The NFL didn’t just show up on Christmas Day this year — it dominated the holiday television conversation in a way that further widened the gap between pro football and every other U.S. sports property, including the NBA.
Netflix’s Christmas Day NFL doubleheader delivered record-setting results, highlighted by the Detroit Lions–Minnesota Vikings matchup becoming the most-streamed NFL game ever in the United States. The late-afternoon contest averaged 27.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen, and peaked north of 30 million, an eye-popping figure for a game carried exclusively on a streaming platform.
Earlier in the day, Dallas and Washington averaged 19.9 million viewers, giving Netflix a Christmas performance that rivaled — and in some cases exceeded — traditional broadcast NFL benchmarks. For context, CBS drew 57.2 million viewers for its Chiefs–Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game earlier this season, reinforcing that the league’s biggest draws still operate on an entirely different scale than other sports.
While the NBA can credibly claim momentum on Christmas, the comparison remains lopsided when placed side by side.
The league announced its best Christmas Day viewership in 15 years, with more than 47 million people tuning in to at least a portion of its five-game slate across ABC and ESPN. That total marked a 45% increase year over year, with games averaging 5.5 million viewers — a solid number by NBA standards and a positive sign after years of holiday erosion.
Several individual matchups also posted notable gains. Cleveland–New York became the most-watched noon Christmas tipoff ever, averaging 6.4 million viewers. Other windows delivered their strongest performances in years, signaling renewed audience interest when the league’s biggest stars and markets are properly showcased.
Yet even on one of its signature days, the NBA’s average game audience still trailed Netflix’s top NFL broadcast by more than 20 million viewers.
That disparity underscores a broader industry reality: football remains the most reliable mass-audience programming in American media. The NFL routinely draws tens of millions of viewers regardless of platform, opponent or kickoff time — and now, it’s proving that dominance extends seamlessly into streaming.
For Netflix, the success validates its strategy of leaning into live sports to fuel its ad-supported tier. The company says its advertising reach now tops 190 million monthly active viewers globally, making premium events like NFL games especially attractive to marketers seeking scale and engagement.
The NBA, meanwhile, can take comfort in its social performance. The league said it was the most-viewed sports brand across social platforms on Christmas, generating 1.6 billion views — a 23% increase from last year. That digital strength matters, particularly with younger audiences.
NFL and NBA viewership numbers for their Christmas games:
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Cumulus Media’s Classic Rock KZ106 in Chattanooga is turning the page on one of the longest-running morning shows in radio history and introducing a new voice to lead its next era. Beginning January 12, veteran rock radio personality Jeremy Loper will take over mornings on KZ106 with the debut of The Loper Show. The move follows the retirement of The John Boy & Billy Show, which signed off December 31.
For KZ106, the transition represents a rare and significant shift. Station leadership has not changed its morning lineup in over 20 years, making the selection of Loper a strategic bet on a proven personality with a track record of connecting with rock audiences in major markets.
“Chattanooga is rock ’n’ roll, and KZ106 is one of the most respected rock stations in the country,” Loper said. “This brand has history, attitude and loyalty.”
Loper arrives in Chattanooga with more than 30 years of experience. His reputation includes blending humor, storytelling and high-concept stunts into a personality-driven format. His work has crossed into the national spotlight multiple times, drawing attention from outlets including CNN, Fox News and TMZ.
Over the years, those moments have ranged from unconventional press conference appearances to orchestrating rapid-fire civic honors for major rock artists. More recently, Loper made headlines in June 2024 during the Nashville Rock N’ Jock Celebrity Softball Game benefiting Folds of Honor. During the game, a collision at home plate with NSYNC’s Chris Kirkpatrick became a viral moment. That moment led to a series of postgame media appearances for both.
Beyond the studio, Loper has been a familiar presence on some of rock music’s biggest stages. He has hosted and emceed large-scale festivals such as Rock on the Range, Sonic Temple, SunFest and The Buzz Bake Sale. He often performs in front of crowds numbering in the tens of thousands. His influence has also extended into civic and community causes. Those efforts include advocacy that contributed to the successful campaign to keep Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew in Ohio.
Before joining KZ106, Loper hosted mornings at 105.9 The Rock in Nashville. The show generated early ratings momentum and strong local engagement. He previously spent 12 years leading mornings in Columbus, Ohio, on 99.7 The Blitz. There, Loper & Randi in the Morning became one of the market’s most recognized shows. His reach continues to expand through The Loper Show podcast and video platforms.
KZ106 Operations Manager and Program Director Scott Chase said the station is confident in its choice.
“We wish John Boy and Billy a very happy retirement,” Chase said. “Jeremy is talented, driven and the right person to lead us into this next chapter.”
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After joining MS NOW — previously MSNBC — nearly a decade ago, Charlie Sykes has announced he has departed his role as a contributor with the network.
Sykes has spent the past nine years working as a contributor to the cable news network.
Charlie Sykes previously worked as the morning host on Milwaukee news/talk station 620 WTMJ for more than 20 years until his 2016 departure. He also hosted a Sunday morning talk show on WTMJ-TV from 1993 to 2016 about political issues in the state of Wisconsin.
In a post on social media, Charlie Sykes revealed he had asked MS NOW to let him out of his contract early.
