The Varsity

Roger Bennett, founder of Men in Blazers and author of We Are the World Cup, reflects on soccer’s rise in the U.S. He discusses how streaming and gaming fueled fandom. He assesses MLS’s challenge balancing youth development with star signings. He previews World Cup cultural impact and shares hopes for Team USA.

Andrew Marchand, senior sports media columnist for The Athletic, breaks down MLB’s media rights shuffle and Netflix’s growing role. He debates how multiple partners may confuse fans. He explains cinematic game presentations, local-rights bundling, ESPN’s programming pivot, and who stands to gain in upcoming NFL negotiations.

Jay Bilas, former Duke player and longtime ESPN college basketball analyst, shares a surprisingly optimistic take on the sport. He praises current on-court play and argues NIL has strengthened college basketball. He discusses reform ideas, transfer and eligibility quirks, tournament expansion skepticism, and a bullish five-year outlook for the game.

Christine Brennan, veteran sports columnist and Olympic reporter, brings decades of on-the-ground perspective. She dissects the charged political atmosphere in Milan and why athletes are speaking out. She covers the opening ceremony boos, social media’s role, and the controversy surrounding Casey Wasserman and LA28.

NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell joins John to reflect on his 20-year rise inside the company—going from the infamous “hat dance guy” to the executive now steering the motorsport’s high-stakes future. Then he breaks down the new playoff format, NASCAR’s global ambitions, why staying a “must-have” media property is more critical than ever, and much, much 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

Ben Strauss, former Washington Post media reporter who lived through the paper’s mass layoffs and the sports desk shutdown. He recounts his layoff experience and newsroom reactions. They explore the NFL’s hold on TV networks, upcoming media rights battles, international expansion, and NBC’s Super Bowl production critiques.

Mike Florio, NBC Sports reporter and founder of ProFootballTalk, offers sharp takes on the NFL’s biggest off-field stories. He critiques the Hall of Fame voting and proposes fixes. He breaks down salary cap battles, the push for an 18th game, officiating reforms like full-time officials, the Rooney Rule’s shortcomings, and the league’s pivot toward streaming and media rights.

Jeff Miller, longtime NFL executive overseeing player safety, public affairs, and policy, shares candid takes. He delves into the ESPN deal and what it means for year-round coverage. He discusses the league’s growing use of AI in player health, concussion trends, and officiating. He also tackles the Rooney Rule’s limits, coaching diversity, and integrity around betting and prediction markets.

Don Van Natta, investigative sports reporter known for deep NFL business and Hall of Fame coverage, breaks down the shock of Belichick missing first‑ballot induction. He discusses Hall voting politics, Robert Kraft and Brady ties to controversies. He also explores the push for an 18‑game season, NFLPA criminal probes, TV/streaming money, and Jerry Jones’s succession plans.

Sara Fischer, Axios media reporter known for breaking media and tech stories, joins to unpack major industry moves. She covers The Washington Post’s cutbacks and the business logic behind them. She breaks down Netflix’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery and what it means for cable. She analyzes TikTok’s new ownership and how it could reshape the app’s backend and product.