On the latest episode of The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, Andrew Marchand welcomed guest co-host Michael Smith, host of Peacock’s Brother From Another along with Micheal Holley. As the two discussed Marchand’s recent report that ESPN/Disney are in advanced talks with the NFL for an equity stake the league would take in ESPN. The deal would reportedly see ESPN take over all of NFL Media and has advanced to the point where the owners and Player’s Association are involved.
Smith said during his time at ESPN he didn’t feel as if he could not critize the league or cover it objectively. But, speaking about a possible business relationship between ESPN and the league, he said, “I just don’t know, the more the NFL lays claim to ownership in media entities and networks, I don’t know how people are able to truly maintain the level of objectivity and independence.
Smith continued saying, “It just feels like it’s going in the wrong direction for what I came up learning and you came up learning as journalism. There’s business and there’s journalism and they’re in conflict right now.”
Acknowledging this is the direction the business is going, Smith added, “Getting more dollars, does come at, to me, the cost of true journalistic independence. It will be hard for the consumer…to not look at NFL coverage on ESPN and wonder how much of it is more PR than it is journalism.”