“A few months ago, I asked the folks at MSNBC to let me out of the final year of my contributor contract (which ran through the end of 2026),” Sykes wrote. “They graciously agreed and, frankly, were wonderful about it. They didn’t attach any conditions or limits. No NDAs, non-competes, or restrictions. Pure class.”
Some personal news in today’s newsletter: A few months ago, I asked the folks at MSNBC to let me out of the final year of my contributor contract (which ran through the end of 2026). They graciously agreed and, frankly, were wonderful about it. They didn’t attach any conditions…
Sykes has shared that he’s going to put more effort into his burgeoning Substack column, as well as an emphasis on his podcast and YouTube efforts.
“For 2026, I have two goals (besides saving democracy and maintaining our collective sanity): (1) Grow the audience; and (2) Work harder to break out of our bubbles,” Sykes added, stating that he hopes he’ll still be invited to MS NOW “from time to time.”
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Tony Dokoupil is set to take over the CBS Evening News next week, and he’s set his expectations for himself in a video published to social media.
Dokoupil — who is joining the nightly newscast from the network’s morning show, CBS Mornings — began his video by stating that “a lot has changed since the first person sat” in the anchor chair of the venerable broadcast.
“But for me, the biggest difference is people do not trust us like they used to, and it’s not just us, it’s all of legacy media,” Dokoupil said.
He then went down a long list of stories that people want to discuss with him in public that they believe the mainstream and legacy media have gotten wrong in recent years.
“The point is, on too many stories, the press has missed the story because we’ve taken into account the perspective of advocates and not the average American,” said Dokoupil. “Or we put too much weight in the analysis of academics or elites and not enough on you. And I know this because, at certain points, I have been you. I have felt this way too. I felt like what I was seeing and hearing on the news didn’t reflect what I was seeing and hearing in my own life, and that the most urgent questions imply weren’t being asked.
“So here’s my promise to you today, and every time you see me in this chair: you come first. Not advertisers, not politicians, not corporate interests. And yes, that does include the corporate owners of CBS. I report for you, which means I tell you what I know, when I know it, and how I know it, and when I get it wrong, I’ll tell you that too.”
"On too many stories, the press has missed the story. Because we've taken into account the perspective of advocates and not the average American. Or we put too much weight in the analysis of academics or elites, and not enough on you."
Dokoupil added that he’ll be talking to and holding everyone “in public life” to the same standard.
“I became a journalist to talk to people,” the new CBS Evening News anchor shared. “I love talking to people about what works in this country, what doesn’t, and not only what should change, but the good ideas that should never change. And I think telling the truth is one of them.”
He concluded his message by saying, “hold me to it.”
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This wasn’t supposed to be the moment it all lined up. But last week, while the media industry was easing into Christmas, mentally shutting things down, and assuming nothing big was left to happen before year’s end, it did. Netflix stepped into podcasts through iHeartMedia and Bobby Bones. Charlamagne tha God got a bag even bigger than Santa’s. Ebro Darden walked away from Hot 97 and watched his audience follow immediately. Howard Stern re-upped for three more years with SiriusXM.
Different headlines. Same message. The power is shifting.
When The Tower Was Power
For decades, corporations held power because they controlled distribution, infrastructure, access to the audience, and just as importantly, the ad-sales machine. Talent needed the building, the tower, the network, the logo, and a sales department to monetize attention.
That equation no longer holds. Much like my current attempt to convince my kids that Amazon is headquartered at the North Pole.
For years, the syndication model followed a predictable script. Talent launched on a single flagship station, proved ratings success, then picked up a few affiliates while keeping that original outlet as home base. A syndication company stepped in, often owned or closely tied to the same corporate parent employing the talent, and began the affiliate sales process. Revenue came through a mix of cash and barter, while owned stations were required to clear the show internally to inflate reach.
That expanded footprint wasn’t just about listeners. It was about optics. Bigger maps made for better decks, bigger sales stories, and hopefully larger national buys. Syndication wasn’t just about exposing talent. It was about building a narrative the company could sell.
The Syndication Model Is About to Flip
When you look at the recent Charlamagne, Bobby Bones, and especially Ebro moves, that structure is breaking. The next era of syndication won’t be built on affiliates, mandates, or barter. It will be built on direct audience relationships.
Talent will scale digitally first, monetize immediately through host-read ads, programmatic sales, subscriptions, and brand partnerships, then invite platforms in later, on their terms. The flagship won’t be a station. It will be the show itself. Terrestrial syndication becomes optional, something talent can use for acceleration or bypass entirely if they choose.
The most sought-after creators will soon operate at a scale where day-to-day input from program directors, local affiliates, or format leads becomes secondary, not because those roles lack value, but because the product has moved. When creators bring the audience and the revenue engine with them, decision-making consolidates upward, not outward.
Radio, But You Can Pause It
The Netflix–iHeart deal deserves credit for something deeper than headlines. It acknowledges that the future of audio growth lives beyond analog towers and inside portable, digital-first IP. That’s not a retreat from radio. It’s an evolution of it. Netflix didn’t “get into radio,” and iHeart didn’t abandon broadcasting.
The move is especially smart because it isn’t built on new content.
What makes the move especially smart is that it isn’t built on new content. The same show gets made once, then expressed four ways: live radio, repackaged as a podcast, expanded into video, and sold upstream to Netflix. One creative act. Four revenue surfaces.
