Cam Newton is making it clear he answers to no one when it comes to his content. The former NFL MVP used his 4th & 1 podcast to respond directly to Ryan Clark, who recently questioned Newton’s loyalty to Stephen A. Smith after Newton hosted Blaze TV and Smith critic Jason Whitlock on his podcast.
Clark’s criticism, posted on social media, suggested Newton crossed a line by giving a platform to someone who has publicly taken shots at Smith. Newton, however, rejected that premise outright.
“So you mean to tell me who me [I] can and can’t have on me [my] platform?” Newton said. “I don’t go and say to you who you can have on your platform.”
Newton’s response centered on creative control. He stressed that no outside voice — whether from media or former teammates — will dictate how he builds his show.
“One thing that’s not going to happen is a puppet string attached to my back,” he said, adding that throughout his career he has always operated on his own terms. “Ron Rivera knew that. Jerry Richardson knew that. Gene Chizik knew that. Bill Belichick knew that. Every single coach and player that I’ve ever played with knows that I’m gonna do things how I want to do it.”
The comments reflect a broader stance Newton has maintained since entering the media space. While he remains a contributor on ESPN’s First Take, he views his podcast as a separate entity with its own rules. That distinction played a key role in his decision to book Whitlock.
“The reason why I decided to bring Jason Whitlock on 4th & 1 was because he had strong takes that I wanted to talk man to man about,” Newton explained. “What better way to ease all that than through conversation.”
Newton also pushed back on the idea that loyalty should factor into guest selection. In his view, the current content landscape doesn’t operate that way.
“Don’t micromanage me. Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do,” he said. “In this world of content, there’s no such thing as loyalty.”
Beyond the immediate back-and-forth, Newton framed his approach as part of a larger mission. He said his goal is to create space for honest, and sometimes uncomfortable, discussions.
“It’s my job as a creator to bring people together to have the uncomfortable conversation,” Newton said. “No matter if it’s going to ruffle feathers, or ruffle their feathers. I’m gonna have that conversation. That’s just how I feel. I’ve always felt like that. I’ve always beat to my own drum and understood that. Bro, that’s just me.”
Newton also took issue with how Clark handled the situation. He questioned why Clark chose to weigh in publicly rather than address the matter privately.
“That was never your battle to fight,” Newton said. “If you knew the real, you would have known that Stephen A. Smith and I are good.”
Despite the public disagreement, Newton indicated there is no lingering issue between him and Smith. Instead, his focus remains on maintaining independence as his media presence continues to grow.
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The NFL is preparing to give teams a bit more control over their media rights, with a proposal that could open the door for new streaming partnerships. According to a report by the Sports Business Journal, league owners are expected to review a plan next week that would allow clubs to sell local preseason television rights and team-produced programming directly to streaming platforms.
While preseason games don’t draw the same attention as regular season matchups, they still deliver steady viewership and represent an untapped revenue stream for individual franchises.
Currently, most teams partner with local broadcast affiliates that carry preseason games within their markets. These deals often come with official partnership designations and exclusivity.
If approved, the new framework would expand the pool of potential buyers to include streamers. That approach mirrors regional streaming agreements seen in other sports. According to the report, local preseason rights typically generate low seven-figure deals, though teams in larger markets can command higher fees.
Even so, the opportunity is viewed as incremental rather than transformational.
Additionally, the proposal includes a provision that would let teams distribute preseason games beyond their home territories. To do so, franchises would likely need to acquire expanded rights from the league. Specific pricing and structure details are expected to be clarified following an ownership vote.
Another element under consideration involves team-produced content. Clubs could gain the ability to sell programming such as coaches’ shows and behind-the-scenes features directly to streaming platforms.
These potential changes come after an extended internal review of the NFL’s internet resolution, a policy that governs how digital content and intellectual property are controlled and monetized. The framework outlines what belongs to the league versus individual teams, often down to granular details.
The current agreement is set to expire March 31, making a vote necessary. The outcome could further clarify how the league balances its centralized model with growing demands for team-level revenue opportunities.
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Michele Steele is returning to familiar territory. The veteran broadcaster has joined Big Ten Network as a contributor across both studio and game coverage, according to a report from Front Office Sports.
