Verizon is not alone. Add Amazon to the list of tech companies interested in entering into a strategic partnership with ESPN.
The Information reports that the tech giant and ESPN have discussed a minority stake in the network. It would also give ESPN the backing of Amazon as it continues to develop a direct-to-consumer offering. Talks, however, have been described as preliminary at this point.
While the advantage for ESPN is obvious, the motivation for Amazon to secure a deal are clear too. Following last year’s debut of Thursday Night Football, the company has been vocal about its intention to add more sports rights to Prime Video. It is expected to be a major player in rights negotiations with the NBA and NASCAR. Bringing ESPN along to the negotiating table could strengthen Prime Video’s position.
A DTC version of ESPN will certainly not be inexpensive. If it were an included feature of Prime Video or built into an Amazon Firestick, that could certainly entice more people to purchase those products.
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson continues to make waves in the media world with his new digital show on X, formerly Twitter. Joe Rogan believes the platform allows him more freedom, but follows a similar format than what Carlson didn’t realize he was perfecting.
During his latest episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan argued that Carlson was essentially hosting a podcast, but on television. He added that the format works better on X due to a lack of oversight from executives.
“He was kind of doing podcasting on TV. He had gotten to the point where his show was so huge, that he could kind of get away with it. And he incrementally kept ramping it up until he’s like ‘The CIA killed Kennedy’,” Rogan said. “The beautiful thing is now he’s just going for it on Twitter. And you know, Elon is like, ‘Okay, go ahead’.”
“You can see it in him — that even though he was going for it on Fox — you can see the freedom he has,” comedian Dave Smith, Rogan’s guest, added. “On Twitter, he’s like, ‘Ok, I’m not pulling any punches now’, and I love that. It’s beautiful.”
“Well, it’s important. It really is,” concluded Rogan. “Because then people need to wake the f— up.”
Syndicated radio host Chris Plante says the media’s coverage of the GOP debate lacked credibility and substance. Fox News Channel hosted the debate, which took place at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
“There was some filthy rotten news coverage. I watched TV this morning and MSDNC (sic) and that morning joke guy,” said Plante, referring to Morning Joe, hosted by Joe Scarborough.
Plante joked that activists like Rev. Al Sharpton surrounded Scarborough.
“What a piece of work! I had to stop for a second,” Chris Plante said. “I haven’t watched Morning Joke (sic) in a little while, but I turned it on this morning. They are very bitter and angry, and they hate everyone. They had that guy George Conway on; he used to be a Republican. When he came on, I didn’t even recognize him. He looked like Maggie Habermann from The New York Times. He had so much oil in his hair.”
During the Fox News-hosted debate in Milwaukee, eight candidates criticized the president’s handling of the economy and foreign policy. Plante noted that the Trump interview on X was well done in a different way than the debate.
“I thought Donald Trump’s interview with Tucker Carlson was very interesting, engaging, and fun,” added Plante.
As the days and months began to pass, those within media circles began to realize that the Pac-12 would not attain a new media rights contract. The Power Five conference’s existing 12-year deal with FOX and ESPN expires in 2024, but the schools had trouble coming to a resolution on the best path to pursue. Last summer, UCLA and USC announced that they would move to the Big Ten beginning in 2024, months after it secured a record-breaking media rights deal for seven years and worth more than $8 billion. While the future was beginning to look bleak, securing a new deal was never ruled out entirely.
The peripatetic nature of the college football landscape over the last year has further consolidated the sport, with the Pac-12 now only having four teams remaining. ESPN was involved in discussions to retain those media rights, but nothing came to fruition. Burke Magnus, the new president of content at the network, began his career in sports media largely ingrained in college sports and is disappointed in the outcome.
“We were kind of always hopeful that we could figure something out and continue to be in the Pac-12 business,” Magnus said. “We never really got close, and I think that was more of a factor of their expectations than not matching up with our analysis, and frankly others’ analysis.”
