CNBC Sport

World No. 3 Jessica Pegula joins Alex Sherman to discuss her rise to the top of women’s tennis, the demands of the WTA schedule, late-night U.S. Open matches and her pursuit of a first Grand Slam title. Pegula also shares how she manages her career like a business, her family’s Buffalo Bills and Sabres ownership, The Players Box Podcast and her partnership with The Farmer’s Dog.

Episode Notes
Jessica Pegula joins Alex Sherman for a wide-ranging conversation about professional tennis, athlete health, the WTA schedule, Grand Slam pressure and life inside one of America’s most prominent sports families. Fresh off another deep U.S. Open run, Pegula explains what helped her become an elite player later in her career and why learning to work smarter, stay healthy and manage her body became essential to her success.
Pegula also discusses one of the biggest issues facing professional tennis players: an increasingly demanding tournament calendar. As chair of the WTA Tour Architecture Council, she shares her perspective on mandatory events, two-week WTA 1000 tournaments, recovery time and the mental and physical toll of a season that stretches across most of the year.

The conversation also explores late-night U.S. Open matches, Pegula’s pursuit of a first major championship and the mindset she has developed after repeated runs into the second week of Grand Slams.
Beyond the court, Pegula talks about her family’s ownership of the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres, what she has learned from seeing professional sports organizations from an ownership perspective and whether she could become more involved with the organizations in the future. She also reflects on her mother’s serious health emergency and how tennis provided an important outlet during an extraordinarily stressful period.



Topics discussed include:
Jessica Pegula’s partnership with The Farmer’s Dog and her passion for canine health
How injuries and maturity helped Pegula reach another level in professional tennis
Late-night U.S. Open matches and potential scheduling changes
Managing the pressure of chasing a first Grand Slam title
The WTA Tour Architecture Council and concerns about the tennis calendar
Growing up in a family that owns the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres
What Pegula has learned about professional sports ownership
How her mother’s cardiac arrest affected Pegula and her family
Why Pegula describes professional tennis players as the “CEO” of their own teams
The Buffalo Bills’ new stadium and Pegula’s relationship with Josh Allen
How The Players Box Podcast began with Madison Keys, Desirae Krawczyk and Jennifer Brady
Madison Keys’ candid comments about the mental demands of professional tennis

Timestamps:
01:35 Maddie, Jessica Pegula’s dogs and The Farmer’s Dog partnership
05:18 How maturity, injuries and smarter training changed Pegula’s career
06:41 U.S. Open scheduling and the challenge of extremely late matches
08:34 Handling Grand Slam pressure and pursuing a first major title
09:55 WTA Tour Architecture Council and changes Pegula wants to see in the schedule
11:11 Growing up in the family that owns the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres
12:31 What Pegula has learned from the business of professional sports ownership
13:38 The future of the Bills and Sabres within the Pegula family
14:38 Pegula reflects on her mother’s cardiac arrest and how tennis helped her cope
16:01 Why elite tennis players operate like CEOs of their own traveling teams
17:17 Buffalo Bills’ new stadium and Pegula’s relationship with Josh Allen
18:23 How The Players Box Podcast grew out of a group chat among tennis friends
19:12 Madison Keys, mental fatigue and candid conversations about life on tour

Mentioned in the episode: The Farmer’s Dog, U.S. Open, WTA, WTA Tour Architecture Council, Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres, Josh Allen and The Players Box Podcast.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode Summary
Stephen Curry discusses the Golden State Warriors’ championship ambitions, his approach to retirement, the future of Curry Brand, and his expanding business portfolio. He also shares how Underrated Golf is creating access for young players, why he chose Li-Ning, and where he sees opportunities across media, AI, basketball, golf, and women’s sports.

