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
426
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
427
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
428
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
429
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
430
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
431
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
432
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
433
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
434
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