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Bill O’Reilly is Confronting Evil, and Embracing Media Independence

Krystina Alarcon Carroll
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Bill O’Reilly is Confronting Evil, and Embracing Media Independence

For more than 50 years, this TV legend has been “doing it live” and setting records with his book series. The latest book from Bill O’Reilly, Confronting Evil: Assessing the Worst of the Worst, is no different, as it marks the anchor’s 20th book to top the New York Times best-sellers list.

In his new book, O’Reilly focuses on some of the worst humans to ever walk the earth. “We’re talking about Putin, Hitler, Ayatollah Khomeini, Mao Zedong,” O’Reilly told Barrett Media, before noting that there is not a single woman named in the book. He says it’s because he could not “find one to come close to [the evil] these guys [have done].”

The host of No Spin News, which airs on The First, believes his book is not just about history but also correlates to events happening in the news cycle today.

“Obviously, Putin is a threat to the world; he has nuclear weapons, he’s a psychopath, and he employs hurting people,” the radio and TV host declared. “I think he would use those weapons if his back were against the wall. So that’s a threat to everybody.”

He added, “Ayatollah Khomeini’s successor is worse than he was. They fund and fuel terrorism worldwide, particularly in Gaza and large constituencies. All of the people that we talk about are, like, Hitler, Stalin, and Mao. Their legacies are being carried out now in some form or another.”

But you don’t have to be evil to leave a legacy. O’Reilly’s influence in media is profound. From engaging storytelling skills and groundbreaking hard-news style to reaching across the political aisle to bridge divides within the United States, his presence has changed the mediascape forever. However, it’s not where his venture started when he was a young adult.

Straight out of Marist College (now Marist University), the young O’Reilly became a high school teacher in a ghetto in South Florida for two years before saying to himself, “You know, I really don’t want to do this for the rest of my life.”

His Irish blarney style and love of writing brought O’Reilly to Boston University, where he received his master’s in broadcast journalism. “I started my career in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and I worked my way up to New York City, WCBS-TV, as a reporter, and along the way, I never gave up my love of reading books,” the TV legend recalled.

Bill O’Reilly, an avid reader with a passion for history, also always held insight into what was not particularly accurate in the history books he read: “So I swore to myself I can do better than that, I can write better books than that,” and he has.

“When I became famous at Fox, I decided to write Killing Lincoln,” O’Reilly recalled. “That was the first Killing book. I wrote a novel before that, but the Killing Lincoln series sold 3 million copies. Then we were on our way.”

Today, he is an independent journalist who runs three corporations. “But they’re not run like ABC or NBC, I don’t run them like that,” the veteran journalist said. “I give my people a lot of freedom. But they have the freedom to fail, too. I mean, you’ve got to do the job. I’ll give you a shot at it, I’ll pay you well, but you have to come through. And if you don’t, then we’ll find you something else.”

Going independent has also provided a better lifestyle for O’Reilly and his team, as they all work remotely. “For me, it’s much better, and it’s much better for my team that I don’t have to go into New York City every day. They are subjected to things beyond my control.”

One thing that is within O’Reilly’s control is keeping his work free from any ideology, unlike other media companies. “There are no standards in the media. It’s collapsed,” the radio host remarked. “But that helps me because I don’t do ideology, I don’t mislead, and I will not report anything that isn’t true. So people, when they see that, they gravitate toward me.”

He later added, “There’s nothing I can do about [the corrupt media] other than point it out, which I do.”

When pressed, O’Reilly said the media is not evil; they simply “want to make money.” The desire to make money does not help identify good and evil within the news cycle.

A good moral compass is essential to Bill O’Reilly’s life’s work. It’s also derived from the Bible. “I’m a Christian, and if you’re a Christian, you understand the theology,” he explained. “You know that the world was created with the tension between good and evil, and as a Christian, your mandate is to do good. And if you do that, you are rewarded. If you do evil, you are damned.”