She will make her debut this weekend. Steele is set to work the sidelines for Nebraska’s Red-White Spring Game, marking her first assignment with the network. The role signals a new chapter for Steele after a lengthy run at ESPN. She spent nearly 14 years with the company, contributing in several high-profile roles.
During that time, she anchored SportsCenter, reported nationally and handled sideline duties across multiple sports. Steele stepped away from ESPN in July 2024.
In addition to her work with Big Ten Network, Steele remains active in the digital media space. She currently serves as host and director of content strategy for Stocktwits. For Steele, the opportunity carries personal meaning. A Chicago native and University of Illinois graduate, she said the move brings her back to the conference that helped shape her early sports experiences.
“I went to Illinois quite deliberately because I’d gone to a very small parochial high school,” Steele said to FOS. “I really wanted the Big Ten, big sports experience in college.”
That connection remains strong today. Steele said covering the conference while staying in her hometown makes the opportunity even more meaningful.
“As a U of I alum, it really feels a little bit like homecoming for me,” she said. “There is something really special about getting to cover a conference that you grew up with and graduated from—while staying here in Chicago.”
The addition of Steele gives BTN another experienced voice with national credentials. It also strengthens the network’s connection to the conference it covers daily. For Steele, the fit appears natural. The move blends professional experience with personal roots.
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Salem Radio Network morning host Chris Stigall has announced that he’s leaving the network and show to run for Congress.
Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) has announced he will not seek re-election for his seat representing Missouri’s 6th Congressional District. He has held the position since 2001.
The district represents the northern third of Missouri, including cities like Kirksville, Maryville, and St. Joseph, among others.
That area is where Chris Stigall calls home. And on Friday morning, he announced his intention to seek the seat previously held by Graves.
“This was very sudden news, and so is what I’m about to say, as well,” Stigall said. “For 25 years, I’ve had the blessing of talking with you about the issues that face our nation a whole lot together. But in the last few years, we’ve watched a government that became completely out of control.”
Stigall continued by noting that he’s been motivated to run by President Donald Trump.
“What President Trump sacrificed for the country he loved to win elected office and try to change the direction of this country that inspired me,” said Stigall. “It’s hung with me a lot since that day in Butler, Pennsylvania, when he nearly lost his life. It’s also, frankly, haunted me for a while that I need to do a lot more than just talk about it.
“So, after prayer — believe me, a lot of prayer — and careful consideration with my family … I’ve decided it’s time to join in the fight. To fight for what made this country so great 250 years ago. It’s time to put up or shut up. President Trump is going to need all the reinforcements he can get in Washington. And that’s why I’ve decided I’m going to leave my show, I’m going to leave this microphone, and I’m going to enter the arena today.”
Chris Stigall did not give a firm timeline for when he would exit the Salem Radio Network show he’s hosted since last year.
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Netflix is once again asking subscribers to pay more, rolling out price increases across all three of its U.S. streaming tiers. The updated rates quietly appeared on the company’s website Thursday. The ad-supported plan now costs $8.99 per month, up from $7.99. Meanwhile, the Standard plan without ads jumps to $19.99 per month, a $2 increase. The Premium tier also rises by $2, bringing its monthly cost to $26.99.
The move marks the second price hike in just over a year. It also signals confidence from the streaming giant as competition intensifies across the industry.
Netflix continues to lean on its scale. The company finished 2025 with over 325 million global subscribers, making it the largest subscription streaming platform in the world. That reach gives executives flexibility to raise rates while betting that overall revenue will continue to grow.
In a statement, the company said it remains focused on offering a range of plans while investing in content and product improvements.
“Our approach remains the same: We continue offering a range of prices and plans to meet a variety of needs, and as we deliver more value to our members we are updating our prices to enable us to reinvest in quality entertainment and improve their experience by updating our prices,” Netflix said in a statement to Variety.
The new pricing takes effect immediately for new subscribers. Existing customers will see the changes in the coming weeks. Netflix said members will receive an email notification about a month before the increase hits their bill, depending on their billing cycle.
This latest adjustment follows a prior increase earlier in 2025. That move ended a three-year stretch without a change to the Standard plan, which has historically drawn the largest share of subscribers.
This increase lands a day after the streaming platform made their Major League Baseball debut broadcasting Opening Night between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants. The broadcast last night kicked off a media rights agreement that Netflix and MLB signed last year.
The company also continues to invest heavily in content. Netflix has projected roughly $20 billion in cash spending on programming for 2026, reflecting a steady push to maintain its competitive edge.
Financially, Netflix appears positioned to absorb any fallout. Company leadership has pointed to multiple growth drivers, including membership gains, advertising expansion and pricing strategy. Executives expect ad revenue to climb significantly, with projections nearing $3 billion.
Additionally, Netflix enters this phase with added financial flexibility. Earlier this year, the company stepped away from a potential deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery. That decision resulted in a $2.8 billion breakup fee paid to Netflix, strengthening its balance sheet.
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Fox News welcomed President Donald Trump to The Five on Thursday afternoon, marking the first time he appeared on the popular program.
The Five routinely finishes as the most popular program in all of cable news. It often tops 4 million viewers on average. During the week of March 16th, the Fox News show averaged 3.8 million viewers.
On Thursday’s show, the Fox News hosts — which included Kennedy and Kayleigh McEnany in addition to Jesse Watters, Dana Perino, and Greg Gutfeld — asked a wide range of questions to the President. They touched on the war in Iran, among plenty of other topics.
There were many reactions to the interview. Some shared their appreciation for President Trump’s humor. Others took issue with things Trump said, including what was categorized as inappropriate comments to a question from Dana Perino.
President Trump says he’s been told Iran’s new ayatollah is gay, but says he loves gay people and was happy to use YMCA, the gay national anthem, as his song at rallies: pic.twitter.com/VLqFzStaMN
Dana Perino asks Trump how the Iranian people are doing in the midst of this horrible war. He responds that he remembers having lunch with @DanaPerino years ago, and that she looks hotter now. Great stuff, as always, on @TheFive!
Trump: "Murkowski from Alaska…she's a very difficult person, very terrible person to be honest with you. And you have Collins…I hope she wins…She's a good person, actually." pic.twitter.com/jwauJXI2VD
This is dumb. Whether you agree with her or not, Jessica's presence & perspective are key to the debate that makes The Five an interesting show. https://t.co/kxgFMCwxoG
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Paying a great air talent a compliment can be tricky. True personalities are unique individuals. Each reacts differently to comments from a program director or coach. Sometimes feedback intended to be positive can be misconstrued, making praise a true art form. For Jaybeau Jones, a longtime host and former program director who spent years in and around the Classic Hits format, the greatest compliment came from a former boss in Ken West.
West, who at the time was at WROR, serves today as brand manager for Emerson College’s radio station in Boston, Massachusetts.
“We were sitting in a meeting. Then Ken said, ‘Jaybeau can be funny in eight seconds over a song intro.’ I then responded by asking for ten seconds instead,” said Jones.
That comment from West sums up what Jones brings to his show. A unique talent for communicating and entertaining in short bursts so the station’s momentum never stops.
Currently, he shares that gift on several radio stations including SiriusXM’s 70’s on 7 channel. His current journey started after ten years at Beasley’s WROR in Boston, Jones got caught up in budget cuts. He then set out to carve a new path.
“I called around saying I’ve got a studio at home, is there an opportunity for me to become syndicated in some way,” Jones explained.
He eventually connected with Rich O’Brien at Radio Resources. Together they built a plan to maximize Jones’ opportunities. It started with securing a show on Binnie Media’s Frank FM in New Hampshire. Then soon after came an opportunity to host nights at Cumulus’ WLS-FM in Chicago.
Then, almost a year later to the day, he returned to WROR to host afternoons.
Jones has also found a place where he can talk longer than ten seconds as the host of the Music Drives Us podcast. The show is the brainchild of Ernie Boch Jr. A business leader who currently serves as President and CEO of Ferrari of New England and Subaru of New England.
Boch Jr.’s foundation, also called Music Drives Us, raises money to support music programs in schools. The organization provides funding, awareness, and equipment. Jones’ podcast reinforces the foundation’s goals. Then one day, through a friend, Jones received a call about hosting which he thought it sounded fun.
