6/5/26 - World Cup Ticket Scramble, NBA Europe Bids, NFL vs. Congress, NBA Finals Frenzy

Rich Eisen has a new podcast called “This Was SportsCenter,” and it is exactly what it sounds like. He is sitting down one-on-one with the anchors who defined an era of sports media, going deep into what it was actually like behind the scenes, and pairing every conversation with archival footage and photographs that turn each episode into a nonstop ride down memory lane. The first episode with Dan Patrick is out now. The golden era of “SportsCenter” is something every sports fan has an opinion about, and Eisen has a very specific answer for exactly when it was, what ended it, and why the smartphone is more responsible for the shift than any decision made in a boardroom. He also goes back to host “SportsCenter” for the first time in 23 years and has thoughts on what that experience told him about the show's past and present. Rich Eisen left ESPN for NFL Network in 2003 and is now back in the fold as NFL Network becomes part of the ESPN universe. There are real questions about whether two juggernauts like Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter can coexist on the same network, and Eisen addresses those directly. He also shares whether there is someone he’d like to host with on “SportsCenter,” and the answer is as emotional as you would expect. CHAPTERS 0:00 Introduction and How This Was SportsCenter Came Together 0:36 The Origin Story: From a Breakfast Meeting With Jimmy Pitaro to a Podcast 5:22 When Was the Golden Era of SportsCenter and What Ended It 9:39 Rich Eisen Returns to ESPN and NFL Network Joins the Family 12:01 Will There Be Room for Rapoport and Schefter on the Same Network 12:14 Does He Have Another SportsCenter Date Planned and Who Would He Do It With Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Front Office Sports Today is back. Join host Baker Machado for your quick daily insight into everything happening around the business and culture of sports.In today's episode: FIFA scrambles to offload tens of thousands of unsold World Cup tickets as transparency questions swirl, the NBA's European league draws bids worth up to $1 billion ahead of a 2027 launch, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell declines a congressional invite over the league's broadcast rights, and NBA Finals ticket prices at Madison Square Garden skyrocket overnight as New York plays its first Finals game in 27 years.Make sure to subscribe and follow Front Office Sports across socials to stay up-to-date on the latest conversations around the business of sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Front Office Sports Today is back. Join host Baker Machado for your quick daily insight into everything happening around the business and culture of sports.In today's episode: what a Knicks championship would pay team owner James Dolan, new bipartisan college sports legislation gains traction, and the unique details of Stephen Curry's lifetime shoe deal with Li-Ning.Make sure to subscribe and follow Front Office Sports across socials to stay up-to-date on the latest conversa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deion Sanders joins Baker Machado of Front Office Sports to discuss his partnership with Depends ahead of Men's Health Month, his son Shedeur Sanders's $17 million payday, and the state of college football in the NIL era. Deion gives his take on the College Football Playoff expansion debate and how the Big 12 is competing with the SEC and Big Ten. He also discusses potential changes to the eligibility rules around college football and what he hopes to see. Plus, he responds to NFL coaching rumors and previous reports connecting him to the Dallas Cowboys. CHAPTERS 0:00 Introduction and Men's Health Month Partnership With Depend 1:02 How Deion Decides Which Brands to Work With 1:33 Shedeur Sanders Breaks Tom Brady's NFL Licensing Record 2:36 College Football Playoff Expansion: How Many Teams Should Be In 3:13 What Does It Cost to Win a College Football Championship Now 4:07 Transfer Portal Eligibility Rules and What Needs to Change 4:45 Defensive Backs vs Quarterbacks: How Non-QBs Become Household Names 5:32 How the Big 12 Competes With the SEC and Big Ten 5:56 Colorado's Expectations and What Is Different This Season 6:56 What Deion Loves Most About Living in Boulder 7:49 The NFL Coaching Rumors and the Cowboys Reports Addressed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Front Office Sports Today is back. Join host Baker Machado for your quick daily insight into everything happening around the business and culture of sports. In today's episode: the Stanley Cup Final begins as Gary Bettman's succession plan looms, ESPN adds two huge names, and MLB's growing labor dispute could get ugly. Plus: will the NBA Finals deliver on huge expectations? Make sure to subscribe and follow Front Office Sports across socials to stay up-to-date on the latest conversations around the business of sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Front Office Sports Today is back. Join host Baker Machado for your quick daily insight into everything happening around the business and culture of sports.In today's episode: Myles Garrett and A.J. Brown head to Super Bowl contenders, Pat McAfee engages with ESPN on contract discussions, and Illinois fails at its latest attempt to keep the Bears inside state lines. Make sure to subscribe and follow Front Office Sports across socials to stay up-to-date on the latest conversations around the business of sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Front Office Sports Today is back. Join host Baker Machado for your quick daily insight into everything happening around