John Ourand: FCC Pressure, Lack of Bidding Market Could Hurt NFL’s Leverage in Media Deal Renegotiations
The NFL is renegotiating its broadcast contracts ahead of the 2026 season, eyeing a roughly 50% revenue increase from a new deal with CBS. John Ourand warns that the league’s leverage is eroding because there are no fresh bidders for the Sunday‑afternoon slots on CBS and Fox, and political pressure is mounting on its antitrust exemption. The FCC chair and the DOJ are probing the NFL’s rights‑pooling practices, raising the risk of tighter regulation. Meanwhile, streaming platforms such as YouTube and Netflix are not yet positioned to replace traditional broadcast partners, limiting the league’s bargaining power.
Is the Last Sunday in February Too Late for the Super Bowl? The NFL Doesn’t Appear to Think So
The NFL has deliberately left the Super Bowl LXII date (Feb 13, 2028) unannounced to preserve scheduling flexibility as it eyes an 18‑game season by 2027. Adding a game would extend the calendar to 20 weeks, pushing the championship to Presidents Day...
AllCity Network Strikes Sales, Content Partnership with KC Sports Network
AllCity Network announced a strategic partnership with the Kansas City Sports Network, becoming its exclusive sales representative while collaborating on content and distribution. KCSN will retain editorial and production control, leveraging its 33,000‑subscriber YouTube channel and 20,000 Substack followers. The...
Judge Schedules Trial Between Jon Gruden, NFL for Mid-2027
Former Raiders coach Jon Gruden sued the NFL alleging a coordinated campaign to force his resignation, seeking more than $150 million in damages. After four years of procedural battles, a Las Vegas judge has set the civil trial for May 2027. The league...
Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández Joining Fox Sports as Analyst for 2026 World Cup
Fox Sports announced that Mexican soccer legend Javier “Chicharito” Hernández will serve as a studio analyst for its FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage. Hernández, Mexico’s all‑time leading scorer with 52 goals, retired in 2025 after a 17‑year career spanning clubs...
Holly Rowe Elaborates on Deleted X Post Criticizing Tennessee Athletic Department
ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe posted, then deleted, a scathing X message targeting the University of Tennessee athletic department for allowing the once‑dominant Lady Vols program to "disintegrate." She singled out Athletic Director Danny White and linked the criticism to...
Scott Van Pelt Says He’s Not Moving to 5 P.m. Slot
Scott Van Pelt used his podcast to quash rumors that he will shift to ESPN’s 5 p.m. slot, confirming he will remain on the late‑night SportsCenter. The network’s 5 p.m. gap emerged after the 23‑year run of Around the Horn ended, prompting...
Stephen A. Smith Urges ESPN to ‘Cherish’ Dan Orlovsky Before He Gets Poached
On Monday’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith urged ESPN’s leadership to "cherish" analysts Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick and Ryan Clark, warning they could be poached as the network integrates NFL Network talent following a merger. He highlighted Orlovsky’s recent multiyear...
Dexter Fowler Joins NBC’s MLB Studio Coverage
Dexter Fowler will join NBC Sports as a pre‑game analyst for the 2026 MLB season, making his debut on Easter Sunday during the Cardinals‑Tigers matchup on Sunday Night Baseball. The broadcast will air on Peacock and NBCSN, and Fowler is...
Troy Aikman: Dolphins Hired Me ‘Knowing that I Have Information that They Don’t Have or Can’t Get’
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and ESPN analyst Troy Aikman told a podcast that the Miami Dolphins hired him because he possesses league‑wide information that other teams cannot easily obtain. He admitted his consulting role creates a clear conflict of interest,...
Tom Brady Ponders Finding Balance Amid Professional Responsibilities
Tom Brady, retired NFL quarterback, is in the third year of his ten‑year, $375 million broadcasting deal with Fox and continues as a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. In a recent blog post, he reflected on the difficulty of...
Bay Area Radio Station Clowned for AI-Generated ‘Fourth Period’ in Sharks Coverage
Bay Area sports station 95.7 The Game posted an AI‑generated caption claiming the San Jose Sharks rallied in a non‑existent fourth period, a factual error that quickly drew criticism. KNBR host Adam Copeland highlighted the mistake on social media and...
