SBJ Spotlight

ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery join forces

SBJ’s Austin Karp talks with Octagon SVP William Mao about the recently announced joint venture between ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery.

SBJ Spotlight: Toledo's Strategic Plan

SBJ Spotlight: Scott Warfield of PGA Tour

Legalized sports betting is in the third inning according to Scott Warfield. The PGA Tour’s VP of Gaming says that the industry is heading in the right direction and there is plenty of opportunity. Warfield joins SBJ’s Abe Madkour and John Ourand from Orlando in this edition of SBJ Spotlight.

SBJ Spotlight: Donna Orender of Orender Unlimited

Donna Orender has spent her career trying to make things better and more open to all. As a former WNBA President, Orender sees potential for women’s athletics and cause marketing and she joins SBJ’s Abe Madkour and John Ourand from Orlando in this edition of SBJ Spotlight.

SBJ Spotlight: Alex Martins of Orlando Magic

Broadcast rights for NBA teams are in flux with Diamond Sports Group and the league trying to find a way forward. The Orlando Magic’s Alex Martins sees the potential for teams given the right leeway. The Magic COO joins SBJ’s Abe Madkour and John Ourand from Orlando in this edition of SBJ Spotlight to talk about the future of team media rights.

SBJ Spotlight: Rich McKay of AMB Sports and Entertainment

Getting the most out of World Congress: Hot topics, creative leaders and networking

The 2023 CAA World Congress of Sports is about making connections and learning out how to position your business for massive changes ahead, said SBJ’s Abe Madkour and CAA’s Mike Levine. In this video, the two industry executives talk about some of the issues they expect to be top of mind when this year’s conference starts today in Los Angeles, including women’s sports, the continued rise in team valuations, and where leaders such as Adam Silver, Steve Ballmer, Ryan Smith and others believe th...

SBJ Spotlight: Playfly founder Michael Schreiber

Playfly founder and CEO Michael Schreiber joins SBJ’s Abe Madkour to talk about the growth of the agency, its focus on the fan experience, and what comes next.

rEvolution at 20: Founder John Rowady on what’s next for the agency and the sports business

Two decades after founding rEvolution, John Rowady reflects on the growth of the business, plans for the next two decades, and the biggest stories, stars and marketing opportunities that he’s watching today.

What's next after big changes around LIV Golf and the PGA Tour

LIV Golf may have changed its story with a successful event in Boston, even as the PGA Tour takes steps to strengthen its position. SBJ's Eric Prisbell and Josh Carpenter on all of the latest golf news and what could be coming next.

NFF’s Steve Hatchell on what’s next after amazing start to college football season

NFF’s Steve Hatchell on what’s next after amazing start to college football season With so much happening around college sports off the field, it seemed almost too much to hope that the opening weekend of football season would live up to expectations. “Finally, we got to cheer for our teams,” said Steve Hatchell, CEO of the National Football Foundation, in an SBJ Spotlight interview looking at the college football landscape. “There was some great attendance at games … some real excitement an...

SBJ Spotlight: Carolina Panthers Facility Fallout

SBJ's Bret McCormick and longtime Charlotte journalist Erik Spanberg dig into the collapse of the Carolina Panthers headquarters project and look at what may come next for Tepper Sports. Spanberg: “There are a lot of bruised feelings, a lot of hurt egos, now that this thing is coming unraveled. The local parlor game is trying to figure out how this failure impacts negotiations going forward.”

SBJ Spotlight: NFL season preview

SBJ's Abe Madkour, Ben Fischer and Austin Karp dive into some of the biggest questions facing the NFL as the new season gets underway. Topics include the potential for success — or failure — for Amazon’s Thursday Night Football, the future of NFL Media and Sunday Ticket, ratings expectations after last year’s 10% jump, and how owner behavior keeps providing unpleasant storylines around the league.

SBJ Spotlight: Warner Bros. Discovery

CNBC media reporter Alex Sherman joins SBJ’s John Ourand to discuss Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming strategy. The two talk about the company’s interest in sports rights, with Sherman noting that the company is in a cost-cutting mode, which is one reason why it has not been active in media rights negotiations over the past several months.

SBJ Spotlight: FaZe Clan goes public

FaZe Clan began trading on the Nasdaq last week after a SPAC merger valued at $725 million. SBJ’s Kevin Hitt and Tobias Seck discuss the digital entertainment and esports brand now being traded as a public company.

SBJ Spotlight: TikTok’s threat to traditional sports media

While tech companies are consumed with finding ways to compete with TikTok, almost no one in conventional media “spends any time talking about it,” said Recode senior correspondent Peter Kafka in an Spotlight interview with SBJ’s John Ourand. “To me, that’s just an obvious disconnect.” Kafka authored a recent column headlined, “It’s TikTok’s world. Can TV live in it?” He said the main response to TikTok’s growth from traditional media execs has been to “punt and hope it’s someone else’s pro...