Episode Notes
Stephen Curry joins Alex Sherman at Bethpage Black for a wide-ranging conversation spanning basketball, business, golf, media, footwear, artificial intelligence, the WNBA, and the next stage of Curry’s career.
Curry explains how his experience as an overlooked three-star basketball recruit inspired the Underrated brand and its focus on opportunity, equity, and access. He reflects on the growth of the Underrated Golf Tour, including young golfers who have progressed from the program into college golf and PGA Tour opportunities.
The conversation also explores Curry Inc. and the portfolio Curry is building beyond basketball. Curry discusses Unanimous Media, his Eat. Learn. Play. foundation, the animated basketball film GOAT, and his ambitions across film, television, publishing, and podcasting.
Curry also goes inside his move to Li-Ning after entering footwear free agency. He describes testing products from multiple brands, wearing Jimmy Butler’s Li-Ning shoe in a game, and what attracted him to Li-Ning’s product quality, innovation, global ambitions, and willingness to invest in Curry Brand. He says work is underway on a new signature shoe, with hopes for a release in early 2027, while golf, lifestyle, and training products are also part of the longer-term vision.
On the court, Curry discusses the Golden State Warriors, the challenge of competing in a deep Western Conference, and his desire to remain in championship contention while helping the team establish a new identity. He addresses his health, his long-running partnership with Draymond Green and Steve Kerr, and why changing teams is not the path he is looking to take.
Curry also weighs in on the state of the NBA and WNBA, athlete recruitment for Curry Brand, partnerships involving Google, Gemini, and KPMG, and how young people can prepare for a world being rapidly reshaped by AI.
Finally, Curry talks candidly about retirement. While he says Father Time is always part of the equation, he still believes he can perform at a high level and describes a sense of urgency around making the most of the next two years.
Topics and timestamps:
02:05 Curry Inc., Unanimous Media and Eat. Learn. Play.
02:44 GOAT and future film and TV projects
03:46 Curry’s footwear free agency and move to Li-Ning
06:09 Golden State Warriors and championship contention
07:58 Curry, Draymond Green and Steve Kerr
08:41 Health and maintaining an elite level of play
09:12 Sponsorships, endorsements and business partnerships
10:02 AI, Google Gemini and preparing young people for technological change
10:36 Curry’s next signature shoe and plans for 2027
11:47 Curry on the state of the NBA
12:22 WNBA growth, visibility and leadership
13:15 Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Curry Brand athlete recruitment
13:52 Li-Ning’s investment in Curry Brand
14:17 Retirement, Father Time and Curry’s next two years

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria explains how live sports, global events and local programming fit into Netflix’s evolving content strategy, while Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan examines rising NFL team valuations, stadium economics and international expansion. Together, the conversations reveal how streaming, live experiences and changing fan behavior are reshaping the business of sports and entertainment.

Episode Notes
The worlds of streaming, live sports and franchise economics are converging. In this episode, Bela Bajaria and Shad Khan offer two perspectives on how that transformation is playing out across Netflix, the NFL and the broader sports and entertainment business.

Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria discusses the company’s growing focus on live programming and what turns a broadcast into an “unmissable event.” Rather than pursuing sports through a traditional rights strategy, Netflix is looking for cultural moments capable of generating conversation around the world. Bajaria points to NFL games on Christmas Day, boxing, the World Baseball Classic, the Home Run Derby, Alex Honnold’s Taipei 101 climb and a BTS concert in Seoul as examples of how Netflix thinks about event programming.

She also explains how Netflix combines its global distribution with locally produced content and country-specific marketing. The strategy remains opportunistic: Netflix can pursue established sports properties while also developing original events that take advantage of the platform’s global scale.

Shad Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, turns to the economics powering the NFL. Khan discusses why he believes NFL franchises still have significant room to appreciate despite rapidly rising team valuations, citing the league’s competitive balance, financial structure and connection to local communities.

The conversation also explores the Jaguars’ stadium transformation and how modern venues are becoming year-round businesses. Khan describes plans to improve cooling, weather protection, premium seating, concourses, local food offerings and non-football programming while creating additional revenue for the team and Jacksonville.

Topics discussed include:
Netflix’s strategy for live sports and entertainment events
NFL games on Netflix and Christmas Day programming
Creating global cultural moments versus buying traditional sports rights
Netflix’s global reach and investment in local-language originals
NFL franchise valuations and the economics behind their growth
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ stadium redevelopment
Premium seating, fan experience and non-game-day stadium revenue
College football and other events as stadium revenue opportunities
The NFL’s international growth and the Jaguars’ presence in London
Streaming, broadcast television and the future of NFL media distribution
Fantasy football, RedZone and changing viewing habits
Fulham, Premier League economics and year-round venue development
NFL ownership rules, debt limits and private equity
What could drive future sports franchise valuations