ESPN’s college sports portfolio is in a state of transition after severing its relationship with the Big Ten and agreeing to an exclusive 10-year media rights contract with the Southeastern Conference (SEC) that begins next year. The network had an ability to reach a deal with the Big Ten but ultimately decided to proceed without the property, ending a decades-long partnership. Magnus does not directly deal with rights negotiations, as that is now the responsibility of executive vice president Rosalyn Durant; however, he still contributes to the conversation and provides his input.
“The rights business is kind of an interesting one to operate in and you have to really kind of be somewhat dispassionate about things from an emotional level because things come and go,” Magnus said. “….It’s really something where we’re looking at the overall portfolio across all sports with financial discipline and with research and data informing what’s going to move our business and help grow our business and move it forward.”
Earlier this month, Oregon and Washington joined the Southern California schools in announcing a move to the Big Ten. The next day, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah announced they would join the Big 12, which took a contrasting approach to its media rights negotiations. The conference, led by Commissioner Brett Yormark, opted to begin negotiations with existing partners FOX Sports and ESPN last fall, well before the expiration of the ongoing contract in 2025.
“I think the Big 12 did, in many ways, what [the Pac-12] should have done – recognizing an opportunity to be more in tune with the marketplace and valuation for their product,” Magnus said, “and they were able to be opportunistic with their current partners – FOX and ESPN.”
Having proprietary rights with the SEC, Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and most of the Big 12’s schedule – not to mention most other Division I conferences; more than 40 Bowl games and the CFP National Championship Game, ESPN is still the predominant home of college sports. It remains a priority of the network going forward, remaining firmly embedded within its content portfolio.
Rooted in Bristol
ESPN is headquartered in Bristol, Conn., outside of a sprawling metropolis where most media companies choose to open their offices. Yet the “Worldwide Leader” is arguably at the center of today’s turbulent media ecosystem where changes are made that have implications on posterity and enable the ability to innovate.
As a result, The Walt Disney Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Bob Iger, announced a strategic reorganization of the company into three core business segments – entertainment; parks, experiences and products; and ESPN itself. External reports and other obloquy suggested that the company was interested in divesting the sports network, but that has since been refuted when Iger recently emphasized its importance to the Disney brand.
ESPN is in the midst of conversations with other companies in a quest to find a strategic partner to purchase a minority stake in the company, much of which is being handled by Iger and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro. Additionally, ESPN will report its own earnings for the first time this fall, providing insight into the metrics of the sports media content powerhouse.
“People will get a look into the ESPN business like they’ve never had before, at least from a financial perspective,” Magnus said. “I think they’ll understand through those reports just how complicated our business is, but at the same time, just how dynamic and how healthy in many ways our business is.”
Throughout the two fiscal quarters within the calendar year, the trend of cord cutting continued its upward trajectory. According to data from Nielsen Media Research, ESPN has 71.2 million cable subscribers, but this July marked the first time FOX Sports 1 surpassed its scale of linear distribution. The network reportedly charges multichannel video distributors $9.42 to carry its networks, and has had to grapple with the loss of nearly 30 million subscribers in the last 12 years.
During Disney’s quarterly earnings call, Iger expressed how the company is reviewing options for the future of its linear networks, most notably ABC. The over-the-air channel is the home of marquee sporting events such as the NBA Finals and CFP National Championship Game and is slated to broadcast Super Bowl LX in 2026. If the company decides to move on from the network, it has the potential to complicate matters pertaining to ongoing media rights deals. Magnus shared that ABC plays “a critical part” in the network’s distribution strategy, but also conveyed that a future with a direct-to-consumer (DTC) product feels inevitable.
ESPN is in the process of developing its own DTC offering under the codename “Project Flagship,” but does not yet have an official plan for its launch. Iger and Pitaro, on numerous occasions, have articulated the inexorable nature of the shift, currently in the exploratory phase. The goal of such a platform would be to give sports fans the ability to purchase ESPN as a standalone product and access all of its studio programming, live game broadcasts and additional content.
“It is an enormous decision that has to be thoroughly vetted and thoroughly modeled,” Magnus said. “That’s what we’re in the process of doing, which is not to suggest it’s not going to happen. It’s just a question of when, which we don’t know; and it’s a question of how, and we don’t know.”
