Sports Media With Richard Deitsch

Episode 41 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a conversation with Sports Business Daily media reporter John Ourand. In this podcast Ourand and Deitsch discuss the NBA’s declining viewership at this point of the season; why big markets among the regional sports networks are so down including New York (down 41 percent on MSG Network), Chicago (down 36 percent on NBC Sports Chicago) and Boston (down 27 percent on NBC Sports Boston); why national games are down 18 percent on TNT and 17 percent on NBA TV; the early line on which TV networks will retain NFL rights and whether ABC will get a Super Bowl; a guess on the money the NFL will receive for its media rights; how the AAF is doing as a media play and whether AAF and the XFL can both survive with a spring schedule; the firing of Adnan Virk and Virk’s future; leaks at ESPN and whether they will continue, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi

Episode 40 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three great guests: ESPN senior investigative reporter Mark Fainaru-Wada; Fox Sports NASCAR host and NFL reporter Shannon Spake, and preeminent NASCAR writer and reporter Jeff Gluck.  First up is Fainaru-Wada, who discussed his recent piece on how Bob Costas went from fronting the NFL to being excised from last year's Super Bowl; how the story came to fruition; how often he spoke with Costas; why he thinks Costas talked to him; how he approached NBC Sports and what their response was to his inquiries; whether an in-game broadcast of the NFL can ever tell hard truths; calling me out for saying ESPN would no longer do investigative work on third rail NFL issues; how he navigated this story with his superiors, who negotiate NFL media contracts; ESPN’s commitment to this kind of reporting, and much more.   Spake discussed being named hostof FOX NASCAR’s race coverage, including all the anchor duties for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series; how

Episode 39 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two segments. First up is a conversation with James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live the host of the “Origins” podcast. He is followed by Boston Globe media writer Chad Finn and USA Today staff writer A.J. Perez.  In this podcast, Miller discusses how he views ESPN’s firing of Adnan Virk; why he believes there was a significant over-punishment; why ESPN has not investigated who leaked Virk’s firing to the media and whether that is hypocrisy; the historic inconsistency of ESPN discipline; whether the information Virk leaked was benign or significant; whether ESPN’s decision will have a chilling impact on others staffers talking to the media; what Virk’s next steps should be regarding future employment; why Miller believes ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro should bring back Virk, and much more.  Finn and Perez discuss the low Super Bowl viewership number and potential reasons why it happened; wheth

Episode 38 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests: First up is Kevin Harlan, who is calling his ninth consecutive Super Bowl game for Westwood One, the audio rightsholder for the Super Bowl. He is followed by Mike Arnold, who is directing his fifth Super Bowl for CBS.  In this podcast, Harlan discusses calling his ninth Super Bowl for Westwood One and how his radio call is different from his television work; the preparation he does to call a radio broadcast versus a television one; who he envisions listens to the radio call of the Super Bowl; creating chemistry with his color analysts including Kurt Warner and Boomer Esiason; being critical of his own radio work; where the radio booth is located at the Super Bowl and how that impacts his call; calling games through binoculars versus a monitor; how he defines satisfaction from the radio broadcast versus television; how long he hopes to continue with the radio call and more.  Arnold discusses the role of director on a Super Bowl br

Episode 37 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests: First up is Laura Rutledge, a reporter and host for ESPN in a number of roles including as a reporter on live-event programming such as college football as well as a co-host on “Get Up” and the SEC Network’s “SEC Nation.” She is followed by Kevin Clark, an NFL writer, podcaster and video host for The Ringer. He previously covered the NFL for The Wall Street Journal. In this podcast, Rutledge discusses her various roles on major college football and other sports as well as hosting; her work process for each of those roles within ESPN; how she landed on “Get Up” and what ESPN has told her about her future there; her thought process on discussing Courtney Smith and Urban Meyer via commentary; facing sexism and chauvinism on social media; dealing with the stereotypes that exist on her being a former Miss Florida; the specific differences in working the sidelines on Monday Night Football versus college football; the passion of college