That’s a serious margin amplifier which is the perfect name for a Netflix show.
iHeart didn’t invent new IP for Netflix. It extracted more value from content it already had. When the same audience habit can be activated across audio, on-demand, video, and streaming platforms, every additional format becomes upside, not cost. That’s how legacy media evolves without burning cash.
The Kings of New York and Nashville
Ebro’s exit was both quiet and loud. He didn’t get a farewell tour — which he more than deserved — or a formal introduction to what was next. Yet with one post, his audience moved immediately. One episode. One day. Top of the charts.
That doesn’t happen when the station is the product. It happens when the human is.
Ebro doesn’t step into independence empty-handed. As a senior global leader at Apple, overseeing Urban music programming and hosting a daily show on Apple Music, he retains worldwide distribution and relevance, inside the most powerful tech ecosystem on the planet. His former employer, MediaCo, could have pursued a joint strategy with Apple the way iHeart did with Netflix. Instead, Ebro, Laura and Rosenberg will now build it, host it, and own it.
Charlamagne sits on a similar road. Podcast network. TV deals. Books. And radio’s most watched morning show — soon living on the streaming app that hates when you share passwords. At this point, calling him “talent” undersells him. He’s an enterprise. A portfolio. A CEO with a microphone instead of a corner office. Corporations don’t make the call anymore. They make the offer.
Bobby Bones is another clear signal of where this is headed. What started as a self-funded radio show has become a media machine. Yes, his voice still comes through speakers, but the leverage lives beyond the mic. The audience followed into podcasts, books, television, live events, and now streaming.
More importantly, Bones owns infrastructure. His Nashville Podcast Network is a creator-first platform designed to develop, distribute, and monetize shows with talent-first economics. Creators want to build with other creators. Bones didn’t wait for someone else to decide he was scalable. He built the system himself, then let larger platforms plug into it.
Bobby built the system. Charlamagne scaled it. Ebro proved you can walk away and keep the audience — while still working with a company whose stock trades at $271 a share. I’ll take a bit of that Apple over any radio stock.
Who’s Next?
Different verticals. Same blueprint.
Whether it’s music radio, culture, or politics, when the audience bonds with the voice, the platform becomes optional.
Alex Clark came up through music radio as well — we worked together in my former role. She learned the same fundamentals of cadence, consistency, and daily audience habit before becoming one of the most influential voices to emerge from Turning Point USA. Like her radio counterparts, Clark didn’t inherit an audience. She built a relationship.
Now she’s assembling her own media ecosystem: reality television, podcasting, social distribution, live events, and direct-to-audience monetization that operates independently of any single organization. Loyalty follows talent, not the banner behind it.
News and talk decision-makers should understand this moment clearly: Alex Clark is on the brink of becoming the conservative it girl, the kind of cultural force audiences follow across platforms before institutions realize what they missed.
Phil of the Future Predictions
While some GMs and PDs try to hold on as long as they can, the reality is simple: creators can now monetize directly through host-read ads, programmatic insertion, subscriptions, merch, live events, and partnerships that don’t require a sales manager, a rate card, or permission. Distribution is no longer scarce. Monetization is no longer centralized.
This doesn’t mean program directors, affiliates, and operators disappear. It means their role shifts. The future belongs to those who move from control to curation, from analysis to amplification, from decision-makers to surgical-level executors.
Before the org chart fully flips, this is your window. Broadcasters still have a chance to restructure relationships in ways that benefit both the company and the creator. Give talent the full force of your sales engine. Give sales teams something more valuable to sell than a broadcast spot or low-margin third-party digital products. Stop fixating on who owns a creator’s social feed, Substack, or podcast on the side. Build with them now and become an amplification tool.
If you’re a creator reading this, this part is for you. You are the studio. You are the platform. You’re the IP. Know your worth. Protect your rights. Build deliberately. Every time you hit record, you’re not just creating content. You’re creating capital.
For private-equity boards and legacy CEOs, the most valuable line item on the balance sheet is no longer a tower, license or length of your contracts. It’s the people walking in and out of your building each day wearing headphones.
And here’s the part most have yet to realize: some creators are now generating enough revenue, influence, and liquidity to acquire the very companies that once employed them. Deals like Charlamagne’s alone represent valuations that could have purchased entire legacy media companies multiple times over. If it were me, I’d work with them now before you end up working for them.
By the end of 2026, companies, managers, syndicators, and affiliates won’t disappear. But they won’t all be in charge either. The smart ones will evolve into partners, amplifiers, and champions of talent. Because in the near future, the people running the media won’t be those who control the company. The creators the audience already chooses to follow will be the ones in charge.
Here we go…*SFX Netflix logo*
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Here we are. 2026 has arrived. A new year for resolutions to eventually fail, predictions to prove incorrect, and 365 more days of evolution in sports media. Last year (you can say that on January 2), we saw more talent go independent than ever before. Many started their own platforms while still serving the corporate overlords of traditional media. Meanwhile, those sticking to the old formula and traditional methods are the ones still providing results for clients, thanks to the megaphone they continue to hold. For now.
However, a new year is here. If 2025 proved anything, it showed momentum shifting toward the creator and not necessarily the brand itself. Sure, there are plenty of examples around the country where the brand remains bigger than the creator. Still, in 2025, Lady Justice’s scale showed more balance than in any previous year.
That’s why I believe 2026 will be the year of the creator, talent, and entertainer. Rather than leaning on the outlet to build an audience, the audience will continue to find new outlets. More digital than traditional. Where ease of access reigns over the desire for “real.” That is why now, more than ever, is the greatest time to be a creator. Welcome to the content race of 2026. Are you listening?
I’ve been away from the traditional sports radio industry for over a year now. The walls that once confined my outward and forward thinking are gone. I was a lifer in an industry that continues to lean on its past while continuing to tiptoe into a murky future.
Over the past year, working for Jason Barrett allowed me to spread my wings, open my mind, and ask the right questions with an overwhelming sense of curiosity. I also moved in with my girlfriend and began watching Ted Lasso. Yes, five years after its debut. There is a scene in the first season where Lasso matches wits with his new boss’ ex-husband, the former owner of the team he now manages.
The American, who arrived in Europe with no soccer coaching experience, took over a neighborhood club in the Premier League. I remembered the scene vividly because Jason Barrett once played the clip at a previous Barrett Sports Summit years ago.
The scene shows the new soccer coach, with no experience, as an obvious underdog, written off before he ever got a real shot. Fans called him “wanker” wherever he went, underestimating what Lasso could bring to their beloved club.
Lasso found himself down in a darts match against the former owner and needed 170 while his opponent needed only 10. This was the round where Lasso made a miraculous comeback.
Between each set of three throws, Lasso spoke about how people underestimated him his entire life. He admitted that he never understood why and that, at times, it bothered him that so many believed he would never amount to anything. He then referenced a trip with his son, where they saw a quote by Walt Whitman on a building that read “be curious, not judgmental.”
It was a life-altering moment for Lasso. On the ride to work after dropping off his son, he reflected on how the quote applied to his life. He realized that those who belittled him forever never lived with curiosity. Instead, they judged him because they believed they already had everything figured out by themselves.
Referencing Lasso’s example, this is why I believe this is the greatest time to be a creator in the content race of 2026. I’ll circle back to this in a moment.
For too long, the goal for talent was the radio station or the network. The focus centered on becoming better than the last person who occupied the same chair. Sports fans have argued for generations about who is the next (fill in the blank). In sports media today, that question no longer applies.
Instead, the real question is what talent can provide as content and how talent can find outlets that want to distribute it. Nothing made this more evident than how 2025 wrapped up.
Barstool Sports, Spotify, and iHeartMedia arranged exclusive podcasting deals with Netflix. The streaming giant will now house content created by others on its platform that audiences couldn’t find anywhere else. These deals reflect creators producing content and finding new vessels to enhance reach and profitability.
We saw this years ago when Pat McAfee signed with ESPN. A creator producing content found another vessel to expand reach and revenue. Rich Eisen accomplished this last year by rejoining ESPN. Robert Griffin III told me his Outta Pocket with RG3 podcast follows the same philosophy. Emmanuel Acho said the same about his Speakeasy programming. FOX Sports’ partnership with Barstool applied the same concept with Wake Up Barstool.
What 2025 proved is that more networks and distributors see the writing on the wall. Audiences are shifting to more places than ever before. To meet the growing appetite for niche-driven content, they must seek out the best creators to produce it to hold onto any consumer possible.
Sports, news, music, pop culture, video games, and life advice all represent growing content categories. Distributors are actively searching for ways to feed their audiences, many with open checkbooks ready to do business.
Now, let’s pay off the tease.
Ted Lasso was a curious man while others underestimated him. Could the same be said about traditional media talent and their judgments about the content race shifting to the digital realm? Think about the talent at your station or network, or look inward at yourself.
How many times have you heard the phrase “being asked to do more with no reward in return?” Traditional sports media talent work long hours, pull double shifts, travel extensively, and juggle the same pressures of balancing home and work. The reality is traditional audiences are shrinking, and revenue continues to shift away. Less audience and less money do not create a strong business formula or a bright future.
That’s why my hope for 2026 is that every sports media talent who has belittled or avoided independent work begins their journey. Be a little curious. Enter the new year with a fresh mindset and recognize that sports radio is no longer just sports radio. That three-minute hit on a pregame show is no longer enough. Leaning on the security and success of the past no longer applies to the future.
Audiences are demanding more, and in any way, shape or form they can grasp it.
2026 will be the year the creator economy explodes through curiosity and by asking the right questions of the right people. Sports media will blossom in more ways than can currently be imagined. New approaches to using social media for connection, reach, and engagement will emerge. Bright stars of the future will rise, while many examples of the industry’s old evolution will fade into memory.
Ask yourself: If not now, then when? How about trying a resolution that could become your next destination?
This year will mark the beginning of what will be remembered as the greatest time to be a creator in the content race.
Are you listening? Because underestimating the future will no longer protect you.
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Let’s get this out of the way: this isn’t a complaint column. Sports media has never been bigger, louder, or more profitable. Games are everywhere. Content is endless. Access is unprecedented. If you’ll pay for it, you’ve never had more choices as a fan.
But better? That’s still up for debate.
So instead of forecasting trends or firing off hot takes, here are five common sense things that would genuinely make sports media better in 2026.
5. Tom Brady Moves From the Booth to Owners Box
Tom Brady can get better as a broadcaster. Broadcasting nuance takes time, and Brady is wired to chase mastery wherever he goes. But right now, the fit still feels off — and it has nothing to do with football knowledge, preparation, or effort.
One noticeable issue is volume. At games, Brady hears crowd noise in his headset at a much higher level than the audience does at home, and he constantly yells over it. The result is a broadcast that feels overly amped, even when the moment doesn’t call for it. It can be a hard listen.