Bomani Jones: Young Journalists Can’t ‘Build a Brand Through Social Media Now Like I Did 15 Years Ago’
Bomani Jones says the era when journalists could build a personal brand solely through Twitter is over. Algorithmic feeds now prioritize video clips and aggregator accounts, pushing original text commentary into obscurity. Jones, with over 530,000 X followers, advises aspiring...
Shae Cornette Defends ‘First Take’s’ Affinity for the Dallas Cowboys
Shae Cornette, who took over as host of ESPN’s “First Take” after Molly Qerim’s departure, defended the show’s frequent focus on the Dallas Cowboys. She explained that the program’s reactionary, 24‑hour news cycle leads it to spotlight topics like Dak...
Ravens-Cowboys Reportedly Headed to Brazil in Week 3
The Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys are slated to play a Week 3 NFL matchup in Rio de Janeiro, marking the first of three Brazil games scheduled over the next five seasons. This will be the third NFL contest ever...
Jason Kelce’s ESPN Career Is Not What Anyone Expected
ESPN signed former Eagles star Jason Kelce with expectations of a football‑centric analyst role, but his on‑air presence has been scattered across Monday Night Countdown, a short‑lived late‑night show, NHL coverage, and now golf events like the TGL and the...
Sage Steele Apologized to Her Children Before Suing ESPN: ‘Don’t Ever Feel Like You Have to Defend Me’
Sage Steele, former ESPN anchor, settled her 2022 lawsuit against the network and announced her departure after alleging she was sidelined for voicing COVID‑19 vaccine opinions. In a recent interview on Sean Hannity’s show, Steele revealed she apologized to her...
Ian Eagle Lauds NIL, Transfer Portal for Improving March Madness
Veteran broadcaster Ian Eagle once warned that NIL deals and the transfer portal could dim March Madness, fearing roster churn would erode team chemistry. He now says the opposite: player‑movement freedom and name‑image earnings have lifted on‑court talent and fan...
Bruins CEO Surprisingly Bullish on Future of Regional Sports Networks
Boston Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs told The Athletic he remains optimistic about regional sports networks (RSNs) despite industry headwinds. He highlighted that pay‑TV households have dropped from over 100 million to roughly 62 million, eroding the traditional RSN revenue model. Jacobs pointed...
Pat McAfee Can’t Get Troy Aikman on His Show: ‘I Don’t Know How We Are with Troy, I’m Gonna Be...
Pat McAfee revealed on his live broadcast from the NFL owners’ meeting that he has been unable to book former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman for The Pat McAfee Show. Despite speaking with Aikman's Monday Night Football partner Joe Buck,...
Eagles Sideline Reporter Devan Kaney Out at WIP Amid Audacy Layoffs
Audacy announced another round of layoffs, cutting several on‑air personalities across its portfolio, including 94.1 WIP Philadelphia sideline reporter Devan Kaney. Kaney, who joined WIP in 2024 after Howard Eskin’s departure, also co‑hosted the station’s morning show. She will continue...
Roger Goodell Addresses NFL Network Employees Ahead of ESPN Takeover
Roger Goodell sent a note to NFL Network staff as ESPN finalizes its acquisition of the network and RedZone rights, a deal approved by regulators weeks after announcement. The rapid approval allows ESPN to integrate NFL Media assets before the...
Kevin Kiermaier Aims to Bring a Defensive Perspective to MLB Media
Kevin Kiermaier, a four‑time Gold Glove outfielder, has joined MLB Network as an analyst, dedicating his on‑air role to breaking down defensive play. He signed a one‑year contract and will appear three to four days each month, translating his field...
Fox to Air Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Doubleheader at Wrigley Field
Fox will broadcast a historic Big Ten/SEC women's volleyball doubleheader from Wrigley Field on Labor Day weekend, featuring Nebraska vs Missouri and Penn State vs Kentucky. The event caps a six‑day Challenge Week that pits all 18 Big Ten schools...
Andy Dirks to Join Jason Benetti in Booth for Cardinals-Tigers on ‘Sunday Night Baseball’
NBC Sports announced that former Tigers outfielder Andy Dirks will join play‑by‑play veteran Jason Benetti in the booth for the Cardinals‑Tigers game on Sunday Night Baseball, April 6. Dirks will be paired with ex‑Cardinals pitcher Brad Thompson, continuing NBC’s rotating...
