"The question isn’t whether Sport & State and OutKick are competitors. The question is whether both sides are willing to embrace it. Because competition isn’t necessarily a threat. Sometimes, it’s the thing that makes you better."
"For now, the man who once looked like the biggest risk ESPN ever took may actually be the network’s best example of how to maximize the relationship without walking away from the brand that helped build it."
"CW Sports is not going to feature games pitting traditional powers like Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Michigan, Alabama, Georgia or Texas against each other. However, just looking at the 2026 college football schedule, they do have some interesting matchups."
"iHeartMedia would be best served by dropping its contention over a non-compete breach and allowing Roberts and Strain to move forward. Doing so wouldn't diminish the company's contractual rights. It would demonstrate something far more valuable: perspective."
"What does need to change is the amount of room networks give their talent to challenge their league partners when the conversation gets uncomfortable. That's a much more important discussion than whether a man should replace a woman in the analyst chair."
"Now, the NFL is saying it’s the team’s fault if it provides information it shouldn’t? Because Aikman and Brady have ties to other teams, and the league knows that. What are we doing here?"
"ESPN has the talent, the access and the rights to own that conversation every day. Rather than treating the 2 p.m. hour as a seasonal football play, the network should turn it into a year-round destination for football fans."
"Barnes and Jackson are bold and brash, but when I watch All the Smoke, I see two guys who truly respect the games. They can sit and reflect on great sports moments while also bringing a level of realism and grit to the conversation."
Borrell Associates projects that figure will climb considerably over the next four years as the industry undergoes what it describes as a "great reshuffling."