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Fox News Leads All TV News Brands in YouTube Views During 2025

BNM Staff
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Fox News Leads All TV News Brands in YouTube Views During 2025

Fox News and YouTube data from 2025 show the network finished the year with the highest total video views among major TV news brands.

According to figures from Emplifi, Fox News delivered 4.5 billion YouTube video views during the full year.

That total represented a 69% increase compared to Fox News’ YouTube viewership in 2024. The network’s 2025 total exceeded every other brand in the TV news category tracked by the analytics firm.

MS NOW ranked second with 3.7 billion YouTube video views for the year. CNN followed with 2.3 billion views. NBC News generated 1.8 billion views, while ABC News reached 1.4 billion. CBS News recorded 675 million video views across its YouTube content in 2025.

Additional data from Shareablee highlighted performance within the business news category. Fox Business led business-focused news brands on YouTube in 2025 with 759 million video views.

CNBC recorded 356 million YouTube views for the year. The Wall Street Journal finished with 120 million views. Bloomberg Business posted 69 million views during the same period.

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NFL Regular Season Viewership Sets New Records for CBS Sports, FOX Sports, NBC Sports

BSM Staff
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NFL Regular Season Viewership Sets New Records for CBS Sports, FOX Sports, NBC Sports

The NFL’s dominance of the television landscape remained unquestioned during the 2025–26 regular season. However, a closer look at the numbers shows how FOX Sports, CBS Sports, and NBC Sports each carved out distinct wins across broadcast windows, franchises, and platforms.

CBS Sports finished the regular season as the most-watched NFL broadcast partner overall, averaging 21.252 million viewers, according to Nielsen. That figure marked the network’s best regular season on record and represented an 11 percent increase from last year. The NFL on CBS also delivered the most-watched program in all of television, with its 4:25 p.m. ET national window averaging 25.827 million viewers for the third consecutive season.

The network’s Thanksgiving Day matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys set a new benchmark with 57.231 million viewers. It became the most-watched regular-season NFL game in league history. CBS Sports accounted for four of the season’s seven most-watched games. Meanwhile, Paramount+ delivered its most-streamed NFL regular season to date.

FOX Sports also posted its strongest regular-season performance in nearly a decade. The network averaged 19.633 million viewers for its NFL broadcasts, up six percent from last season and its best mark since 2015. FOX’s America’s Game of the Week averaged 25.283 million viewers, likewise its strongest performance since 2015, reinforcing the network’s standing as a destination for marquee NFC matchups.

Beyond the games, FOX continued to dominate NFL studio programming. FOX NFL Sunday averaged 4.445 million viewers, ranking as television’s No. 1 NFL pregame show for the 32nd consecutive year. FOX NFL Kickoff saw the largest year-over-year growth among the network’s NFL properties, rising 11 percent to an average of 1.346 million viewers.

NBC Sports once again owned the primetime conversation. Sunday Night Football averaged a record 23.5 million viewers across NBC and Peacock. It marked the show’s most-watched season ever. The figure represented a nine percent increase from last year. SNF is pacing to finish as primetime’s No. 1 program for an unprecedented 15th consecutive season.

The package delivered eight games averaging more than 25 million viewers, setting a new record. Peacock led NBC’s digital growth with a record Average Minute Audience of 2.5 million viewers. NBC’s Ravens-Steelers Week 18 finale averaged 25.5 million viewers. It underscored the league’s ability to turn late-season matchups into high-stakes television events.

Collectively, the numbers highlight how the NFL continues to fuel broadcast television, even as viewing habits fragment. FOX, CBS, and NBC each leveraged distinct strengths, from national windows to studio programming and streaming, reaffirming the league’s unmatched value to its media partners.

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.

Warner Bros. Discovery Rejects Second Takeover Bid From Paramount Skydance

BNM Staff
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Warner Bros. Discovery Rejects Second Takeover Bid From Paramount Skydance

The Warner Bros. Discovery board of directors has rejected another bid from Paramount Skydance to acquire the company.

The rejection was expected, as Paramount presented the same all-cash terms as its initial offer of $30 per share in mid-December.

Last week, reports surfaced that the Warner Bros. Discovery planned to turn down the renewed offer, which had now featured  a personal guarantee from billionaire Larry Ellison, who pledged $40.4 billion in equity financing and related commitments to support the deal. Ellison, along with his son David, controls Paramount Skydance after taking over the company in August.

According to the reporting, board members are uneasy about how much control the Ellisons would exert over Warner Bros. Discovery’s debt management under a Paramount-led transaction.

In addition, Paramount has not committed to covering the breakup fee Warner Bros. Discovery would owe Netflix if it were to abandon that deal.

Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery reached a tentative deal in early December for a similar $30-per-share offer proposed by Paramount Skydance. However, part of that deal includes a $5 billion fee should the deal ultimately not come to fruition.