Even so, the network has no plans of abandoning its linear channels and still see the outlets as a feasible value proposition. Instead, ESPN uses the phrase “parallel paths” to describe the multitude of ways consumers can access the product.
“We want to be everywhere a sports fan could possibly consume relevant, premium content,” Magnus said, “and the linear business will continue to be very, very viable for a relatively long term.”
Layoffs Alter the Playing Field
With just weeks to go until kickoff, Senior Vice President of Production Lee Fitting departed the company, complicating matters heading into a new 11-year media rights contract with the National Football League. Fitting was responsible for overseeing both Monday Night Football and College GameDay, properties emerging from intervals of transition. Magnus affirmed that Fitting made invaluable contributions to ESPN in his 25 years with the network and that everyone is “full speed ahead” for the start of football season – the busiest time of year.
“The impact immediately is making sure that nothing falls through the cracks in his absence, which we’ve already put into place,” Magnus said. “Long term, it’s an opportunity for a new leader or leaders to emerge to handle what are two incredibly important sports categories for us.”
The 2023 regular season marks the second year Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will occupy the lead Monday Night Football broadcast booth, joining ESPN after 20 years at FOX Sports. Scott Van Pelt, Ryan Clark and Marcus Spears were added to the Monday Night Countdown team after frequent revisions over the last several years. The alteration of the studio team, however, was necessitated after the network laid off various members of its on-air talent pool – including host Suzy Kolber and analyst Steve Young.
FOX Sports has inked multiple recently-retired athletes, including Derek Jeter, Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady, with little to no broadcasting experience to lucrative contracts over the last several years. ESPN has not operated in as pronounced of a manner as FOX Sports, but is continuing the ManningCast with Peyton and Eli Manning for select Monday Night Football games on ESPN2.
“I think we’re always willing to explore that kind of approach – again, within reason,” Magnus expressed. “First of all, the person has to be good on air. Just because they were an iconic athlete doesn’t mean they’re going to be a successful broadcaster…. We don’t rule anybody in and we don’t rule anybody out. I think you’ll see us dabble in that environment if it’s a good fit, if it’s going to help us grow and if the results are good.”
Ultimately, decisions surrounding the layoffs were based on the fiscal standing of the company and ensuring that it can best allocate its funds. While the network is excited to introduce its new lead NBA broadcast crew of Mike Breen, Doris Burke and Doc Rivers, the move was predicated by the end of Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson serving as analysts for these marquee games. The vicissitude was not performance-based, according to Magnus, instead occurring after an analysis of the scope of NBA coverage and how it could be most prudently optimized.
“Even though it’s difficult, we take great pains in, first of all, evaluating people on an individual basis and then communicating to people on an individual basis,” Magnus said, who has been through several rounds of layoffs over the years at ESPN. “I don’t know [that] there’s any other way to do it that sort of demonstrates in a better way how much we care and how difficult it is.”
The timing of the move comes just two seasons before the NBA’s media rights expire, and the Association is said to be looking for a confluence of linear and digital partners in the next deal. ESPN considers the NBA an important property to retain and has been actively planning for these significant negotiations. The burgeoning popularity of the sport both domestically and abroad with a young demographic is enviable for advertisers and an enterprise with whom Magnus hopes to stay in business.
“I think the NBA league office is really forward-thinking and innovative, and it kind of fits perfectly with our worldview,” he said. “I would say it’s really important for us – we’re very focused on it – but at the same time, we have to balance that excitement and enthusiasm with some financial discipline ultimately if needed.”
Betting on the Brand
While it remains unknown how it plays into its total profitability, the company is set to receive an infusion of cash flow with the upcoming launch of ESPN BET. Disney had been averse to operating in the gambling space, but the sentiment had changed in recent years and led the company to engage in exhaustive efforts to find the right partner. In the end, PENN Entertainment impressed the network and inked a 10-year, $2 billion deal to unveil an ESPN-branded sportsbook set to launch in November.
“We’ve done exhaustive due diligence on this decision over many, many years,” Magnus said. “We talked to, at one point or another, every player in that segment [and have] been comfortable given the right set of circumstances for a long time now in terms of getting into it.”