Episode 36 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a conversation with Sports Business Daily media writer John Ourand. In this podcast, we discuss the potential viewership for this year’s Super Bowl in Atlanta; ESPN’s interest in getting a Super Bowl game in the future and the potential cost to get in that rotation; what kind of Super Bowl broadcast ESPN/ABC might put on; ESPN’s NFL journalism; Ourand’s story on the Big 12 conference shopping the 2019, 2021 and 2023 championship games to media companies; Endeavor move into streaming; the latest on Disney’s sale of the RSNs; the Monday Night Football booth for 2019; whether the Wizards should trade Bradley Beal to the Raptors for Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 35 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests: longtime Sports Illustrated writer Austin Murphy, and Daniel Dale, the Toronto Star’s Washington bureau chief. In this podcast, Murphy discussed the recent piece he wrote for The Atlantic (“I Used to Write for Sports Illustrated, Now I Deliver Packages for Amazon”) in which he discussed his new job as an Amazon driver at age 57; why his piecestruck such a chord, especially on social media; how he approached writing it; what the writing job market been for him since leaving SI; the issue of ageism for sports writers; covering Lance Armstrong during the Tour De France and college football for SI; getting laid off from a job after decades, and much more.  Dale discussed covering Donald Trump’s administration; his reputation as a premier Presidential fact-checkers; how he fact-checks in real-time and on social media; the record for the most lies in a month; why some outlets are reticent to use the word “lie; whether the focus on Tr

Episode 34 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a sports media conversation on ESPN with James Andrew Miller, the best-selling author of books on CAA, ESPN and Saturday Night Live the host of the “Origins” podcast. In this podcast, Miller discusses where ESPN is in 2019 regarding its relationship with parent company Disney and its position in the sports media marketplace; ESPN’s current relationship with the NFL and interest in future rights deals; where ESPN+ is today and where it needs to be in the future; whether ESPN will be aggressive with its journalism about the NFL heading forward; new ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro’s challenges and charter; talent salaries at ESPN heading forward; what SportsCenter is today; the future of the Monday Night Football booth; ESPN and politics; why ESPN separated with Jemele Hill; a quick examination of Get Up!; ESPN as a news-breaking engine; whether ESPN would do sports-related interviews with 2020 Presidential candidates, and much more. Plus, an apolo

Episode 33 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests: Chelsea Janes, the Washington Nationals beat reporter for the Washington Post who will move from that beat after the new year to cover the 2020 Presidential election; and Bruce Feldman, a college football reporter for The Athletic and a football sideline reporter for Fox Sports.  In this podcast, Janes discusses her upcoming move from covering MLB to the 2020 Presidential campaign; how her new assignment came to be; the challenges of covering politics and getting new sources; how she has approached social media and political opinions; how baseball is a good training ground for the political road; whether she thinks she will return to sports; covering the Nationals and specifically the specter of Bryce Harper leaving the franchise; what she thought of the Patrick Corbin signing and what she thinks of the Nationals in 2019; the prospect of covering the next President of the United States; and much more. Feldman discusses college f

Episode 32 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a roundtable discussion with three prominent NBA writers: Howard Beck, a senior NBA writer at Bleacher Report; Candace Buckner, a reporter for The Washington Post who covers the Washington Wizards, and Seerat Sohi, an NBA reporter for Yahoo Sports.   In this podcast, the group discusses what they think readers expect from them in their specific roles; the different kinds of media people covering the NBA; how to figure out what lane to pursue when it comes to an NBA media job; what it’s like for Buckner and Sohi to be people of color in the NBA media; whether there is pressure to perform for NBA Twitter;  the most media friendly players they deal with and Buckner’s praise here for John Wall is worth noting; the person in the NBA they most want to interview and why (the answers will surprise you); how where they live (Brooklyn, Toronto and Washington) impacts how they view the league and job; the NBA media person they’d most want to sit next t

