The Varsity
Puck Sports Correspondent John Ourand and a rotating cast of industry insiders take you deep inside the executive suites and owner boxes that run the entire sports business. You’ll hear interviews with everyone from players to network execs and everyone in between. The Varsity is an extension of John's private email for Puck by the same name. New episodes publish twice-weekly, every Wednesday and Sunday.
Episodes
July 16, 2025 • 53 mins
NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps joins John Ourand for a candid conversation about the sport’s evolving media ecosystem, including new deals with Fox, NBC, and Amazon Prime. Phelps also outlines NASCAR’s experimental growth strategy; explains why he’s not in competition with F1 and IndyCar; and weighs in on the simmering legal standoff with Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan—while making the case for why polarizing personalities like ...
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July 13, 2025 • 61 mins
NBC Sports’ Matthew Berry returns to the pod to share the growth story behind his fantasy sports startup, Fantasy Life. He explains how he attracted heavyweight investors like LeBron James, Maverick Carter, and Jeff Shell, and how the company has carved out a niche in an oversaturated space—boasting 1.5 million daily users and a 73 percent jump in revenue since last year. Matthew also weighs in on how leagues are adapting to fantas...
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July 9, 2025 • 47 mins
Puck’s A.I. expert Ian Krietzberg joins John for a deep dive into the growing influence of artificial intelligence in sports. Ian discusses the promise and pitfalls of A.I. in sports, from computer vision models to predictive analytics—and stresses the importance of deploying A.I. with intent, solving real-world problems rather than embracing the technology for novelty’s sake.
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July 6, 2025 • 61 mins
Christine Brennan, the pioneering sports columnist, joins the pod to discuss her new book, “On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports.” She unpacks the WNBA’s struggle to match the moment of Caitlin’s rise, the financial implications of Caitlin’s ascent, the league’s perpetual lack of media attention and support, and much more. Christine also reflects on her own trailblazing career pushing through sports journ...
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July 2, 2025 • 36 mins
Axios’s Sara Fischer returns to the pod for a sweeping tour of the most urgent issues in the sports media landscape—from the looming Trump–CBS settlement (and what a Skydance-Paramount merger portends for CBS Sports) to the College Football Playoff’s potential expansion, the growing leverage of live sports in ad markets, the possibility of a new NFL stadium in D.C., and much, much more.
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June 29, 2025 • 44 mins
Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim—America’s preeminent tennis sage—joins the pod to explore the sport’s cultural resurgence, driven in large part by breakout stars like Coco Gauff, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannick Sinner. Jon makes a strong case for unifying the men’s and women’s tours, weighs into tennis’s global business dilemma, touches on growing interest from Saudi investors—and much, much more.
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June 25, 2025 • 53 mins
Paul Rabil, co-founder of the Premier Lacrosse League, joins John for a deep dive into the PLL’s new five-year media rights deal with ESPN, which includes an equity stake from the network. Rabil charts the PLL’s growth trajectory, teases expansion plans, and explains why the 2028 Olympics could be a turning point for lacrosse as a global sport.
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June 22, 2025 • 49 mins
Alexi Lalas, Fox Sports analyst and former American soccer star, swings by the pod for a wide-ranging discussion about the accelerated growth of soccer in the U.S. Alexis lays out the MLS roadmap to global relevance, celebrates the rise of the NWSL, and explains why he’s bullish on the 2026 World Cup—and what this all means for the future of the sport in the U.S.
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June 18, 2025 • 48 mins
CNBC’s Alex Sherman returns to the pod to gab about the biggest forces reshaping sports media—from the streaming ambitions of Amazon, Google, and Netflix, to the accelerating collapse of linear TV, epitomized by the dual Comcast and WBD divorces. They also size up the precarious futures of F1, UFC, and MLB media rights—and what comes next for the ever-evolving sports landscape.
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June 15, 2025 • 49 mins
The legendary Dale Earnhardt Jr. joins John for a rollicking discussion about the future of motorsport. He delves into NASCAR’s expansion into Mexico City and the opportunities of international racing; shares his thoughts on F1’s hospitality and accessibility compared to NASCAR; discusses Amazon Prime’s gripping four-part documentary series on his father; and much more.
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June 11, 2025 • 47 mins
LightShed’s Rich Greenfield joins John to break down the myriad implications of Zaslav’s WBD spin-off. With both Comcast and WBD laying down a roadmap for exiting the linear era, Rich weighs in on whether Disney and Paramount will follow suit. Then they chart the fate of TNT and WBD’s sports rights—and why WBD will likely avoid any major sports acquisitions for the foreseeable future.
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June 8, 2025 • 52 mins
Len Perna, founder of the executive search firm TurnkeyZRG, joins John for a wide-ranging conversation on the shifting landscape of college sports. They unpack the fallout from the NCAA’s landmark House settlement, trends in athletic director hires, the real estate gold rush on campuses, and why the next wave of roles might be titled ‘C.E.O. of Athletics.’
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June 4, 2025 • 50 mins
ESPN’s Don Van Natta returns to the pod with the scoop on a new FBI investigation into OneTeam Partners—the licensing company backed by the NFL and MLB player associations and RedBird Capital. Van Natta breaks down the opaque finances, the major players under scrutiny, and why some insiders suspect a potential Trump linkage. Then they dig into the growing threat of an MLB work stoppage next season as the owners and league’s unions ...
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June 1, 2025 • 36 mins
Chris Eubanks, TNT’s French Open analyst (and professional tennis player, himself) joins the pod to discuss the state of tennis in the U.S. He unpacks the surge of homegrown talent, the media’s role in turning players into personalities, and what it’ll take to bring casual fans into the fold. Eubanks also shares what it’s like to straddle the broadcast booth and the court.
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May 28, 2025 • 43 mins
ESPN’s Seth Wickersham joins John to break down all of his remarkable inside reporting from last week’s NFL owners meetings in Minnesota. They discuss what it all portends for the league, before turning to Seth’s forthcoming book, American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback. Finally, they dig into all the latest drama surrounding Bill Belichick.
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May 25, 2025 • 49 mins
CBS Sports’ Pete Radovich joins John for an in-depth conversation about the UEFA Champions League. Pete reflects on the evolution of CBS’s coverage, the challenge of preserving its distinctive vibe amid personnel changes, and how they’ve optimized social media to deepen fan engagement. Then he previews the upcoming Champions League finals between PSG and Inter Milan—and their special watch-along event with David Beckham on Paramoun...
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May 21, 2025 • 45 mins
Bill Cohan drops by the pod to break down Wall Street’s view of the sports media landscape. Bill explains why he’s bullish on Warner Bros. Discovery, what investors want from sports rights, what’s really behind the Skydance-Paramount holdup, and much more.
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May 18, 2025 • 42 mins
Eric Shanks, C.E.O. and executive producer of Fox Sports, joins John to break down the state of IndyCar, five races into the season. Eric reflects on the sport’s deep-rooted nostalgia, its future-facing momentum, his efforts to build a bridge between IndyCar and NASCAR. and how he’s “Fox-ified” the event for modern audiences. Then Eric outlines the company’s D.T.C. ambitions with Fox One—and how Fox’s strong portfolio is drawing in...
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May 14, 2025 • 39 mins
Axios media reporter Sara Fischer returns to the pod to preview ESPN’s forthcoming streaming service, ingeniously named… ESPN. She breaks down the logic behind the offering—but also the potential problems with the branding. Then Sara and John discuss Fox’s more tempered streaming strategy and how The Athletic has prospered under The New York Times banner.
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May 13, 2025 • 2 mins
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Emma Grede, one of America’s richest self-made women - wants you to make the most of your life. On ‘Aspire with Emma Grede', learn through thought-provoking conversations with some of the most successful and smartest minds on the planet.
Each episode will unpack their habits, philosophy and strategies, covering career advice, well-being, psychology a...
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