“I can do what I do on the air. But instead of wrapping it up in 15 seconds, I can take a half hour and talk to Lou Graham and Rick Springfield,” explained Jones. “It’s been incredibly rewarding because I’ve always been a fan. When I’m talking to these icons, I get sucked into their life. I get inside stories people don’t normally get to hear talking to these icons in a setting just like your living room.”
Hosting the podcast has influenced his radio shows. In addition to serving as a source of unique stories other hosts don’t have access to, it has helped Jones refine his style to be slightly more conversational.
“My style is still momentum based but there’s something a little softer. I like to call it conversational momentum. It’s still moving forward, but it’s human and it’s real,” said Jones.
The conversational part of his delivery comes from bringing his life to the air. Over time, he has learned that not everything is content.
“Just because it’s relatable, does it need to be on the air,” questions Jones. “Everyone goes through a drive through and eats a hamburger. If the story doesn’t trigger an emotion then you’ve got to massage it more.”
He also gets help from his wife, Heidi West. She is a successful voice-over talent in her own right and has her own home studio that’s better than Jones’ setup. She sometimes stops in on his show to do a break, often pointing out real-life struggles. Such as Jones’ inability to take good selfies or master the TV remote.
“She’s funnier than me. She’ll pop on and tell these funny stories of our life,” explained Jones.
While his life fuels the show, that doesn’t mean he isn’t constantly prepping. His best-kept secret is the extensive use of Google Alerts for every artist that he plays in every market he airs in.
Jones admits that leads to a ridiculous number of alerts—and he’ll never get through all of them. The small nuggets he finds help the show stand out.
“If you just push a little further, you’re going to stand out amongst your competition,” notes Jones.
As a former Program Director, Jones is happy to focus on being a talent today and let other smart people steer the station’s music. Still, he is excited to see the classic hits format evolving.
“Where AC has to compete with Hot AC and protect that younger demo, I think Classic Hits has co-opted the Billy Joels, Elton Johns, the Duran Durans,” said Jones. “The other day I played Pink Like a Pill and it fit next to Bon Jovi.”
In his opinion, Classic Hits is moving closer in approach to Variety Hits. Why? Streaming services and satellite radio for years have allowed the audience a broader playlist of songs heard.
“Suddenly this is a multi-decade format. Staying Alive near the Goo Goo Dolls doesn’t sound weird to me. It’s just, ‘oh my God, I love these songs,’” said Jones.
But stretching back into the seventies also means Classic Hits stations constantly face the loss of artists. Most recently, the music world lost Neil Sedaka. One of the most successful performers and writers of the sixties and seventies.
When moments such as an artist passing arise, Jones says there are ways to make those moments more joyful and less painful.
“It’s sad that they go, but they leave us with music. So we never forget them,” Jones says. “There are always people paying tribute on social media. Plus, over the years the performers have left us with great stories. Neil talked on his Facebook about how we made Love Will Keep Us Together. So, with the internet and a little bit of elbow grease you can give a positive spin on something sad.”
When it comes down to it, that’s what drives Jones is being a positive voice for people. That includes a book he wrote called Heroes Mentors and Friends. It came about in 2012 when the industry was starting to contract and many people—including friends of his—were being laid off.
“I wanted to do something to give back,” Jones says.
He wrote about stories from his career that helped keep him in the industry. Jones gave credit to heroes like Larry Lujack and Rick Dees. Mentors like Guy Zapoleon, and friends including his wife.
“I feel like when you get older you realize money’s cool, but it’s not everything,” said Jones. “Relationships become more important. As the industry got harder my priorities started to change.”
But what hasn’t changed is his focus on the air every day.
“If you immerse yourself in being a performer on the radio, it’s about one-on-one communication. This is an eye-contact medium,” Jones says. “Your job for the audience in the car or at home blow drying their hair is to make it a little more fun between the songs. If you’re talking between these songs, whether it’s eight seconds or eighteen, it better be great.”
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MLB on Netflix. It’s simple and predictable. People hate change. Not dislike it—hate it. My dad owned a food brokerage, and one day they accidentally changed the color of the ink on the box from blue to red on the french fries he sold. Same fries. Same exact product. Just a different color ink on the box.
Company after company rejected shipments. Thousands of pounds of delicious, addictive, crispy fries—because it looked different. “It’s the same fries,” he kept telling them. It didn’t matter. They didn’t want it. Eventually, it got worked out. The fries didn’t change.