What makes it stand out is the contrast. As a player, Brady was famously controlled — a slow breather in chaos. In the booth, he’s the opposite. Too hyped. Too urgent. Fighting the environment instead of letting the game breathe. That’s usually one of the first adjustments producers make with new analysts: pacing, tone, and understanding that television isn’t competition — it’s communication. So far, that adjustment hasn’t fully happened.
This also isn’t about a conflict of interest, despite some noise earlier this season around Brady’s involvement with the Las Vegas Raiders that misses the point. This is about calling.
Brady’s instincts aren’t those of a narrator. They’re those of a builder. He thinks in systems, standards, accountability, and culture. He’s obsessed with structure and daily detail. That skill set translates far more naturally to ownership than to live television.
The irony is Brady probably won’t quit broadcasting anytime soon — not because it fits him best, but because he wants to prove something. That drive is real, and it’s part of what made him great. But proving you can do something isn’t the same as doing what you’re best built for.
Which is why Brady as a full-time, visible owner makes more sense than Brady trying to win the booth. And yes, Greg Olsen, who earned the No. 1 job, is simply better right now. More natural. More listenable.
4. One Platform for All Streaming Apps
We all celebrated when we cut the cord. Freedom. Choice. Empowerment. No more cable bills and bloated bundles. It felt like a consumer revolution.
Fast forward to now, and what do we actually need? Cable. Or something like it.
I’m paying for everything. NFL, college football, NBA, MLB — I’m all in. I love sports. I’m not dodging subscriptions or sneaking around paywalls. I’m buying the apps. All of them. What I’m tired of is app gymnastics.
Jumping between interfaces. Logging in and out. Searching for games I already paid for. Missing moments because I’m hunting for the right platform like I’m solving a technology Rubik’s Cube.
We didn’t escape cable — we just rebuilt it without a guide button.
In 2026, sports media gets better the moment technology does what it’s supposed to do: One hub, login, interface. Everything I already pay for in one place. I don’t need cheaper. I need simpler.
Let me build my personal quad box no matter where the games are. Allow me to move seamlessly between games. Let me watch sports the way sports actually happen — simultaneously, chaotically, communally.
3. More Alternate Broadcasts Are Good
This is really about choice.
Not every fan watches for the same reason or has the same level of knowledge. Not every fan wants the same thing from a broadcast — and that’s not a flaw. It’s reality.
Some fans want Xs and Os. Others want numbers and probabilities. Many want vibes. Some just want something on while friends are over.
In 2026, sports media gets better the moment it stops pretending there’s one “correct” way to watch a game. We already have the technology to serve everyone.
Hardcore fans who want film breakdowns. Number crunchers who want analytics without translation. Casual fans who want context and entertainment. Influencers who bring an audience no matter what they’re doing.
Let the viewer decide.
Traditional broadcast? Great. Alternate broadcast? Also great, and not just for marquee games.
The ManningCast didn’t create a trend — it exposed demand. Fans don’t want fewer broadcasts. They want options. Yes, alternate broadcasts can be expensive. But they don’t have to be overproduced. Not everything needs a massive set and twelve producers.
One of the basic rules of YouTube — and modern media — is this: it’s not always about how it looks. It’s about serving the audience. The fanciest set doesn’t always win. Substance over style. Fit over fancy.
Sometimes that means a coach with a telestrator, or former players explaining why a play worked. Other times it’s an influencer reacting live, and sometimes, it’s Marshawn Lynch on camera. No script, no polish, just honesty, chaos, and a dump button. There has to be a platform for the Beastmode Cast.
Choice isn’t fragmentation. It’s meeting fans where they already are.
2. Fix ESPN’s Volume Problem — Not the Personalities
Let me be clear: this is not a shot at Stephen A. Smith. Stephen A. works. He’s entertaining. He understands television. He knows how to drive conversation. And the first word in ESPN is entertainment — I’m good with that.
The issue isn’t that ESPN leans into opinion. It’s that, too often, opinion crowds out credibility when credibility actually matters.
When serious stories hit — like the Chauncey Billups or Terry Rozier situations — ESPN doesn’t always have the right mix of voices ready. Not enough reporters who’ve covered the issue, and no where near enough legal or investigative context. Not enough people who can explain what’s happening without turning it into another debate segment.
That matters because ESPN isn’t just another network. It’s the barometer. Whether it wants the responsibility or not, it sets the tone for sports coverage everywhere else. Somewhere along the way, passion became synonymous with shouting. But passion doesn’t require yelling. You can be animated without breaking eardrums. You can disagree forcefully without sounding like the studio’s about to tip over.
What ESPN needs isn’t less entertainment — it’s smarter entertainment. Develop talent that isn’t just a foil for Stephen A. Find voices who challenge opinions with information, not just volume. Build shows where credibility and personality coexist instead of competing.
1. Stop Forcing Gambling — Before Credibility Becomes Collateral Damage
This is the one that actually worries me. Let’s acknowledge reality: the betting industry spends a ton of money. If networks pull back gambling content, sportsbooks will pull back dollars. Everyone involved understands that math.
That’s the conundrum. But here’s the other side of the ledger — the one that actually matters.
The only thing that could truly derail the sports money train isn’t ratings dips or cord-cutting. It’s credibility. Once fans start questioning the integrity of the games, everything else gets fragile fast.
