Let’s get this out of the way: this isn’t a complaint column. Sports media has never been bigger, louder, or more profitable. Games are everywhere. Content is endless. Access is unprecedented. If you’ll pay for it, you’ve never had more choices as a fan.
But better? That’s still up for debate.
So instead of forecasting trends or firing off hot takes, here are five common sense things that would genuinely make sports media better in 2026.
5. Tom Brady Moves From the Booth to Owners Box
Tom Brady can get better as a broadcaster. Broadcasting nuance takes time, and Brady is wired to chase mastery wherever he goes. But right now, the fit still feels off — and it has nothing to do with football knowledge, preparation, or effort.
One noticeable issue is volume. At games, Brady hears crowd noise in his headset at a much higher level than the audience does at home, and he constantly yells over it. The result is a broadcast that feels overly amped, even when the moment doesn’t call for it. It can be a hard listen.
What makes it stand out is the contrast. As a player, Brady was famously controlled — a slow breather in chaos. In the booth, he’s the opposite. Too hyped. Too urgent. Fighting the environment instead of letting the game breathe. That’s usually one of the first adjustments producers make with new analysts: pacing, tone, and understanding that television isn’t competition — it’s communication. So far, that adjustment hasn’t fully happened.
This also isn’t about a conflict of interest, despite some noise earlier this season around Brady’s involvement with the Las Vegas Raiders that misses the point. This is about calling.
Brady’s instincts aren’t those of a narrator. They’re those of a builder. He thinks in systems, standards, accountability, and culture. He’s obsessed with structure and daily detail. That skill set translates far more naturally to ownership than to live television.
The irony is Brady probably won’t quit broadcasting anytime soon — not because it fits him best, but because he wants to prove something. That drive is real, and it’s part of what made him great. But proving you can do something isn’t the same as doing what you’re best built for.
Which is why Brady as a full-time, visible owner makes more sense than Brady trying to win the booth. And yes, Greg Olsen, who earned the No. 1 job, is simply better right now. More natural. More listenable.
4. One Platform for All Streaming Apps
We all celebrated when we cut the cord. Freedom. Choice. Empowerment. No more cable bills and bloated bundles. It felt like a consumer revolution.
Fast forward to now, and what do we actually need? Cable. Or something like it.
I’m paying for everything. NFL, college football, NBA, MLB — I’m all in. I love sports. I’m not dodging subscriptions or sneaking around paywalls. I’m buying the apps. All of them. What I’m tired of is app gymnastics.
Jumping between interfaces. Logging in and out. Searching for games I already paid for. Missing moments because I’m hunting for the right platform like I’m solving a technology Rubik’s Cube.
We didn’t escape cable — we just rebuilt it without a guide button.
In 2026, sports media gets better the moment technology does what it’s supposed to do: One hub, login, interface. Everything I already pay for in one place. I don’t need cheaper. I need simpler.
Let me build my personal quad box no matter where the games are. Allow me to move seamlessly between games. Let me watch sports the way sports actually happen — simultaneously, chaotically, communally.
3. More Alternate Broadcasts Are Good
This is really about choice.
Not every fan watches for the same reason or has the same level of knowledge. Not every fan wants the same thing from a broadcast — and that’s not a flaw. It’s reality.
Some fans want Xs and Os. Others want numbers and probabilities. Many want vibes. Some just want something on while friends are over.
In 2026, sports media gets better the moment it stops pretending there’s one “correct” way to watch a game. We already have the technology to serve everyone.
Hardcore fans who want film breakdowns. Number crunchers who want analytics without translation. Casual fans who want context and entertainment. Influencers who bring an audience no matter what they’re doing.
Let the viewer decide.
Traditional broadcast? Great. Alternate broadcast? Also great, and not just for marquee games.
The ManningCast didn’t create a trend — it exposed demand. Fans don’t want fewer broadcasts. They want options. Yes, alternate broadcasts can be expensive. But they don’t have to be overproduced. Not everything needs a massive set and twelve producers.
One of the basic rules of YouTube — and modern media — is this: it’s not always about how it looks. It’s about serving the audience. The fanciest set doesn’t always win. Substance over style. Fit over fancy.
Sometimes that means a coach with a telestrator, or former players explaining why a play worked. Other times it’s an influencer reacting live, and sometimes, it’s Marshawn Lynch on camera. No script, no polish, just honesty, chaos, and a dump button. There has to be a platform for the Beastmode Cast.
Choice isn’t fragmentation. It’s meeting fans where they already are.
2. Fix ESPN’s Volume Problem — Not the Personalities
Let me be clear: this is not a shot at Stephen A. Smith. Stephen A. works. He’s entertaining. He understands television. He knows how to drive conversation. And the first word in ESPN is entertainment — I’m good with that.
The issue isn’t that ESPN leans into opinion. It’s that, too often, opinion crowds out credibility when credibility actually matters.
When serious stories hit — like the Chauncey Billups or Terry Rozier situations — ESPN doesn’t always have the right mix of voices ready. Not enough reporters who’ve covered the issue, and no where near enough legal or investigative context. Not enough people who can explain what’s happening without turning it into another debate segment.
That matters because ESPN isn’t just another network. It’s the barometer. Whether it wants the responsibility or not, it sets the tone for sports coverage everywhere else. Somewhere along the way, passion became synonymous with shouting. But passion doesn’t require yelling. You can be animated without breaking eardrums. You can disagree forcefully without sounding like the studio’s about to tip over.
What ESPN needs isn’t less entertainment — it’s smarter entertainment. Develop talent that isn’t just a foil for Stephen A. Find voices who challenge opinions with information, not just volume. Build shows where credibility and personality coexist instead of competing.
1. Stop Forcing Gambling — Before Credibility Becomes Collateral Damage
This is the one that actually worries me. Let’s acknowledge reality: the betting industry spends a ton of money. If networks pull back gambling content, sportsbooks will pull back dollars. Everyone involved understands that math.
That’s the conundrum. But here’s the other side of the ledger — the one that actually matters.
The only thing that could truly derail the sports money train isn’t ratings dips or cord-cutting. It’s credibility. Once fans start questioning the integrity of the games, everything else gets fragile fast.
Right now, gambling isn’t just adjacent to coverage — it’s baked into it. Odds on the screen. Props mid-drive. Parlays during halftime. The line between analysis and promotion keeps getting thinner.
What happens when it’s not a gray-area story? What happens when it’s big, clean, and undeniable? Because once fans start believing too many players are cheating — or that outcomes are being nudged instead of earned — trust erodes fast. Trust doesn’t come back with a promo code.
Gambling doesn’t need to disappear. Fans like it. It’s not going anywhere. But the current saturation level feels unsustainable. Pull back. Create clearer separation. Protect the one thing that makes all of this work in the first place. The outcome isn’t predetermined, messed with, or scripted.
Sports can survive bad broadcasts, bad apps, and bad contracts — but it can’t survive fans thinking the games aren’t real.
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With decades of experience behind the mic, John Lund is more than a sports commentator and weekly columnist for Barrett Media—he’s a storyteller, humorist, and true fan. He’s hosted shows in mid sized markets like Pittsburgh and Salt Lake City to larger cities like San Francisco, Detroit and Dallas. John has even hosted nationally on ESPN Radio. Known for his sharp wit and deep sports knowledge, John welcomes your feedback. Reach him on X @JohnLundRadio or by email at John@JohnLundRadio.com.