So, when Major League Baseball opened the 2026 season on Netflix, the reaction was predictable before the first pitch. This isn’t baseball. This feels weird. What am I watching? You know the song—take me out to the ballgame, buy me some peanuts and… Netflix. Yeah, that part.
To Netflix’s credit, they didn’t ease into this. They didn’t try to look like FOX or ESPN.
They showed up, made it clear this would be different, and then leaned all the way in.
Pregame was Elle Duncan—Netflix’s big swing, pulling her over from ESPN—surrounded by a group that felt more like a cast than a panel. Barry Bonds, arguably the greatest home run hitter the game has ever seen. Albert Pujols, a lock first-ballot Hall of Famer. Anthony Rizzo, newly retired and already looking like a future fixture in this space.
It wasn’t stiff or overproduced—it felt loose, real, and like something people might actually stay for.
When the game started, that tone carried right into the booth. Veteran play-by-play voice Matt Vasgersian kept things moving, while CC Sabathia gave you the Yankees perspective with Hall of Fame presence, and Hunter Pence handled the Giants side with his usual Red Bull energy.
It didn’t sound like a rotation; it sounded like a conversation. No waiting your turn. No forced cadence. Just baseball talk that actually sounded like baseball talk. On the screen, it had urgency too. More cameras, more movement, more life. Visually, Opening Day felt like October.
Then, right on cue, baseball pushed back. Rob Manfred dropped into the broadcast, and everything tightened up. The tone shifted. It felt like the old version of the sport interrupting the new one—stiff, corporate, out of rhythm.
A few innings later came the first real crack. The broadcast went down to the dugout, where Lauren Shehadi was interviewing Giants manager Tony Vitello. Totally normal. These interviews happen all the time.
Except this time, while that conversation was happening, history was unfolding at the plate. Yankees shortstop José Caballero was in the box calling for what became the first official ABS challenge in Major League Baseball history—and the broadcast missed it.
Not because anyone messed up. Just bad timing while trying to do a lot. Still, it’s the moment you can’t lose. That’s the tradeoff when you start layering everything in.
Then cranky, old-school baseball social media started to lose it. Jazz Chisholm Jr. was mic’d up, bringing exactly the kind of personality the sport needs, and for a brief moment, the score bug disappeared. No score, inning or count. It was less than five seconds. That’s it.
The Bob Costas demo completely lost their minds. Which tells you everything. We say we want different—more access, more personality, more energy—but the second it doesn’t look exactly how we expect, even for a moment, we panic.
Netflix cut away to McCovey Cove, where comedian Bert Kreischer floated in a kayak with a frosty Corona, living his best life. It was quick and harmless—surveying a local tradition—and social media reacted like we missed a 3–2 pitch in Game 7 of the World Series. Same pattern. Same overreaction.
By the time the seventh inning rolled around, they doubled down. Jason Bateman narrated a pre-produced version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” turning a tradition into something more cinematic and polished—and, depending on your tolerance for change, maybe a little too produced. It wasn’t subtle.
Netflix isn’t trying to recreate the traditional broadcast. They’re trying to expand it. Sometimes that means adding. Sometimes that means risking too much.
The game itself didn’t give them much help, which again is the point of all this.
Netflix is in the entertainment business, and not all baseball games entertain on their own. A 7–0 Yankees win isn’t exactly drama, so everything around it had to carry the night. By the time the postgame rolled around—which featured ballpark-everywhere guy Jameis Winston handing out hot dogs from a New York cart to confused Yankees players while Shehadi conducted interviews—it was clear what they were going for.
Not just coverage. An experience. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t, and sometimes it felt like a little too much all at once.
Netflix isn’t chasing the hardcore baseball fan. They already have you. If you’re watching Yankees–Giants on Opening Night, you’re in. You’re not going anywhere because of a missed graphic or a weird cutaway, because you’re locked in.
You’re the guy rejecting the fries because the box looks different… even though it’s the same fries. Netflix isn’t worried about you. They’re trying to reach the person who wasn’t going to watch. That’s the play: sports as entertainment, not just coverage. Something that feels like a game, a show, and an event all at once.
When you do that, not all of it will work. Some of it will feel clunky. Some of it will miss.