“That’s why I mentioned Cain and Abel in Confronting Evil,” O’Reilly said. “Cain killed his brother, Abel, because he was jealous of him. That story is in the Bible for a reason.” He elaborated, “It spells out that we’re always going to have to deal with bad people, and now, in our current world, we’ve got a lot of people who refuse to do that.”

O’Reilly does not mean you need to confront armed criminals in the streets in order to defeat evil, but instead to be involved. “If there’s something wrong in your neighborhood, your town, even your family, you’ve got to try to mitigate. There’s a whole bunch of ways you can do it.”

“But you can’t look away, you can’t ignore it.” Building on this point, he expressed, “Evil isn’t defeated by cowards. You’ve got to stand up, but you don’t want to put yourself at risk. So, it’s a balancing act.”

For young people who are looking to follow in O’Reilly’s footsteps, he believes, “You’ve got to have discipline in what you’re doing. Not everybody’s cut out to be a journalist and to go to dangerous places.”

He added, “I put myself at risk a few times. A lot of people would never do that, and I don’t criticize that. But my personality is I’m a risk taker.”

What separated the leather-shoe journalist from his peers was, and still is, taking chances. “I covered wars, I went all over the world, including to 86 countries, because I knew this would lay the ground for success.”

“Basically, this was what I wanted to do with my life,” he added. “That’s important for every American to figure out.” To figure out what you should be doing on this earth, O’Reilly believes you first need to ask yourself, “Where is my God-given talent? Why? Because every human being has a special talent they’ve been blessed with. Then you figure out a way to make money and make a living, enjoying it!

“Number two, they’ve got to be realistic.”

Bill O’Reilly noted many young people today “want a giant house, they want a fancy car, but they want it now, and you’re not gonna get it now. You’re gonna have to work for it, save for it, and eventually, you will.

“But you’ve got to have a realistic view of what America is, a very competitive society. Nice things cost a lot of money. I mean, you’ve got to earn that money. But if you’re realistic and you’re honest, that’s another key component of success in life.”

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Stay updated, sign up for our newsletters to get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

When Networks Bow: Jimmy Kimmel, ABC, and the Dual-Edged Sword of Pressure

Lauren Ashburn
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When Networks Bow: Jimmy Kimmel, ABC, and the Dual-Edged Sword of Pressure

It’s not surprising that ABC caved to pressure and brought Jimmy Kimmel back on the air.

It’s not surprising that Kimmel delivered a heartfelt monologue while standing his ground.

And it’s not surprising that Kimmel’s ratings tripled to 6.2 million, plus another 26 million viewings on social media.

What is surprising is that the public groundswell against Disney and ABC forced them to become the poster child for fierce enemies of free speech.

The public shaming and negative media coverage were fully justified. And here’s why.

ABC put Kimmel’s show on an “indefinite” hiatus after the late-night host’s monologue declared that the Charlie Kirk killer was a member of MAGA. He said the “MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”

The statement prompted FCC Chair Brendan Carr to threaten the network with government action and specifically called for suspending Kimmel. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” he said, prompting Ted Cruz and others to say he sounded like a mob boss.

ABC caved a week later, putting Jimmy Kimmel back on the air even as major television groups—Nexstar and Sinclair—boycotted. Both had business in front of the administration. They got enough static to drop their opposition and restore Kimmel’s show.

So both ABC and the television groups caved. Twice. First to take Kimmel off the air, then to give him his show back.

We used to take free speech for granted, but not anymore. Government interference in any private enterprise is unacceptable and a slippery slope to autocracy. What if ABC banned Kimmel permanently? What would be next? The lesson would be: cave to the White House or else. And it would pave the way for more instances of pressure from Donald Trump and his team.

The president is no stranger to pressure tactics, as is evident from his litigious tendencies.

He sued, and won, against CBS, ABC, and others in the print world. CBS and ABC settled with him for $16 million each. CBS for editing an interview with Kamala Harris right before the election, saying 60 Minutes made her sound more coherent. ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America repeatedly said that Trump was liable for raping a woman when the actual term used by the court was “sexual abuse.”

