Mike Greenberg Was Right Choice to Take Over ‘Sunday NFL Countdown’
ESPN made the right move picking Mike Greenberg as the new host of Sunday NFL Countdown on Tuesday. From what I hear, the choice came to Greenberg, host of Get Up, or Laura Rutledge, host of NFL Live....
View ArticleLIV Golf Signs With CAA—Is PGA Tour Merger Getting Closer?
It’s been more than a year since the PGA Tour and Saudi-backed rival LIV Golf announced a “framework agreement” to “reunify the world of men’s professional golf,” and there’s still no union to show...
View ArticleESPN Set to Name Norby Williamson Successor, Additional Cuts
ESPN content czar Burke Magnus is poised to announce a sweeping reorganization that will include naming a senior executive to replace the departed Norby Williamson, as well as the elimination of at...
View ArticleBurke Magnus Explains His ESPN C-Suite Shake-Up
ESPN content president Burke Magnus is putting his personal stamp on the network, announcing a new structure that elevates longtime executives Mike McQuade and Dave Roberts to powerful new positions....
View ArticleBill Belichick Will Be Inescapable on ESPN’s NFL Shows This Season
BRISTOL, Conn. — Bill Belichick won’t be “on to Cincinnati” this season. Instead, the notoriously gruff coach will be embracing his new role as an NFL analyst across ESPN as well as other media...
View ArticleTom Brady’s TV Era is Here. He’s Put in the Work
Tom Brady is a man obsessed. Sources say Brady and play-by-play partner Kevin Burkhardt have cycled through a full 17-game schedule of practice games before making their regular-season debut with Fox...
View ArticleExclusive: Scott Hanson Free Agent in 2025, Could Leave NFL RedZone
Can you imagine the NFL RedZone without Scott Hanson? Soon, you may have to. Hanson’s contract with NFL Media, which he signed in 2021, expires after the upcoming season, Front Office Sports has...
View ArticleIs Deion Sanders Ready for Prime Time?
For a savvy superstar who’s been in the media spotlight since the 1980s, I can’t believe how badly Deion Sanders and Colorado have bungled their dispute with Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler. A...
View ArticleTom Brady’s Broadcast Debut Was Shaky, but No Need to Panic
When the best thing about Tom Brady’s TV debut is a slickly produced commercial, Fox Sports has a problem. Brady was shaky during his broadcast debut of Sunday’s Cowboys vs. Browns game. His cadence...
View ArticleStephen A. Smith Eyes Monday Night—and Record Contract
BRISTOL, Conn. — Stephen A. Smith is ready for some football. The face of ESPN grew up in Hollis, Queens, idolizing Howard Cosell. As ESPN kicks off its new season of Monday Night Football tonight...
View ArticleCharles Barkley Draws Interest of Execs—and Stephen A. Smith
Charles Barkley wasn’t at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit Tuesday, but the Basketball Hall of Famer and superstar TV analyst was at the center of everyone’s minds in the midtown Manhattan...
View ArticleNBCUniversal Boss on $27 Billion NBA Deal: ‘We Have a Plan’
NBC is set to take over the NBA’s new “B” package of media rights next year for $2.5 billion annually, but it will be paying nearly the same price as incumbent “A” package rights holder ESPN, which...
View ArticleESPN Will Cover Super Bowl Like It’s Never Been Covered Before
NEW YORK — Super Bowl LXI is 2.5 years away. But ESPN has already started game-planning how it will produce and televise its first Big Game, noted president of content Burke Magnus. Since its founding...
View ArticleStephen A. Smith Entitled to His Share Amid ESPN Negotiations
Stephen A. Smith addressed his ongoing contract negotiations with me Tuesday. Before our interview, ESPN’s Magnus and chairman Jimmy Pitaro unequivocally told me they want to re-up the face and voice...
View ArticleTom Brady Bounces Back, Tells Hard Truths in 2nd Fox Game
When talking about his broadcast future, Tom Brady pointed to blunt golf analyst Johnny Miller as one of his role models. The seven-time Super Bowl champion vowed he wouldn’t shy away from criticizing...
View ArticleAs NBA’s New Media Rights Loom, Talent Awaits NBC/Amazon Gold Rush
The NBA sports media world is gearing up for a gold rush on TV and digital talent. The NBA’s signing of media-rights deals worth $77 billion over 11 years sets the stage for the biggest hoops hiring...
View ArticleESPN Standing Up for Pat McAfee, Whose Show Is Reportedly Profitable
Given some controversies surrounding Pat McAfee, one question I keep getting is whether ESPN brass is happy with its weekday and College GameDay star. The answer is yes. Start with profits. For the...
View ArticleAdrian Wojnarowski Leaves ESPN for St. Bonaventure GM Job
During his career as the NBA’s premier newsbreaker, Adrian Wojnarowski became famous for dropping “Woj bombs” that moved the market. On Wednesday, ESPN’s senior NBA insider dropped the biggest “Woj...
View ArticleWoj Retirement Took Even ESPN Bosses by Surprise
Adrian Wojnarowski’s decision to retire Wednesday shocked the sports world–including his employers at ESPN, who pay him an estimated $7 million a year. There was no heads-up from ESPN’s senior NBA...
View ArticleWoj Departure Fallout Includes Stephen A. Smith Leverage
Now that the Woj bomb to end all Woj bombs has flattened the sports media industry, here are seven things I think about Adrian Wojnarowski’s dramatic retirement from ESPN: Stephen A. Smith Just Got...
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