SBJ Spotlight: Predicting which U.S. cities will host World Cup matches

SBJ Facilities Writer Bret McCormick and Soccer Writer Alex Silverman say five U.S. cities are locks to host World Cup matches in 2026. But they have different ideas when it comes to the rest of the field.

SBJ Spotlight: What Broncos sale means for NFL teams

The stunning $4.65 billion sale of the Denver Broncos more than doubles the price of the most recent team sale, but that doesn’t mean other owners will feel pressure to sell, said SBJ Football Writer Ben Fischer: “Probably a lot of teams are calling their bankers and just asking the question, but why not hold? There’s no reason to believe that we’re going to hit a cliff where these numbers start declining. Gambling is still coming on line as a revenue stream, just as one of many things that s...

SBJ Spotlight: Will dramatic moves pay off for LIV Golf?

With the signing of Phil Mickelson and several others, plus the USGA’s announcement that the U.S. Open will welcome PGA Tour defectors, SBJ’s John Ourand and Eric Prisbell look at how LIV Golf is doing as it launches its first event.

SBJ Spotlight: High expectations for NBA, NHL finals; mixed results from Memorial Day weekend

Abe Madkour and Austin Karp on how high the numbers could be for the NBA and NHL Finals, as well as winners and losers among the major events on Memorial Day Weekend.

SBJ Spotlight: Tamika Tremaglio

SBJ Spotlight: Madkour and Fischer on NFL Draft, schedule release and USFL early returns

SBJ’s Abe Madkour and Ben Fischer talk about the new elements around this year’s NFL draft, excitement over the league’s extended rollout of it’s 2022 schedule, and early impressions of the USFL.

NBPA's Tamika Tremaglio and Meredith McPherron of DRIVE by DraftKings

Today’s SBJ Spotlight podcast features two interviews from this week’s SportTechie State of the Industry conference in New York. First up, NBPA Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio talks with SBJ’s Abe Madkour about how media and technology will be the keys to increasing revenue for NBA players and owners, and why it’s crucial to be more revealing about the personal and business lives of players. In the second interview, Meredith McPherron, CEO and Managing Partner of DRIVE by DraftKings, ta...

SBJ Spotlight: Joe Gibbs on NFL vs. NASCAR, leadership, and life

Football and auto racing Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs, a member of SBJ's 2022 class of Champions of Sports Business, talks about the differences in running NFL and racing teams, leadership lessons he's learned, and what life has taught him.

SBJ Spotlight: Super Bowl ratings rebound as L.A. makes a big impression

SBJ ratings guru Austin Karp breaks down the huge audience numbers for Super Bowl LVI and SBJ football writer Ben Fischer talks about the winners and losers from the Super Bowl, why Los Angeles has secured a place in the NFL’s Super Bowl rotation, and much more on this edition of SBJ Spotlight.

SBJ Spotlight Insiders Roundtable Women's Sports

SBJ Spotlight Insiders Roundtable Olympics Week 1

Sports business gathers for Super Bowl, but NFL scandals will still be hot topics

In this SBJ Spotlight Roundtable, SBJ’s Abe Madkour and Ben Fischer are joined by KAGR’s Jessica Gelman and Twitter’s David Herman to talk about the Super Bowl and the issues facing the league.

2 Hot NFL Issues: Brian Flores Lawsuit and Washington Commanders

Reginald Walker: Welcome to SBJ Spotlight as we focus on two of the biggest NFL stories today. The fallout from the Brian Flores lawsuit and the Washington football team changing its nickname. I'm Reginald Walker joined by SBJ football writer, Ben Fischer. And Ben let's start with Brian Flores. That news broke on Tuesday afternoon. What's been the league response to the Brian Flores lawsuit? And what's he maybe trying to accomplish with this lawsuit? Ben Fischer: Well, first of all, it sh...

SBJ Spotlight: January 14, 2022

SBJ Spotlight: NFL strength, CFP confusion and the stealth Olympics In today’s Spotlight Roundtable, SBJ’s Abe Madkour and John Ourand are joined by LiveLike CEO Miheer Walavalkar and Syracuse sports management professor Rick Burton to talk about big news in sports business. Topics included the ratings strength of the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys; confusion in college sports and the CFP; tech advances and the metaverse; and how NBC is just trying to get through the Beijing Games on the way to...

SBJ Spotlight: December 22, 2021

SBJ Spotlight: December 8, 2021

SBJ Spotlight: November 24, 2021

SBJ Spotlight: November 10, 2021

This episode looks at the hottest news in the industry, including how sports deal are helping crypto enter the mainstream; the NFL’s social push and the buy-in from players; why so many networks are bidding for next Premier League rights deal; and Angel City FC’s hot start on the business front.

SBJ Spotlight: October 28, 2021

The episode looks at the hottest news in the sports industry, including the successful launch of the NHL Kraken and their new Climate Change Arena; attendance challenges facing the NHL; F1’s success in Austin and how that may lead to another race in Vegas; and the pandemic delayed glut of sports programming coming soon to theaters and streaming. All of that, plus RISE CEO Diahann Billings-Burford on building diversity in the sports industry, and SBJ’s Abe Madkour on the challenges facing the...