In the Kimmel controversy, the audience uprising against ABC forced the network to change course. Many people were angry because, whether they liked Kimmel or not, this punishment went too far. He delivered a moving monologue on his first night back on the show, praising Kirk’s wife Erika and saying he understood why many viewers were upset. He stopped short of apologizing.

That was a mistake. How hard would it have been to acquiesce to the people who were offended by his inaccurate mischaracterization of Kirk’s killer?

After Kimmel’s return, Nexstar and Sinclair capitulated, ending their brief show of defiance and bowing to the will of the audience. One person was so angry that he opened fire at an ABC station in Sacramento. He had a note complaining about FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi. Fortunately, nobody was killed.

The station groups realized they had gone too far. This is a corporate lesson—both for the groups and ABC—in how to read the room when the audience turns against you. There comes a point where you can’t keep making decisions when your viewers mount a full-scale revolt.

ABC’s decision to remove Jimmy Kimmel will forever be a stain on the network. When you make that kind of mistake, it can’t be reversed simply by doing the right thing. It will be front and center in college journalism classes for years to come.

Ultimately, ABC did the right thing—not that it had much choice. Free speech carried the day. And that’s good for democracy and the country.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

What Sports Radio Hosts Should Steal From Jimmy Kimmel Before It’s Too Late

John Mamola
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What Sports Radio Hosts Should Steal From Jimmy Kimmel Before It’s Too Late

I’ve often written in times of layoffs that the most important metric sports radio overlooks is people. There are many ways to quantify what people could mean to the success or failure of a sports radio brand. With people, you’re likely to produce more live and local content both on air and online. Without them, we all know the result. In every case, the power of people continues to sway business decisions more than anything. That’s what happened last week with Jimmy Kimmel.

When Kimmel was ripped from the air, the people spoke. News anchors covered the event. Reporters asked valid questions to those in power. Over 400 celebrities signed an open letter in defense of free speech. Many in the media shared their outcry for the First Amendment.

None of that mattered in the end. What did matter was how people made their voices heard through the click of a button—a lesson that all in sports radio should learn now more than ever.

Following the events of Kimmel’s removal from ABC television, along with Nexstar and Sinclair’s decisions to pull the programming altogether. I wrote a piece called Sports Radio Talent Should Heed the Warning Sent Last Week.

It was a warning shot to sports radio broadcasters to understand how you are not as protected as you may think. I shared my own personal clauses in my former contract with iHeartMedia as an example. Plus I wasn’t an air talent. It shed light on how you could be in the line of fire by providing the example the nation was shown with Kimmel.

That wasn’t the only lesson to be learned.

That Magical Time Of Year

We’re getting to that time of year when sports radio talent begin to dip their heads into the executive offices. Pondering with their management team how “things are going.” There is always an eerie feeling in the hallways as the holidays approach because the axe is coming.

Too many examples exist every year for any broadcast company to believe otherwise.

Instead of the uncomfortable conversations around the Mr. Coffee in the office lounge, sports radio talent need to reset their focus. The goal now is to begin rounding up your flock and ensuring those relationships are up to standard or above. If they’re not, get them there.

What I mean by that is dissecting the example of Jimmy Kimmel. It was reported that during Kimmel’s absence from television, over 1.7 million people decided they were done with The Walt Disney Company in some capacity.

Cancellations of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN by everyday ordinary people put a dent in the pocketbook of the place that employed Kimmel and his staff. It was a reported 436% above-baseline subscriber churn. Despite an ill-timed announcement by the company of a price hike, the wave of people providing their voices to the moment shook a giant company to cave to public pressure.

No letters from celebrities or news coverage demanded change like the voice and action of the people—a forgotten metric by many.

There is a lesson in this for sports radio talent. The most powerful voice you have is not your own. The most powerful voice you have is the people you connect with and the clients you partner with. Cume and currency will protect your standing with a radio station more than any contract legalese you sign.