The adjusted EBITDA potential of the deal with a retail cross-sell upside and garnering performance markers, incentivized through stock warrants, lands at nearly $1.5 billion. Although the network would prefer to have it launched in time for football season, there are no worries.
“We definitely do not feel like we’re late to the game here given the power of our brand and given the numbers and the performance of our audience over time, particularly in the digital space,” Magnus said. “For us, it was really about trying to get the best possible circumstance we could get before we jumped in, and we think we have it here.”
The ESPN BET effort aligns with the introduction of a new daytime programming lineup featuring a deep roster of talented hosts, analysts and producers bringing sports fans coverage in many different ways. Mornings begin with Mike Greenberg’s program, Get Up, and are followed by Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim on First Take. Whether it is Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo, Mina Kimes or the newly acquired Shannon Sharpe, the show drives the sports conversation and creates a litany of memorable moments.
The central question surrounds the addition of The Pat McAfee Show, starting on Sept. 7 across ESPN platforms. McAfee is bringing his show to the network on linear and digital outlets while also continuing to appear on College GameDay and alternate broadcasts. McAfee’s contract was finalized in the midst of network-wide layoffs mandated by The Walt Disney Company, creating a situation of negative optics.
ESPN is geared towards serving the sports fan anytime and anywhere, and the company believes moving McAfee into the early afternoon slot is the best path forward. In fact, it reportedly may consider adding his show on terrestrial radio down the road, as it recently revealed a new lineup following significant audio staff cuts.
“Conversations progressed and matured over some time, and he made it known that he was willing to take [the show] inside of a media company,” Magnus said. “We pursued [it] with great enthusiasm because we think Pat and his team have built an incredible show and have really tapped into particularly a younger, but not exclusively younger, audience of today’s sports fans in a very interesting and unique way.”
Aside from refraining from using profanity, McAfee’s show will go unchanged on ESPN, including the guests, cast and ‘ThunderDome’ studio. After all, the network is licensing his show for 235 episodes a year, something Magnus argues is “quite an efficient use of money and resources.”
“Pat’s a very smart, very savvy content creator and we’re not going to meddle,” he added. “….Jimmy [Pitaro] feels the same way that I do, and part of setting off on the right foot, in my opinion, is the fact that he feels comfortable with us because we want him to be himself.”
This is SportsCenter
SportsCenter is still the marquee program and the No. 1 sub-brand within ESPN. While there has been speculation over the years about the future of the show, which has become more focused on accentuating personalities and blending information with entertainment, the ratings continue to proliferate and it still interests consumers. Magnus insisted that the entity is “not going anywhere,” remaining part of the network’s offerings for the foreseeable future.
“If it continued to try and be just a highlight show despite how powerful that was back in the day, it would have been more confined to the linear environment; it probably would have had its brand erode over time,” Magnus said. “It’s done, in my opinion, the exact opposite [by] diversifying and innovating, and I will be focused on making that continue.”
The network’s signature program brings viewers highlights across the world of sports, including the properties within its rights portfolio. ESPN will be the exclusive home of the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup Final for the second time this upcoming season, something Magnus wishes they had every year but is still content with the deal nonetheless. Moreover, the network’s relationship with Major League Baseball remains strong 33 years later, with games more conducive for broadcast thanks to hastened pace of play. There is, however, one property or potential thereof that confounds the industry as to how it could play out down the road – Magnus and ESPN included.
The merger between World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is scheduled to close next month, creating intrigue around how it will affect media rights negotiations. WWE’s deals with Comcast and FOX Sports expire next year and UFC’s pact with ESPN expires in 2025. The new publicly traded company, which will be known as TKO Group Holdings, will help shape the future of the sports entertainment promotion.
“I don’t think we know yet exactly how it will manifest itself in those conversations,” Magnus said of the merger. “It might be the next cycle for the WWE and not the current one, but certainly we’ve had a really positive experience with the UFC…. I don’t think we would ever rule out anything that is as significant as the WWE with sports fans.”
As another year swiftly moves towards the finish line, Magnus is confident that ESPN is and will continue to be well positioned for its future. Geared towards growing and maintaining the network while technology firms mull over exercising their financial might, he is one of the company’s veterans navigating through an incessant media environment. Myriad possibilities exist to expand reach, earn revenue and ensure relevancy – all while remaining committed to its notorious mission statement.
“I think without hesitation, we’re in a great position,” Magnus expressed. “As Jimmy [Pitaro] likes to say, ‘We like our hand here’ in terms of navigating through a changing industry. We’re very optimistic.”
Happy National Radio Day! Okay, I am late in celebrating, but last week, on August 20th,National Radio Day was acknowledged in the United States. Even Fox TV’s Chris Myers and Audacy noted the big day.
The Pew Research Center analyzed the state of radio in the U.S. and published its Key Facts About Radio Listeners and the Radio Industry. The group’s reputation for being nonbiased is solid, using rigorous research methodologies, transparent reporting, and peer-reviewed processes. They were a newspaper-founded entity that has morphed into a 160-person think tank surveying public opinions, demographics, and the media. I thought looking at the broader radio picture that could impact your sales story as Pew presents it would be a good reminder of what we have to offer.
1. About eight in ten Americans ages 12 and older listen to terrestrial radio weekly.
The numbers have stabilized in the last two years at 82%. Pew cited Nielsen data on this and pointed out that listenership had dropped from 89% in 2019 to 83% in 2020. This is handy when we are told that “NOBODY listens to the radio.”
2.Nearly half of U.S. adults sometimes or often get news from the radio.
In a summer 2022 Pew Research Center survey, 47% of U.S. adults said they got news from radio at least sometimes. When it comes to age, adults 50 to 64 are the most likely to get information at least sometimes from radio, with just over half (55%) saying they do this; 48% of those ages 30 to 49, 46% of those 65 and older, and 35% of those 18 to 29 say the same. It is safe to say that almost ½ of everybody over 30 gets some news off the radio. Think about that! Of course, Hollywood news counts, too, but this is an impactful reminder to the younger ad buyers that their news adjacency has value!
3. One in five U.S. adults often gets local news from radio.
Pew used a 2018 Pew Center survey here, so it seems outdated. Yet I still can’t believe that only 17% of adults get local news from daily newspapers. Online only accounted for 12%. I would steer away from this for sure, as it seems dated.
4. NPR listenership is down.
NPR-affiliated public radio stations weekly terrestrial broadcast listenership declined by 6% between 2021 and 2022. This is a positive note if you have a NPR station doing decent numbers in your town and taking away share from your news/talk station.
5. Average revenue at news-focused radio stations in the U.S. remains lower than before the pandemic.
All news stations are still struggling to hit pre-pandemic revenue numbers-off about 16% from 2019. If this concerns you, at least you have some proof that the decline is accurate, and you are not alone.Plan accordingly.
6. Podcast listenership has been up big in the last decade.
As of 2023, 42% of Americans 12+ listened to a podcast in the past month, according to “The Infinite Dial” report by Edison Research. And, according to the exclusive BSM interview with ESPN Content President Burke Magnus Derek Futterman published this week, ESPN knows all about the power and influence of sports pods grabbing TSL. This has remained relatively constant since 2020, when 37% had listened to a podcast in the past month. A decade ago, in 2013, just 12% of Americans 12 and older said they had listened to a podcast in the past month. More data to sell those pods and a good reminder that the train has left the station, and your ad buyers need to get on board! 20% report listening to podcasts at least a few times a week, according to a 2022 Center survey. 2/3 say that news is discussed on the pods. And yes, 2/3 of 18- to 29-year-olds have listened to a podcast in the past 12 months, compared with just 28% of those 65 and older.
So, celebrate National Radio Day (even fashionably late), and remember that while our devices may be “smart,” most Americans are even smarter for tuning in to the radio.
From a multimedia and corporate standpoint, it is really difficult to criticize Dallas Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones. He runs the most lucrative organization in America’s most popular sports league. He has won three Super Bowls, and his team’s famous star is, perhaps, the most recognizable logo in all of sports.
Jones directed the construction of a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment complex, The Star. His practice and medical facilities are second to none, and his charitable work is exemplary. Even his world famous cheerleaders have their own reality television series.
