Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) delivered a historic debut with the promotion’s first MMA event this weekend. The Ronda Rousey-Gina Carano card broke MMA’s all-time U.S. viewership record on Netflix. Now, MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian told Ariel Helwani that the promotion is “here to stay” in creating more MMA events.
What We Know: MVP’s first MMA event drew a global average of 12.4 million viewers on Netflix, per company officials. The triple-headliner peaked at 17 million during Rousey’s 17-second armbar finish of Carano. Additionally, the live gate generated $2.2 million.
What They Said: MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian via The Ariel Helwani Show: “One hundred percent, MVP is in the MMA business. There is a clear opportunity to create an alternative avenue for fighters that truly represents the best of the sport and is fighters first. Our hope is that’s with our partners at Netflix. We’ve been very fortunate with the outreach we’ve gotten around what we did. What we accomplished and what we delivered.”
What Remains Unclear: According to Bidarian, no discussions have been held yet with Netflix about future events. Moreover, MVP events don’t have to be Netflix-exclusive — or on the platform at all. Bidarian said that would “be ideal, of course,” but it’s not a requirement. How quickly MVP moves, and with which partners, remains an open question. Bidarian did hint later in the interview with Helwani that his ideal situation would be to have a schedule of twelve events a year.
What It Means: The MVP debut in MMA drew significant attention over the weekend because of the fighters competing in the hexagon. There is clear interest in MMA alternatives outside the UFC. However, it remains unclear whether MVP can lure bigger fighters away from UFC contracts or develop its own stable of stars. There was much speculation about what audience the event would command, but the numbers are impressive for a first-time event. With the UFC tied to an exclusive agreement with Paramount+, the continued partnership with Netflix gives MVP more flexibility to think aggressively about future events.
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Bill Davidge, longtime Columbus Blue Jackets broadcaster and ambassador, passed away at the age of 72.
What We Know: Davidge spent two decades defining Blue Jackets hockey for Columbus fans. He joined the organization as a scout in 1999, then moved to radio alongside play-by-play voice George Matthews in 2000. He later transitioned to Fox Sports Ohio TV before retiring in 2019. His signature call — “You better believe it!” — became a rallying cry for the franchise.
What They Said: The Columbus Blue Jackets released a statement on Davidge’s passing: “Our organization has never known a greater advocate or ambassador for our team and sport than Bill. If the Blue Jackets were somewhere in the community, there was a good chance Bill was there. And he was making an impact. There were no strangers in his world, only friends.”
What Remains Unclear: Details surrounding his death have not been disclosed. Davidge battle with myeloma, an incurable blood cancer, began with a 2014 diagnosis. His Blue Jackets legacy, however, stretches further than broadcasting — he played hockey at Ohio State, captained the Buckeyes in the mid-1970s, and spent 23 years coaching at Miami University.
What It Means: Davidge connected communities, uplifted strangers, and represented Columbus with grace. While he may have been retired for the past seven seasons, his signature calls created memories amongst Columbus hockey fans for generations.
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) May 20, 2026
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Few digital production companies have had a year like All The Smoke Productions. The company, born from a podcast started in 2019 as an arm of Showtime Sports, has evolved into one of the fastest-growing production companies in the country. The platform now operates as a multi-layered media company focused on scaling content and partnerships, led by the creative vision of co-founders Matt Barnes, Jelani McCoy, Stephen Jackson, and Brian Dailey.
Dailey, a former Showtime executive, has fueled the evolution of the brand since its inception. Leaning on his business and media acumen, he played a key role in launching All The Smoke Productions in 2024. Since then, Dailey has helped oversee the company’s continued growth by facilitating partnerships that align with the community All The Smoke has built over time.
One of those partnerships came with streaming giant Netflix. Both companies had a built in history previously when All The Smoke helped elevate engagement and attention around the platform’s boxing events. Over time, that partnership continued to evolve until recently, when All The Smoke announced it would take over production of Netflix’s podcast The White House featuring Michael Irvin.
“When Netflix launched their own podcast division and their own IP, it just was a natural conversation to have. They were looking for someone in the space that knows how to produce podcasts but also the social strategy as well,” said Dailey.
Regarding the partnership with Netflix, Dailey said he leaned on his experience working at Showtime as a foundation for what the collaboration could become.
“We built a lot of this at Showtime when I was there overseeing digital. The whole idea was to build a digital ecosystem that would support and drive to Showtime. Through boxing coverage and the podcast, create an always on ecosystem that fans will enjoy but also support drive back,” explained Dailey. “Fast forward to today. Netflix sees us as just that. A partner that can come in and really help with what they’re looking to build. It’s not far off from what we started with Showtime. It’s crazy.”