Right now, gambling isn’t just adjacent to coverage — it’s baked into it. Odds on the screen. Props mid-drive. Parlays during halftime. The line between analysis and promotion keeps getting thinner.
What happens when it’s not a gray-area story? What happens when it’s big, clean, and undeniable? Because once fans start believing too many players are cheating — or that outcomes are being nudged instead of earned — trust erodes fast. Trust doesn’t come back with a promo code.
Gambling doesn’t need to disappear. Fans like it. It’s not going anywhere. But the current saturation level feels unsustainable. Pull back. Create clearer separation. Protect the one thing that makes all of this work in the first place. The outcome isn’t predetermined, messed with, or scripted.
Sports can survive bad broadcasts, bad apps, and bad contracts — but it can’t survive fans thinking the games aren’t real.
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I’m still a fan but unless she buys a Rock station or joins a band, Sydney Sweeney is no longer the hidden Easter Egg of this RockTernative column. I’m retiring her from this space.
Loyal readers or detail nerds may know Sydney has been a hidden Easter egg in my nonsense here at Barrett Media since the middle of the summer. For others, let me explain why it makes sense in programming and branding circles.
Back in July, when hammering on my keyboard about the ridiculous meltdown over the American Eagle/Sydney Sweeney ad campaign, I wrote:
“Any time I can include Sydney Sweeney in a RockTernative piece, I will.”
She was the moment back then and honestly, it was just a spontaneous line on my part.
Then it hit me.
Let’s run an experiment: I’ll find a way to subtly include Sydney Sweeney in every column for the rest of the year and see if anyone notices. If nothing else, maybe it’ll help SEO.
For the last 22 weeks, Sydney made cameos like an extra in the crowd who’s somehow always noticeable.
A Few Highlights
8.7.25 — If you were in charge, what’s the first thing you’d change tomorrow? (Hiring Sydney Sweeney and Free Beer Fridays don’t count.)
8.21.25 — AQH Rating is your listeners vs. market population (everyone from kids to Sydney Sweeney).
9.25.25 — The morning show pimping Toyotas is an endorsement. Sydney Sweeney slipping into jeans is product placement.
10.17.25 — This is especially true for radio talent that doesn’t get much real-time feedback: The QB has a coach in his ear. Comedians can gauge laughs. Sydney Sweeney gets direction every scene.
10.31.25 — White Zombie/Rob Zombie — they’re like Sydney Sweeney scary — not super gore or Satanic, but the kind of danger and fright that keeps you on your toes.
11.7.25 — If you want a Sydney Sweeney-style closet with a see-through dress collection that could bankrupt small countries, go for it.
11.26.25 — Zeppelin, The Who, and even Sydney Sweeney’s favorite band (the Stones) were regulars.
12.5.25 — Adjusting clocks or bumping Green Day from Power to Secondary are like straightening the bedspread. It looks a little better, but it doesn’t mean Sydney Sweeney is sleeping over.
12.26.25 — And then the fans in the crowd like Sydney Sweeney who every guitar player tosses a pick towards.
It started as a throwaway line, but it became a test of what audiences really notice. The exercise is a good reminder for talent that people don’t notice or remember everything they do.
It Was a Good Run
Hiding eggs isn’t my creation. It also wasn’t invented by Taylor Swift, who gets the most credit for her constant droppings. Rockers have been hiding eggs for decades.
Angus’ strip tease during “Whole Lotta Rosie” — never outwardly promoted, just something unique and exclusive for the live crowd (or fans who like old white asses).
Foo Fighters’ fake alter-ego band, “Dee Gees” — their tribute to the Bee Gees only true insiders really know about.
Rock albums have been littered with eggs throughout history — hidden tracks, backward vocals, anonymous guest players, items hidden in artwork, and other surprises for the obsessives.
Sydney didn’t become a movement after 22 weeks of inclusion. Readers weren’t suggesting new Sydney scenes. I never heard from her team. She’s not following me on social. Some noticed but if I did research, top-of-mind awareness would be low.
Which was, of course, the point of the experiment, and my initial thesis.
Maybe most never truly caught on, didn’t care, or didn’t want to ask, but the takeaway every programmer, talent, marketer and brander needs to know: No one pays as much attention as we think they do or hope they will.
The little things matter, but people don’t notice or value everything equally.
• Most listeners won’t hear the sub-kilohertz difference between voices in a promo. • Most can’t tell the difference between an original and a remix. • Many morning show P1s won’t remember what was said 40 minutes ago. • Typos go unnoticed in advertising every day. • Lots of Sydney fans would fail tests about The White Lotus.
Those examples don’t mean eggs are a waste of time. They are reminders that your audience has levels of passion or attention. Just like a spice track, hidden menu item, or Swifties getting their much-anticipated hidden signals, those little touch points can strengthen connection with the deep core, but they will be missed by many.
It’s OK, serve up some eggs. Just don’t mistake them for the brand itself or assume people are watching as closely as you are.
Thanks, Sydney. That’s a rap.
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What a devastating blow to Hollywood: Legendary director and actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were stabbed to death by their mentally ill son in their California home, marking one of the most high-profile and gut-wrenching tragedies of 2025.