In Kimmel’s return monologue, he didn’t waste time in thanking the people within the first few minutes who supported his right to free speech. He also read a prepared statement from “Disney Management” about re-instating their Disney+ or Hulu account.

What does a good comedian do? Own the moment and jab the establishment.

The Power Of YOUR People

Kimmel’s example showcases that cume and currency were the metrics that mattered most in Disney’s decision to bring him back. It’s happened in television, and it’s also happened in sports radio. If you recall the story of KXNO in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2020, where iHeartMedia cut six employees due to “corporate changes” (a.k.a. layoffs), the people spoke up. Less than a week later, everyone was re-hired and there were apologies made.

It’s no secret that the companies who keep you look at numbers before anything. Ratings are no longer the metric that sway decisions when layoffs are approaching. I’ve witnessed and discussed this with too many people in too many places that make these calls.

Revenue before ratings. Digital reach before ratings. Ratings have shelf lives shorter than most fruit at the grocery store and can change by a single person swaying the forecast. They’re not sustainable nor trustworthy.

Long-term partnerships with clients and a devoted following will keep you in-house much longer than a good ratings period. Kimmel’s ratings have dipped significantly since COVID because people have adapted to other ways of consumption or moved to something else. That’s no different than the story for a great majority of sports radio talent and stations.

A Sports Radio Gameplan

The game plan? Make a call to every advertiser who owns a spot in your daypart. Strike up a conversation. Ask how business is going and what you can do to help them get more return on their investment in you and your daypart.

If you’re a sports radio talent who hasn’t embraced your digital audience or thought about a content piece outside your show, you’re late to the party. This is a great time to begin that process—the entry fee is as low as it’s ever been. People outside just your local market are the new targets for advertisers if you can build and enhance a digital following.

Why waste time with the same exercise every year—providing small talk with the market manager or finding out who has access to streaming audio statistics you don’t understand? Following Kimmel’s example proves that connecting with people in any way possible and re-enforcing that loyal following leads to a wall of protection no contract can provide.

At the end of the day, the clearest message from the Jimmy Kimmel saga isn’t about contracts, corporate clauses, or even content—it’s about connection. Sports radio talent who prioritize relationships with their audience and advertisers build a safety net stronger than any ratings book.

When people believe in you, they’ll fight for you. And as we’ve seen time and again, in sports radio and beyond, it’s the people—not the paperwork—that ultimately decide who stays behind the microphone.

Welcome to Q4.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Where Megyn Kelly Was Right and Wrong in Her Defense of Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens

Garrett Searight
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There’s an uncomfortable truth that every media member — whether it’s Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens — or literally anyone else will have to confront at one point or another: we’re all guilty of saying stupid stuff.

That’s just a byproduct of being on the air, having a podcast or YouTube show, and having hours of content to produce. You’re going to say things that you wish you had communicated more effectively, you’re going to have dumb opinions that you didn’t necessarily completely hash out before saying them, and you’re going to be wrong.

But here’s where the conversation gets tricky. Megyn Kelly recently drew attention, and criticism, for refusing to condemn recent comments made by Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, remarks that many have labeled as antisemitic. Her stance has sparked debate, and rightfully so.

There’s no moral gray area when it comes to antisemitism, racism, or any other form of prejudice. Failing to call it out isn’t edgy, it isn’t rebellious, and it certainly isn’t “sticking it to the man.” It’s simply wrong. Public figures, especially those with megaphones, have a responsibility to distinguish right from wrong.

“I have no obligation to ‘separate’ myself from anyone,” she wrote. “I run my own media company and my own show. That show is where I express my own opinions and I will decide what/what not to opine on. If you need me to condemn Candace or Tucker for their opinions in order to listen to me, then I may not be for you. He’s a close friend and she is under enough pressure (without) gratuitous shots from me. My fight is with the left, not these two.”

Kelly’s viral tweet, in which she essentially suggested she won’t bow to pressure to denounce her colleagues, could be boiled down to a troubling message, one could argue: “If you’re a decent person, my show isn’t for you.”

That is not the sort of message any serious media personality should project. It signals, perhaps unintentionally, that ethical boundaries are negotiable if enough fame or clout is on the line. And that’s a dangerous precedent in today’s media landscape, where the line between commentary and endorsement is already blurred.

Yet, it’s worth noting that Kelly is not entirely wrong in her broader point. She is right to push back against the idea that one must sever personal relationships over every controversial opinion. In a polarized world, we too often conflate people with the ideas they espouse. Kelly can still maintain her personal friendships and professional relationships with Carlson and Owens. To argue that she’s enabling their views because she refuses to sever ties with them feels asinine.

However, saying “I disagree with you here” does not weaken her. It strengthens the conversation by promoting accountability without erasing human connection.

This distinction between people and ideas is crucial. Kelly’s refusal to bend under pressure reminds us that the media ecosystem has become completely reactionary. Instant outrage has replaced measured critique. I think that has been highlighted and exacerbated — unfortunately — in the death of Charlie Kirk, who — for the record — was also guilty of saying dumb things, despite the efforts to canonize him in recent weeks.

If media figures only operated under the threat of viral backlash, all content would be void of nuance. Kelly is right to resist the performative cancel culture that demands loyalty tests at every turn. But she must, in my view, pair that resistance with clear ethical boundaries. Support for a friend or colleague does not necessitate silence in the face of hateful rhetoric.

Ultimately, Megyn Kelly’s situation exposes a broader tension. We are living in an era where nuance is viewed with suspicion. Audiences crave clarity, often at the expense of complexity. Kelly’s instinct to protect relationships is healthy. Her misstep is not denouncing antisemitism when — or for argument’s sake, because I’m not especially qualified to decide what is and isn’t anti-semitism, if — it surfaces.

There is another simple truth she must confront: some ideas are indefensible. Others can be debated, dissected, and challenged without destroying the human connections behind them.

In defending her right to maintain personal loyalties, Kelly makes an important point about media today. Courage is not always loud. Sometimes, it’s quietly refusing to participate in a mob mentality. But integrity cannot be optional. Media figures must be willing to draw lines where it matters. Standing by people while denouncing problematic statements is a balance that can, and should, be struck.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

The Art of the Radio Rebrand: Intentional, Strategic, and Listener-First

Ken Johnson
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The Art of the Radio Rebrand: Intentional, Strategic, and Listener-First

I often think about how radio can evolve to meet listeners where they are today. It’s not an easy task. Programming requires balancing the musical tastes of those who grew up with Urban music 20 plus years ago with the music of today, all while matching a delivery style that has shifted with the times.

When I listen to newer music and artists, I often hear echoes of the early 2000s. And rightly so—there were some very good artists introduced during that era. Chris Brown, Amerie, Ciara, Ashanti and John Legend and others are all voices of the time. Interestingly, all of these have new releases in 2025 though some may not have charted.

That brings me back to the idea of evolution—not just of music, but of brands. Last week, someone made a joke on social media about Cracker Barrel’s decision to change its logo and then quickly revert back. It reminded me of a time I was pressured to rebrand a radio station I was programming. The station had, in my opinion, the best call letters ever: WILD. Yet, the general manager wanted it branded as “The Vibe.”

The details are fuzzy, but I recall a conversation with the GM that went something like: “We can do this the hard way or the easy way.” Now there are a couple other factors to this story. Instead of changing the names to protect the innocent, I’ll save it for the book. As a result, we incorporated “The Vibe” into our branding.

This was before I had even seen a research project firsthand, but I still knew instinctively that it wasn’t a good idea. The change felt as arbitrary as the Cracker Barrel logo swap. When I compared the two logos side by side, I couldn’t see any obvious compelling reason for the change. I did not see a WHY.

There are valid reasons to evolve a radio brand. Consistently low ratings might push you in that direction. Baggage from previous management could make it necessary. Or, in the best-case scenario, better research might reveal an emerging need in the community and marketplace—if you’re fortunate enough to have access to that information. But whatever the reason, there has to be a reason.

Equally important is having a rollout plan. That’s where Cracker Barrel seemed to stumble. Compare that to MSNBC, which announced a branding change sometime a month ago. The hosts even played with it on air where they crossed out the old logo on their coffee mugs and scribbled in the new one. More importantly, they explained the thinking behind the change. Viewers may or may not have liked the reasoning, but they at least understood it. Whether intentional or not, MSNBC’s message was clear: “Here’s our why. If you don’t like it, get it out of your system now.”

That’s the lesson. Change for the sake of change is never a good plan. Being intentional, strategic, and thoughtful with both the “why” and the “how” is always the better approach.

As always, I welcome your thoughts. Feel free to share them with me at ken@kenjohnsonmedia.com.

NBC Sports’ ‘Sunday Night Football’ Adds To Most-Watched Four Week Start In Network History

BSM Staff
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NBC Sports’ ‘Sunday Night Football’ Adds To Most-Watched Four Week Start In Network History

Micah Parsons’ highly anticipated debut with the Green Bay Packers drew all eyes Sunday night at AT&T Stadium, but it was the quarterbacks who stole the show in a 40-40 overtime tie against the Dallas Cowboys on NBC Sports. Exactly one month after being traded from Dallas, Parsons lined up against his former team in front of a national audience, generating significant pregame buzz.

On the field, however, it was a back-and-forth offensive battle that captivated viewers, as Green Bay’s Jordan Love and Dallas’ Dak Prescott each threw for more than 300 yards and three touchdowns. Together, the pair led nine consecutive scoring drives in a game that ended without a winner.

The high-powered matchup coincided with the 20th season of NBC’s Sunday Night Football, which averaged 26.9 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel and Adobe Analytics digital metrics. Viewership peaked at 29.9 million during the second quarter, from 9 to 9:15 p.m. ET.

Through Week 4, covering five games, Sunday Night Football is averaging 25.5 million viewers across platforms, marking the most-watched four-week start in the 20-year history of the broadcast and a six percent increase from the same point in 2024.

The Packers-Cowboys tie also set a milestone as the most-watched overtime game in SNF history, surpassing the 26.6 million viewers who tuned in when Tom Brady and the New England Patriots overcame a 24-point deficit to beat Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos, 34-31, in 2013.

In addition to the on-field drama, NBC’s Football Night in America delivered its most-watched episode since October 3, 2021, averaging 11.4 million viewers. The pregame show is averaging 9.7 million viewers for the season, marking its best Week 4 start since 2015 and up 24 percent from last year.

Streaming figures also reached new heights. Sunday Night Football is off to its strongest four-week digital start ever, with a 3.1 million Average Minute Audience (AMA) across Peacock, NBC Sports Digital platforms, and NFL Digital platforms, a seven percent increase over last season, according to Adobe Analytics.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Fubo Shareholders Approve Merger With The Walt Disney Company’s Hulu+ Live TV

BSM Staff
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Fubo Shareholders Approve Merger With The Walt Disney Company’s Hulu+ Live TV

FuboTV Inc., the sports-first live TV streaming platform, announced that its shareholders have approved a proposed merger with The Walt Disney Company’s Hulu + Live TV business, a deal first unveiled in January 2025.

The special meeting of shareholders confirmed support for the transaction, which is still subject to regulatory review and other customary closing conditions. FuboTV said it will file a Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission detailing the results of the vote.

Under the agreement, Disney will hold approximately 70% of the combined business once the deal closes. Fubo’s current management team, led by Co-founder and CEO David Gandler, will continue to operate the merged operations. Both Fubo and Hulu + Live TV are expected to remain available as separate services, offering consumers a wider array of programming packages and price points.