Me? I’ll take that over the same broadcast in the same box pretending the audience isn’t shrinking. The demographic baseball craves is on Netflix, and they don’t sit around for nine innings waiting to be entertained.
Eventually, just like those fries… people will realize it’s still the same game. They just changed the box.
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Admit it. You watched it. You tuned in to see how Netflix would handle a signature Major League Baseball broadcast for the first time. Was it perfect by any stretch of the imagination? No. But first impressions matter — especially in the sports media business. And for many longtime fans, the reaction was overwhelmingly negative. Sports radio lit up. Social media followed. But that reaction misses the point. This broadcast wasn’t designed for the traditional baseball audience. It was designed to test something bigger.
When Netflix struck a three-year media rights agreement with Major League Baseball, it wasn’t just adding content — it was adding leverage. If you’ve been paying attention, Netflix clearly sees the value of live sports. That’s why it has lined up deals with the NFL, WWE, FIFA for the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cup, and professional boxing events around the globe.
For every criticism of its MLB debut, what happened last night represented something far more important: a glimpse into where sports television is headed — and a signal that the NFL is almost certainly paying attention.
Make no mistake about it — the NFL is still king in America, even on MLB Opening Night. But it’s no longer just competing with other leagues. It’s competing with tech giants.
The real battle isn’t the NFL vs. MLB, NBA, or NHL. It’s the NFL vs. Amazon, Apple, Google, and yes, Netflix.
Netflix is already in business with the league, carrying its Christmas Day package over the past two seasons. And with the NFL expected to re-negotiate key media deals this summer, the timing couldn’t be more significant.
The league is coming off another season of massive viewership. Regular season games averaged 18.7 million viewers — the second-highest mark since tracking began in 1988, and a 10% year-over-year increase. That surge with an assist in part by Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel measurement rollout, which boosted reported audiences across the board.
Whether those numbers hold or normalize next season is almost beside the point.
The NFL knows exactly what it’s doing. Strike while the iron is hot.
Reports have already surfaced that the league has begun discussions with CBS Sports on a new deal for its Sunday package. According to CNBC, the NFL is seeking a 50–60% increase in rights fees — a jump that would push CBS’s annual cost from $2.1 billion to north of $3 billion.
That’s not just a raise. That’s a statement. And the message isn’t just for CBS.
It’s for every partner — FOX, NBC, ESPN — and more importantly, for the tech companies waiting in the wings. Amazon’s Prime Video is backed by one of the largest companies in the world. Alphabet (Google/YouTube) has virtually unlimited scale. Netflix, meanwhile, has over 300 million global subscribers and a growing appetite for live sports programming.
So the real question is simple: Would a 50% increase in rights fees actually scare those companies away?
Or is that exactly the type of opportunity they’ve been waiting for?
Because this is where the NFL’s strategy becomes clear. The league isn’t just maximizing revenue — it’s positioning itself to dominate the next era of distribution. A global game with expanding international reach, more inventory, and a fan base that increasingly expects both live access and on-demand flexibility.
And that’s exactly why Netflix’s MLB debut mattered.
Barry Bonds on Aaron Judge: “If you want to talk about team, that’s the man that I want on my team. If you want to talk about character, that’s the man I want on my team.”
If Netflix is willing to spend roughly $50 million per year for a very limited MLB package, what would it be willing to pay for a more meaningful slice of the NFL?
Do you think Netflix would like an opportunity to get back at Paramount Skydance for undertaking their bid for Warner Bros. Discovery? What better way to do that than with the single biggest sports property in the world.
More importantly — what would the NFL be willing to offer to bring a global streaming giant deeper into its ecosystem? There’s also a ripple effect to consider across the rest of the sports landscape.
As former NFL executive and current PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp recently told CNBC, the league’s next deal could reshape the entire marketplace:
“Because of the changes in media, the pressures on the media business, and consolidation… if the NFL grows at that scale [50%], it just doesn’t leave a lot of money out there for everybody else.”
That’s not speculation. That’s a warning.
And it’s why moments like Netflix’s MLB broadcast carry weight far beyond one night, one game, or one set of reviews. Because whether you loved it, hated it, or simply couldn’t look away, that wasn’t just a baseball broadcast — it was a test case.
