The Varsity * New MLS commissioner Larry Berg meets the press. * Analytics firm Samba puts some numbers to the first few F1 races on Apple TV. * The knives are out for Gianni Infantino. Plus, agent Gideon Cohen explains why the market for on-air talent is drying up. puck.news/newsletter_c...

Iron Gianni & Apple’s F1 Spinout

Aug 4, 2026 WELCOME BACK! You’re receiving a complimentary version of The Varsity as a welcome gift to new readers. Start a free 14-day trial to unlock access to Puck.   John Ourand Welcome back to Th...

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New pod: It used to be a seller’s market for sports broadcasters. But as RSNs wither and TV networks gut studio rosters, it’s increasingly lean times for on-air talent. Athletes First's Gideon Cohen is thinking about what his business might look like in the future. open.spotify.com/episode/6TyZ...

Netflix’s NFL Booth & CBS’s Romo Conundrum

The Varsity · Episode

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New pod: The business behind the WNBA is great--TV ratings, attendance, sponsorships. So why is it mired in so much internal conflict? The Athletic's @anniecostabile.bsky.social joins to make sense of it all. open.spotify.com/episode/1bpm...

Can the WNBA Survive Its Own Success?

The Varsity · Episode

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New pod: Is the A.I. capex arms race reshaping how streamers approach sports rights? Ace analyst Michael Nathanson offers his thoughts. open.spotify.com/episode/6ZuJ...

Is the A.I. Arms Race Coming for Sports?

The Varsity · Episode

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The Varsity * Big Ten's rivalry with the SEC takes center stage. * MLS commissioner search could be decided next week. * This streaming thing doesn't look like a fad. puck.news/newsletter_c...

ParaBros Hard Choices & A Netflix NFL Pitch

Jul 28, 2026 John Ourand Welcome back to The Varsity. I’m John Ourand, once again spending far too much of the college football preseason thinking about Chapel Hill. Last year, it was Bill Belichick’s...

puck.news

The Varsity * Cathy Engelbert’s hold on her WNBA Commissioner job remains tenuous at best. * NBCU's streaming strategy marks a significant departure from Disney and Paramount. * @andrewmarchand.bsky.social on the Ryan Clark story. puck.news/newsletter_c...

Cuban vs. The Mavs & A WNBA Confidence Crisis

Jul 27, 2026 John Ourand Welcome back to The Varsity. Like Gianni Infantino, I would like to offer a special shout-out to all the haters out there. Yesterday, the FIFA president posted a strange World...

puck.news

New pod: @andrewmarchand.bsky.social breaks down ESPN’s recent layoffs--from the reasons why they happened to what it was like reporting on it. open.spotify.com/episode/1bVy...

What ESPN’s Layoffs Really Signal

The Varsity · Episode

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The latest round of ESPN casualties represents the latest act in the remaking of sports media: The network has shed half of its households in the past 15 years as the costs of broadcast rights have skyrocketed. How’s a linear sports network supposed to compete? puck.news/espns-layoff...

Bristol Whipped

The latest round of ESPN casualties represents the latest act in the remaking of sports media: The network has shed half of its households in the past 15 years as the costs of broadcast rights have sk...

puck.news

New pod: How can @ussoccer.com capitalize on this year's World Cup. JT Batson, the CEO of the US Soccer Federation, explains. open.spotify.com/episode/7eqW...

Has the U.S. Finally Fallen in Love with Soccer?

The Varsity · Episode

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New pod: @theathletic.com's @evandrellich.bsky.social on an era of good feelings around baseball in the face of a coming labor war. open.spotify.com/episode/1jUn...

Can MLB Surpass the NBA?

The Varsity · Episode

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Sources: I'm told that the MLS Commissioner search has narrowed to three execs who could replace Don Garber. * LAFC co-owner and former PE exec Larry Berg * Veteran media exec David Nathanson * Senior exec with the 49ers Paraag Marathe A new MLS commissioner is expected to be announced next month.

The Varsity * Player of the Week: Carolyn Tisch Blodgett * Down to the J.V.: Bundesliga * World Cup TV ratings are bonkers * ESPN's local sports plan * Last hope for the Protect College Sports Act puck.news/newsletter_c...

MLB Lockout Forecasting & World Cup Dominance

John Ourand Welcome to The Varsity from a smoke-filled New York City. I attended the ESPYs last night for their cross-country, Lincoln Center debut. The show had a bit of a New York vibe, from the hom...

puck.news

Looming lockout or not, baseball is riding high this summer, with generational stars, epic ratings, and the willingness to ignore the labor storm clouds gathering for the post-postseason. puck.news/why-mlbs-bus...

Smiling Through the Baseball Apocalypse

Looming lockout or not, baseball is riding high this summer, with generational stars, epic ratings, and the willingness to ignore the labor storm clouds gathering for the post-postseason.

puck.news

The Varsity * Grading the Netflix production of the Home Run Derby * FIFA officials are torn over the future of hydration breaks * MLB labor strike was on display in Philly * Morgan Stanley analyst is not concerned about Netflix engagement numbers. puck.news/newsletter_c...

The Fanatics Invasion & The Hydration Break Wars

Jul 14, 2026 John Ourand Welcome to The Varsity, from a joyous Philly, even after hometown hero Kyle Schwarber fell short in MLB’s Home Run Derby. The vibes around baseball have felt great this week—a...

puck.news

New pod: @puck.news @eriqgardner.bsky.social explains the legal drama around Paramount/WBD and the NFL’s Sunday Ticket suit. Plus, a deep dive into the Wrigley Field lawsuit. open.spotify.com/episode/3vQ7...

