SBJ First Look

In this episode of On Stage, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey joins Sports Business Journal's Rachel Axon for a candid interview that took place on April 22, 2025, at the CAA World Congress of Sports presented by Sports Business Journal.Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in college athletics, Sankey dives into the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the NCAA and beyond:College Football Playoff (CFP) Format: Sankey offers a behind-the-scenes look at the ongoing discussions and why there's no final model in place yet.NIL: He unpacks the evolution of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and why a national clearinghouse could help restore trust and transparency.Congressional Involvement & Liability Protection: Sankey discusses why national standards matter, his thoughts on antitrust exemptions, and what real reform could look like.Media Rights & Conference Expansion: His perspective on how these forces are reshaping the SEC and college sports as a whole.Student-Athlete Welfare: How the conference balances commercial imperatives with the well-being and development of student-athletes.Vision for the Future: Sankey shares his thoughts on the next chapter for college sports, what's working, and what still needs to be addressed.This conversation— which took place in front of a packed ballroom of sports leaders—provides great insights from the frontlines of the college sports evolution.

In the premiere episode of On Stage, we present an exclusive conversation between Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, and Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman of ESPN. This discussion took place on April 22nd at the 2025 CAA World Congress of Sports presented by Sports Business Journal in Nashville, Tennessee. It offers a rare glimpse into a mentor-mentee relationship that has significantly influenced the modern media landscape over the past 15 years.Bob and Jimmy delve into a range of topics, including:Bob's journey from a local weatherman to the helm of Disney.The synergy between live sports and storytelling in modern entertainment.How Bob has approached the intersection of innovation and IPDisney's evolving streaming strategy and its implications for the future.Bob's recent investment in Angel City FC, led by his wife, Willow Bay.A personal anecdote about why naming his son after a childhood sports idol was reconsidered upon joining Disney This candid and insightful conversation provides valuable perspectives for professionals in sports, business, and media. Tune in to gain firsthand insights from two industry leaders with a shared history and a forward-looking vision.

Welcome to SBJ On Stage. Each week, hear an exclusive interview from one of Sports Business Journal's industry events.

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

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.

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.

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.

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 the industry is headed. Madkour and Levine also give their advice on how to make the most of your World Congress experience.

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.

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.

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 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 and just some terrific games. I'm hoping that this type of enthusiasm goes on for the entire year.” Hatchell talked with SBJ's Ross Nethery about the big stories in college sports and what might come next. On the CFP expansion to 12 teams: “Football is played in all 50 states … and we work with all 774 colleges and universities around the country. So if we can have a playoff that reflects on the investment in coaching and on the players from around the country, I think that's for the betterment of the game.”

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'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.

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.

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.

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 problem a quarter from now or two years from now.” But Kafka said that ignores the trend of conventional broadcast audiences growing older while a billion younger consumers spend most of their media time watching short video after short video. “If you're in the business of getting anyone under the age of 30 to look at what you're putting on a screen, you have to think about the fact that you're probably asking them to put down TikTok and watch your thing instead,” said Kafka. “That's a very difficult ask. … [TikTok] is insanely addictive.”

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.

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 suggest waiting is probably the right thing to do.” Fischer and SBJ Media Writer John Ourand also talked about whether rising team valuations will begin to price potential owners out of the market. Fischer: “I think it's important to note that not only was there one family willing to pay $4.65 billion, there were at least two other bidders apparently willing to pay $4.2 billion. So while I grant the point that eventually you're going to run out of people that can buy these teams if we keep doubling every time, the actual evidence suggests that was not a problem in Denver.”

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.

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'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.

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, talks with SportTechie's Joe Lemire about bringing more fans to the platform through personalization, and the future of NFTs and the metaverse.

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 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.

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.

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 should come as no surprise to anybody that this is immediately took everything else off the plate in the NFL. There's a lot going on. There's a Super Bowl coming up. But since four o'clock Tuesday, nobody's talked about anything else.            There are particularly scandalous details in the Flores complaint about his allegation that Steven Ross was encouraging him to tank in 2019. And that Bill Belichick accidentally congratulated the wrong person, and that's how he found out that the Giants interview was a sham. I mean, those things lend fuel to the fire, but the reason the fire is burning so brightly right now is that he has brought to the fore something that people around the league have been saying for a long time about the misapplication of the Rooney rule and the bad faith that so many teams seem to be engaging in, in terms of minority hiring at the coach and GM position.            And I think there's a track record of this sort of thing happening, too, where there's something that everyone sort of talks about and believes to be true, but it's always really ephemeral, and it's hard to get your hands around the concept that nobody wants to speak out of turn unless they offend potential new employers or the league.            But what Flores has done by putting a name to these complaints and by willing to step out and be the poster child of what everyone's been talking about for 20 years. He gives everyone else permission to talk about it. So yes, it's a scandalous complaint. And yes, we all sort of digest the news like we do in a big story.            But now instantly the hiring practices of the 32 NFL teams is in the cross hairs conversationally in a way that has not been in a long, long time. So just by filing this complaint, he's made a lot of progress. And just in bringing these issues to bear in a more concrete way than it'd been in a long time. And I think he'll tell you, that's part of his goal. He wants to win the legal dispute. But he wants to just force this subject in a way that it's hard to, without something like a lawsuit.Reginald Walker:Now, the league released a statement vehemently denying some of these allegations as it related to the league itself. And then some of the teams that were named in the suit also did the same thing, releasing those statements. How do you think the league's going to handle this in terms of moving forward? Is this going to be potentially something drawn out or what do you think their next sort of step is in this process?Ben Fischer:Well, I think the league's in a bit of a tough spot rhetorically here. Because yes, they're going to fight the lawsuit and do everything that any responsible organization does when you're sued in court. But their own executives have essentially acknowledged some sort of problem in hiring as it relates to how black and other minority candidates are hired. Their own executive vice president, Troy Vincent has said repeatedly that there is a problem to be solved here.            So for the NFL to come out yesterday and so aggressively deny all claims, deny any merit to what Flores is saying was interesting because I don't know how tenable that is. To me, the more likely long term path is to acknowledge general problems while denying these specifics in court and fighting the lawsuit.            So I'm not sure where they go from here. Their PR messaging for years now has been, yes, we need to get better. On the other hand, they can't just acknowledge that everything Florida said was true or they'd have a major legal problem on their hands. So not clear at all to me where they go from here.Reginald Walker:Obviously the timing of this is always going to be something that sort of gets discussed happens on the same day, obviously that the Denver Broncos are officially up for sale. I think it'll be interesting to watch what the potential ownership groups or potential buyers of that team look like and how much that's influence going forward. Speaking of change at the top in the National Football League, the Washington Football Team announces a new nickname. They're now the Washington Commanders. So what's your immediate reaction, just you Ben obviously. And then what have you sort of heard from different teams or people around the league?Ben Fischer:My immediate reaction is that I don't know if it's a touchdown, but I think they converted a third down and five here. I don't think there's any obvious flaw with the new name. They kept the color scheme. They refreshed the burgundy and gold a little bit. It looks a little different. But I think most people say that the former nickname aside, they love those uniforms. That look, I think it's a winner for them and they didn't get rid of that while still managing to sort of update it a little bit.            And Commanders. Yeah. maybe it's a little generic. It's not the Kraken, I don't think. In terms of an immediate hook. But I do agree with team president Jason Wright, who said it's got weight in meaning that's appropriate for a franchise that's 90 years old and that it embodies the of values of service and leadership in the DC area. And I can see that Commanders could work anywhere. But if you've ever lived in the DMV, you know somebody whose job title is commander one way or the other, between the massive military presence and all the various parts of the government. So it's got some local resonance. Maybe it's a little boring. But they didn't screw it up, I don't think either.            In terms of broader reaction, it's been pretty negative. I think this team is going to be, what's the opposite of benefit of the doubt? Dan Snyder in Washington had made it so pretty much, no matter what they do short of hoist as Lombardi trophy, there's going to have a lot of haters on it. And they've earned that to be clear.            The reaction right now is sort of underwhelming. The presentation on this today show didn't seem especially buttoned up or ambitious, but I think it's really unfair to criticize a nickname half an hour after you've seen it. I mean, is the Washington national as a creative nickname? I'm not even sure what a national is, but they build a relationship with their fans. They won a world series with that name. Nobody thinks twice about it now.            So you make your team name. The Commanders, get their act together and don't have any more front office shenanigans and win a division or a conference or a Superbowl here at some point in the next 10 years, everyone will love it. I think for now, it's fine. Like I said, they didn't get the touchdown, but I think they did keep the drive alive.Reginald Walker:It's interesting you say that Ben, that they sort of kept the drive alive. Third and five, which is considered by most teams, a manageable third down. So they managed this changed pretty well. Ben Fischer, thanks for joining us on SBJ Spotlight.Ben Fischer:Anytime. 

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 Paris and L.A.

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.

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 NWSL.

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.

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.

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 people of the week.

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, and reveals their stories to watch and people of the week.

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 digital buffet offers too many choices, and gives predictions and people of the week.

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 first few weeks of the NIL era in collegiate sports. The episode concludes with our Insiders Roundtable offering predictions and people of the week.

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 balls, and a look at Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith's plan to build a small-market team into a worldwide powerhouse. In addition, our experts look into the prospects for Sinclair's plan to launch a streaming sports network, and why IndyCar is circling back to NBC after kicking the tires on other networks. The episode concludes with our Insiders Roundtable offering predictions and people of the week. Our guests this week: Bruce Schoenfeld -- SBJ contributor Kevin Griffin -- AdCom SBJ writers in this episode: Abe Madkour John Ourand Eric Prisbell Adam Stern

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 opportunities to become athletic directors, ESPN promotes Burke Magnus after a year of unprecedented deals, and will more coaches join Stanford's David Shaw in criticizing television partners for early kickoff times?The episode concludes with our Insiders Roundtable offering predictions and people of the week.

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

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.