The Athletic is taking its newsroom to the screen. The subscription-based sports media outlet announced the launch of The Athletic Show. A new weekly 30-minute video series that will debut Saturday and offer a fresh take on the biggest stories in sports. The show will be filmed at The Athletic’s Chicago studio and made available first to Fire TV customers before being released to all viewers across The Athletic’s platforms. Episodes will also be accessible on Amazon’s Echo Show and Fire Tablet devices.
Hosted by three of the publication’s most recognizable voices. Robert Mays, Zena Keita and Jason Goff. The Athletic Show aims to blend reporting, analysis and personality-driven discussion.
Mays hosts The Athletic Football Show and serves as an NFL writer for the outlet, while Keita co-hosts No Offseason and The Athletic NBA Daily. Goff is best known as host of The Full Go podcast.
The premiere episode will focus on sports dynasties, tying together the Dodgers’ return to the World Series, the start of the NBA season and a feature on John Brown. The father of Detroit Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown — whose unconventional approach helped produce a family of elite athletes.
Sebastian Tomich, The Athletic’s chief commercial and development officer, said the new series is designed to showcase the depth of the outlet’s reporting in a new medium.
“With The Athletic Show, we’re bringing that same rigor and storytelling to a new format,” Tomich said. “Partnering with Fire TV makes perfect sense — it’s where sports and entertainment enthusiasts already spend their time.”
Amazon’s Charlotte Maines, director of devices content and advertising, added that the collaboration gives Fire TV users another reason to engage with premium sports content.
“Our collaboration with The Athletic gives our customers early access to even more great sports content at no additional cost — right where they already watch,” Maines said.
The Athletic Show will be promoted across Fire TV, Fire Tablets and Echo Show devices in the U.S. Episodes will be free to access without requiring a download or subscription. Fans can also launch it hands-free by saying, “Alexa, play The Athletic Show.”
Executive editor Steven Ginsberg called the project a natural extension of The Athletic’s journalism.
“By bringing our distinctive reporting and storytelling to a cross-sports show. We can showcase the full range of The Athletic’s journalism and invite new audiences into the conversations that shape sports today,” Ginsberg said.
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On Thursday morning, the FBI announced it had made multiple arrests of current and former NBA stars in an illegal gambling and sports betting sting. The news drew plenty of coverage from the cable news realm.
Current player Terry Rozier, head coach of the Portland Trailblazers, Chaunce Billups, and former NBA star Damon Jones were arrested this morning in connection with illegal gambling.
According to the FBI, more than 30 people were arrested, including members of the Sicilian mafia, for two separate illegal activities.
Rozier is accused of providing information to sports bettors to enhance their chances of winning wagers placed on his specific performance.
Billups, meanwhile, is accused of working with mafia members to lure people to high-stakes poker games, where the organized crime unit used cameras and X-ray technology to see the cards of the opposition, ensuring that the mafia would win large sums of money that it subsequently laundered through cryptocurrency purchases.
On Fox News, the network broke into regular programming to cover the news. Correspondent Nate Foy was on location in Brooklyn ahead of the 10 AM ET press conference featuring FBI Director Kash Patel.
At the press conference, Patel explained the details of the plot. Fox News aired the remarks, and provided coverage throughout the remainder of the day.
🚨BREAKING: Kash Patel names multiple high-profile NBA arrests in an alleged illegal gambling ring that spanned years.
More than 30 people were arrested in the case — including current and former NBA stars and suspected members of the American branch of the Sicilian Mafia, La… pic.twitter.com/EXuu2VxylP
MSNBC responded similarly. The network interrupted Morning Joe to report the news of the arrests. New York Magazine’s Will Leich contributed to the coverage, as did MSNBC contributors Lisa Rubin, Mark Sanita, and sports content creator Jason Page.
It, like Fox News, carried portions of Patel’s press conference live.
CNN also went into breaking news coverage as word of the arrests circulated during the 9 AM ET hour. CNN correspondent Kara Scannell joined the network’s morning show to give further details on the news.
USA Today columnist and CNN sports analyst Christine Brennan also joined the network’s coverage to provide context on the NBA’s rules and policies surrounding gambling and sports betting.