SBJ Spotlight: October 6, 2021

This week's SBJ Spotlight covers how teams and leagues are finding new audiences as consumers turn to streaming. Also, PLL co-Founder Paul Rabil on the challenges of starting a new league; the future of the NWSL amid disturbing accounts of sexual misconduct and failures in leadership; success stories from one of the hottest leagues in sports, the UFC; and Riot Games’ esports business gets a new leader. All of that, plus our Insiders Roundtable discussing the most important stories of the week.

SBJ Spotlight: September 23, 2021

SBJ Spotlight: September 9

This special football-focused episode looks at the biggest news in the industry, including high expectations for ratings and ad sales; whether they NFL has room to grow its sponsorship roster; the importance of teams getting fans into stadiums quickly; and the NFL’s likely reaction to any COVID-related scheduling issues. In addition, our roundtable of experts reacts to all of the news and predicts which teams will be in the Super Bowl.

SBJ Spotlight: September 9, 2021

This special football-focused episode looks at the biggest news in the industry, including high expectations for ratings and ad sales; whether they NFL has room to grow its sponsorship roster; the importance of teams getting fans into stadiums quickly; and the NFL’s likely reaction to any COVID-related scheduling issues. In addition, our roundtable of experts reacts to all of the news and predicts which teams will be in the Super Bowl.

SBJ Spotlight: August 25, 2021

This episode looks at the hottest news in the industry, including how the market looks for ads on NHL jerseys; what a new alliance of top conferences means for college sports; how university athletic departments will try to woo back fans; and whether the NFL’s vaccine push will hurt its business. In addition, we introduce the newest member of our 2021 class of Champions of sports business, and our roundtable of experts reacts to the new Fanatics deal, and reveals their stories to watch and pe...

SBJ Spotlight: August 11, 2021

This episode looks at the hottest news in the industry, including how the Tokyo Games were completed with few operational problems, but terrible ratings; how sponsors, athletes and governing bodies are preparing for a rocky road to Beijing; investment opportunities that the sports industry may be missing in Africa; and whether the increase in cases from the COVID Delta-variant will threaten live events this fall. In addition, our roundtable of experts gives their Olympic winners and losers, a...

SBJ Spotlight: July 28, 2021

This episode looks at the hottest news in the industry, including upheaval in the collegiate space, with Texas and Oklahoma looking to join the SEC and what four super conferences might look like; how relatively smooth sailing at the Tokyo Olympics is defying the naysayers; and whether the NFL hit the right notes with its veiled threats to unvaccinated players. Plus, a conversation with '21 SBJ Champion Larry Lucchino. In addition, our roundtable of experts talk about whether the NBC Olympics...

SBJ Spotlight: July 14, 2021

SBJ debuts the latest episode of its video news series, "SBJ Spotlight." This episode looks at the hottest news in the industry, including ESPN dealing with personnel drama even as it enjoys great ratings for several properties, how a Game 7 in the NBA Finals would erase talk about low ratings and make ABC happy, whether ESPN and Turner will be successful with their NHL studio shows, and the latest news around the Olympics. In addition, our experts look at the athlete rights movement and the ...

SBJ Spotlight: July 1, 2021

SBJ Spotlight: June 16, 2021

In the 'Spotlight': Softball's stellar ratings, prospects for CFP expansion, and MLB's sticky problem SBJ debuts the latest episode of its video news series, "SBJ Spotlight." This episode looks at the hottest news in the industry, including impressive ratings for softball and what that may mean for women's sports, the pros and cons of expanding the College Football Playoff to 12 teams, why MLB felt pressure to issue new rules in mid-season to address the problem of illegal substances on ball...

SBJ Spotlight: June 9, 2021

SBJ debuts the latest episode of "SBJ Spotlight." This episode looks at the hottest news in the industry, including the US Soccer's decision to bring its media rights in-house, the fan behavior and player safety issues arising as spectators return to arenas, pressures on campus contributing to the exodus of large numbers of athletic directors, and top 49ers exec Paraag Marathe on his successful career in the sports industry. Also in the episode: Diverse candidates are getting more opportuniti...

SBJ Spotlight: May 19, 2021

In the 'Spotlight': 76ers' Scott O'Neil loves the play-in format, the value of sports management programs and the career of industry Champion Tom Wilson

SBJ Spotlight: May 5, 2021

This episode looks at the quarter-century of challenges and growth for the WNBA; a media veteran's new push into the youth sports market, and what he sees as the challenges of getting young people involved in sports; and the ways that technology around NFTs could transform the sports industry. It concludes with our Insiders Roundtable offering predictions and people of the week.

SBJ Spotlight: April 21, 2021

SBJ Spotlight: April 7, 2021

Fallout from MLB's quick move to relocate the All-Star Game, the state of MLS and professional soccer, the NFL's next marketing moves, and grading the NCAA basketball tournaments.