John Ourand • April 22, 2024

Silver’s Spoons

As it turns out, the NBA did a whole lot more negotiating with ESPN and WBD during their exclusive rights window, which expires tonight, and now they appear closer than ever to a deal. As the clock strikes 12, the heat is on NBCU, Amazon, Netflix, and YouTube.

Dylan Byers • April 19, 2024

CNN and Its Discontents

Six and a half months after Mark Thompson’s arrival at CNN (almost half of Chris Licht’s disastrous tenure), a restless and dour mood is once again enveloping the network. What is Thompson’s true plan, many wonder, and why won’t he articulate it?

John Ourand • April 18, 2024

ESPN’s Norby Replacement Rodeo

Shockingly, given its traditional insularity and promote-from-within culture, ESPN is looking externally to replace Norby Williamson. And I’ve got names that should be on the list…

Dylan Byers • April 18, 2024

The Beast and the Brightest

Why are shoulder-rubbers Ben Sherwood and Joanna Coles taking over Barry Diller’s last-gen mediaco that no one else really wanted? Well, what were the alternatives?

William D. Cohan • April 17, 2024

Gerry & The Jeffs Come for Shari’s Baby

I’ve got the skinny on the Ellison-Paramount deal—an extraordinarily fascinating deleveraged recap featuring a multibillion-dollar PIPE, Jeff Shell’s return to the top ranks of the media world, and possibly even Jeff Zucker’s revival as a top television executive. You can’t make this shit up. Will the special committee of the board buy it?

John Ourand • April 16, 2024

Of Mice and R.S.N.s

Another setback looms for Diamond Sports as it heads into its latest bankruptcy court hearing: DirecTV and Comcast are going full-blown “cliff path.”

Dylan Byers • April 12, 2024

Mark Mysteries & Daily Beast Micro Deal Heat

News and notes on three trending media mini-sagas: Mark Thompson’s inability to share his CNN reinvention, CBS News’ dreary ploy, and Joanna Coles and Ben Sherwood’s Daily Beast M&A effort.

John Ourand • April 12, 2024

As I Lay Diamond

News and notes on the most famous bankruptcy restructuring in the history of regional sports networks.

Dylan Byers • April 11, 2024

Cesar Salad

Weeks after the McDaniel micro-nightmare, a peek into the halls of 30 Rock, where talent and executives are trying to put the incident behind them while continuing to grumble and privately rehash questions about accountability.

John Ourand • April 9, 2024

Norby or Not to Be

Inside the drama surrounding the Bristol defenestration.

John Ourand • April 4, 2024

The NFL Paramount Deal Sweetener

David Ellison may be most interested in Paramount’s Hollywood studio, and I.P. that he views as underutilized. But he also sees value in the broadcast network, thanks mainly to that NFL deal.

John Ourand • April 2, 2024

Give Me Liberty

Nearly a decade after transforming F1 into a juggernaut, John Malone’s Liberty Media is looking to employ the same makeover on its newest multibillion-dollar portfolio toy, MotoGP.

Dylan Byers • March 29, 2024

Cesar’s Palace

In the aftermath of the Ronna McDaniel hiring-and-firing scandal, the NBC News Group blame game has begun to point back toward chairman Cesar Conde, his hands-off leadership style, and his very transparent ambitions.

John Ourand • March 28, 2024

The Adam Project

Decoding the clandestine NBA rights auction.

Dylan Byers • March 27, 2024

Ronnaghazi & The Hunger Screams of Late-Stage Linear

Inside 30 Rock, the dueling narratives over the lengthy courtship and rapid firing of the 2020 election-denying former R.N.C. chair highlight a behind-the-scenes blame game over the network’s conflicted vision of political diversity, and itself.