Expanding Verticals
With a growing number of partnerships, All The Smoke has also had the luxury of expanding its employee base. Dailey now oversees as many as 40 employees on the All The Smoke Productions team, as the company continues to grow not only through partnerships but also through new verticals.
Since 2024, All The Smoke Productions has launched two verticals designed to expand content offerings for its growing community. The company began with ATS Fight, focused on combat sports, and earlier this year launched ATS Dugout, centered on baseball content.
Dailey said last year All The Smoke produced six baseball interview episodes featuring host Matt Barnes as a test. The goal was to determine whether the content would resonate with the audience. Needless to say, the goal was accomplished.
“Our core is storytelling. Nobody does it better than us. So, the stories we were getting out of those episodes we felt there was so much more we could do here,” said Dailey. “I credit our head of content and partnerships Dylan Dreyfuss for beating the drum on baseball from day one. He was right… Perfect storm and perfect timing. Now we have MLB’s attention, and we’re having positive conversations with them about what a partnership could look like.”
Dailey also credits the input and collaboration of Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher C.C. Sabathia for helping guide the baseball project. Regarding those conversations, Dailey said a model similar to MLB’s recent partnership with Jomboy Media is something he would be very interested in discussing with the league.
“We have a coveted audience that definitely people are interested in,” noted Dailey. “Whether that’s MLB or other leagues. We’re having a lot of good conversation about folks who hopes to tap into what we have.”
As those conversations continue, Dailey is not stopping with sports. He said he hopes to launch new verticals and expand beyond sports content by the end of 2026. Dailey referenced categories such as music, culture, and food as future areas of focus.
He also signaled that All The Smoke Productions will launch a football vertical ahead of the 2026 season. One that complements the partnership with Netflix and Michael Irvin’s podcast, while also providing content under the All The Smoke banner.
Rethinking Documentaries
Another area All The Smoke is exploring heading into the summer is documentary storytelling. Last month, the company partnered with former Meadowlark Media sports columnist and author Howard Bryant on a multi-project unscripted development deal between All The Smoke Productions and Bryant’s production company, Hawley Road.
“Right now, we have three projects identified that we’re circling. We’re hopeful to hit go on those and take to market,” said Dailey without revealing the subject matter of any project. “It’s not just about the traditional longform and partnering to get distribution with streamers. We’re looking at YouTube and other social platforms for storytelling. How could we tell stories that are twenty minutes long, but on brand in the All The Smoke ecosystem.”
Dailey noted that rethinking how the All The Smoke community consumes these documentaries is only part of the equation. Adapting to create them with smaller budgets is another challenge companies like All The Smoke Productions must navigate.
When asked whether artificial intelligence could become a tool to help address those budget concerns, Dailey did not shy away from the idea.
“Enhances is the perfect word for it. It’s a great tool especially with documentaries, we’re definitely look at that to help and enhance,” said Dailey. “There’s a lot of things out there that lends itself to the process nicely.”
Growth With No Limits
Dailey views All The Smoke Productions as being in a position of strength. He said he is satisfied with the company’s rate of growth over the past two-plus years since launching. The goal was simple. Build a company around the success of the All The Smoke podcast while developing partnerships with companies like Netflix.
With the new partnership, Dailey said the focus remains on helping Netflix continue building its IP. Instead of placing All The Smoke’s own content behind the Netflix paywall. Reports surfaced earlier this year that All The Smoke passed on placing its highly popular podcast on the Netflix platform.
However, Dailey said he remains open to revisiting the conversation in the future, while monitoring two key aspects of podcast evolution on Netflix that interest him most.
“Ultimately, are people going to eventually start to go there. And is that experience a good and positive one? Are people going to get used to it and start going there? I do think that will be the case. Then making sure that experience is good. Our community is very important to us. If it was to happen, it has to be top notch,” explained Dailey.
That community Dailey refers to continues to remain highly engaged with the All The Smoke brand. He considers that engagement level a key differentiator separating All The Smoke from its competitors in the digital content space.
That growth and engagement have continued to raise the company’s ceiling. In fact, All The Smoke’s expansion has continued without a cent of private investment, an aspect of the business model Dailey holds in particularly high regard.
However, as exciting as building a brand can be, Dailey hinted that he would be open to conversations if the right investor emerged.
