Sports Media Disrupted: AI, Streaming, and Valued Talent

Resources

Resources & Recommendations

People Mentioned

• Matthew Berry (NBC's NFL coverage, entrepreneur, founder of Fantasy Life) - Discussed his insights on sports media, AI's impact on talent, and the growth of fantasy sports.
• Stephen A. Smith (ESPN) - Referenced as an example of a reporter who became a major sports media personality.
• Marsha - Mentioned by Matthew Berry as someone whose sports media writing he follows.
• Josh Richards (TikTok, Barstool Sports) - A TikTok influencer with 25 million followers and host of the "BFFs" podcast, used as an example of digital talent with massive reach, especially among younger audiences.
• Pat McAfee (YouTube, Barstool, College Gameday, ESPN) - Highlighted as an internet creation who built his career on YouTube and social media before transitioning to traditional broadcast.
• Dave Portnoy (Barstool, Fox's Big Noon Saturday) - Mentioned as someone who rose to prominence through the internet and is now involved in broadcast media.
• Sora - An AI company whose technology was discussed regarding its potential to create realistic video and the ethical implications of labeling AI-generated content.
• Adam Silver (NBA Commissioner) - Mentioned as someone concerned about sports betting scandals.
• Michael Rubin (Fanatics) - Praised for his business acumen in building Fanatics and his strategy of incentivizing sports leagues and associations with equity stakes.
• LeBron James (L.R.M. Ventures) - Investor in Matthew Berry's company, Fantasy Life.
• Maverick Carter (L.R.M. Ventures) - Investor in Matthew Berry's company, Fantasy Life.
• Jason Stein (Se Holdings) - Investor in Matthew Berry's company, Fantasy Life.
• Rich Eisen (YouTube channel host) - Mentioned as having a large YouTube channel and participating in NFL Sunday Ticket campaigns.
• Gabby Grossman (Puck) - Executive editor for The Varsity podcast.
• Ben Landy (Puck) - Executive editor for The Varsity podcast.
• John Kelly (Puck) - Executive editor for The Varsity podcast.
• Bob Tador (Audacy) - Team member from Audacy for The Varsity podcast.
• Patrick Antonetti (Audacy) - Team member from Audacy for The Varsity podcast.

Organizations & Institutions

• United Healthcare (UHC) - Mentioned as an organization where an employee, Kishana, found purpose after a personal tragedy.
• NBC - Discussed for its NFL coverage, its consideration of selling Big Ten Championship game rights, and its general role in sports media.
• Amazon - Mentioned in talks with NBC to potentially acquire rights to the Big Ten Championship game.
• Netflix - Mentioned as having previously held talks with NBC for sports rights.
• CBS - Mentioned as a network that carries the Big Ten Championship game in other years and as a potential destination for Matthew Berry.
• Fox - Mentioned as a network that carries the Big Ten Championship game in other years and holds power over Big Ten Network deals.
• Philadelphia Inquirer - Stephen A. Smith's previous employer, mentioned as his starting point as a reporter.
• Front Office Sports - A publication mentioned for its good coverage of sports media.
• Awful Announcing - A publication mentioned for its good coverage of sports media.
• Warner Bros. Discovery / Turner - Mentioned as a potential buyer in sports media.
• Paramount - Mentioned as a potential buyer in sports media.
• Comcast - Mentioned as a potential buyer in sports media.
• NFL Network / NFL Media - Discussed in the context of media rights and potential mergers.
• ESPN - Matthew Berry's former employer, discussed in the context of talent deals, market share, and its partnership with the NFL.
• Major League Baseball (MLB) - Discussed as a league facing rising rights fees and potential impact on its status as a "have" or "have not" in sports media.
• National Hockey League (NHL) - Discussed as a league facing rising rights fees and potential impact on its status as a "have" or "have not" in sports media.
• Major League Soccer (MLS) - Its deal with Apple TV was discussed as a significant case study in sports media rights.
• NCAA Tournament - Mentioned as a property unlikely to lose sleep over media rights.
• The Masters - Mentioned as a property unlikely to lose sleep over media rights.
• TGL - Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods' indoor golf league, mentioned as a "low end" property in the sports market.
• Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) - Paul Rabil's league, mentioned as a "low end" property that ESPN invested in.
• Fanatics - Michael Rubin's company, discussed as a successful model for sports leagues to incentivize partners.
• SiriusXM - Content licensing partner for Fantasy Life.
• LG - Content licensing partner for Fantasy Life.
• Fubo - Content licensing partner for Fantasy Life.
• Roku - Content licensing partner for Fantasy Life.
• iHeart - Content licensing partner for Fantasy Life.
• A360 - Partner for Fantasy Life's magazine production.
• Yahoo - Partner for Fantasy Life's tools business, and a competitor to ESPN in fantasy sports in 2007.
• CBS SportsLine - Competitor to ESPN in fantasy sports in 2007.
• Audacy - Podcast network partnering with Puck for The Varsity podcast.
• Puck News - Publisher of The Varsity podcast and newsletter.

Websites & Online Resources

• uhc.com - Website mentioned for hearing more stories like Kishana's.
• Fantasy Life - Matthew Berry's company, which provides content, tools, and a gaming platform (Guillotine Leagues) for fantasy sports.
• fantasylife.com - Website for Matthew Berry's company, Fantasy Life.
• House of Highlights - Mentioned as a social media account through which many younger fans consume NBA content.
• TikTok - Discussed as a platform where talent can build massive followings, exemplified by Josh Richards.
• Instagram - Discussed as a platform where talent can build massive followings.
• YouTube - Discussed as a platform where talent can build massive followings, exemplified by Pat McAfee and Rich Eisen.
• Snapchat - Mentioned as a platform where talent can build massive followings.
• Perplexity - An AI tool mentioned alongside ChatGPT.
• nbcsports.com - Website where Matthew Berry's fantasy rankings are published.
• NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube - Mentioned campaigns featuring influencers.
• Guillotine Leagues - A gaming platform offered by Fantasy Life.
• Puck News - Website for the host's newsletter, "The Varsity."

Other Resources

• "The Talented Mr. Rota" - A previous project or phase in Matthew Berry's career.
• ChatGPT - An AI tool mentioned in the discussion of AI's impact on content creation.
• NFL Sunday Ticket - Discussed its marketing campaigns on YouTube.