Reiner’s fans, myself included, mourned the loss of a man behind the classics This is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride and A Few Good Men. But some on the right, appallingly, cheered his death, including President Trump, responding in the most jaw-droppingly insensitive way possible, seizing on the Democratic activist’s criticism of Trump. Attacking him after his death was misguided and insensitive. And a vast majority of those polled agreed.
Media Coverage of Rob Reiner’s Death
The coverage mimicked that of a radio station playing a hit song over and over again. It was on cable news virtually every hour for two days. This reflected both Reiner’s stature, as perhaps the greatest movie director of our time, who rose to prominence in his role as Meathead battling bigotry on All in the Family in the ‘70s, and the gruesome nature of how he and his wife were killed.
On major broadcast and cable programs including ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, NBCNightly News, CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News, the Reiner murders led or featuredprominently on early evening, late evening shows for several nights after Dec.14th, when the deaths were first reported.
Coverage typically ranged from five to 15 minutes per newscast on the night of the announcement and the following days. It incorporated details of the gruesome discovery and the LAPD’s response, as well as reactions from peers and political figures. And later, developments of their son’s arrest and charges. Some cable outlets also included panel discussions or limited reports on the mental health status of their son who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and had a history of drug abuse.
Then came the specials. The one-hour programs on network TV signaled a higher level of editorial investment, similar to what networks have done for major cultural figures. ABC News put together The Rob Reiner Story: A Hollywood Tragedy. It was dedicated to Reiner’s life, career, and the tragic circumstances of his and his wife’s deaths.
This program went beyond a typical evening newscast segment to provide interviews with close friends and colleagues, archival footage, and context about his impact on film and TV.
CBS broadcast a one-hour tribute special called Rob Reiner – Scenes from a Life, scheduled in a prime news slot after 60 Minutes. The show also included interviews with pals reflecting on his life and legacy. Actor Albert Brooks said, “Rob was my oldest friend. It’s that simple. He’s the person that I’ve known the longest. I actually, two days ago, I called his number.”
Fans expressed grief, disbelief, and nostalgia on social media at the murder of the 78-year-old. Many shared favorite memories of Reiner’s films and what his work meant to them.
President Trump’s Distasteful Remarks
Trump’s social-media posts about Reiner’s death attracted significantly more media attention and backlash. He made remarks linking Reiner’s liberal political views to the circumstances of his death.
“Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away … reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME…”
Outrage followed instantly. Celebrities, lawmakers, and the public condemned the post as a new low. A YouGov poll found 72% of Americans agreed Trump’s post was inappropriate – including a majority of Republicans in and outside MAGA circles.
Beyond elected politicians, far-right commentator Nick Fuentes, a Hitler apologist and polarizing figure, also publicly criticized Trump’s remarks, describing them as immoral and a misstep for the movement. He and others agreed the focus should be on mourning the victims rather than politicizing the event. When even Nick Fuentes is piling on, you know things have gone off the rails.
“This is ugly rhetoric. It is ugly, it is actually evil.” He also said, “…someone gets murdered by their son, it’s a horrific tragedy. This is a horrible story, and nobody deserves that. I don’t care what their politics are.”
And he is dead right. Even Fox News personality Laura Ingraham did not defend Trump’s remarks. Instead, she praised the “brilliant” Rob Reiner, who once came on her show after a chance meeting. She posted on X, “ROB REINER WAS A LEGEND.” This highlighted the chasm between Trump’s post and public and media sentiment.
Not surprisingly, The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg lashed out. “I don’t understand the man in the White House. He spoke at length about Charlie Kirk and about caring, and then this is what he puts out. Have you no shame? No shame at all? Can you get any lower? I don’t think so,” she said.
Cable news’ sometimes politicized coverage during discussions of Trump’s post distracted from the tragedy itself. But, given the spectacle of the president attacking a man who had just been brutally murdered, it had to be covered. Not a close call. There was a bipartisan condemnation, majorities of both Democrats and Republicans (including MAGA Republicans) viewed the post negatively.
Marjorie Taylor Greene had, until recently, been one of Trump’s most loyal MAGA allies. She explicitly criticized his post, saying “This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies.” Greene urged empathy instead of politicization.
Reiner was a relentless critic of Trump, tweeting in 2023: “Until Trump is indicted… our Democracy will not be restored.” Fabricated Reiner posts about Trump ran through the social media platforms.
Remembering Reiner
Celebrities shared heartfelt tributes in remembering Reiner as a phenomenal filmmaker, generous mentor, and influential creative figure. Stars from Stand by Me, When Harry Met Sally, and other projects he directed posted emotional reactions online or through statements.
Figures like Michael Douglas, who starred in Reiner’s The American President, talked about his personal kindness and professional impact in the CBS special. Douglas reflected on how deeply the situation affected him, especially in light of his own experiences with his son’s addiction.
“With this terrible tragedy, we’re realizing how much pressure he was dealing with in his personal life with his son.” Douglas would know, he had first experience. “I also had a son who had drug issues. And I’m happy to say he’s overcome them and he’s living a prosperous life.”
Billy Crystal, a neighbor who rushed to the scene in an attempt to help, took part in a joint statement with longtime collaborators and friends – including Larry David, Albert Brooks, Martin Short, and others, honoring Rob and Michele Reiner, 68. They remembered him as a larger-than-life entertainer. “Rob Reiner not only was a great comic actor, he became a master storyteller. There is no other director who has his range.”
SNL and other late-night shows honored Reiner with tributes acknowledging his role in television history. Reiner co-hosted the show in 1975, seizing the spotlight in its third ever episode.