The WBD board shared that its shareholders could see “substantial upside” from receiving shares of Netflix stock as part of the acquisition, noting that Paramount would be part of the largest leveraged buyout in history should it accept the offer from that company.

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 Radio Format No One Has Launched Yet And Why It’s a Huge Opportunity

Phil Becker
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The Radio Format No One Has Launched Yet And Why It’s a Huge Opportunity

Radio keeps asking how to get younger. How to get more diverse listeners. How to sound less dated without blowing up what still works. And how to stand out against the competition when someone else is already in the format.

The answer has been sitting in plain sight, selling out arenas, breaking viewership records, and pulling in brand dollars that radio barely touches.

Women’s sports.

But not as a niche. Not as a novelty. And not as “women’s programming.”

The opportunity is a women-led, culture-forward, multi-sport format that covers all sports through a modern lens. One that understands something traditional sports radio has missed:

Everyone watches women’s sports. And women watch all sports.

 “Same Games. New Perspective”.

Let me file the trademark now, before this suddenly gets jacked somewhere else. We all know Jack loves a good trademark.

A Structural Shift (Not A Slogan)

Let’s be precise, because this is where your opportunity lives. This is not about adding women to sports radio. It’s about designing a sports format where women are the decision-makers and the voices.

That means:

  • An all-women programming and management team
  • All-women on-air talent
  • Women producing, booking, editing, and shaping the conversation

And here’s the part that breaks old assumptions: they are talking about men’s sports and women’s sports equally.

This is not a women’s sports station. It’s a sports station through a different perspective than The Fan, The Ticket, The Game, The Lockeroom. (Wow, we really love using the word “the” when branding radio stations.)

That single shift changes tone, topic selection, storytelling, pacing, humor, and what gets treated as “important.” Not because women cover sports differently, but because perspective always shapes the product.

Sports radio has never tested this at a true 24/7 network scale. Not a block of shows. Not a women’s daypart. And not a DEI initiative layered onto a legacy format.

That’s the gap—and it’s where the next decade in Sports media gets built.

Why This Works Now (And Didn’t Five Years Ago)

Five years ago, women’s sports were rising. Today, they’re unavoidable.

Caitlin Clark didn’t just rewrite record books. She pulled casual fans, non-sports fans, and lapsed fans into women’s basketball. College games became appointment viewing. The WNBA became part of everyday conversation. Angel Reese didn’t just dominate the paint. She dominated culture. NIL deals. Fashion. Social reach. She proved modern athletes don’t need legacy media validation. Legacy media needs cultural fluency.

There’s another timing clue broadcasters often miss because it doesn’t come from radio at all. It comes from gaming.

In franchises like MLB The Show and NBA 2K, women are simply part of the playable universe. For today’s generation of sports fans, this isn’t progressive. It’s normal. (Also, hit me up if you want my gamer tag and we can play online.)

The radio listener this format is designed to attract only knows a sports world where women are present, powerful, and central to the story. They grew up choosing female avatars, following women athletes, and consuming sports culture without Jimmy The Greek gender lanes.

Add in:

  • NIL turning college athletes into brands before graduation
  • Social platforms rewarding personality
  • Younger audiences rejecting confrontational, argument-driven sports talk
  • Women normalized as primary analysts and play-by-play voices

Five years ago, this format would have felt aspirational. Now, not doing it feels behind and tone deaf.

What The Product Is

Again, this is not wall-to-wall women’s sports. It’s women-led sports entertainment.

The programming mix looks like this: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, college football, soccer, boxing and betting covered intelligently without chest-pounding, alpha-dominance displays and recycled outrage packaged as “hot takes.”

Still smart. Still opinionated. Athletes’ lives outside the lines. Careers. Money. Style. Footwear. Mental health. Identity. Family dynamics.

Always visual. Every program includes video components optimized for social media. Clips aren’t marketing afterthoughts. They’re the first part of the format architecture.

The Audience Traditional Sports Radio Is Missing

Built for 25–45, with a female-forward audience composition that traditional sports radio struggles to attract or retain.

This audience:

  • Loves sports but hates yelling
  • Multiscreens during games
  • Follows athletes as individuals
  • Buys the merch, the shoes, the subscriptions
  • Actually moves brand dollars

Men aren’t excluded. They are no longer the default. Ironically, that’s exactly why they’ll listen.

Where This Makes Immediate Sense

My initial recommended target markets share three traits:

  1. Strong women’s collegiate or professional sports presence
  2. Younger median age
  3. Cultural openness to alternative formats

Think about the following markets:

  • Portland
  • Seattle
  • Minneapolis
  • Denver
  • Austin
  • Boston
  • San Francisco
  • Chicago

In these markets, this doesn’t feel risky. It feels inevitable. And if your market has a WNBA or NWSL team, this is your moment. Lock in those broadcast rights while they’re still undervalued, before the land grab begins. Let 98.7 The Jock Strap mortgage the building for NFL rights. You’ll be busy building equity in leagues, audiences, and relevance that are still on the way up.