Caught Stealing… The View?

The Varsity · Episode

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New pod: Michael Ratner and Lance Fensterman on the wild growth and evolution of Fanatics Fest, which kicks off in New York this week. open.spotify.com/episode/2FGw...

Fanatically Speaking

The Varsity · Episode

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FIFA World Cup U.S. rights negotiations expected to start later this year. "A half dozen really good sources say that there’s been no real communication with FIFA on the topic, beyond the expectation that bids could be submitted in late fall or early winter." puck.news/inside-fifas...

FIFA Prepares Its 2030 Wish List

With the World Cup overperforming, FIFA is in the catbird seat on 2030 and 2034 rights—but a time-zone penalty makes fees next to impossible to predict.

puck.news

FIFA is seemingly in the catbird seat in negotiating rights deals for 2030 and 2034. And while there is no shortage of suitors, there are surprisingly few details, and a time-zone penalty that makes viewership and rights fees next to impossible to predict. puck.news/inside-fifas...

FIFA Prepares Its 2030 Wish List

With the World Cup overperforming, FIFA is in the catbird seat on 2030 and 2034 rights—but a time-zone penalty makes fees next to impossible to predict.

puck.news

New pod: Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall on why a sale of NBC is less likely than the market assumes; why Fox bought Roku; and whether linear networks can actually afford to pay more for the NFL. open.spotify.com/episode/5jGX...

Can Linear TV Actually Afford More NFL?

The Varsity · Episode

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New pod: Jon Wertheim offers his state of tennis--from Serena's return to player protests to how the sport can grow in the U.S. open.spotify.com/episode/3InN...

Wimbledon’s Grass is Always Greener

The Varsity · Episode

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Varsity * NBA European viewership up big this season with Amazon. * World Cup games prove to be a great lead-in for other sports on Fox. * MLB starts "eventizing" July 4. puck.news/newsletter_c...

Comcast Split Strategery & Amazon Flexes Its Global NBA Reach

July 2, 2026 John Ourand Welcome back to The Varsity. I’m John Ourand, and I’m feeling as patriotic as ever today. And no, I am not talking about the Great American State Fair. What a game last night!...

puck.news

New pod: Fox Sports' Eric Shanks on the success of this World Cup, Fox’s decade-long investment in soccer, the controversial hydration breaks and the looming 2030 rights war. open.spotify.com/episode/4iD5...

Fox Sports’ Golden Boot

The Varsity · Episode

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New pod: The World Cup's runaway success. @andrewmarchand.bsky.social on what has worked, what hasn't, and what this means for 2030. open.spotify.com/episode/3V0y...

Soccer’s American Dream

The Varsity · Episode

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The Varsity * USMNT behind-the-scenes heroes: JT Batson & Cindy Parlow Cone * Tom Dundon: the NBA's heel * Are streaming ad tiers taking hold? * Are media companies enthused by the PGA Tour's schedule change? * An MLB lockout after the season is inevitable. puck.news/newsletter_c...

The Sports Doc Drought & Rolapp Relegation Questions

John Ourand Welcome back to The Varsity. And let’s go, USA! I know we’re already through to the next round, but I can’t wait for tonight’s game against Turkey. Our boy Peter Hamby will be at SoFi—look...

puck.news

The Varsity * Adam Silver’s offseason to-do list * The Sorsby mess * The reason Bob Iger resisted spinning off ESPN puck.news/newsletter_c...

The FanDuel Future & The Sorsby Debacle

Jun 23, 2026 John Ourand Welcome back to The Varsity, and welcome to D.C., AJ Dybantsa, the player my otherwise-hapless Wizards picked at the top of the NBA Draft tonight. AJ, you’re going to love lif...

puck.news

New pod: FanDuel president Christian Genetski on everything from World Cup engagement to the sports betting scandals to his company's foray into prediction markets. open.spotify.com/episode/3YPH...

FanDuel’s Next Gamble

The Varsity · Episode

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New pod: @nauerbach.com on all the latest chaos in college sports: the Big Ten–SEC rivalry, the Brendan Sorsby mess and an unexpected political threat in Washington. open.spotify.com/episode/3m9f...

College Sports Confidential

The Varsity · Episode

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The Varsity * Has time already run out on the Protect College Sports Act? * Why, exactly, is AppleTV putting the Australian Grand Prix in front of its paywall. * Versant's sports strategy. puck.news/newsletter_c...

YouTube Mysteries & Apple’s F1 Smoke Signal

John Ourand Welcome back to The Varsity, heading into one of my favorite weekends of the year. No, not Father’s Day—the U.S. Open. I plan to spend a significant portion of the weekend mesmerized by th...

puck.news

The Varsity * Is Brian Rolapp's honeymoon at the PGA Tour over? * Fox is making upwards of $750,000 per 30 seconds during World Cup hydration breaks during USMNT games. * No movement on NFL media rights talks. puck.news/newsletter_c...

Dolan-ology & Rolapp’s Rough Patch

Jun 16, 2026 John Ourand Welcome back to The Varsity, and congrats to the NBA’s Mike Bass and sports business veteran Mary Scott, who will be receiving Lifetime Achievement Awards here in D.C. as part...

puck.news

New pod: Brian Windhorst and Mike Breen on exactly what Jim Dolan did to change the culture at MSG. open.spotify.com/episode/4f1K...

The James Dolan Paradox

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