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
501
Meghan Markle vs. LeBron / NBA’s Star-Studded B...
22 min
502
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
503
Selling Michael Jordan’s $15 Million House / NF...
22 min
504
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
505
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
506
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
507
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
508
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
509
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
510
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
511
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
512
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
513
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
514
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