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Infinity Networks has announced that it has named Jeanne-Marie Condo-Bucknell as its new Senior Revenue Leader.
She joins the company after spending the past 25 years working at Skyview Networks, where she worked as Chief Revenue Officer and President of Network Partnerships. She helped lead sales initiatives for ABC Radio and CBS News Radio during her tenure at Skyview Networks.
As she begins the role, Condo-Bucknell will be tasked with developing the revenue strategy and growth of the division.
“I am truly honored. This is a fantastic next step, doing what I love, centered on driving revenue with an exceptional team,” said Condo-Bucknell. “Infinity Networks is making great strides as a network leader, and I look forward to making a significant impact.
“Driving revenue requires strategic plans with depth-based concepts, stellar industry relationships, fresh ideas and new revenue paths, all of which Infinity is 100% focused on,” she continued. “We will leverage strategic audio partnerships, cross-generational audience engagement and unwavering commitment to client service, driving impactful results.”
“Jeanne-Marie is a respected and accomplished leader in network radio, and we couldn’t be happier to have her join the Infinity Networks team,” added Audacy Chief Revenue Officer Bob Philips. “Her exceptional reputation for delivering revenue growth, strategic vision and innovative approach to developing new revenue paths makes her an invaluable addition as we scale Infinity’s sales strategy.”
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Conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University on September 10th. In the aftermath of his death, The Charlie Kirk Show saw an increase in listenership according to the September podcast rankings from Triton Digital.
During the month, The Charlie Kirk Show finished September in third place on the Top Podcasts By Weekly Average Downloads list from Triton Digital.
That result represented a three-position increase for the show compared to the previous month. The program from Charlie Kirk was the highest mover inside the top 10.
Only NPR News Now and Up First From NPR bested Kirk’s program during September, according to Triton Digital.
The Shawn Ryan Show was the only other news/talk-adjacent show in the top 10 of the rankings, as it fell one position to finish the month in eighth overall.
It would appear as if the increase in listenership to The Charlie Kirk Show affected other conservative podcasts.
In addition to Ryan’s program seeing a decline, shows from Vince Coglianese (-2 positions), Clay Travis and Buck Sexton (-2 positions), Ted Cruz (-1 position), Sean Hannity (-1 position), Mark Simone (-5 positions), and Chris Plante (-5 positions) saw decreases during the month in their rankings compared to August.
In the Top Podcast Networks by Weekly Average Downloads, there were no changes as iHeart Audience Network, NPR, Audacy Podcast Network, Audioboom, and Cumulus Podcast Network earned the top five positions in the rankings, in order.
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Major League Soccer’s audience on Apple TV and other broadcast outlets surged 29% for regular-season weekend matches in 2025, marking a notable early success for the league’s growing digital footprint. In some of the first viewership data released publicly, MLS reported to Sports Business Journal that it drew 3.7 million global aggregate viewers across a full slate of weekend games — typically between 12 and 15 matches per weekend — most of which aired in primetime windows.
The audience figure includes games streamed on Apple TV, broadcast on Fox and FS1 in the U.S., and covered by Canadian networks TSN and RDS.
It also accounts for in-game simulcasts via platforms like EA FC Mobile. Both English- and Spanish-language telecasts are included, though the number does not reflect midweek MLS matches or Leagues Cup games, which generally attract smaller audiences.
“We’re bullish on this number. We’re happy with what we’re seeing,” said MLS Senior Vice President of Media Seth Bacon to SBJ, speaking publicly for the first time about the Apple TV viewership figures.
MLS credits the boost to international soccer stars like Argentine World Cup champion Lionel Messi and South Korean star Son Heung-min, who joined Los Angeles FC in August. Both players also finished atop the MLS jersey sales list in 2025, and the league believes their participation in the league drove interest and viewership.
The announcement of the viewership increases comes at the start of 2025 MLS Cup playoffs this week. Messi and Inter Miami will kick off the first round at home against Nashville SC on Friday. The Chicago Fire and Portland Timbers won wildcard matches on Wednesday to advance to the first round.
The league’s strong performance underscores growing consumer interest in digital streaming of sports, a trend that has accelerated across major leagues in recent years. MLS entered a 10-year, $2.5 billion media rights deal with Apple TV in 2023, which brought all games to the platform behind two paywalls – an Apple TV subscription and an additional MLS Season Pass subscription.
However, both sides have been unable to disclose viewership transparently due to varying metrics to distinguish between TV and streaming data.
The growth also comes amid broader expansion efforts by MLS, including new team additions, enhanced media rights deals, and increased international exposure. With more high-profile players joining the league and the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, MLS appears well-positioned to continue its momentum in both the domestic and global markets.
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The NBA was rocked Thursday by an FBI indictment charging 31 people — including Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former player Damon Jones — in an explosive gambling scandal with alleged ties to organized crime. Yet, while the sports world tried to process the scope of the investigation, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith had a very different takeaway on First Take: the timing of the announcement, he argued, had political fingerprints all over it.
During the second segment of the program while an FBI press conference was underway announcing the charges, Smith connected the revelation of the indictments to President Donald Trump, warning that what happened Thursday “is more about Trump than the allegations presented.”
“We’re sitting here on a sports show, doing First Take,” Smith said. “We all know what other stuff that I do. You know what world that I live in, in terms of politics — how many times for one incident after another have I said Trump is coming? He’s coming. We’ll say it on national television.”
The FBI’s findings included accusations that Rozier intentionally altered his play in a 2023 game to benefit illegal bets, while Billups and Jones were linked to a Mafia-connected poker operation. FBI Director Kash Patel led a rare, nationally televised news conference to announce the charges — something Smith said immediately caught his attention.
“I’m watching a press conference with the director of the FBI,” Smith said. “Tell me when we’ve seen that. You don’t see the director of the FBI having a press conference. It’s not coincidental, it’s not an accident. It’s a statement, and it’s a warning that more is coming.”
Smith argued the event’s timing — hours after NBA rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama’s stellar season debut — wasn’t accidental either.
“Big night for the NBA, Victor Wembanyama put on a show that has now been smeared because we’re talking about this story,” Smith said. “Trump has a long history connected to the world of sports because he had those casinos. Where do you think folks will come in half the time? I’m not talking about individuals. I’m talking about the culture. When people want to go to a casino, when people want to gamble, when people want to party, or whatever the case may be, this was his kind of connection to that.”
While Smith repeatedly acknowledged that the legitimacy of the allegations remains unclear, he framed the moment as part of a broader pattern of Trump inserting himself into the sports world.
“Don’t be surprised that the WNBA is next on his list,” he warned. “Anybody that has seen his reactions from the sports leagues and the positions that people have taken — they are not surprised at what’s going on.”
Smith closed his monologue by suggesting this might only be the beginning.
“He’s coming because in his eyes, folks try to throw him in jail,” Smith said. “They think this is like the tip of the iceberg… Everybody better brace themselves, because he’s coming.”
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Nielsen and Edison Research have released the results of their third-quarter study from The Record, which shows that AM/FM radio still earns the lion’s share of daily time spent listening.
According to the results, daily audio consumption hit just shy of four hours. 64% of all listening took place with ad-supported audio, according to Nielsen.
Of that total time, 62% was spent with AM/FM radio. An additional 20% was spent listening to podcasts, with 15% listening to streaming music, and 3% listening to satellite radio.
Nielsen notes for advertisers that the results show that more than 80% of all time spent listening is spent with either terrestrial radio or podcasts, while only 15% is spent listening on platforms like Spotify and Pandora.
When broken down by age, AM/FM Radio receives its largest share with those aged 35 and above. 69% of all audio time from that demographic is spent with the medium. Meanwhile, podcast listening drops to 16% in that range.
For those aged 25-54, podcast listening rises to 24%, while radio sits at 59%.
Meanwhile, in the 18-34 demographic, podcasts and streaming music both see a significant rise. In that demographic, 31% of daily audio time is spent listening to podcasts, while 24% is with ad-supported streaming music. AM/FM radio falls to 43% in that sector.
