SPORTS
Eriq Gardner
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June 15, 2026
Five Hard Truths About NFL Inflation
As Congress tries to prevent streamers from taking NFL market share, they’ve increasingly homed in on the anachronistic Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which includes the antitrust exemption that allows the league’s teams to collectively market their games. But as the recent House Judiciary Committee hearing made clear, no one knows what they are talking about.
Can Fox Avoid the Skipper Tax?
As the NFL continues to draw congressional heat, it’s growing increasingly tired with Rupert Murdoch for instigating the fuss. With the league’s coveted antitrust exemption theoretically in the crosshairs, might Fox have bitten the hand that feeds it?
John Ourand
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June 9, 2026
YouTube’s NFL Discipline & NFL Partner Math
Rich Greenfield, the LightShed partner and sports guru, weighs in on the looming NFL rights renegotiation bonanza: who wins, who blinks first, and why the league still has all the leverage in the post-cord-cutting era.
Eriq Gardner
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June 8, 2026
Could Brendan Sorsby End the NCAA’s “Pay-for-Play” Era?
The University of Cincinnati is suing to collect $1 million in N.I.L. damages after Sorsby defected to Texas Tech—a ticking time bomb case that could imperil player contracts across all of college sports.
Searching for Conor McGregor
The UFC is at the beginning of a seven-year, $7.7 billion media deal, the envy of every other emerging sports outfit in the world, and about to reach the ultimate mark of Trump II cultural dominance with a much-hyped fight card on the White House lawn. So where are all its new stars?
John Ourand
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June 2, 2026
The Magnus Carta
ESPN’s indomitable content chief, Burke Magnus, on losing talent to the NBA sidelines, the heat around the NHL, and what he learns from the way his kids watch sports.
Eriq Gardner
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June 1, 2026
The Anti-Netflix Amendment
Tucked inside Congress’s latest college sports proposal is a provocative idea: Some games may simply be too important to disappear behind a paywall.
Sankey Is From Mars, Petitti Is From Venus
The commissioners of college sports’ two biggest conferences have thrown a stray shot or two at each other this spring over the College Football Playoff. But as just about everyone acknowledges, they both know they’ll have to be much more aligned to tackle the myriad issues they face.
John Ourand
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May 26, 2026
The Optimist’s Case for the UFC and F1 Megadeals
Wolfe Research analyst Peter Supino offers up his candid thoughts and surprising bull case for Paramount’s UFC deal and F1’s partnership with Apple—and why the mega-trend media universe keeps gravitating toward superstars.
Netflix’s 17 Seconds in Heaven
Obviously, the short-lived Rousey–Carano title fight wasn’t the ideal scenario for Netflix’s M.M.A. debut. But it also wasn’t a refutation of the streamer’s “eventized” sports content strategy.
John Ourand
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May 19, 2026
How Much Is Too Much for a Super Bowl Commercial?
Horizon Media’s Adam Schwartz on the amplifying value of a Super Bowl ad, MLB’s events strategy, and why the 30-second spot is still the backbone of television advertising.
Eriq Gardner
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May 18, 2026
Real Court Drama
The French Open is underway, but the real action this week may be in a New York courtroom 3,500 miles away, where an upstart players union is making noise about the sport’s alleged anti-competitive, pay-suppressing practices.
Here’s Gianni…
The World Cup’s descent on North America has been greeted by the typical grab bag of micro-scandals and preemptive complaints. In their private group chats, though, top industry executives don’t really care—they’ve seen this film before, and they’re convinced they are about to make stacks of cash.
John Ourand
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May 12, 2026
Private Equity, Everywhere, All at Once
SC Holdings’ Jason Stein on the private-equity money gusher flooding the sports world, the commercialization of the NCAA, and why he (and LeBron and Draymond and K.D.) are still bullish on pickleball.
Eriq Gardner
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May 11, 2026
The Private Equity End Zone
The future of the N.I.L. gold rush may hinge on a looming federal court fight over whether the College Sports Commission can police what is increasingly becoming a leveraged media-rights marketplace.
More Netflix-NFL Footsie & Deal Extensionitis
News and notes on the latest machinations surrounding the NFL’s highly coveted, obscenely expensive rights packages.
John Ourand
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May 5, 2026
The Lax Gospel of Paul
A candid conversation with Paul Rabil about how his buzzy 8-year-old Premier Lacrosse League is accelerating growth and preparing for LA28.