“We don’t need investment right now, and we’re grateful for that,” said Dailey. “In due time if there’s a buyer that comes along where it’s the right fit. Also doesn’t compromise anything we built or stand by, of course we would entertain that.”
In an industry where digital brands often chase scale before identity, All The Smoke Productions has managed to build both simultaneously. What began as a player-driven podcast has evolved into a rapidly expanding media company with ambitions that now stretch far beyond sports.
From Netflix partnerships and documentary development to baseball, football, and culture-focused verticals, the company’s growth reflects a broader shift happening across sports media — audiences are no longer just looking for highlights or headlines. They are looking for connection, authenticity, and community.
That is the lane All The Smoke believes it owns. And if Brian Dailey’s vision continues to materialize at its current pace, the company may not simply become one of the most influential athlete-driven media brands in the business.
It could become one of the defining independent content companies of the modern streaming era.
From L: Stephen Jackson, Christina Mizzi, Brian Dailey, Dylan Dreyfuss, Jelani McCoy, Matt Barnes (Photo Courtesy All The Smoke Productions)
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A Raleigh radio station just banned an entire country’s music catalog. MIX 101.5 (WRAL-FM) declared a 100% Canadian Music Boycott starting May 21, 2026.
What we know: MIX 101.5 is pulling all Canadian artists from its airwaves until the Carolina Hurricanes eliminate the Montreal Canadiens. The ban officially started at 6 a.m. Thursday. Casualties include Celine Dion, Justin Bieber, Alanis Morissette, Nickelback, The Weeknd, and the Barenaked Ladies. The station calls it the “Sorry, Not Sorry” banned playlist.
What’s at stake: Radio stations live and die by local brand relevance. This stunt ties the station directly to one of the market’s biggest sports moments. Playoff energy generates earned media — and earned media generates listeners. MIX 101.5 also invited audience participation, promising Canes tickets to fans who catch a Canadian artist slipping through.
What remains unclear: It’s uncertain how long the Hurricanes’ run — and thus the ban — will last. No word yet on how listeners are responding to the reduced playlist. The station also hasn’t specified whether streaming platforms or digital channels face similar restrictions.
What it means: This trick isn’t new — but most listeners have no idea. Local stations have used sports-tied stunts for decades to deepen community bonds. What matters is that MIX 101.5 executed it well. Instead of simply mentioning the playoffs, the station made the team’s success its own editorial mission. It stopped being just the soundtrack. It became part of the story.
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What We Know:Fox News Rundown launched a video component on Wednesday. The video versions of the show will be available on the Fox News Headlines 24-7 channel. Previously, the podcast has been audio-only. It is also heard as an early morning radio show on more than 175 stations around the country.
What They Said: “I’ve always looked at it as: if you’re streaming it, watching it, or hearing it on your local station, we’re going to be there. I’m really proud of what the podcast team has done over the last few years as we continue to evolve.” -Fox News Audio Senior Vice President John Sylvester
What Remains Unclear: Whether full episodes of the program will be made available on YouTube. So far, just the first large segment of the morning edition podcast has been uploaded to the new YouTube channel. It is also unclear if any content from the Evening Edition of the Fox News Rundown will feature video elements.
What It Means: It’s not only an expansion for Fox News Rundown. It’s also an expansion on YouTube for Fox News. The network has invested heavily in the space, gaining millions of subscribers in the process. The show continues to gain steam as a strong option for news podcast consumers. Last year, Fox News expanded its New Media division, under the guidance of Porter Berry, to feature video podcasts like Hang Out with Sean Hannity, Ruthless, and Will Cain Country, among other shows.
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Bill Rosinski wanted in. Baltimore said no. The former NFL radio play-by-play voice received a rejection from the Baltimore Ravens after applpying for their vacant radio play-by-play position. The team’s employment team confirmed the decision via e-mail, thanking Rosinski for his time while closing the door on his candidacy.
What We Know: The Ravens’ radio play-by-play seat opened after longtime voice Gerry Sandusky stepped down following the 2025 season. Rosinski pursued the opening with the organization. Nevertheless, Baltimore ultimately opted to move in a different direction. Even with Rosinski’s tenure serving as the play-by-play voice of both the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers during his career.
What They Said: Bill Rosinski shared the rejection letter publicly on social media: “The Ravens are looking for a play by play voice. I applied for the position and got this response. I’ve been the voice of 2 NFL teams along with 10 years at ESPN Radio doing college football and 3 stints at Westwood One. The ‘requirements’ line had me laughing. Oh well I tried.”
What Remains Unclear: Who Baltimore is actively considering for the role has not been disclosed. Furthermore, a timeline for naming the next radio voice of the Ravens remains unknown. Whether Rosinski was among a large candidate pool or a smaller finalist group is also unclear.
What It Means: NFL teams, like any other employer, can hire whomever they choose. Unfortunately for many companies today, the application process for jobs has become more about technology than human interaction. Rosinski’s resume is difficult to dismiss for any NFL franchise, especially with two stints calling games in the league. Yet Baltimore’s response signals the team has a very specific profile in mind that may not fit for Rosinski’s services. Consequently, the eventual hire will reveal exactly what the Ravens prioritized over two NFL play-by-play credits, a decade at ESPN Radio, and three Westwood One stints.
The Ravens are looking for a play by play voice. I applied for the position and got this response. I’ve been the voice of 2 NFL teams along with 10 years at ESPN Radio doing college football and 3 stints at Westwood One. The “requirements” line had me laughing. Oh well I tried. pic.twitter.com/TIfmKZNozC
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The podcast industry is maturing. That led to revenue growth for a large majority of companies in the space.
What We Know: According to data from Owl & Co, global podcast revenue grew to $9.2 billion in 2025. That’s a 23% increase compared to 2024, when it finished at $7.5 billion. Despite the revenue only growing 23%, many companies reported revenue growth.
What The Numbers Show:
Podcast Business Performance vs. 2024
Percentage
Significantly Better
37%
Somewhat Better
37%
Flat or Worse
27%
Question: How was 2025 for your company’s podcast business compared to 2024?
What They Said: “Video is changing the picture. We built the report from over 300,000 data points across 1,600+ publishers, and spoke with more than 100 podcast publishers and experts around the world. The same pattern kept surfacing: publishers that treated video as a monetization layer, not just a discovery channel, grew revenue the fastest.” -Owl & Co founder Hernan Lopez
What It Means: Video podcasting is driving the revenue growth. The companies that reported better revenue generation in 2025 almost universally praised the video element — especially YouTube — for its growth. 41% of net podcast revenue comes from video. That is up from 28% in 2024. Additional inventory was also viewed as a driver of podcast revenue growth.
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iHeartMedia and Netflix are taking morning radio global. The Breakfast Club will stream live on Netflix each weekday, marking the platform’s first daily live program.
What We Know: Beginning June 1, the show streams live on Netflix every weekday morning. Netflix members get nearly three uninterrupted hours of programming daily. Traditional radio commercial breaks will instead feature exclusive bonus segments, behind-the-scenes moments, and extended content. The show remains nationally syndicated on 100-plus radio stations and the iHeartRadio app, with all audio rights retained by iHeartMedia.
What They Said: “The Breakfast Club has always been at the center of culture, breaking artists, shaping conversations, and reflecting real life in real time,” said iHeartMedia Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman.
Charlamagne tha God went further: “Do y’all understand what ‘Live Globally’ really means? Mornings in New York. Daytime in the U.K. and Ghana. Evenings across other parts of the world.”
Netflix VP Lauren Smith added, “Every weekday, members can drop into nearly three hours of live, unfiltered conversation, plus exclusive moments they won’t hear anywhere else.”
What Remains Unclear: Netflix hasn’t detailed how advertising will function within the enhanced stream. International rollout specifics remain unannounced.
What It Means: This deal signals a major shift in how legacy radio brands extend their reach. Audio-first franchises now have a credible path into premium video environments. For Netflix, live daily programming represents new territory. Ultimately, this partnership could redefine morning media consumption across multiple platforms and time zones.
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The ACM Awards just wrapped up in Vegas. Everyone loves the red-carpet glam, but the real story is always about the data. The trophies go to the artists who dominated the charts, racked up the streams, and mobilized their fanbases. Like most things in our business, it’s a game of numbers.
The exact same thing is happening right now inside your listeners’ connected dashboards. The data dropped at CRS — and followed up on this month’s CRS 360 webinar I hosted with Juan Galdaméz from Xperi —handed us the ultimate tracking system. Best of all, if you missed them, both sessions are available to stream at CountryRadioSeminar.com.
DTS AutoStage is a hybrid platform that samples real-time listening behavior across millions of connected vehicles. But as Juan pointed out during our session, you need complete metadata to unlock the goldmine of reporting this technology offers. Think of it as your digital voter registration. Lock in every data point, or you leave incredible metrics on the table.
Once your digital profile is complete, you unlock something revolutionary: actual in-car heat maps. This is a strategic weapon.
Here is how the smartest operations turn those DTS heat maps into massive wins for sales, marketing, and local visibility.
1. Weaponize the Heat Maps for Sales
DTS heat maps tell a visual story that local advertisers simply cannot ignore. Pull up a visual report of your market and show a client exactly where your listeners drive and listen.
You can literally show a local business owner, “Look at this intersection right down the street from your showroom. Our signal lights up this highway every single day.” That shifts the entire conversation from “trust us, we have reach” to “here is the literal proof of our audience driving past your front door.”
For even more impact, overlay the client’s store locations directly onto your listening heatmap. It becomes the ultimate visual tool to capture a bigger share of local ad spend.
2. Precision-Targeted Street Hustle
In our recent look at the Techsurvey data, the biggest mandate from the Country P1 audience was loud and clear: “Get out of the studio and come see us in the community.” But how do you decide where to send your station vehicle or stage an event? Stop guessing which suburban town or local festival to target. Look at the heatmap.
Find where your listening is densest. If you spot a major “hot spot” at a specific intersection or retail hub, deploy your boots on the ground right there. Gather your morning show or promotions team and set up where the data says your audience lives and drives.
You aren’t just doing a remote; you are fishing where you already know the fish are biting. Afterward, use your on-air and social channels to hammer home the visit and reinforce top-of-mind awareness.
3. Close the Measurement Loop
None of these sales and marketing advantages happen if your station’s profile is incomplete. During our 360 session, Juan stressed that automation text lag or backend code mismatches block the system from tracking your full tune-in picture. Every gap leaves numbers on the table.
Treat your metadata like premium programming space. Work with your engineering and traffic teams so every commercial break, song change, and stream endpoint sends a clean, verified data tag to DTS. When your data is 100% complete, your reporting is accurate.
We spend an immense amount of time making sure our on-air content is great. Complete metadata lets you use the car’s technology to prove your power to advertisers, pinpoint your biggest fans, and show up exactly where they want to see you.
Put the heat maps to work, lock down your data, and walk away with some Ella Langley-level hardware.
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I met Scott Shannon backstage during The Rolling Stones “Steel Wheels” tour 36 years ago at the LA Coliseum. As Guns N’ Roses took the stage, Scott and I waited for the Mick and Keith photo op and talked radio. To be more accurate, Scott talked radio and I listened. Scott was programming Pirate Radio in LA while I was up the coast in Portland. I was stunned by how graciously Scott shared his time and ideas. When the Stones walked in, disappointment hit me — I knew the conversation was over.
An Unexpected Invitation
A few years later, Scott was at WPLJ, and I came east to look at diaries at Arbitron and flew up to New York. I called Scott’s office to request an appointment and the receptionist quickly rejected me.
A few minutes later, the phone rang. The voice on the other end said, “instead of trying to listen and steal our programming, just come over and hear it from me.” I spent the next couple of hours with Scott in his office, absorbing ideas from the master.
Why the Scott Shannon Award Matters
I was not special. Scott always took time with others, sharing ideas and giving inspiration. That’s why the Scott Shannon Award at the Barrett Media Summit means so much to the industry. Scott has seen it all.
Most people only remember the worst-to-first story of Z100, but there is so much more. He did not have to give his valuable time to people like me, but he always did.
From Radio Rivals to Golf Competitors
I moved on to program WLTW opposite Scott’s WPLJ in 1996. Our relationship shifted from radio to golf. If you think Scott was competitive in radio, you’ve never teed it up with him. Winning a five-dollar Nassau meant just as much to Scott as the Spring book.
Bringing Scott to WCBS-FM
When WPLJ and Scott parted ways in 2014, I was at CBS Radio. I was fortunate to work for a team that understood Scott’s value. The great Don Bouloukos was market manager, and Dan Mason and Chris Oliviero were at CBS corporate.
After a tough budget meeting, Chris assured me we would get it done. On March 3, Scott Shannon took over mornings and transformed the image of WCBS-FM.
We had the greatest ringmaster in morning radio history starting each day.
Building a Dream Team
Scott assembled a great show: Joe Nolan on traffic, John Elliott from Channel 2 on weather, Patty Steele with news, Kermit the Wonder Frog — now Trevor Marden on WAXQ — and Brad Blanks with Louis Pulice producing. I was lucky enough to have an office outside the studio to watch the magic happen.
Looking Ahead at Barrett Media Summit
My good fortune continues at the Barrett Media Summit in New York, where I get to introduce a packed room to Scott and other radio luminaries.
I hope to see you there.
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