“This approval brings us one step closer to realizing our vision of a streaming marketplace that provides consumers with greater choice and flexibility,” Gandler said in a statement. “We would like to thank Fubo shareholders for their support as we move toward completing this combination with Disney.”

The merger, if completed, would automatically convert all of Fubo’s issued and outstanding common stock into Class A Common Stock. Which will continue trading under the ticker FUBO on the New York Stock Exchange. By merging Fubo’s sports-focused programming with Hulu + Live TV’s broader entertainment offerings. The companies aim to provide a more comprehensive streaming experience while maintaining distinct service identities.

Analysts have suggested that the transaction could position Fubo to better compete with larger streaming platforms. These include YouTube TV, Sling TV, and Amazon’s live TV offerings. While regulatory approvals remain pending, the shareholder vote removes a significant hurdle for the deal’s eventual completion.

Since its launch, FuboTV has carved out a niche as a sports-first service, attracting viewers with live sports coverage. The merger is expected to combine that sports expertise with Hulu + Live TV’s broader entertainment programming, potentially appealing to households seeking both live sports and general entertainment under flexible subscription models.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Denny Hamlin Details Ratings Struggles NASCAR Facing off With NFL

BSM Staff
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Denny Hamlin Details Ratings Struggles NASCAR Facing off With NFL

NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin expressed concerns of his regarding the sport’s television rights agreements and its ongoing struggle to compete with NFL programming for Sunday viewership. Speaking on the Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin podcast, the amount of difficulties the sport continues to have is beginning to wear on Hamlin and other drivers.

“Just not good,” Hamlin said, candidly assessing the sport’s ratings situation. “We signed the deal that we signed. We obviously lost a significant amount of network races in this TV deal.”

Hamlin explained that recent broadcast agreements have prioritized financial gain over audience reach, a decision he believes has complicated access for fans. “In each one of the TV deals that we’ve signed over the last few years… we’ve always just taken the most amount of money,” he said. “It’s not been about what’s going to put us on in the most households.”

He also highlighted the challenges fans face in following NASCAR across multiple networks.

“We were the guinea pigs to get channel x off the ground, Channel Y off the ground,” Hamlin noted. “It’s just asking so much of your fans to keep chasing you around all these different networks.”

Hamlin understood the challenges with viewership however regarding the rising viewership figures of the NFL. He noted that the popularity of fantasy sports and legalization of sports gambling have played key factors in the massive viewership figures that play against NASCAR gaining any significant ground on the NFL in viewership.

“There’s only so many sports eyeballs. People that love sports love sports, and sometimes you’re just watching what’s on,” he said. “The NFL has taken such a lion’s share of those eyes right now, record-setting every single week… that’s their priority.”

He pointed out that the challenge extends beyond football. “Even every other weekend on a Sunday there’s another sport that has something big going on,” Hamlin said. “There’s always something else that’s got a big event going on that you’re having to battle against too.”

Reflecting on the new television deal with FOX, TNT Sports, Amazon, and NBC, Hamlin admitted he had long-standing reservations. “Eventually it all catches up, right?” he said. “When you’re tasked with getting channels off the ground, you’re going to lose some people. We just… took the best, highest dollar amount we could and pieced it all together and came up with the deal that we have. But long term, I’ve always had reservations about where we go with it.”

Hamlin emphasized the difficulty of gaining audience share in a landscape dominated by football. In 2025, the Cup Series is scraping by with an average of 2.52 million viewers per race, a 13% slide from 2024’s 2.916 million. Playoff races, which used to be the sport’s big draw, are hurting the worst. New Hampshire’s opener pulled just 1.29 million, down 32% from last year.

With his remarks, Hamlin underscored a key tension in modern NASCAR: balancing lucrative broadcast deals with the practical reality of reaching fans in a crowded sports marketplace.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

Nexstar Media Group Names Adam VerCammen as Senior Vice President of Revenue for The Hill

BNM Staff
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Nexstar Media Group Names Adam VerCammen as Senior Vice President of Revenue for The Hill

Nexstar Media Group has announced the appointment of Adam VerCammen as new Senior Vice President of Revenue for The Hill, the company’s digital political outlet.