A test of how far presentation of another sport can be pushed. A test of how audiences respond when tradition is challenged. And most importantly, a test of how viable Netflix — and platforms like it — are in handling different live sports at scale.
That’s why it mattered.
This wasn’t about pleasing purists. It wasn’t about winning the next morning’s sports media debate. It was about signaling to leagues — especially the NFL — that Netflix is ready to compete on the biggest stage there is.
And if Netflix is ready, then the question isn’t if the landscape changes. It’s how fast.
Because the next time you tune in, it might not be a one-off event or a holiday showcase. It could be a Sunday afternoon, or the playoffs. Hell, it could be the Super Bowl.
And when that happens, you won’t be asking whether Netflix got baseball right. You might even forget baseball even happened on Netflix.
What you’ll be realizing that this — for better or worse — Opening Night was the beginning of something much bigger for others, beginning with the NFL.
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If you’re a digital news creator and you haven’t thought seriously about The Roku Channel yet, now’s the time to start.
On Thursday, the Salem News Channel announced it had been added to the platform — and honestly, it’s one of the smarter distribution moves a FAST channel can make right now. But here’s the thing: it’s not just smart for SNC. It’s smart for any independent creator building a video news brand in 2025 and beyond.
First, let’s cover the basics. The Roku Channel is essentially a free, ad-supported television platform built directly into Roku devices. Think of it like SiriusXM, but for TV — a single guide packed with live and repurposed programming across dozens of channels with almost always intensely niche subject matters.
Some channels lean into nostalgia, like dedicated Supermarket Sweep and Bob Ross streams running around the clock. Others carry serious news weight. ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, and FOX all maintain live FAST channels on the platform. That’s the company you’d be keeping.
Now, consider this question: what if you could land your news channel on every cable system in America without spending a dime? You’d jump at it, right? Cable still reaches roughly 70 million households nationwide — and that’s a number most digital creators dream about touching.
Here’s the kicker, though. Roku devices are currently active in approximately 80 million households across the United States. That’s a larger potential footprint than cable, it’s free to pursue, and it’s growing.
Furthermore, 2.8% of all television viewing in February happened on The Roku Channel, according to figures from Nielsen’s The Gauge. That’s higher than Paramount+ and Peacock. It’s almost as much as Peacock, HBO Max, and Discovery+ combined. Now, doesn’t that sound like an attractive platform? Plus, as mentioned earlier, it’s free for viewers. At least for now.
The platform’s trajectory also matters here. As Roku continues expanding its device ecosystem, The Roku Channel will almost certainly remain a central priority for the company. They’ve got a financial incentive to keep the content pipeline strong and the viewer numbers climbing. That means creators who get in now — before the space becomes as crowded as YouTube — are positioning themselves ahead of the curve rather than chasing it.
Speaking of YouTube, I can already hear the concern: won’t putting your content on Roku cannibalize your existing audience there? It’s a fair question, but I’d push back on the premise. Rather than thinking of The Roku Channel as another mouth to feed, think of it as a way to enhance the content you’re already producing. If you’re generating video regularly, that footage doesn’t lose value by living in more than one place. It gains it.
Discovery is also a meaningful factor in this conversation. Frankly, getting found on The Roku Channel feels more achievable right now than cutting through the noise on YouTube. The algorithm on YouTube is both a blessing and a brutal gatekeeper.
On Roku’s platform, a well-positioned channel can find traction without needing millions of subscribers as a prerequisite. That lower barrier to viewer acquisition isn’t just convenient — it’s genuinely valuable as you build long-term audience equity.
The FAST channel space is still relatively early in its maturation cycle. Eventually, it’ll get more competitive and more expensive to stand out. But right now, independent and regional news creators have a real window to plant a flag on a platform that major broadcast networks already treat as legitimate distribution. Salem News Channel recognized that. The outlets still sleeping on it are leaving real audience potential on the table.
So here’s the bottom line. If you’re creating video news content with any consistency, a FAST channel deserves at least consideration in your distribution strategy. Without a shadow of a doubt.
And if you’re going to build one, doing everything in your power to get that channel onto The Roku Channel isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s quickly becoming a necessity for creators who want to be taken seriously in the digital news landscape moving forward.
Don’t wait until everyone else figures this out. Get there first.
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