The Hidden Talent No One Talks About

There are exceptional women covering sports right now who:

  • Don’t fit Debate TV aesthetics
  • Are over-credentialed and under-exposed
  • Already have engaged digital audiences
  • Understand sports as culture, not just competition

The talent you want isn’t symbolic. When given real exposure, their voices sound different. They take risks. They’re waiting for a chance, a platform, and someone who actually gets it.

That can be you. And if you move now, it’s talent your budget can still afford.

Phil’s Simple Modern Marketing

  • Audio and Video Launch Together
  • Social Drives Discovery, Radio Builds Repeat Exposure
  • Athlete & Host Amplified Distribution (They are the horse. Radio is the cart.)
  • Community Over Controversy

This format doesn’t fight the algorithm. It aligns with it.

Meanwhile, traditional sports radio is still arguing callers through the same debates with the same voices, offering little to no quality digital representation for a changing audience. It’s sports media stuck in “I was a legend in high school,” Al Bundy, Polk High School energy — loud, nostalgic, and increasingly disconnected from a very large percentage of sports fans.

 Where the Revenue Upside Is

A level playing field unlocks brand categories traditional sports radio under-indexes with:

  • Athletic apparel and footwear
  • Beauty, wellness, and fitness
  • Financial services targeting women
  • Sports betting with broader appeal
  • Travel, lifestyle, and experience brands

Women influence most household spending decisions. Brands already know this. Being first in the category matters.

The Competitive Reality

There is no true robust 24/7 U.S. sports network built this way, yet.

Podcasts exist, but they are fragmented. Legacy networks talk about inclusion without fully committing. Digital platforms lack cohesion, habit, and FM amplification.

This is not competing with ESPN, Fox Sports, or Barstool. It’s competing with what sports media actually is in 2026.

The Phil-Osophy

Year one proves it works. Year three proves it scales—and everyone starts copying it. It’s as common as three country stations in the same market by year five.

Seattle — see above.

Once this exists, everyone will claim they saw it coming. They won’t be wrong. They’ll just be late.

That’s how real format innovation works. Sports already includes everyone. Now the format finally can, too.

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.

Why the Potential Return of Dan Bongino Comes at the Perfect Time

Garrett Searight
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Why the Potential Return of Dan Bongino Comes at the Perfect Time

Dan Bongino is apparently preparing to re-enter the news/talk radio and podcast space, and the timing could hardly be better.

After months away from the microphone, his return feels less like a comeback tour and more like a well-timed reset. The conservative media ecosystem is louder, angrier, and more fractured than it has been in years. That chaos creates opportunity for someone who knows how to navigate it.

This is almost the perfect moment for Bongino to jump back in. Conservative media is currently consumed by high-profile infighting.

Ben Shapiro. Tucker Carlson. Mark Levin. Candace Owens. Megyn Kelly. Each commands a sizable audience, and each has taken shots at others on the same ideological team. The disagreements are public, personal, and relentless. For listeners, it has become a daily food fight.

Dan Bongino has spent years operating in that environment. He has never been shy about confrontation. He says what he thinks, even if it costs him allies. He stirs the pot without pretending otherwise. He also calls out people he believes are hurting the movement, regardless of their status or reach. That reputation matters right now, when many conservative consumers are unsure who is speaking honestly and who is playing to the crowd.

Unlike newer voices, Bongino does not need to find his footing. He already understands the rules of engagement. He knows how quickly alliances shift. And he knows how to criticize without sounding scripted. He knows how to fight without losing his audience. In a moment defined by division, experience is a valuable currency.

There is also a built-in audience advantage waiting for him.

Bongino’s listeners have been without their regular fix for more than nine months. That absence matters more than people realize. When you like something, being without it only sharpens the appetite. It does not matter if it is a podcast, a radio show, or your favorite candy. Time away makes the craving stronger.

So when Bongino returns, there will be a real thirst for his commentary. His audience has been without his voice for a long stretch. That gap has not been fully replaced. This is no disrespect to Vince Coglianese or anyone else who stepped into the role. Filling time is not the same as filling demand. Familiarity builds loyalty, and Bongino earned plenty of it before stepping away.

The second reason for renewed interest may be even more compelling. There will be an expectation that Bongino brings insider knowledge with him. Any blowhard can sit behind a microphone and complain about what is working or failing. That space is already crowded. What separates and elevates voices is experience.

Dan Bongino has been in the weeds at the FBI. He has done the dirty work. He has seen how decisions are made, and how quickly narratives change. If you know where the bodies are buried — metaphorically, that is — you carry credibility that cannot be manufactured. Sharing those experiences, even selectively, is a powerful card to play with an audience hungry for it.

Listeners will tune in expecting more than hot takes. They will expect texture. They will expect stories that feel informed, not recycled, and analysis rooted in firsthand exposure, not just social media trends. That expectation raises the bar, but it also elevates the show.

What remains unclear is what his return will actually look like. Will Bongino reclaim his old timeslot on Westwood One? Will he focus strictly on podcasting and bypass traditional news talk radio altogether? Is there a different, “hybrid” model that blends both worlds? For now, those answers are unknown.

What does feel certain is that Bongino is coming back to the game. The current conservative media world is noisy, divided, and searching for direction. That environment plays directly to his strengths.

Timing matters in media. This one feels just about right.

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.

How Bomani Jones Ensures ‘The Right Time’ Is Time Well Spent for His Loyal Audience

John Mamola
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How Bomani Jones Ensures ‘The Right Time’ Is Time Well Spent for His Loyal Audience

Bomani Jones understands the value of an audience. For more than 25 years, his career has spanned nearly every medium in sports media. From hosting talk radio in North Carolina to more than two decades with ESPN, Jones has built a loyal following—an audience that remains devoted as he enters his third year hosting The Right Time with Bomani Jones under Wave Sports + Entertainment’s umbrella.

“With ESPN, podcasting was always a secondary kind of business for them,” said Jones. “Wave comes from a different place, and it was always attractive to go there in the first place. They trust me with my content. On their end, they know how to sell it. For me, it’s gone as good as I expected.”

The Right Time was not new for the Atlanta native. The podcast began during his ESPN Radio tenure and became his property after ESPN declined to renew his contract in 2023. Since then, Jones has made it the central focus of his work for those who have always been there.

“At this point in my career, I am most focused on creating content that serves the audience that has been the most loyal to me for over 25 years,” explained Jones. “You’re still leaning on the people who are most dedicated to you. For me, that’s the people that I think most about.”

Finding What Works

That focus did not come easily. While many podcasters chase new listeners, Jones remains committed to his existing audience. When his HBO program, Game Theory with Bomani Jones, was canceled after two seasons, the experience left a lasting impression on his path forward.

“I had to figure out what I’m doing this for,” explained Jones. “It’s really hard to simply hold onto the audience that you already have.”

The challenge was complex. Without ESPN or HBO’s platforms, Jones had to find new ways to engage an audience that already knew him well. Staying fresh is challenging but not impossible.

After leaving ESPN and HBO, Jones took a pause to reflect and reassess his approach as an independent creator.

“The key for me; my energy is the part I can control,” noted Jones. “I found out that I didn’t sound the way that I used to. It’s not that I was sounding old, but I didn’t have the fire that I had at different points. I needed to go find that part again, and re-assess what I enjoyed about doing it and how to get to a place where I was excited about the work that I was doing.”

Now, nearly three years later, The Right Time continues to grow. Jones chooses not to obsess over metrics, but the numbers he hears are rising—especially on YouTube.

With more than 102,000 subscribers and an average of 783,000 views last month, according to Social Blade, Jones credits his success to his honesty.

“The most important thing always is does your audience believe you,” said Jones. “Does your audience believe that you mean the things you say. It’s not about do they believe that you’re right all the time, but it is do they trust the sincerity of your words.”

Podcast Industry Evolving

Jones’ connection to his audience extends to engaging with his community on social media. He pays close attention to social media and comments regarding his content, always with an eye on engaging with those who give him their time. Jones says he treats his podcast as an opt-in product—listeners who actively choose to engage, on any platform.

As much as Jones focuses on his loyal following, content discovery continues to evolve. With video becoming a bigger piece of the podcast format, Netflix’s exclusive partnerships with The Ringer, Barstool Sports, and iHeartMedia have caught his attention. Jones sees Netflix as a logical platform to experiment with putting once-free video content behind a paywall, though he cautions about its potential implications for creators.

“If somebody comes to a creator and says ‘we want to put your work behind a paywall but we’re using your work to try to attract people to pay for our service’, that would be something people [creators] should worry about,” explained Jones. “I don’t know if I would turn on Netflix to go watch my podcast… but it’s worth seeing if people do.”

Whether Netflix’s move into podcasts succeeds remains to be seen. The interest itself signals industry growth. As the market expands, profitability becomes harder. Jones knows the challenge of growing an audience firsthand from 25 years of experience.

For new creators, the task is even tougher. Competition for attention is always intense in a crowded market. Jones often advises students and aspiring sports media professionals that navigating a space that values celebrity over substance can be challenging.

“If someone told me that they’re going to start a podcast, I’d tell them don’t do it like mine,” said Jones. “Your best path trying to cut through today is hosting a podcast about something in particular. Then marketing it on social media with that niche audience. There’s no easy answer. The concern is once they get success, there’s so many people already where the profits level off to zero because it’s so crowded.”

Reflections On ESPN

Many seeking his advice know Jones from ESPN, where he was a fixture on ESPN Radio and appeared regularly on Highly Questionable and Around the Horn. He made 561 appearances on Around the Horn starting in 2010. Regarding the show’s cancellation in May 2025, Jones was not surprised ESPN has yet to announce an official replacement.

“I’ve worked around ESPN for the better part of about twenty years. Never assume there’s a plan,” said Jones. “It seems very clear to me that Burke Magnus didn’t like Around the Horn. And if you tell most people that get to be in charge, change whatever you want and get rid of the show you didn’t like. You’d probably do it, and that appears to be what happened.”

Jones believes there may have been an initial plan for a replacement, but his personal radio experience shapes his outlook.

“The fact that I worked in radio leaves me numb to decisions like that,” joked Jones. “Radio is full of people who were on top of their game one day and then walked out the next day by security. The idea that a show [Around the Horn] that had a long run of success, and somebody changed it for the sake of change. It doesn’t surprise me in the least.”

Jones overall views his ESPN tenure positively, valuing the audience and opportunities it provided. At the same time, he remains candid about the network since his departure. That honesty and authenticity is what he feels continues to resonate with his audience.

“I truly enjoy and love being at the center of this community. Creating something that people can continue to bond around,” said Jones. “We’re all part of something. It is more important for me at this point in my career to maintain the fact that these people feel a part of something.”

For Bomani Jones, The Right Time is always the next time. Maintaining a focus on ensuring the time his loyal audience allows him is time well spent.

“I don’t have to chase an audience or dollars. I’m fortunate in that regard,” noted Jones. “What I would like to do with that measure of privilege that has been afforded to me, is to be there for this community that has made it all possible.”

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Tony Dokoupil’s CBS Evening News Debut Shows Just How Unforgiving the Anchor Chair Can Be

Lauren Ashburn
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Tony Dokoupil’s CBS Evening News Debut Shows Just How Unforgiving the Anchor Chair Can Be

Tony Dokoupil’s long-awaited first weekday primetime newscast as the newly-crowned anchor of CBS Evening News was — there’s no polite way to say it — a bit of a (expletive) show. 

The broadcast quickly went sideways when, in a rare moment of live-TV self-awareness, Dokoupil openly acknowledged just how badly things were unraveling in real time.

“To other news now. To Governor Walz, no we’re going to do Mark Kelly. First day, big problems here. Are we going to go to Kelly…We’re doing Mark Kelly, possibly demoted from his retired rank as captain in the Navy.”

Whew, that was painful to watch. And, it wasn’t the only time he stumbled.

His first few minutes in the anchor chair, once held by the fabled Walter Cronkite, seemed like a pretty regular newscast. Anchor tossing to reporters in the field, anchor interviewing guests on screen. And then, most likely through no fault of his own, he had no idea where he was going.

Most likely, and to be fair,  this wasn’t entirely his fault. As a former anchor, I can tell you what this looked like: the control room rolling the wrong video, producers barking conflicting instructions into his ear, last-second changes blowing up the rundown. Live television is unforgiving, and when it goes wrong, it goes wrong fast.

Still, the mistakes always land on the face the audience sees. That’s the brutal reality of the anchor chair. It’s the anchor’s job to check, recheck, and triple-check the script order – especially on night one.

NBC’s recent rollout of Tom Llamas as evening news anchor went off without a hitch. CBS’s… not so much. Let’s hope, for them, it’s not a harbinger of things to come. The last-rated broadcast newscast – trailing leader ABC by more than three million viewers – is trying to claw its way out of the basement. This was not a promising start.

On a positive note, he seemed relaxed and in control at other times. In a not-so-anchor-like move, he added his opinion about how the Venezuelan invasion helps the U.S., “if at all.” 

“When you zoom out a bit, you can actually see the outlines of an answer,” Doukopil declared. “Russia, China, and Iran have been building a presence in Venezuela, a base of power and influence in the hemisphere. With Maduro now out, that base of power and influence could be out too.”

Plus, his demeanor was affable, and he struck a provocative tone at the end of the broadcast, talking about a group of middle-aged and elderly who made a nude calendar trying to raise money to reduce taxes. It was a far cry from his immediate predecessors, John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois, who couldn’t find chemistry and tanked the ratings.

Dokoupil’s roll-out video, posted days before he took over the helm of CBS Evening News, set off a media wildfire after making a controversial comment comparing himself favorably to Cronkite. Critics called the remark “foolish,” viewing it as dismissive of the network’s storied standards.

Dokoupil, who had been the co-host of CBS Mornings, kicked off his tenure abruptly on CBS Evening News on Saturday’s broadcast with a three-segment showdown with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. It was a bold and decisive move to grab a high-profile administration official intimately involved in the Trump administration’s decision to bomb Caracas and capture Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro on January 3rd – to his credit, blowing out the plan to unveil Dokoupil days later.

