta National Shines
This is really good work on the evolution of CBS’s longtime partnership with Augusta National.
Sports Championship and Space Launch Pull Nearly Equal Viewership
Nearly the same viewership: NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship Game on TBS, TNT and truTV: 18.3 million viewers. Launch of NASA's Artemis II mission on ABC, CBS, NBC, Telemundo, CNN, FOX News and MS NOW: 18.1 million viewers