Many other high-profile actors or directors who passed away recently received briefer coverage, suggesting that the extent of airtime for Reiner may have been unusually high. The media often treat shocking or violent deaths involving public figures as “must-cover” stories, regardless of the celebrity’s current cultural relevance. It contrasted with the short-lived praise for celebrated and beloved actor Dick Van Dyke’s 100th birthday the day before.
The Media Slant
I’m disappointed that his son’s struggles with schizophrenia and addiction weren’t more of a teachable moment. The coverage wasn’t deep. It could have dug into these issues in a way that might hammer home mental health issues and societal challenges.
Reiner’s death was a brutal end to 2025. It capped a year of relentless political and cultural drama of Trump’s first-year controversies, including deportation of illegal immigrants, demolishing the East Wing of the White House, and using the Justice Department to indict such political opponents as Leticia James and James Comey (which were tossed out by the courts.)
But even amid the chaos, the spotlight of Reiner’s career reminded America of his golden touch when it came to making movies and the enduring mark he left on Hollywood.
In the end, Rob Reiner’s life and legacy were celebrated, his death deeply mourned, highlighting a tragic story that shocked the nation, all amplified by the extraordinary media circus and the president’s incendiary social-media post. And Reiner deserved no less.
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New year, new you, and there’s going to be a new podcast for you to check out, hosted by Caitlin Sinclair.
“It is going to be a podcast in partnership with Newsweek,” media commentator Sinclair boasted proudly.
“I really want to be able to have authentic conversations,” Sinclair said of her debut show. A regular on Fox News, Sinclair is known for making headlines like “Glamorous conservative tears into ‘woke left mob’” and being named one of Fox’s “Top influencers in the Make America Healthy Again movement.”
While nine times out of ten, Sinclair is the most glamorous person at a MAGA gala, her fierce passion for fixing America’s healthcare system came from a not-so-glamorous starting point. “I was diagnosed with over a dozen autoimmune conditions at age 18,” she disclosed.
“For the first time in my young adult life, I was having to do my own medical research,” she said of the diagnosis. “I had to grow up way quicker and faster than most of my peers, who were drinking and partying every weekend. I actually spent most of my young college years in and out of hospitals, reading medical studies, and becoming my own best advocate.”
Through her own research, Sinclair began to believe America’s healthcare system is broken. “I was traveling from one world-renowned medical institution to the next,” Sinclair, a former One America News reporter, reminisced. “I was basically being treated like a guinea pig. To sum it up, it put me on a path of realizing I had a voice, but my voice was better off being used to tell the stories of people like myself who were going through something and really needed their story to be heard.”
Fixated on the “three-letter agencies that were controlling the medical institutions,” Sinclair found her drive. “I wanted to expose some of the corruption from a medical standpoint and a healthcare standpoint.”
A native New Yorker, Sinclair interned at the finest outlets the number-one market has to offer. “I interned at my local station, News 12 Long Island. From there, I got an internship at Fox 5, New York 1, and CNN.” She even worked on one of Lee Zeldin’s campaigns. “I threw myself into the world of politics and journalism,” she said of her younger years.
During all this time, Sinclair said she was in journalism to be a journalist, not to choose political sides. “I didn’t have strong political beliefs for most of my life,” she recalled. However, her internship at CNN changed that mentality.
“I was interning at CNN for the morning show, which was Chris Cuomo and Alisyn Camerota at the time.” It was Sinclair’s senior year, and she recalls being asked, “Well, which side of the aisle do you sit on? Because you have to pick. If you’re about to graduate and go into this industry, it’s no longer the industry it was when we started, so you have to pick a side.”
She did not take this sentiment lightly. “I ended up doing my own research. Where do I stand on taxes? What do I believe? What are my actual beliefs as someone who’s just graduating from college? And what do I want out of my life? Where are my beliefs and morals more aligned?” Her answer came naturally. “I just fit more at the time with the Republican Party.”
While Sinclair did not inherit New York’s deep blue political stance, she did inherit a big New York personality, which is something she is looking forward to bringing to her podcast. “I’m excited to bring that to my viewers. Just a very authentic, candid nature and candid conversation, where, of course, we’re talking about midterms and we’re talking about politics and the space. But we’re also talking about family and relationships and where this country is headed,” she said.
For those looking to follow in Sinclair’s footsteps, she gives the same advice her parents gave her. “Run your own race. Beat your own drum. Do not be easily convinced to back down. If you truly believe something, express it.”
She added, “In a world where it’s so easy to be inauthentic, to have such a highly curated persona, and to be like everybody else, people will actually respect you more if you bring something different to the table. Nobody likes someone who just goes along with anything. Nobody likes a yes man.”
From the start of her career, Sinclair has experienced people telling her, “This industry might not be for you.” Even worse, she’s experienced “Molotov cocktails thrown at me.” All the while, she’s kept her parents’ words in mind. “Run your own race.”
What started as research and self-advocation has developed into a fierce determination to help conservative voices be heard. Through her travels with Turning Point USA over the past year, Sinclair has found an audience some conservatives have forgotten about: metropolitan women.
“They didn’t feel during the past election like they were actually being welcomed into the conservative movement. They felt like there weren’t enough people in the space who really represented or spoke to them.” For those conservatives and many more, Sinclair sees you, she hears you, and she’s here advocating for you.
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