But, the criticism of the questions was swift and damning, even as some praised the importance and timelines of the interview. Some media critics argued that Dokoupil gave Hegseth a free pass, letting him spin the administration’s talking points while failing to ask hard-hitting questions expected of CBS anchors. 

One media commenter described the segments as “mostly turned over to Secretary Hegseth” by not asking key questions about the legality of the raid and President Trump’s controversial promise to bring in American military troops to occupy Venezuela. Softball journalism, critics cried. 

But here’s where I blow the whistle. While I understand the concerns expressed, Dokoupil pushed Hegseth on several fronts. He did ask him if the administration planned to put troops on the ground, whether Congress would be involved going forward (unlike during the airstrikes and stunning capture of Maduro), and whether the mission was about freedom or oil. 

But most importantly, he stressed the point of the raid against history: He asked if this maneuver – with Trump and Marco Rubio saying they’ll run the country – regime change!– echoes the period twenty years when the U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq and toppled Saddam Hussein, based on faulty assurances about weapons of mass destruction, turning into an endless quagmire that cost 4,500 American military people their lives, and another 32,000 wounded: “Many of the president’s own supporters tonight are wondering, how is this, this time around, going to be different, and how is it in the U.S. interest?”

It’s also a reminder of Teddy Roosevelt-style, big-stick attacks, when gunboat diplomacy meant seizing anyone you wanted.

Media personalities like former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, now something of a crank, mocked Dokoupil’s interview on his podcast, suggesting he acted more like a “chief propagandist” than a hard-hitting anchor, framing his approach as too cooperative with Hegseth and the administration’s narrative.

TV Insider’s social media critic also complained that Dokoupil didn’t challenge Hegseth. “@tonydokoupil is the latest member of Trump’s state-run media team. Giving @PeteHegseth 20 mins of softball questions on the evening news? Walter Cronkite is rolling over in his grave right now.”

But many media liberals have their own agenda, believing that Bari Weiss, the new editor-in-chief of CBS News, is pushing the operation to the right. She describes herself as a “radical centrist.” 

Dokoupil’s transition into the evening anchor chair itself has attracted criticism, not just for the content of the interview but for the strategy he signaled. Some critics claim he tried to appeal to audiences who distrust legacy media and that this may shape how interviews like Hegseth’s are conducted.

In a promo video, Dukoupil made this pronouncement: “On too many stories, the press has missed the story…we put too much weight in the analysis of academics or elites and not enough on you.” And that set off a firestorm of criticism from those on the left. Bravo’s host Andy Cohen wrote: “Listening too much to experts? WTF.” 

TheWrap highlighted Dokoupil’s adaptability, noting that the early broadcast debut, moved up for the dramatic breaking news in Venezuela, “was actually a better launch than anything else we could have come up with.”

The verdict? Dokoupil may have ruffled feathers with a Cronkite comparison and faced the predictable storm from the left, but his handling of Hegseth shows he’s willing to challenge power, even if one of the administration’s chief spinners tried to dodge the questions.

As for Monday’s performance, it was a chaotic launch that underscored just how far CBS Evening News still has to climb. CBS can only hope this was a bad night, not a bad omen.

When he signed off, Tony Doukopil told viewers: “I can’t believe they let me keep that line.” A nice touch, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who smiled.

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 NFL Signals Their Future Plans by Placing Bears/Packers on Prime Video

John Mamola
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The NFL Signals Their Future Plans by Placing Bears/Packers on Prime Video

At 45 years old, it’s hard to imagine a more die-hard Chicago sports fan than myself. My lifetime has included as many championships as gut-wrenching seasons. I’ve watched the greatest of all time lace up sneakers and seen century-old curses become extinct. This weekend, the Chicago Bears face the Green Bay Packers in the NFL playoffs—and many fans aren’t happy about it.

On Sunday night, during halftime of the Sunday Night Football game between Pittsburgh and Baltimore, the NFL dropped an atom bomb on the league’s oldest rivalry. Playoff football in Chicago against Green Bay…on Prime Video. Yes, the most anticipated game of the weekend, featuring two of the NFL’s marquee franchises, is behind a paywall.

Bears and Packers fans across the nation were outraged—but the move was a sign of things to come. With the NFL signaling openness to renegotiating media deals earlier than expected, putting the top Wild Card game on a streaming platform is a warning shot to traditional partners.

The NFL is the king of sports media. Its games keep networks viable, sports radio alive, and podcasts profitable. Media devotes more resources to covering the NFL than any other sport. Budgets are set, jobs hinge on revenue goals, and the stakes are high.

Why? Interest in the NFL has never been greater. In 2025, sports accounted for 96 of the 100 most-watched shows—tying a record. Last year, 92 of the top 100 were football-related, including 84 NFL games.

With the playoffs approaching, networks were salivating. The coveted game was Bears-Packers, a rivalry as old as time. Chicago enjoyed a magical season with comeback after comeback. Could they beat their archrival two out of three times and who would be the lucky one to broadcast the action?

FOX Sports had the coveted Sunday 4:25 p.m. America’s Game of the Week slot. CBS offers the early window fans expect on a typical NFL game day. NBC, ratings darling of the NFL, would have been a natural home. ESPN’s Monday Night Football, steeped in tradition, remains iconic. Also, didn’t the NFL just acquire a stake in ESPN?

None of those were what the NFL decided on.

Instead, the NFL went with Prime Video—behind a paywall, outside the traditional network structure, with a clear eye on future business. Streaming exclusives aren’t new: the Chiefs-Dolphins playoff game appeared on Peacock in 2024, and last year Prime Video hosted Ravens-Steelers. But Bears-Packers is different. The teams alone move the needle in a way those games didn’t.

Jeff Agrest of the Chicago Sun-Times reports the NFL’s goal is simple: streaming must play a major role in the next round of media rights deals. Prime Video’s deal has sparked other agreements with Netflix, YouTube, and Peacock for exclusivity.

And Prime Video is succeeding. In fact, it had its best year in Thursday Night Football history, with viewership up 16% from last season, averaging 15.33 million viewers. The demos are younger, and the model points to the industry’s future.

The NFL signed an 11-year, $111 billion media package in 2021, running through the 2033 season. ESPN has an extra year, and the league retains an opt-out after 2029–30. By favoring Prime Video, the NFL rewarded it’s newest weekly partner while signaling its priorities for the future.

What does this mean for other network partners? It’s a wake-up call: viewers continue to cut cords, streaming subscriptions are rising, and the NFL sees an untapped revenue opportunity. The league is the last to truly cash in.

The NBA streams games on Peacock and Prime Video. MLB moves games to Netflix and Peacock. The NHL has a boatload of games on ESPN+. The NFL has the fewest games but the biggest opportunity. Bears-Packers on Prime Video shows what’s possible. Could CBS place more games exclusively on Paramount+? NBC on Peacock? FOX One and ESPN direct-to-consumer also hint at possibility for new deals. Netflix and YouTube are potential partners.

Don’t get it twisted: NFL greed doesn’t benefit the NFL fan. It’s business. Prime Video got its back scratched, and now Amazon will likely pay more in the next media rights cycle.

The NFL has been, is, and will always be in the driver’s seat. Media rights costs will rise. Networks can’t risk losing football because consumers could potentially balk at the price. For fans, Bears-Packers behind a paywall is a gut punch—but make no mistake: the NFL isn’t just serving football; it’s shaping the future of sports media.

Networks should take notice. Timing is everything, and the NFL is already signaling its playbook for the next wave of agreements.

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.

Has Modern Music Lost the Path To Being Unforgettable for the Listener?

Mike Gunz
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Has Modern Music Lost the Path To Being Unforgettable for the Listener?

As the clock ticked down toward midnight on New Year’s Eve and yours truly was in charge of the music on the Bluetooth speaker for a party of around 60 people, this year’s celebration felt different. Despite playing various hits from the past year, nothing was really catching on. Pockets of people would know the chorus of one song, but then immediately have a blank look on their face when I’d play the next song, even if it was considered “bigger” and “more popular.”

Then it dawned on me: Current listening habits have all but eliminated the shared listening experience.

But why do modern hits feel smaller, even when the data and numbers say they’re bigger? After all, statistically more people are listening to music, and for longer periods of time, thanks to streaming platforms.

The answer has to do with how music is being consumed, backed by an algorithm that constantly force-feeds you more of the same. Call it the “Stay In Your Lane” music mindset, and it’s proving that a song’s reach does not necessarily translate into true popularity.

No Single Listening Experience

In the past, music hits were imposed. Today, they must be chosen.

For example, during MTV’s TRL era, an entire generation of music fans had to sit through other genres while waiting for their favorite music video to play. With that experience, however, came exposure to other genres, artists, and yes, even those annoying choruses that still resonate to this day.

If you were a fan of *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, you could still rap the lyrics to Eminem’s Without Me, or Nelly’s Hot In Herre.

Notorious B.I.G.’s Mo Money Mo Problems would be followed up by the Spice Girls’ Wannabe, and you’re damn right you knew the lyrics to both.

‘Stay In Your Lane’ Music Experience

Today’s experience is different because music consumption is so fragmented.

With platforms like TikTok, playlists, and algorithmic radio, a song can be very popular in certain circles without becoming a cultural standard that everyone sings together. This is much different than when radio, MTV, and fewer platforms meant listeners were exposed to a wide variety of sounds and genres.

That’s why a Taylor Swift fan can look clueless when they hear a Bad Bunny song, despite both artists being the biggest in the world.

Music fans of the same age can have barely any overlap in what they hear or are exposed to. Yes, popularity still exists, but it’s spread out instead of concentrated, and it’s designed that way for quick, algorithmic success by the platforms.

With music cycles becoming much shorter thanks to social media, songs can peak fast but be replaced even faster. This limits a song’s ability to become ingrained in the culture the way it once did.

That’s why it feels like there are fewer massive songs, even though, by the numbers alone, modern tracks are bigger than ever before.

Never Say Never

That’s not to say we won’t ever have another massive song where “everyone knows the words.” (During my New Year’s Eve DJ experience, for example, Chappell Roan’s Hot To Go! had nearly everyone doing the song’s dance.)

However, the number of songs able to burst into globally recognized superstardom will be far fewer and farther between in the future. The good news is that because music is so readily available now, listeners can hear and be exposed to any song, format, or genre they want.

They’ll just have to take the initiative to do so, because the current structure isn’t going to do it for them.

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.

How Newsmax’s Mike Carter Went From Overnight Radio Shifts to Covering the White House

Krystina Alarcon Carroll
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How Newsmax’s Mike Carter Went From Overnight Radio Shifts to Covering the White House

“The first time I ever spoke to President Donald Trump was before he was even running for president in 2015,” Newsmax White House Correspondent Mike Carter reminisced about his humble career beginnings.

The young Carter had just left his marketing job at iHeartRadio and was working as a radio producer before heading to the Newhouse School at Syracuse University for his graduate degree.

“Trump had called in because he was planning on running in the New Hampshire primary, and we had him as a guest on our morning show,” Carter, a former NBC Page, said at the time. “I couldn’t believe that this guy was running for president.” Now, 10 years later, Carter is speaking with POTUS 45/47 every other week, but it took a lot of sacrifice and hard work to get there.

“[After graduate school] I started in Colorado Springs for an ABC station, then moved to Lafayette, Louisiana,” Carter recalled. “I was like a news and sports reporter, kind of splitting my week up covering local news, PTA meetings, house fires, etcetera, for part of the week, and then LSU football, the Saints, and New Orleans the other half of the week.”

But Carter wanted to be back in New York, so he took a part-time role working overnights as a radio producer for SiriusXM. He was crashing on a friend’s couch when he first heard about Newsmax.

“So I applied and became a booker for The Chris Salcedo Show,” Carter remarked.

Hoping for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Carter started doing stories on his phone during his time off. “The first story I did was when I went out to Staten Island. They were having a protest there over all the restaurants in New York being closed during the pandemic.”

He said, “There was this one place that was staying open and fighting the city policy to remain closed during the pandemic. So I shot video on my phone, recorded a little stand-up, and then I presented it to the network.”

The package made air that day. Shortly thereafter, Carter became the first correspondent Newsmax had in New York.

What separates Carter from his contemporaries is the way he tells a story. “It’s not just what’s happening, but why is this happening? And I think not enough news talks about why things are the way they are.” He added, “People can have their points of contention with either a Democrat regime or a Republican one, but what you can’t really argue with is ‘This person feels this way, and that’s why they’re doing the things that they’re doing.’”

The “why” factor is something Carter says he is always thinking about. He often develops questions to ask President Trump to get to the heart of “why.” He also listens to the “Mount Rushmore” of journalistic voices in his head.

“These aren’t just any old voices,” Carter said. They should be the voices of “people that you respect in your line of business, and people whose work you follow, and that you can kind of pick and choose different things from those people that will help you find your own path.”

One of Carter’s “Mount Rushmore” voices is the legendary Bob Dodson. A former NBC reporter, Dodson is not just someone Carter grew up watching; Carter also took a class taught by Dodson while in graduate school. “First, he would capture your attention with something that was maybe a little bit offbeat,” Carter said. “And that’s something that I really like to do.”

But for aspiring media personalities, Carter notes it’s not all glitz and glamour. There is a labor-of-love aspect to the industry, and by love, he means waiting.

“There’s a lot of waiting when you’re covering the president. A lot of the time, reporters are waiting. You’re waiting for a press briefing to begin. You’re waiting for an Oval Office meeting to begin.” He added, “If you’re traveling with the president, you’re in the press pool. A lot of times you’re in a van, sometimes for several hours, waiting for the president to arrive.”

“So a lot of it is just waiting for access to speak to the most powerful man on Earth, and you’re hoping that it’s a good day and he feels like talking to folks when he gets off the plane,” Carter said.

Proud of how far he has come in his career, the Newsmax correspondent said, “I’ve literally flown around the world covering Donald Trump, and it’s been an experience that I’m constantly thinking back on and thinking to myself, ‘Wow!’”

On a personal note, working with Mike Carter was always a pleasure. His ability to pivot when an element or package isn’t flawless is likely because he’s been in a producer’s shoes before. Carter’s packages are often witty because he knows a bit of humor can go a long way with the audience. He’s able to quell even the angriest of divas and has always kept his head steadfast on the task at hand, even as the building around him is proverbially on fire.

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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