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell joins Alex Sherman to discuss the league’s international expansion strategy, the possibility of a future overseas franchise, rising team valuations and the next era of NFL media rights. Goodell also addresses an 18-game season, streaming partners, sports betting and prediction markets, succession planning and the league’s next collective bargaining agreement.
Episode Notes
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sits down with Alex Sherman in Melbourne, Australia, ahead of the Rams-49ers matchup to discuss the NFL’s long-term growth strategy and the forces reshaping the league’s business.
Fresh off a four-year contract extension that could keep him as commissioner through March 2031, Goodell explains why international growth remains a major priority. He discusses plans to increase the number of NFL games played outside the United States, the growing global ambitions of players and the possibility that the league could eventually establish one or more international franchises.
The conversation also examines whether the NFL could move toward an 18-game regular season. Goodell says the league continues to evaluate converting preseason games into regular-season contests, while acknowledging that player health, safety and negotiations with the NFL Players Association would be central to any change.
Sherman and Goodell turn to the economics of the league, including surging NFL franchise valuations and whether those prices could lead the NFL to increase its current private equity ownership limits. Goodell says the league is not close to reaching its existing private equity caps and continues to see strong demand from investors.
Media rights are another major focus. Goodell discusses how the NFL is preparing for a rapidly changing television and streaming market, including relationships with Netflix, YouTube and Amazon. He says the league is evaluating how its current rights packages could be restructured while continuing to prioritize broad availability for fans across broadcast television and emerging digital platforms.
The interview also covers the NFL’s partnerships with DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics and why the league has taken a more cautious approach toward prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket. Goodell says stronger regulation, consumer protection and preservation of game integrity are important considerations before the NFL moves forward with those platforms.
Goodell closes by discussing succession planning, the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement in 2031 and why the NFL is already thinking five, 10 and 15 years ahead on labor, media, international growth and stadium strategy.
Timestamps:
04:09 Roger Goodell on his new contract and the NFL’s priorities
05:17 Expanding the NFL’s international schedule
06:16 The possibility of an international NFL franchise
07:18 League expansion and a potential 18-game season
08:23 NFL franchise valuations and private equity ownership
10:09 Preparing for the next NFL media rights negotiations
10:47 Netflix, YouTube, Amazon and the shift to streaming
11:33 Could international games become a separate media package?
12:12 Repackaging NFL broadcast and streaming rights
14:47 Sports betting partnerships and prediction markets
16:22 NFL personal conduct policy
16:41 Goodell’s contract and succession planning
18:01 Looking ahead to the 2031 collective bargaining agreement
19:00 International games, an 18-game season and NFLPA negotiations

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Josh Harris explains how the Philadelphia 76ers landed LeBron James and why superstar athletes, live sports and new stadium developments are reshaping the economics of professional teams. Then, WTA Chair Valerie Camillo discusses women’s tennis growth, player schedules, equal prize money and her vision for the WTA Finals.

Episode Notes

Josh Harris joins Michael Ozanian for an in-depth conversation about the rapidly changing business of professional sports, beginning with how LeBron James became a Philadelphia 76er.

Harris walks through the recruitment process after James opted out of his Lakers contract. What initially seemed like an unlikely possibility became a serious pursuit after Philadelphia strengthened its roster. Harris describes how the organization’s leadership and connections with James’ team helped the Sixers enter the conversation, while ultimately crediting James with choosing Philadelphia based on where he believed he could win and spend the final chapter of his career.

The impact was immediate. Harris says James energized Philadelphia, drove enormous ticket demand and created new sponsorship opportunities while changing the energy inside the organization.

The conversation expands into Harris’ broader sports and real-estate portfolio. He discusses multibillion-dollar arena and stadium developments involving the Sixers and Washington Commanders, along with surrounding restaurants, hotels, housing and entertainment. Harris argues that sports venues increasingly function as anchors for communities, economic development and live experiences.

He also discusses the Washington Commanders’ brand evolution, soaring franchise valuations, private equity, youth sports, NIL and why he does not believe sports team values are in a bubble.

Later, WTA Chair Valerie Camillo joins Alex Sherman for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of women’s tennis and the business strategy behind the WTA.

Drawing on her experience with the Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Nationals and NBA, Camillo explains why one of her biggest priorities is bringing a stronger fan-first mindset to professional tennis. She discusses the WTA’s global audience, its push for sustainable commercial growth and the continued pursuit of equal prize money.

Player scheduling is another major focus. Camillo says players have consistently raised concerns about the length and sustainability of the tennis calendar, including the number of tournaments they are required to play. She previews changes planned for the 2027 season and says more substantial calendar changes could follow in 2028.

Camillo also discusses Coco Gauff and the next generation of WTA stars, athlete advocacy, gender eligibility policies, pickleball, sports betting and prediction markets, maternity benefits, Serena Williams, AI and technology. She outlines an ambitious vision to make the WTA Finals the “Super Bowl of women’s sports.”

Topics discussed

How the Sixers landed LeBron James

LeBron’s impact on Philadelphia fans, ticket demand and sponsorships

Stadium districts and mixed-use sports developments

Rebuilding the Washington Commanders brand

Rising sports franchise valuations and private equity

Youth sports, NIL and future team acquisitions

WTA growth strategy and fan engagement

Equal prize money in women’s tennis

Player workload and the 2027 WTA schedule

Coco Gauff and emerging WTA stars

Sports betting, prediction markets and integrity

WTA maternity benefits

Serena Williams, AI and athlete longevity

The future of the WTA Finals

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.