Cris Collinsworth Retains PFF Media Arm in $100M+ Teamworks Acquisition
Teamworks has completed the acquisition of Pro Football Focus’s business‑to‑business data platform in a deal valued at more than $100 million. The B2B analytics unit will operate under Teamworks’ brand while the consumer‑facing media arm stays with former owner Cris Collinsworth. Collinsworth...
ESPN Files Motion to Intervene in Class Action Lawsuit over WWE PLEs
ESPN filed a motion to intervene in a Connecticut class‑action lawsuit against WWE over Premium Live Events (PLEs) that moved exclusively to ESPN’s direct‑to‑consumer platform in September 2025. The plaintiffs allege the companies violated the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act...
Netflix Reportedly Offered Make-Goods During MLB Broadcast After Falling Short in NFL Christmas Key Demos
Netflix’s NFL Christmas Day games attracted 27.5 million viewers for the Lions‑Vikings matchup and 19.9 million for the Cowboys‑Commanders, but the streamer fell about 18 % short of its promised 18‑54 demographic ratings. To honor advertiser contracts, Netflix provided make‑good spots during the...
Vancouver Reporter Says Canucks Revoked Press Credentials and Removed Him From Game Following Story About Ownership
Vancouver Canucks removed Daily Hive reporter Trevor Beggs from the arena and revoked his press credential after he published a story linking the Aquilini family’s vineyard to a U.S. federal indictment over alleged visa fraud. The article, which detailed Harvest...
Mike Vaccaro’s New Yankees Book About ‘the Craziness of the Steinbrenner Era’
Mike Vaccaro’s latest book, *The Bosses of the Bronx*, chronicles the tumultuous Steinbrenner era of the New York Yankees, from George’s 1973 purchase for $8.8 million to the franchise’s current $8.2 billion valuation. The author aims to introduce younger fans—those under 40—to...
Clayton Kershaw’s Next NBC Appearance Won’t Come Until August
Former Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw made his NBC broadcasting debut on Opening Day, providing live pitcher analysis alongside Adam Ottavino. He announced his next on‑air appearance won’t occur until August, as he also assumes a fluid special‑assistant role...
USA Sports Continues WNBA Push with Hall of Fame Additions
USA Sports, the Versant sports division spun off from NBCUniversal, is expanding its inaugural WNBA coverage by adding former players Tamika Catchings and Chamique Holdsclaw, both Hall of Famers, to its broadcast team. The network has assembled a 16‑person crew,...
Netflix MLB Scorebug Draws Polarizing Reaction
Netflix launched its first Major League Baseball broadcast on Opening Night, featuring an hour‑long pre‑game show and a distinctive bottom‑right scorebug. The graphic combines three‑dimensional team logos, base‑path overlays, and pitch‑clock data, but its microscopic font has drawn sharp criticism...
Fanatics Flag Football Classic Draws Underwhelming TV Audience
The NFL’s flag‑football push culminated in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, a star‑laden showcase that was abruptly moved from Riyadh to Los Angeles amid geopolitical tensions. Despite Tom Brady’s comeback hype and heavy promotion on Fox, the broadcast averaged only 650,000 viewers,...
Men’s College Lacrosse Game of the Year Finally Finds a Broadcasting Home
Notre Dame (6‑0) and Richmond (8‑0) entered their April 4 showdown as the nation’s No. 1 and No. 2 men’s lacrosse programs, a matchup that typically commands national TV attention. The Big Ten Network held venue rights but declined to carry the game...
Keith Hernandez Still Cashing Substantial ‘Seinfeld’ Residual Checks
Former Mets star Keith Hernandez still receives roughly $5,000 each year from his 1992 guest appearance on the sitcom Seinfeld. The cameo, in the episode “The Boyfriend,” has generated residual checks for more than three decades. Hernandez discussed the ongoing...
Former Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin Reportedly Signs with Sports Media Agent Sandy Montag
Mike Tomlin, the former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, has signed with veteran sports‑media agent Sandy Montag, head of The Montag Group now operating under The Team. The partnership positions Tomlin for broadcast contracts as NFL networks and streaming services vie...
Twins Broadcaster Catches Everyone Off Guard with ‘Pants Down’ Question
During a Minnesota Twins spring‑training broadcast, former pitcher‑turned‑analyst Glen Perkins asked play‑by‑play announcer Cory Provus an odd question: “You ever seen Buck with his pants down?” referring to outfielder Byron Buxton. Provus paused, asked “like, in shorts?” before Perkins clarified...
Sarah Kustok Details Last-Minute NCAA Tournament Booth Shakeup
Sarah Kustok faced a sudden broadcast reshuffle during the NCAA Tournament first round when Brian Anderson was rested and Jason Benetti moved to television duties. The change left Kustok paired with Pat McCarthy for the afternoon and Sam Neidermann for...
NCAA’s March Madness Highlight Rules Force Local TV Stations to Get Creative
Local TV stations have been forced to improvise March Madness highlights because the NCAA limits broadcast clips to three minutes per day and only after all games conclude. Reporter Josh Ayen at WANE in Fort Wayne recreated Purdue highlights using...
Fox CBB Account Accused of Repeatedly Taking Content without Attribution
A Fox Sports college basketball Twitter account has been accused of repeatedly reposting analytics and graphics from independent creators without giving credit. The allegations, raised by the @cobrastats account and echoed by other analysts, cite six near‑identical posts shared hours...
Former WaPo Reporter Ben Strauss Says His New Team at ESPN Wants to Do More ‘Big Journalism Swing Stories’
Ben Strauss, a former Washington Post media reporter, has joined ESPN as an investigative journalist alongside several ex‑WaPo colleagues who were recently laid off. ESPN executives, including chair Jimmy Pitaro, say the network is eager to pursue "big journalism swing"...
TV and Streaming Viewing Picks for March 22, 2026: How to Watch Miami Open
Awful Announcing released a comprehensive TV and streaming guide for March 22, 2026, covering dozens of live sports across leagues such as the Bundesliga, MLS, NBA, NHL, and the Miami Open tennis tournament. The schedule highlights the Miami Open third‑round matches on...
AEW Owner Tony Khan Put in Bid to Purchase WWE
In 2023 WWE was sold to Endeavor for $9.3 billion, creating the TKO holding company that now combines WWE with UFC. During the sale process several parties submitted cash bids, including AE & E owner Tony Khan’s Base 10 vehicle, which offered $76.83 per...
Details About Kevin Harlan’s CBS, Prime Video Contracts Revealed
Veteran sportscaster Kevin Harlan balances three high‑profile gigs—CBS, Prime Video and Westwood One—by structuring staggered contracts that keep him employed continuously. CBS holds a contractual "first‑position" priority, meaning Harlan schedules its assignments before any others. His Prime Video NBA deal...
ESPN SVP Mike Foss Explains Why Network Doesn’t Produce General Sports Podcasts
ESPN senior vice president Mike Foss explained that the network deliberately avoids launching broad‑appeal sports podcasts, preferring to leverage its existing television talent and properties. Most ESPN podcasts are produced externally through Omaha Productions and focus on niche topics like...
NBC Reportedly Names Noah Eagle, Zora Stephenson, and Michael Grady as WNBA Announcers
NBC has confirmed Noah Eagle, Zora Stephenson, and Michael Grady as its primary play‑by‑play talent for the 2026 WNBA season. The league’s new collective bargaining agreement clears the way for broadcasters, including NBC, ESPN and Prime Video, to lock in...
Stephen A. Smith Changes His Tune on LeBron James
After years of public sparring, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith unexpectedly praised LeBron James on “First Take.” Smith, who previously accused James of double standards and even claimed the star tried to sabotage his career, called the Lakers’ forward “one of...
Weston McKennie to Star in Tubi Docuseries ‘Destination World Cup 2026’
Fox-owned streaming platform Tubi is expanding its World Cup coverage with a new original docuseries, "Destination World Cup 2026," featuring U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie, Spain's Marc Cucurella, and Wales' Harry Wilson. The six‑part series debuts on Tubi on April 30,...
Jason Goff Announces ‘The Full Go Podcast’ Is Ending After 600-Plus Episodes with The Ringer
Jason Goff announced that The Full Go Podcast, his four‑year, 600‑plus‑episode show on The Ringer, will conclude this month as he departs the network. He turned down an Audacy afternoon‑drive slot that required him to abandon the podcast, preferring to...