Additionally, the data shows which are the most popular radio formats based on demographics.
News/Talk — both commercial and non-commercial stations — is overwhelmingly the most popular format of the 35+ demographic. It earns a 12 share in the data compiled by Nielsen and Edison Research.
The next closest format in that category is Adult Contemporary, which sees a 7 share. News/Talk is also the most popular format in the 18+ category.
For those aged 18-34, Adult Contemporary is just shy of an 8 share, making it the top format. Pop Contemporary isn’t far behind, finishing with a 7 share.
Adult Contemporary is also the top format for the 25-54 demographic, the results show.
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Our time is defined by challenges and novelties. Over recent decades, society has experienced and adapted to innovations like smart TVs, the internet, smartphones, contactless payment, cryptocurrencies, and advanced verification systems, like biometrics.
Where once unsolved crimes dominated headlines, surveillance now increases public safety. Communication and money transfers have become nearly instantaneous, even over long distances — advances unimaginable to previous generations. Convenient platforms like Polskie kasyno online Blik are now commonplace.
Despite this rapid digital evolution, society still straddles the line between tradition and modernity. This article examines how contemporary Poland embodies this duality, highlighting examples where traditional practices merge seamlessly with digital innovation.
Entertainment: Old Stories in Brand New Packages
There is hardly anything more traditional than fun. Even in the darkest and grimmest of times, people somehow managed to enjoy festivals, games, and ceremonies. This section will delve into some of the ancient types of entertainment that have gained modern refurbishment and are still dominating the field.
Online Gambling Platforms
Gambling is an ancient activity dating back to civilizations long gone. Its most iconic embodiment, the casino, might not be that ancient, but it is certainly old enough. Online gambling platforms are a perfect example of how a type of entertainment associated with atmosphere, company, and a physical location may still prosper in the virtual realm. Thanks to innovative technology that provides convenience, accessibility, diverse payment options, and an overall user-centric experience, online casinos have thrived as an industry regardless of their obvious shortcomings.
Polish players have particularly gravitated towards the brands that were willing to integrate the Blik payment system. Innovation-oriented options attracted Polish gamblers due to the ability to instantly transfer money and a robust security system, alongside other advantages like rich game portfolios, effective customer support agents, and an active online gambling community.
Smartphones and Streaming
Significant advances in mobile technology have made smartphones more available to Poles, resulting in them completely conquering the country. Poles are drawn to mobile financial solutions, applications, and are using their phones to perform multiple tasks. Be it streaming a movie or a TV show while traveling by train or playing an online game while in the doctor’s waiting room, people are definitely utilizing contemporary technology as much as possible.
Tradition vs. Contemporary Technology: Challenges and Innovations
Although people sometimes like extreme oppositions, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. In other words, things are rarely black and white. What follows will summarize the key advantages and disadvantages of traditional and digital options, highlighting our precarious positioning somewhere down the line.
Contemporary technology allows us to reach a high level of personalization by providing us with content that is tailored to our tastes and can be consumed anytime. On the other side of the spectrum, traditional consumption offers a sense of community through shared experience as well as anticipation, since not everything is available at once.
“If used moderately and properly, digital tools can help us avoid delays, assure continuity of communication, or enable money transfers to family members on the other side of the globe. However, they can be highly addictive and end up stealing our time rather than saving it,” explains Kuba Nowakovski, author and gambling expert at KasynaOnlinePolskie.com.
Between Two Worlds
Just like in other parts of the world, the digital skills of Poles are generationally conditioned. Older individuals are less likely to rely on the internet and generally possess lower digital skills compared to the younger ones, which is to be expected. Still, internet and social media usage in Poland is high, as a result of a yearly increase in household web access. Internet connectivity has become normalized compared to the previous years.
E-commerce and Mobile Payment
Many Poles rely on online and mobile banking. The e-commerce market took off following the COVID-19 lockdown. Although digital tools had existed for a while, the integration was slow, as most brands and customers responded gradually to the potential changes. The pandemic pushed many to accelerate the adaptation pace, establishing digital as the new normal.
Social Media Sharing
Many traditional customs of sharing are currently enjoying a new life on social media. This allows people to communicate outside of their direct environment, helping them gain self-confidence and build identity.
Many businesses and creatives use social media channels to gain feedback and potential audience, and most ordinary users rely on them to keep in touch with friends and family, especially those who no longer live in the vicinity.
Despite being a virtual space, social media embodies a traditional role of building community and sharing thoughts, as well as policing and controlling behaviors. Although similar enough, virtual activity comes with its own unique issues that we are still figuring out how to solve as we go.
Poland as a Digital Force
Several factors transformed Poland from a traditional country to a digital force. Due to a combination of highly effective STEM education, government policies regarding digitalization, and seamless adoption of new technologies, the country has gone through a technological revolution.
Despite effective technological integration, many traditional institutions still play a significant role in Poland, like the Catholic Church. Its unique historical and cultural positioning has resulted in a country divided between conservatism and the adoption of digital tools and habits.
Conclusion
Poland has undoubtedly become a digital wonder, successfully blending its rich traditions with technological advancements. While government policies and educational support have propelled the adoption of digital tools, a generational divide persists, with younger people showing a higher reliance on technology and elders favoring traditional methods.
As Poland continues to navigate this dual reality, fostering intergenerational learning and open dialogue will be crucial in harnessing the benefits of both worlds. The ongoing conversation about the consequences and proper usage of digital tools remains essential. Achieving a harmonious balance between modern innovation and tradition will shape a resilient and inclusive future for Poland.
Cumulus Media is hoping to fast-track the evidence discovery in its lawsuit against Nielsen, alleging that its imperative to operate the company.
In a letter to U.S. District Court Judge Jeannette Vargas, the company says it needs to quicken the pace due to operational challenges.
“Many advertising and content contracts are signed in late 2025,” the company said in its filing. “So, Cumulus needs an injunction before the end of this year to be able to continue operating without irreparable harm to its business and to continue providing an important public service to our communities.”
Cumulus and Nielsen appear to be in agreement on the preliminary injunction hearing date — projected to be in mid-December — but differ on how much discovery should take place and be allowed before that initial hearing.
The radio giant has asked for the discovery to be completed by late November, with the preliminary hearing happening either Monday, December 8th, or Monday, December 15th.
In a lawsuit filed last week, Cumulus accused Nielsen of forcing media companies to buy expensive local audience data they may not need in order to gain access to the national ratings that networks, like its subsidiary Westwood One, rely on.
In response, Nielsen has labeled the lawsuit “entirely without merit.”
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It may have been on a new network, but everything about Inside the NBA felt comfortingly familiar on Wednesday night. The iconic studio show made its long-anticipated debut on ESPN after decades on TNT. However since the move was announced earlier this year, there has been a wave of commentary and concern from fans, and the personalities themselves in some cases, worried that the network switch might tamper with the chemistry, humor, and spontaneity that made Inside one of the best studio shows in sports television history.
Those fears were quickly erased on Wednesday night.
From the opening montage to the final sign-off, Inside the NBA looked and sounded exactly the same — only the logo on the desk had changed. ESPN’s branding was visible, but the soul of the show remained untouched. The jokes, laughter, and camaraderie were as sharp and effortless as ever.
ESPN management made clear over the summer break that the network was not interested in taking over content direction of the program where it could potentially affect the quality of what Inside the NBA has delivered. Moreover, the debut last night filled with moments making jokes of the network, ESPN embraced the first program and all it’s hilarity to show it stands by it’s stance made all summer.
Sports media weighed in last night sharing their thoughts on the debut episode.
"I was nervous today. … Every person that's ever touched a ball wanted to be on ESPN."
“Inside the NBA” has been the same exact show it’s always been. First 8 minutes were hysterical. With TNT losing the NBA this was the best possible outcome for the show.
Biggest mistake ESPN is making is just not canceling NBA COUNTDOWN and just replacing it with Inside the NBA in 7 mins it’s been better than ESPN has had in 10 years
We all asked ESPN to just leave these guys alone and let them cook and so far it looks like the world wide leader is going to do just that. https://t.co/Ern0YynWZr
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