the business and culture of sports. In today's episode: Spurs surge to the NBA Finals behind a huge series from Victor Wembanyama, Shedeur Sanders earns a massive payday from a group licensing deal, and the World Cup still has thousands of unsold tickets with just 10 days before the tournament begins. Make sure to subscribe and follow Front Office Sports across socials to stay up-to-date on the latest conversations around the business of sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Allyson Felix, 7-time Olympics gold medalist turned investor, joins Portfolio Players for a conversation on the future of women’s sports, athlete-led investing, and the evolving business of track and field. Felix breaks down: • Her role shaping the vision for the LA28 Summer Olympics • Why track and field is at a pivotal moment globally • How athlete investors are becoming a more influential voice in sports • The strategy behind Always Alpha and backing women’s sports founders • Building Saysh and creating products designed for female athletes • The evolving ownership landscape and where she would invest next • Why representation at the decision-making level matters more than ever • What it takes to build lasting impact beyond competition This episode of Portfolio Players, presented by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley, explores how athlete founders, capital, and long-term vision are reshaping the future of sports. Chapters: 01:27 — Celebrity Investors in Sports 01:47 — Intro: Assia Grazioli-Venier & Background 02:23 — From Tech to Juventus Boardroom 04:06 — Sports Teams as Modern Businesses 07:00 — Early Investment in Women’s Soccer 08:39 — Women’s Soccer Driving U.S. Growth 11:40 — Washington Spirit Investment Story 13:23 — Michele Kang’s Path to Ownership 15:24 — Why the NWSL Is Growing Rapidly 19:16 — Evaluating Teams Like Startups 21:41 — Celebrity Investors: What Actually Works 24:46 — Why Most New Leagues Will Fail 29:55 — Is Data Changing the Game? 31:46 — What She’d Invest in Next 34:31 — Career Advice & Closing Thoughts Portfolio Players is Front Office Sports’s original series exploring the deals, capital, and decision-makers shaping the future of sports business. Subscribe for more conversations with the industry’s top builders and investors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The lines between legacy sports media and independent creators have never been more blurred, and few people are navigating that shift more thoughtfully than Kofie Yeboah. He has built a loyal audience around deep dives into obscure sports moments and milestones that most people have forgotten, and the way he thinks about content creation is fundamentally different from how traditional media operates. Kofie breaks down the real economics of going independent, from YouTube AdSense to Patreon to brand deals, and what it actually takes to sustain a career when no single revenue stream is guaranteed. He also weighs in on whether a large social following has now replaced a journalism degree as the most important credential for anyone trying to break into sports media today. YouTube is making moves into NFL games and the Oscars, Netflix is licensing podcasts from Barstool and the Ringer, and big media companies are rethinking how they invest in talent. Where does all of this leave the independent creator, and is the future of sports media actually just everyone on YouTube? CHAPTERS 0:00 Introduction and the Rise of Independent Sports Media 0:22 Legacy Media vs New Media: What Has Actually Changed 1:27 Where Old and New Media Will Be in Five Years 2:44 How Kofie Generates Content Ideas and Why Nostalgia Works 4:06 Staying Authentic When the Algorithm Wants You to Chase Trends 5:41 Advice for Young Journalists: Degree vs Social Following 7:53 The Economics of Going Independent in Sports Media 9:58 Netflix Licensing Podcasts and the Future of Creator Deals 14:15 YouTube Buying Media Rights and What It Means for Creators 16:07 NBA Tanking and How the League Should Fix It Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mina Kimes is an Emmy nominated NFL analyst, a Celebrity Jeopardy champion, and now the host of the Scripps National Spelling Bee airing on Ion on May 27th and 28th. It is one of the more unexpected and genuinely delightful career pivots in sports media right now, and the story of how it came together runs directly through her time on Celebrity Jeopardy. She also just received a Sports Emmy nomination for her analyst work at ESPN, NFL Live is up for one too, and ESPN is now absorbing NFL Network into its portfolio ahead of hosting the Super Bowl next year. What does that mean for her role, for the talent she already knows over there, and what does a sports media super team actually look like in practice? Then there is Pablo Torre's Pulitzer Prize, the Clippers ownership situation that Steve Ballmer keeps downplaying, and the Seattle Seahawks going up for sale. As one of the most prominent Seahawks fans in sports media, Mina has a very clear and very specific answer for what kind of owner she actually wants for that franchise. CHAPTERS 0:00 Introduction and the Scripps National Spelling Bee 0:34 How Mina Kimes Became Host of the Spelling Bee 1:34 What She Would Tell Her Second Grade Self About This Moment 2:31 Which NFL Player Would Crush the Spelling Bee 3:24 ESPN Trivia Scene and Celebrity Jeopardy Update 4:21 ESPN Sports Jeopardy Hosted by Joe Buck 5:10 Sports Emmy Nomination for Mina and NFL Live 6:12 ESPN Absorbing NFL Network and What It Means for Talent 7:21 Pablo Torre's Pulitzer and the Clippers Accountability Question 8:21 Who Should Buy the Seattle Seahawks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices