SPORTS & MEDIA
Dylan Byers
•
July 20, 2026
Democrats Listen to Podcasts, Too
A political media symposium with Puck’s own Peter Hamby, on the rise of the left’s new creator class, the business of hating on the Democratic establishment, and the dystopian reality of paid influencers shilling for candidates.
Julia Alexander
•
July 17, 2026
Can the ‘Times’ Go Local?
Sure, everyone agrees local news is essential. The real question is whether anyone can actually make money rebuilding it for an A.I.-first, video-first internet. The New York Times is giving it a shot…
Smiling Through the Baseball Apocalypse
Looming lockout or not, baseball is riding high this summer, with generational stars, epic ratings, and the willingness to ignore the labor storm clouds gathering for the post-postseason.
The Ballad of Bill Owens
While the upcoming season of ‘60 Minutes’ will surely attract outsize attention and scrutiny as yet another measure of Bari Weiss’s competency, the real showstopper may be the coming memoir by the show’s former executive producer.
John Ourand
•
July 14, 2026
A Fanatic’s Notes
Fanatics Fest has evolved from a collectibles convention into the closest thing sports has to Comic-Con, with enough gravitational pull to drag the ESPYs—and much of the industry—to New York this week.
Dylan Byers
•
July 13, 2026
Let CNN & CBS News Eat Their Cake
As the Paramount–Warner Bros. merger has played out alongside the Bari-fication of CBS News, there was a sense among some in the media class that regulators might make hay of the deal’s proposed combination of two of the nation’s most storied brands. Any such notion turned out to be seriously misguided.
Eriq Gardner
•
July 13, 2026
The Beef in Wrigleyville
A case pitting the Chicago Cubs against the owner of the last independent rooftop view into Wrigley Field could have lasting ramifications on sports viewership in the future. The question is: Can visibility itself function as a quasi-property right?
Julia Alexander
•
July 10, 2026
The Pivot to Video Killed the Radio Star
Search is dead, A.I. is ripping your site, and no one under the age of 30 is reading. But if you’ve got topical authority, telegenic talent, and a decent relationship with the bots, there may yet be a way out of this, dear publisher.
FIFA Prepares Its 2030 Wish List
With the overperforming World Cup headed into its final (and probably thrilling) stretch, FIFA is seemingly in the catbird seat in negotiating rights deals for 2030 and 2034. And while there is no shortage of suitors, there are surprisingly few details, and a time-zone penalty that makes viewership and rights fees next to impossible to predict.
Seen & Being Seen in Sun Valley
Amidst the quaking aspens and the idling Gulfstreams, the media world once again gathered in Sun Valley to launch deals, close deals, and merely check in with their fellow media titans over a brisk hike. And this year it was more apparent than ever that the tech titans rule the world—and beyond.
John Ourand
•
July 7, 2026
Waiting for Goodell
As talk of a new suite of NFL deals cools, analyst Steven Cahall predicts a bruising rights fight that will reshape media economics, while casting doubt on blockbuster M&A scenarios for NBC and Fox.
Dylan Byers
•
July 6, 2026
One Flew Over the Comcast Nest
Versant (a Comcast spinoff) and Sky (a future orphan) both just announced bold acquisitions that may offer a strategic blueprint for how to survive outside the mothership—and amid an ever-consolidating mediaverse.
Eriq Gardner
•
July 6, 2026
FIFA’s Eras Tour Moment
Fans who’ve strayed from the FIFA-sanctioned resale channels have seen their seats—and cash—disappear. Predictably, a new lawsuit is looking for remedy.
Between 30 Rock and a Hard Place
The Comcast–NBCUniversal breakup is raising a familiar, possibly existential question about the historic yet vulnerable NBC News: Who really wants to own a linear news operation in an era of declining profits, increasing political risks, and a wide web of new competitors?
John Ourand
•
June 30, 2026
Shanks United
With World Cup ratings smashing expectations, Fox Sports C.E.O. Eric Shanks opens up about his network’s long bet on soccer, the Zlatan phenomenon, and the virtue of hydration breaks.
Eriq Gardner
•
June 29, 2026
The Three Russini Lunch
The New York Times’s uncomfortable self-reporting into star journalist Dianna Russini’s affair with a source was more than just an extraordinary exposé. It may also create precedents that outlast the scandal itself.
Dylan Byers
•
June 29, 2026
Comcast Away
Brian Roberts’s plan to spin off NBCUniversal opens up an array of tantalizing strategic possibilities for a number of competitive suitors—from Netflix to Amazon and beyond. And while the theme park business is solid, who can really make the most of the linear assets that Roberts is casting off?