Sporticast

'Sporticast' is a new podcast hosted by business journalists Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams from Sportico that will deliver the inside scoop on the intersection of money and sports. From billion-dollar valuations to team sales, sponsorship contracts and media rights, go behind the scenes on the deals that power the global sports economy. For more coverage and information, be sure to check out sportico.com

Sports News
Sports
Business
376
The Masters Tees Off / Olympics Boycott Controv...
Scott and Eben discuss the business behind the Masters, which tees off this week without 2019 champion Tiger Woods. They also discuss comments made by a U.S. State Department official regarding the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and the latest developments in the world of sports collectibles and digital art.
22 min
377
NFL/Genius NCAA Women's Tourney $$, Monumental ...
Scott and Sportico managing editor Matt Bok discuss the NFL's deal with Genius Sports to be the exclusive league data provider for sportsbooks before turning to the uncaptured value of the women's college basketball tournament. They also look at Arctos Sports Partners' investment in the Golden State Warriors and review a profile of Monumental Sports and Ted Leonsis's burgeoning empire.
24 min
378
The NCAA Has Its Day At the Supreme Court
Scott and Eben are joined by Sportico legal analyst Michael McCann to break down oral hearings in a Supreme Court case that could forever alter the landscape of college sports. The trio discuss how the NCAA got here, what happened with SCOTUS on Wednesday, and what to expect moving forward.
22 min
379
Yankees Worth $6.75 billion / March Madness Money
Scott and Eben discuss Sportico’s recent MLB valuations, which found that the New York Yankees are the most valuable sports franchise in the world at $6.75 billion. They also discuss business stories surrounding March Madness, and two media acquisitions from last week that are both gambling-inspired.
23 min
380
NFL, Amazon Deepen Relationship / Fanatics Wort...
Scott and Eben discuss a new partnership between Amazon and the NFL that will see more fan gear listed on Amazon’s marketplace. They also discuss the latest funding round for Fanatics, Dan Snyder consolidating his ownership of the Washington Football Team and a Sportico story about how companies are approaching their corporate tickets as people return to arenas and stadiums.
21 min
381
NFL’s $105 Billion Media Deals / Upset-Filled M...
Scott and Eben discuss the NFL’s latest media renewals, which are worth more than $105 billion from partners ESPN, FOX, CBS, NBC and Amazon. They also discuss the NCAA postseason tournaments, which have been filed with upsets and accusations of gender inequality. They also discuss a potential Endeavor IPO and new chairman of Genius Sports.
23 min
382
LeBron Becomes MLB Owner / Basketball Players M...
Scott and Eben discuss LeBron James’s latest investment, an equity stake in Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC. They also discuss a social media movement by college basketball players on the eve of the NCAA tournament, a new ETF geared towards sports leagues and teams, and Tiger Woods’s return to golf video games.
25 min
383
Newest Billionaire Comes from Sports Betting / ...
Scott and Eben discuss one of the business world’s newest billionaires, DraftKings co-founder Jason Robins, who is now worth more than $1.2 billion because of the company’s dramatic growth as a public company. They also discuss the money behind March Madness, the NCAA’s main revenue driver; new technology helping arenas re-open to fans; and China’s offer to vaccinate athletes for both the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.
23 min
384
XFL Delays 2022 Relaunch / LeBron Nike Brand’s ...
Scott and Eben discuss the latest from the XFL, whose new owners have paused next year’s planed relaunch as they explore a strategic partnership with the Canadian Football League. They also discuss Nike’s new partnership with Florida A&M, which is a first for LeBron’s brand; and the NHL’s new seven-year deal with ESPN, which leaves the other half of the league’s U.S. rights still up for grabs.
22 min
385
Meghan Markle vs. LeBron / NBA’s Star-Studded B...
22 min
386
Nike Exec Steps Down After Story on Son’s Sneak...
Scott and Eben discuss a recent executive shake-up at Nike. Ann Hebert, the company’s GM of North America, stepped down this week after a Bloomberg Businessweek magazine story detailed her teenage son’s sneaker re-selling business. They also discuss the revealing reaction of Texas Longhorns donors during the school’s reckoning with its “The Eyes of Texas” fight song, and a recent Sportico story that undercut a critical piece of testimony in the NCAA’s fight to preserve amateurism.
22 min
387
Selling Michael Jordan’s $15 Million House / NF...
22 min
388
Vince McMahon Comes Off Top Rope in XFL Lawsuit...