The Dallas Cowboys are the richest team in American professional sports with an estimated worth of over $9 billion. Jones has been a leader in marketing his team – a renegade who has blazed a trail followed by his NFL ownership compatriots, most notably an actual Patriot, Robert Kraft.
In addition to taking a lead role in NFL TV deals with FOX, NBC, CBS, and Amazon, Jones has forged a Spanish language contract with Televisa Univision and numerous other media deals.
His Dallas Cowboys Radio Network with Brad Sham, Babe Laufenberg, and Kristi Scales reaches all of Texas from Abilene to Wichita Falls as well as markets in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
Jones has also partnered with Compass Media Networks to deliver games on terrestrial radio to markets not covered by the Cowboys Radio Network. The Compass broadcast features former Cowboys quarterback Danny White along with play-by-play host Kevin Ray and studio host Jerry Recco giving the team essentially its own national radio presence.
At dallascowboys.com, visitors can view press conferences, practice sound bites, coaches and executives comments, game highlights, podcasts, and of course, buy tickets and team merchandise. Last year, the Cowboys ranked first in the NFL for team merchandise sales, and Micah Parsons, Dak Prescott, and CeeDee Lamb all finished in the top 10 in jersey sales.
Still, despite glitz that would make Lady Gaga blush and more money than the Federal Reserve, there is a persistent cloud lingering over this empire of success. For all of his wisdom in building and marketing a brand, since 1995, Jones’ football team has failed to win a championship or even make it to an NFC Title game.
Moreover, the team has become consistent negative fodder for the always ready to pounce sports media denizens. The eminent and omnipresent Stephen A. Smith of ESPN has created a side hustle just criticizing and taunting the Cowboys.
His “Southern Steve” character, complete with a Stetson hat and big cigar, regularly tweaks the Cowboys as an accident waiting to happen, chiding their inevitable playoff fall.
Jones’ Texas-sized vision took ownership of the Cowboys in 1989, and his first two moves were his best. Firing legendary coach Tom Landry was a controversial act that made spurs spin throughout Texas, but it was the right move.
Hiring Jimmy Johnson, the highly successful college recruiter and coach, was incredibly shrewd. Johnson was Jones with football knowledge. They were mirror images of each other – brash, smart, ultra-competitive, and hungry. Ironically, these similarities ultimately led to their schism.
With Johnson’s departure after the 1993 season, Jones had the chance to make a third great move. Instead, he took over as player personnel chief/general manager and hired a series of head coaches in Barry Switzer, Chan Gailey, Dave Campo, Bill Parcells, Wade Phillips, and Jason Garrett.
Switzer won Super Bowl XXX with Jimmy Johnson’s roster. Parcells rode off into the Dallas sunset once he realized that he would not have total control in building the team. The other four were just guys carrying out the playbook.
One of the best editions of NFL Network’s A Football Life series focuses on the 1995 Cleveland Browns. 1995 was the Browns’ last season in Cleveland before owner Art Modell moved the team to Baltimore.
The program is top-notch because it does not focus on the Cleveland roster of players, but rather, on the roster of executive, coaching, and scouting talent that worked with Browns’ head coach Bill Belichick at the time.
Names like Ozzie Newsome, Nick Saban, Thomas Dimitroff, Scott Pioli, Kirk Ferentz, Eric Mangini, Phil Savage, Mike Tannenbaum, and Jim Schwartz speckled the Browns’ business and personnel brain trust.
At the time, many of these future NFL staples were quite young, but the talent was there. After Johnson left, Jerry Jones could have hired any of these gifted men as general managers, head coaches, or player personnel executives.
Newsome built the Ravens into a Super Bowl champion and perennial title contender. Saban has coached two of the most successful college teams of this era, LSU and Alabama.
Pioli was a key cog in the New England Patriots dynasty. Tannenbaum brought the Jets to the AFC title game. Dimitroff was a major figure in bringing the Atlanta Falcons to annual playoff contention and a Super Bowl. Each member of Belichick’s Cleveland crew has had success at one stop or another.
Of course, the ringleader of this once-in-a-lifetime staff was Belichick. Fired by Modell after the 1995 season, Belichick’s own rise would take many a turn until he finally settled in as the Patriots’ head coach and football czar in 2000.
Imagine if Jones had hired Belichick to join the Cowboys and let him work the magic that he eventually conjured up for the Kraft family in New England.
Jones’ limitless resources and the Cowboys’ legendary name could have undoubtedly lured any talented NFL personnel executive to Big D, but Jones would have had to relinquish some control.
Owners of NFL teams have every right to run their franchises the way they see fit. They ink media deals, pay salaries, and build stadiums. If the economy tanks, they take the hit. If the team loses games and fans stay home, they incur the loss of revenue.
Still, I always get a bit queasy when I see owners patrolling the sidelines during games or being deeply involved in talent assessment or draft room analysis. They have a right to be there, but I’m not so sure it’s right for them to be there.
As we get ready for the 2023 NFL season, Jerry Jones’ NFL legacy is firmly intact. He is a respected, innovative, and influential icon, a Hall of Famer and brilliant media maestro, but he will tell you himself that all this is not enough. Jerry Jones wants another Super Bowl championship, not just a Cherry Blow Dry Bar next to his stadium.
Jones remains the owner, president, and general manager of the Cowboys, and it is clear that the team has a renewed sense of purpose with the increased input of sons Stephen and Jerry, Jr., and daughter Charlotte.
The Cowboys still dominate on all media platforms and carry the most widespread and devoted fan base in football. Current head coach Mike McCarthy has been the team’s best hire since Parcells.
Moreover, with Stephen Jones as director of player personnel, the Cowboys have drafted, signed, and traded more prudently and have a roster capable of playing in Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas on February 11.
Perhaps Jerry Jones has learned a lesson from another renegade owner, Al Davis, the managing general partner of the Raiders who passed away in 2011.
Davis, like Jones, was a brilliant trailblazer, but eventually became so controlling that he alienated a host of great coaches and executives while his team degenerated from contention to oblivion. Davis had three favorite words, “Just win, baby.” By sharing the decision-making load, Jerry Jones seems to have positively embraced just two: Letting go.
For the first time in the 2024 election cycle, we saw the Presidential hopefuls take the stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday night. Eight candidates stood behind their respective podiums for the debate as the country got its first look at several alternative options, sans the obvious one, for what the future of the country might look like under their leadership.
But as has happened in the last couple of election cycles, I went in with high hopes for a primary debate and left feeling mostly disappointed. While these events are good for the media, with big ratings for Fox News, and plenty of content for talk radio shows and stations like mine, there’s often very little substance that comes out of them that are beneficial for the American voter.
It got me thinking that there has to be a better way.
Granted, I understand the debate format leads to combative moments and fodder for talking heads, but there’s little over those two hours that stands out from a policy perspective. And by the way, for those who want to “blame Trump” for the entertainment style of political debate, he wasn’t even on the stage on Wednesday, so we can’t blame him.
Unfortunately, it’s become the nature of politics. And it’s in both parties. As you may recall, during the 2020 cycle, the Democratic Party had multiple debates with 10 or more people on the stage at a time. They were events that would have impressed P.T. Barnum.
And by the way, the debates had little to no bearing on the results. There wasn’t a single debate that Joe Biden handled well. But, of course, he became the nominee and eventually won the general election. So how important are these primary debates? And if they aren’t playing a role in who voters ultimately select, is it time to consider a format change?
I say all this as someone who benefits greatly from the current format. We can play back the clips, talk about the drama, react to the bizarreness, and create what we hope is informative, but more importantly, entertaining, content out of the debate.
And that leads to the conundrum media faces right now: Do we do what might be a better format for deep diving into issues? Something like one-on-one candidate forums on major networks with back-to-back candidates? Better restrictions that lead to fewer people on stage (My personal favorite)? Or a JV Debate vs. a Varsity debate (Democrats tried this in 2020 when they had 20+ candidates) based on polling numbers?
The catch remains that the current format is more lucrative for clicks, ratings, and appointment viewing and listening, so why change it? Ultimately the media is in an arms race for viewers and listeners in an ever-changing landscape.
It doesn’t help that running for President has become a hobby for some who are bored, vindictive, or looking to raise their name recognition and become famous (or infamous).
But now that we’re in that world, it’s time to take a hard look at the process and rather than do what’s in the best interest for us in the media, do better for the American people. In the meantime, I’ll remain as guilty as the rest in using the current format to benefit with provocative, entertaining content.
While ESPN has landed Shannon Sharpe for First Take, FS1 has forged ahead with Skip Bayless and Undisputed, bringing in names like Keyshawn Johnson, Richard Sherman and Keyshawn Johnson.
FOX Sports Radio host Rob Parker felt like while it’s fine that the network and Bayless wanted to go in that direction, more representation from actual Black journalists would go a long way in transforming these debate and discussion shows.
“It’s not an either-or situation with journalists and former athletes,” Parker said to Deadspin.
Deadspin’s piece delved more into the shift in sports television where more former athletes are being brought in to do the talking over journalists. Parker believes leaving the journalists out of the equation is doing viewers a disservice.
“But acting like former athletes are journalists and interviewing each other is the sad part,” he added. “That’s where fans get the short end of the stick. You almost never hear a hard question when all players are involved.”
The in-depth piece was written by Carron J. Phillips and features commentary from Bomani Jones and Howard Bryant in addition to Parker.
ESPN made official Shannon Sharpe’s arrival to the network on Thursday, announcing that the Pro Football Hall of Famer will be a featured guest on First Take with Stephen A. Smith on Mondays and Tuesdays during the football season.
But just a couple days a week during the NFL season isn’t enough in the eyes of viewers, including Sharpe’s former FS1 colleague Marcellus Wiley.
Wiley was reacting to comments about the reporting earlier in the week that indicated the news was official, saying he agreed with viewers who think Uncle Shay Shay should be on TV every weekday.
“I know, that’s my thing,” Wiley said on Never Shut Up. “And I sound real out of pocket saying it, but I’m like dawg I like Unc too much to just see two days of Unc. Simple.”
Another commenter said they believed ESPN had something big planned for Sharpe’s role at the network similar to how Eli and Peyton Manning have it. The commenter felt like ESPN didn’t want to risk losing out on landing Sharpe.
“OK, that’s a good play. Start small and then make it bigger,” Wiley said in response. “OK. If that’s the case, that’s real.”
That was followed up by another viewer suggesting that the big play for Sharpe at ESPN is eventually taking over for Smith as the host of First Take. Stephen A. has stated previously that he intends to eventually transition into something that isn’t in sports media.
“Now that’s dope,” Wiley said. “Like, ‘Alright Stephen A. how long you got? I don’t know, don’t rush me out. But it ain’t long, dawg. Aight I’ll come do a little bit, and then when you’re ready I’ll do a lot bit.’ That’s interesting.”
A new morning sports talk show is coming to the Nebraska airwaves starting Monday featuring Damon Benning.
The Damon Benning Show with Ravi Lulla will be live from 7-10 a.m. central. The show will emanate from Omaha and simulcast on ESPN Tri-Cities in Kearney and Hastings.
Benning is a former Nebraska football standout and veteran sports media pro. Lulla is an experienced sports journalist up on all the latest media trends. The two will make an engaging and compelling duo in Benning’s eyes.
“Sports radio is all about connecting with the audience and sharing our passion for the games we love,” Benning said. “Ravi and I are thrilled to bring our unique perspectives to the table and create a show that not only informs but also sparks conversations with our listeners.”
Damon Benning spent 14 years on the air in Omaha at 1620 The Zone. He announced his exit last year. The former running back was part of back-to-back national championship teams with the Nebraska Cornhuskers and now works on the team’s radio broadcasts.
“Their combined expertise and passion for sports, coupled with their engaging on-air chemistry, will undoubtedly offer a fresh and captivating listening experience for our audience,” added ESPN Tri-Cities program director Doug Duda.
Duda co-hosts The Doug & Daddy Show on ESPN Tri-Cities weekdays from 11-noon. The station is also home to various programs from Hurrdat Sports as well as local sports play-by-play.
