Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

Episode 449 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Bill Cowher, an analyst for CBS’s The NFL Today show and the former Pittsburgh Steelers coach. The NFL Today will air live Sunday from Highmark Stadium as part of the run-up to the Bills-Chiefs game in the late-afternoon window. In this podcast Cowher discusses how an on-air talent prepares to do a live show outside; his longevity at CBS Sports and coming back for the 2025 season; why Nick Saban and Bill Belichick have taken to broadcasting; the success of the Bills and Chiefs in 2024; the dynasty of Kansas City; the prospect of the NFL having a European division; what makes Mike Tomlin such a unique figure and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here’s a short clip from our upcoming interview with Bill Cowher, an analyst for CBS’s The NFL Today. The full interview will be available on Friday. In this clip, Cowher discusses how he views Bill Belichick and Nick Saban’s forays into broadcasting and why he thinks Belichick will return to coaching. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 448 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Howard Beck, a senior NBA writer for The Ringer and a co-host of The Real Ones NBA show with Raja Bell and Logan Murdock. In this podcast, Beck and Deitsch discuss where Twitter/X is in 2024 as it relates to sports content; why we have been posting more on Bluesky and Threads; Beck's thoughts on whether Bluesky can become a new version of Sports Twitter; why Bluesky has garnered attention from sports people; what is needed for mass migration from one social media site to another; Joel Embiid's confrontation with a Philadelphia columnist and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the first college football playoff bracket published, we do a mini-podcast with Chris Vannini, who covers national college football for The Athletic and is the co-host of The Athletic’s “Until Saturday” podcast. The discussion hits how the current matchups would do viewership-wise; the challenge of the first round going up against the NFL on Dec. 21; the impact of the power teams; college football viewership so far; the success of College GameDay; The Athletic's reader survey on Pat McAfee's GameDay presence, Nick Saban, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 447 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Lindsay Gottlieb, the head women’s basketball coach at USC and one of the best coaches in college basketball. Her team advanced to the Elite Eight last year and opens the season No. 3 in the AP preseason poll. In this podcast, we discuss how Gottlieb thinks about the role of media coverage when it comes to her job and program; what it means media-wise to have two AP Preseason All-Americans, Kiki Iriafen and JuJu Watkins; how she looks at media access; why L.A. is a unique sports media market; the school's decision to hire a GM for the program, Amy Broadhead, and externally building the USC Women's basketball brand; navigating the world of NIL; how to approach the increasing toxic world of social media; the impact of Caitlin Clark on women's college basketball this year; the potential game of the year on Dec 21 between USC and UConn in Hartford; playing in the Big Ten and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 446 of the Sports Media Podcast features the co-hosts of The Sports Spectrum podcast, an interview-driven show featuring stories at the intersection of faith and sports. The guests are Matt Forte, who played 10 years in the NFL as a running back for the Bears and Jets, and becomes a co-host on Nov. 5, and Jason Romano, a former ESPN producer who has been the podcast host since 2017. In this podcast, Forte and Romano discuss what the Sports Spectrum offers listeners; why Forte decided to become an on-air host; how deep the show go into a person's faith, religious experience, testimonial and connection to Christ; who listens to the show based on their data; how someone who doesn’t belong to a religion would interact with the podcast; how Forte saw playing in the major media markets of Chicago and New York; whether discussing religion is a third-rail issue in a locker room and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 445 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Jerry Bailey, the Hall of Fame jockey and analyst for NBC's horse racing coverage. In this podcast Bailey discusses his months-long preparation for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which will air this weekend from Del Mar, Calif., across NBC, USA Network and Peacock; where the Breeders’ Cup weekend ranks for him amid all assignments; what his broadcasting philosophy is; how he got into the broadcasting business and working for NBC since 2012; the increased technology for horse racing production; the Breeders’ Cup Classic field; who he likes among the 2-year-old colts and fillies; the gambling element of horse racing; how to get young people to the sport and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 444 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Michaela Hammond and Chris Stone, two of the founders of OffBall, a new sports culture brand featuring a website, newsletter, and social feed. You can find them at offball.news. In this podcast, Hammond and Stone discuss what Off Ball is and its attempt to provide a curated hub for the nexus of sports and culture; why they believe they have a unique product in the content space; using human curation for a sports content play; the challenge of getting publicity for a new entity in sports media; where they hope to be in six months and a year as a brand; their previous stops at The The Players' Tribune and Sports Illustrated, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 443 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci, who are serving as dugout reporters for Fox Sports for the Dodgers-Yankees World Series. Both Verducci and Rosenthal have long careers as accomplished writers; Verducci works for Sports Illustrated while Rosenthal writes for The Athletic. (I have worked with both.) In this podcast Rosenthal and Verducci discuss why this World Series feels so big; how they prepare for their Fox TV work versus writing; the potential viewership of this World Series; why we sometimes see on social media sometimes some fans not happy with in-game MLB interviews; how they approach the post-game interview; the Series impact on Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto when it comes to legacy and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 442 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Sports Business Journal managing editor/newsletters Austin Karp and Sports Media Watch founder and editor Jon Lewis. In this podcast, we discuss our World Series predictions for viewership; how good a World Series