On the pod this week, host Austin Karp dives into the numbers behind NFL Week 1’s viewership surge and the impact of Big Data. Plus, IMG’s Hillary Mandell joins the show to unpack major media rights deals like UFC, WWE and the U.S. Open, as well as what could be next for a league like the NWSL. And finally in Karp’s Corner, we examine the U.S. Open’s viewership surge, who won the weekend in college football and why a big European basketball should have a bigger American audience.

1:24 Austin Karp on NFL Week 1

4:11 Hillary Mandel Interview

22:03 Karp's Corner

On the pod this week, host Austin Karp gets set for NFL season. SBJ football reporter Ben Fischer talks dishes on the Eagles and Cowboys, YouTube's NFL debut and the future of who might air games. Plus, ESPN's Seth Wickersham dishes on his new book about QBs and how it feels to have the NFL as an equity investor in ESPN.

1:10 BEN FISCHER SEGMENT

16:36 SETH WICKERSHAM INTERVIEW

29:34 KARPS CORNER

On the pod this week, host Austin Karp takes you around the sports media landscape, including major news on how sports will be measured going forward by Nielsen, comings and goings with the U.S. Open and Netflix betting big in Japan with MLB. SBJ college reporter Ben Portnoy chimes in as Lee Corso gets set for his final “College GameDay.” Plus, The CW President Brad Schwartz discusses the network’s rapid transformation into a major player in live sports anchored by NASCAR and college football, and what the company has planned for streaming and beyond.

00:50 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW

15:07 BRAD SCHWARTZ INTERVIEW

29:18 KARP'S CORNER

On the pod this week, host Austin Karp chats with SBJ combat sports reporter Adam Stern about the massive Paramount-TKO Group deal for UFC. Karp is then joined by Keith Cossrow of NFL Films about the many projects his group is leading. Finally, we whip around the sports media landscape to talk ESPN and Fox partnering up around DTC, big viewership for the Little League Softball World Series and much more.

1:12 Paramount-UFC Deal

10:03 Keith Cossrow Interview

29:24 Quick Hitters

On the pod this week, host Austin Karp breaks down a number of deals struck between the NFL and ESPN. And with the season fast approaching, Karp is joined by NBC’s Devin McCourty, CBS’ Jason McCourty and Fox’s Greg Olsen to look at what’s in store for 2025.

1:13 ESPN-NFL DEAL

5:18 THE McCOURTY BROTHERS INTERVIEW

25:40 GREG OLSEN INTERVIEW

29:58 QUICK HITTERS

On the pod this week, co-hosts Austin Karp and Mollie Cahillane break down the latest in sports media, including NBCUniversal potentially launching a new cable sports channel. Also, The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch joins the show to break down the future of NFL Media, including what may happen in the wake of the Paramount/Skydance merger. The trio also examines what a 16-team CFP could look like from a media perspective. Finally, an examination of the media future of both the NBA and MLB.

1:11 NBCU CABLE SPORTS CHANNEL

4:43 NFL MEDIA

24:52 COLLEGE FOOTBALL

33:22 QUICK HITTERS

On the pod this week, co-hosts Austin Karp and Mollie Cahillane break down the latest in sports media including Barstool Sports and Fox Sports teaming up, what sports programming is resonating on Netflix and ESPN’s latest . SBJ’s Rachel Axon also stops by to break down WNBA All-Star weekend and where the league goes from there. Later in the show, Snap’s Anmol Malhotra discusses how the social media giant is making sports even more accessible for fans. Finally, Joe Hand Jr. of out-of-homedistributor Joe Hand Promotions breaks down his company’s business.

1:03 FOX BARSTOOL

4:31 WNBA ALL-STAR GAME

13:07 NETFLIX SHOWS

18:30 ANMOL MALHOTRA INTERVIEW

29:11 NFL MEDIA & ESPN RATINGS

31:40 JOE HEAD JR. INTERVIEW

45:11 QUICK HITTERS