Episode 31 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Tom Verducci, a Sports Illustrated senior writer, an analyst for MLB Network, and an analyst and field reporter for Fox Sports. In this podcast, Verducci discusses how reporters approach covering the Winter Meetings; which MLB organizational staffers are likely to speak to reporters at the Winter Meetings; why the Winter Meetings are often controlled by agents and their agendas; how texting has become a major form of communication for reporters covering the Winter Meetings; whether he expects Manny Machado or Bryce Harper to sign during the Winter Meetings; his thoughts on Patrick Corbin signing with the Nationals; how he views long-form baseball writing in 2018 and beyond; how MLB players feel about being profiled for a written piece versus a video one; why he is not on social media or Twitter; how he views the impact of legalized wagering on MLB; when he saw the sabermetric revolution in baseball writing; his long-term commitment to featur

Episode 30 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a media roundtable with Sports Business Daily sports media writer John Ourand and Boston Globe sports media writer Chad Finn. In this episode, Ourand, Finn and Deitsch discuss the Monday Night Football booth, Finn’s recent piece on analyst Jason Witten and what the feedback as been on the booth from our readers; the Tiger Woods-Phil Mickelson pay-per-view event, what went wrong, and how Turner Sports viewed the enterprise; the rise of NFL viewership this season and what to expect in the final weeks of the regular season; what’s next in the sale of Fox’s 22 US-based regional sports networks (RSNs); Fox’s broadcast of Ohio State-Michigan and the overcoming adversity narrative pushed by Fox broadcasters Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt; and much more.    You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 29 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features sports broadcasters Rebecca Lobo and LaChina Robinson for an examination of women’s college basketball coverage, and a look at this year’s top teams. Lobo joined ESPN in 2004 as a WNBA and women’s college basketball analyst and reporter and calls the Women’s Final Four annually. She is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Robinson calls games for a myriad of companies including ESPN, Fox Sports, Raycom’s ACC women’s basketball, the Atlanta Dream, and works at espnW, where she hosts the “Around The Rim” podcast.    In this episode, Lobo and Robinson offer their thoughts on Notre Dame, UConn, Oregon, Baylor, and Louisville, and dissect the biggest challenges for Notre Dame to repeat; what women’s basketball programs are the most media accessible and why; how forthcoming coaches are in production meeting with broadcasters; the U.S. media markets with a lot of coverage of women’s basketball and the markets that should be

Episode 28 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Boston sports-talk radio host Kirk Minihane In this podcast, Minihane discussed why he has not been on WEEI’s air since last September; checking himself into a hospital last August for treatment of depression and suicidal thoughts; why he took an indefinite leave from the airwaves; where is mental health his now and his current medication regimen; how he has spent the last three months away from sports talk; whether he thinks WEEI management believes him regarding his mental health issues; why he is leaving the Kirk and Callahan show;  his upcoming sports show for Radio.com and what he hopes the show will be; why he and Entercom management decided to take this new path; whether he will be on the Kirk and Callahan show as a guest in the future and if he discussed anything formal with Barstool Radio; whether his issues with depression has given him empathy for other people or at least pause about attacking others on the air as he did frequen

Episode 27 of the Sports Media Podcast features Fox Sports NFL analyst Troy Aikman.  In this podcast, Aikman discusses his first year as an analyst for Fox’s coverage of Thursday Night Football; how doing an additional game each week has changed his preparation; what an average week is like for him work-wise; how sustainable it is for a broadcast crew to work Thursdays and Sundays weekly; why Tony Romo was able to be successful so quickly where others have struggled in broadcasting; how much feedback he receives from Fox Sports execs; why he thinks NFL viewership is up; how he feels about Fox’s hiring of Skip Bayless; the NFL team that has impressed him the most this season; what it is like for him when he reads of Fox’s interest in other NFL analysts; whether he is interested in working in football management after his children graduate from high school, and much more.    You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcast

Episode 26 of the Sports Media Podcast features Turner Sports and Fox Sports soccer host Kate Abdo; a media discussion with Boston Globe media writer Chad Finn on Monday Night Football’s broadcast crew and declining World Series viewership; and best-selling author and Detroit Free Press sports columnist Mitch Albom.    In this podcast, Abdo discusses her role as the studio host for Turner and Bleacher Report’s UEFA Champions League coverage; how she ended up in soccer broadcasting after leaving home at 16; the differences between working in sports media in the U.K., Germany and the United States; the sexualized coverage of women broadcasters in the U.K.; being fluent in four languages and how that has shaped her soccer work; her biggest takeaway from Fox’s coverage of the 2018 World Cup; her Muslim faith and whether she has experienced discrimination or repression in her job; how she navigated Ramadan and calling the World Cup; future assignments and much more.    Deitsch and Finn discuss the declining Wo

Episode 25 of the Sports Media Podcast features Sports Business Daily media writer John Ourand for a discussion on the latest sports media news.    In this podcast, Ourand and Deitsch discuss the current NFL viewership numbers and why they are up from 2017; whether the league can sustain the ratings through the end of the regular season; the impact of quarterbacks, competitive games, and news fatigue on the viewership; the World Series matchup between the Dodgers and Red Sox and what kind of interest there will be nationally; a look at Fox’s MLB pregame show; the NBA viewership numbers from the opening week of the season and the impact of LeBron James moving from the Eastern to Western Conference; whether the Boston Celtics can fill the TV role that Cleveland played last year with James; Ourand’s interview with ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro; the stylistic difference between Pitaro and John Skipper; Pitaro’s discussion with Ourand on the role of political talk and ESPN and the impact it had; the opposing views

Episode 24 of the Sports Media Podcast features guests Rachel Nichols of ESPN and Candace Parker of Turner Sports. Nichols is the host of The Jump and a longtime reporter whose resume includes CNN, Turner Sports and the Washington Post. Parker Is a future Basketball Hall of Famer who recently joined the NBA on TNT and NBA TV as an analyst. She currently plays for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA. In this podcast, Nichols discusses how The Jump gets put together daily; who she thinks is watching her show; women getting solo hosting jobs in the sports media; how much attention she pays to her show’s ratings; the impact of having an afternoon time slot; whether she considers NBA Countdown a competitor or complement to her show; what ESPN management has told her about the long-term prospects of her show; how her interview with Minnesota star forward Jimmy Butler came about; whether she feels Butler used her as part of a media strategy; why Mark Cuban agreed to go on with her to answer questions about sexual

Episode 23 of the Sports Media Podcast features Jemele Hill. In this podcast, Hill discusses leaving ESPN after 12 years; why she decided to leave; how one goes about negotiating a buyout with ESPN; the role of management changes at SportsCenter that led to her leaving SC6; whether ESPN management wanted her to stay or leave the company; why SC6 was not a viewership hit; the role of former ESPN president John Skipper in her career and the impact of Skipper’s leaving the network because of a cocaine addiction and the subsequent impact of that addiction; whether ESPN was too deep in political talk; her Twitter feed in the era of Donald Trump; her thoughts on the comments of Disney Chairman Bob Iger regarding ESPN swinging the pendulum a little bit too far away from sports; the culture of ESPN under new president Jimmy Pitaro; ESPN’s commitment to journalism regarding the NFL in the Pitaro era; what she will be writing for The Atlantic, where she will work as a staff writer; her role as the narrator for LeBron J

Episode 22 of the Sports Media Podcast features Yahoo! Sports senior NBA insider Chris Haynes. In this podcast, Haynes discussed why he ended up leaving ESPN; what he expects at Yahoo! Sports; how ESPN wanted him to remain a local Bay Area as opposed to a national reporter; what it was like covering LeBron James for the Cleveland Plain-Dealer; what James discusses with reporters; what it’s like to have multiple employers over the past six years; whether he feels the pressure to break news as previous Yahoo staffers Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania; addressing charges that he is too close to Kevin Durant; how reporters of color are seen in the league; graduating from Fresno State at 27 and trying to break into journalism; working as a security guard during the day and covered Trail Blazers games at night; why the Raptors might be the most interesting NBA story this year, and much more.    You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more. Learn more about your ad choice