VerCammen joins the company after more than 25 years of experience in sales, operations, and revenue leadership. Most recently, he served as the Chief Revenue Officer of The Washington Times. He previously worked at Gannett, helping lead Florida Today and Sightline Media Group, among other properties.

“I’m excited to join The Hill and help spearhead its next phase of growth,” said VerCammen. “As the #1 digital-first political news brand in the U.S., The Hill reaches an unmatched audience of lawmakers, policymakers, business leaders, and engaged citizens across the country. With Nexstar’s scale and resources behind us, we have a tremendous opportunity to expand that leadership and deliver even greater impact for our readers and partners.”

In his new role, Adam VerCammen will report directly to Nexstar Media Group President of Networks Sean Compton.

“We are incredibly pleased to welcome Adam to The Hill’s senior leadership team,” said Compton. “His vast experience in sales and revenue growth will be a huge asset to the organization, and we expect him to make an immediate impact.”

Vercammen will begin his duties with The Hill immediately.

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Pat McAfee Details How He Partnered With ‘Rushmore On X’ Program

BSM Staff
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Pat McAfee Details How He Partnered With ‘Rushmore On X’ Program

Pat McAfee has never shied away from speaking candidly about the sports media business. On Tuesday, the ESPN host and former NFL punter shared on The Pat McAfee Show how his production company unexpectedly became involved in editing and producing Rushmore On X, a new program that debuted today exclusively on X/Twitter.

McAfee praised the show’s creators, Mixed Management co-founder Ben Persky and TKO Holdings CEO Ari Emanuel, for developing a concept that he believes is unlike anything else in the market.

“Ben and Ari, I don’t even think they knew this while they’re doing it, they created a show that nobody else on earth could create,” McAfee said. “Ari’s relationships through business, throughout all these years, has ties with all these people that are the top of their industries, and it’s like he gets them to open up. It’s a very good show. We’re lucky to be a part of it.”

The partnership, however, began in an unorthodox way. McAfee recalled being asked for feedback on early cuts of the program and quickly realizing the editing didn’t match the platform.

“Ari was like, What do you think about this? And I said, where’s this going? And he said, it’s going to live on X, which is a huge deal for us, because we use X a lot,” McAfee said. “But the people that edited it clearly have never been on X in their life. So I watched it, and I said, I think this is s**t, to be honest, but this is really good booking… So then they just started sending us files. Literally just started sending us files a couple months ago… and all of a sudden we become the production company for this.”

McAfee explained that he and his team went to work restructuring the program, cutting down the lengthy interviews, and reshaping the show’s pacing. He believes the finished product not only helps Rushmore On X but also signals what X hopes to become as it moves further into original content and live programming.

At the same time, McAfee used the experience to highlight his frustration with some companies within the sports production ecosystem.

“A lot of other sports production companies get called for everything,” McAfee said. “There’s some a** ones out there who have never made anything true, and somehow they’re like an authority, just strictly because they can accomplish the task… that is the sports media world.”

He doubled down on that critique, saying, “There’s a lot of people that have these hubs or production companies that I don’t think they’ve made a single f****ng good thing, and somehow they’re still able to fundraise, and they’re still able to get deals and all this s**t. So I talk s**t on these people, pretty good, like, pretty loud.”

Despite those frustrations, McAfee sees opportunity ahead. With Rushmore On X now launched, he hinted that this could be the first of multiple projects.

“Congrats to them on a great show,” he said. “And what if this is another avenue we get a chance to do? What if we get opportunity to do some more shows?”

For McAfee and his team, the surprise move into editing and producing a program for X could prove to be more than a one-off experiment. It may mark the beginning of a new chapter in how his company approaches media opportunities beyond The Pat McAfee Show.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

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