Scott and Eben discuss the latest in the $23.8 million legal fight between Vince McMahon and former XFL commissioner Oliver Luck, and the Vegas Golden Knights’ recent partnership with a tout service. They also discuss a new lawsuit between Team USA and Puma, the bizarre story surrounding Rangers star Artemi Panarin, and the latest on Tiger Woods.
22 min
389
MLB Team Executive’s Disastrous Interview / Fer...
Scott and Eben discuss an interview that Seattle Mariners CEO Kevin Mather gave to a local rotary club, which included insults of foreign players and details about the team’s business strategy. Mather resigned on Monday. They also discuss Sportradar’s potential $10+ billion valuation, the NHL’s latest series of outdoor games next to Lake Tahoe, and Notre Dame throwing cold water on the much-anticipated return of the EA Sports college football video game.
24 min
390
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Sees Value Explode / ...
Scott and Eben discuss the rapid growth of the collectibles industry, with sky-rocketing valuations on memorabilia of all types, from Topps rookies to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson tuna cards. Now, investors such as Mets owner Steve Cohen and the Chernin Group are getting in on the action. They also discuss the upcoming MLB season, and the push to drive investment and coverage of women’s sports.
19 min
391
UCLA’s Nike Deal a $11 Million Drop / Daytona 5...
Scott and Eben discuss the details of UCLA’s new apparel contract with Nike, which is worth about $11 million less, per year, than its prior agreement with Under Armour. They also discuss the Daytona 500 and the business of NASCAR, plus RedBird Capital’s investment in Wasserman Media, and the resignation of Tokyo Olympics head Yoshiro Mori.
20 min
392
NHL Takes Betting Equity / NBA’s Anthem Wars
Scott and Eben discuss the Super Bowl’s underwhelming ratings, and the NHL’s latest sports gambling partner, which includes the league receiving stock in Australian sportsbook Pointsbet. They also discuss the Super Bowl streaker’s gambling claims, a disagreement between the Dallas Mavericks and the NBA over the playing of the national anthem, and quarterback-turned-activist Colin Kaepernick’s new investment vehicle.
21 min
393
Super Bowl Business Recap / Technology Hiccups
Scott and Eben recap the Super Bowl, including what the statement win means for Tom Brady’s legacy, and what the loss means for Patrick Mahomes. They also discuss the ads, the halftime show, and a series of technology outages that affected both CBS’s digital stream, and a handful of sports betting apps in the run-up to the game. They close with a discussion of 32 Equity, the NFL’s venture capital arm.
23 min
394
NFL Sponsorship Grows / College Football Video ...
Scott and Eben discuss the business of the NFL on the eve of the Super Bowl. League sponsorship jumped 10% to $1.6 billion last season, according to marketing firm IEG, and it was a strong year for the league from a broadcast perspective as well. The two also discuss Jeff Bezos stepping down as Amazon CEO, and the reality behind EA Sports’s decision to resume making its popular college football video game.
21 min
395
NBA’s COVID Woes / MLB Labor Deja Vu
Scott and Eben discuss how NBA owners are managing the pandemic, and news from this week that long-time MLB team executive Theo Epstein is joining a private equity group that will invest in pro sports teams of all types. The two also discuss the looming labor fight in Major League Baseball, which for the second year is threatening to derail the baseball season right before it is set to start.
18 min
396
GameStop Stock Saga / NCAA Loses $800 Million
Scott and Eben discuss the wild story of GameStop’s stock surge, and a few sports related angles to the saga. They also discuss the NBA’s new guidelines for institutional investors, the NCAA’s $800 million loss from the cancelled March Madness tournament, and the final ratings for the NFL’s two conference championship games.
18 min
397
Super Bowl Stardom Delivers for CBS / A Sports ...
Scott and Eben discuss all things sports media, including a Super Bowl showdown between two eras of NFL stars, and NBCUniversal’s decision to shutter cable network NBCSN by the end of the year. In addition, big UFC and WWE streaming news make this the perfect time to revisit the future of how we watch games.
18 min
398
The NBA’s $5 Billion Franchises / Will Kelly Lo...
Scott and Eben discuss the business of the NBA, including recent Sportico valuations that found the average franchise is now worth $2.4 billion. The NBA now has three teams worth more than $5 billion; the NFL has just one. Also discussed: Why former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler may be forced to surrender her ownership of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, and one New Jersey school’s unique approach to its athletics deficit.
21 min