this is for MLB as far as media exposure; what is a realistic number for Fox; how the NBA looks at the start of the season; Turner’s last NBA year; the WNBA Finals viewership; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 441 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Laura Gentile, the former head of marketing at ESPN and the founder of the espnW brand. She left ESPN this past year to launch her own company, lauragentile.studio, an independent marketing consultancy. In this podcast, Gentile discusses why big money is flowing into women’s sports; where the growth areas are; the job of a marketing consultancy in sports; ESPN’s role in women’s sports and what the company does well and can do better; what she anticipates from ESPN’s business in the near-term; working with brands, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 440 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Allison Galer, an attorney and the founder and president of Disrupt the Game, her sports and entertainment agency. Galer’s client list includes ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike, WNBA players Kelsey Mitchell, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, and Jacey Sheldon, among others, women’s college basketball All-Americas Kiki Irafen and Aneesah Morrow, and U.S. national soccer team star Crystal Dunn. In this podcast, Galer discusses what her job entails; how she gets clients; what she is paying attention to as far as media trends as it relates to her client; the upcoming negotiation for Mitchell, who is a core-eligible unrestricted free agent; the untapped audio space for women’s athletes; dealing with teams; how her clients have dealt with social media vitriol, and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 439 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Jon Lewis, the founder and editor of Sports Media Watch.  In this podcast, Deitsch and Lewis discuss Roger Goodell telling the AP that it would not surprise him if a Super Bowl was played abroad; why the networks might not want that Super Bowl over a U.S.-based one; the International impact; college football’s big viewership start; how ESPN has leveraged the SEC; the best matchups for a World Series based on viewership; why the Dodgers are a unique viewership play; the WNBA’s soaring Finals ratings; whether Caitlin Clark can get more popular and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 438 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Ryan Fitzpatrick, a pregame, halftime, and postgame analyst for  Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football coverage. The former NFL quarterback joined the streamer in 2022.  In this podcast, Fitzgerald discusses his journey from player to broadcaster; the value of having played against players and coaches who are still active; whether he can be critical of people he played with in the NFL; why he opted to be on a studio show versus game broadcasts; how his family life plays into his job; Tom Brady’s decision to go into broadcasting; how he prepares for broadcasts; the chemistry of his colleagues; Amazon’s upcoming NFL schedule and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 437 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Chris Johnston, an NHL Insider for The Athletic, TSN (Canada), and the host of The Chris Johnston Show for SDPN. In this podcast, Johnston discusses the media health of the NHL; what the robust Stanley Cup Final viewership numbers from last year could mean heading forward; what he hears around the NHL about ESPN and WBD doing hockey in the U.S.; Amazon’s entry into the Canadian hockey media market; Connor Bedard’s Year 2; the best teams in the NHL heading in; whether playing in Toronto is different media-wise, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 436 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Boston Globe media writer Chad Finn and Sports Business Journal managing editor/newsletters Austin Karp. In this podcast we examine the NFL’s viewership rate so far; Zach Lowe’s layoff and Adrian Wojnarowski’s retirement from ESPN, the NFL International Series; MLB’s postseason interest, the WNBA's viewership without Caitlin Clark, and more.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 435 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Tom Rinaldi, a reporter on multiple Fox Sports properties including the NFL where he works on the top team. Rinaldi has a new serialized podcast series out: “Tom Rinaldi Presents: Sacred Acre.” The six-part series goes into the life and murder of Ed Thomas, a longtime high school football coach from Parkersburg, Iowa. In this podcast Rinaldi discusses why he was attracted to this story of a man who was killed 15 years ago; the challenges of narrative audio; the collaborative process for podcasts; Nick Saban becoming a college football analyst for ESPN; why broadcasting at a World Cup was a dream assignment; working with Tom Brady on the NFL; why he thinks Brady will be successful, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 434 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Jason Jones, a staff writer for The Athletic, covering the nexus of sports and culture and Jimmy Traina, the host of the SI Media with Jimmy Traina and a writer at SI.com. In this podcast Jones and Traina discuss the six-part docu-series that premiered on Netflix last week about Vince McMahon; their takeaways; how the filmmakers navigated McMahon’s ascension in pro wrestling through his exile from the business amid legal problems; why they choose the interviews; Shane McMahon coming off good; why no Nick Khan or WWE execs; the interviews with Hulk Hogan and Tony Atlas; Vince defenders; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 433 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Adnan Virk, who will be a host for Amazon's Prime Monday Night Hockey. Amazon will stream all national regular season Monday night NHL games in English for the 2024-25 NHL season in Canada. In this podcast Virk discusses how he landed the Prime Video job; Amazon's foray into the NHL; Amazon's upcoming NHL whiparound show; being onsite for an NHL studio show; what baseball needs for a big postseason; Joe Tessitore doing WWE broadcasting; HBO's The Penguin, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 432 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Kalyn Kahler, a senior NFL Writer for ESPN. Kahler is the host and lead reporter for "Spiraled," a six-part podcast off her written series on former NFL players who left their old lives behind for an extreme religious group. In this podcast Kahler discusses her reporting on NFL players joining Straitway Truth Ministry; how to turn written work into a narrative podcast; the challenges of self-promotion for a podcast; how to find interesting NFL stories and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices