Marchand Sports Media

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.andrewmarchand.com

Connor Schell has been one of the most important sports media executives of his generation. In a 46-minute podcast, the former ESPN head of content details the twists and turns of his rise to the top. His road took him from not knowing sports could be a job to Harvard to being the head of ESPN’s content. He explains the choices that led to an Oscar, his best and worst decisions, Bill Simmons’ important influence and why he left ESPN.
It led him to starting his own company, Words+Pictures, which has its new multi-part documentary, “Saban,” out Oct. 8th.
For access to our twice-a-week sports media podcasts sign-up as a free or paid subscriber at AndrewMarchand.com

POD RUNDOWN ….
* How do you get Nick Saban to agree to a documentary
* Why Saban is intimidating to meet in a good way
* How now Fox’s Tom Rinaldi was a factor in the ESPN documentary
* How Schell went from Harvard to ESPN
* The stumbles led him into a career that he didn’t know existed
* He started “serendipity” at ESPN The Magazine with John Skipper
and John Walsh
* “I just didn’t think they were real jobs”
* The big break at ESPN after going to Columbia graduate school
* Mark Shapiro diversifying the type of programming ESPN put on, which benefitted Schell
* How Bill Simmons understood documentaries
* The money decision Skipper made
* What was the turning point of the 30-for-30s
* The best 30-for-30s are …
* Why Simmons gets a lot of credit for the “O.J. Simpson: Made in America”
* The decision that Skipper made about Schell’s future that led to big opportunities
* What was Schell’s vision in 2015 and the beginning thoughts about a streaming world
* The decision that Schell made that he was most proud of was …
* A big change in ESPN’s presentation
* If Schell could have one do-over, what would it be …
* The Monday Night Football experience issue
* Why did Schell choose to leave ESPN
* The constraints of being the chief content officer at ESPN
* The gift Jimmy Pitaro gave Schell as he left
* How he is still close with Pitaro, Burke Magnus and ESPN
* Happiness and creating his own company, Words+Pictures
* The pressure to deliver for platforms
* Why he has no regrets
* His opinion on AI and sports
* On Deck: Marchand & Meterparel: Everybody Loves Sports Media

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.andrewmarchand.com

The classic matchup of Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning has moved to TV. Why Brady has gotten the better of Manning early in the season.
Andrew Marchand & Jon Meterparel also go deep — who’s up and who’s down — into how NFL broadcasters have done, including Brady, Kevin Burkhardt, J.J. Watt, Ross Tucker, Ian Eagle, Jim Nantz, Chris Myers, Troy Aikman, Joe Buck, Greg Olsen, Drew Brees, Mike Tomlin, Alex Smith, Trent Green, Kurt Warner and Adam Archuleta.
Plus, info and analysis on MLB media lockout news, NBC’s MLB playoff plans, Chris Simms’ apology, Brad Nessler, Charles Davis, Noah Eagle, Pat McAfee, Devin Gardner and Dusty Baker
It is a 34-minute edition of “Marchand & Meterparel: Everybody Loves Sports Media.”
For access to our twice-a-week sports media podcasts sign-up as a free or paid subscriber at AndrewMarchand.com

POD RUNDOWN …
* Manningcast ratings dilemma
* Why CBS’ Ross Tucker works
* Fox’s Tom Brady’s “meatball sub” rise
* The ESPN Texas-Tennesee audio issues didn’t have to do with the Secret Service
* Fox’s Chris Myers’ problems on play-by-play
* What Fox’s Kevin Burkhardt does for Brady
* The analysts who struggle with the feel for the game
* What Fox’s Drew Brees needs to find
* Alex Smith makes the ESPN Sunday show go
* What Jim Nantz and J.J. Watt missed at end of Ravens-Cowboys
* Nantz’s final call
* Mike Tomlin comes up big
* Why the No. 60 will be so important in the MLB lockout
* What to make of the NBC/Peacock MLB lineup
* The local analysts setup are good or bad
* Should NBC’s Chris Simms have apologized for his Dante Moore comments
* Comparing CBS’ Brad Nessler and Fox’s Connor Onion
* ESPN’s Pat McAfee kicking ringer
* One to watch: Fox’s Devin Gardner
* Papa Clicker book review: Dusty Baker
* Cakes are Baking (Marchand enters 19-57)
* On Deck Thursday: Connor Schell is The Main Event

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.andrewmarchand.com

Joe Buck’s new $108M extension, David Berson’s forthcoming CBS/TNT Sports kingdom, Pat McAfee is ESPN’s center of attention and Brian Rolapp has innovative plans — they are all part of a 36-minute power player edition of “Marchand & Meterparel: Everybody Loves Sports Media.”
Plus, what is next for Troy Aikman/ESPN and the potential NFL TV analyst carousel, J.J. Watt and Jim Nantz check-up, Doc Rivers returns to TV and much more.
For access to our twice-a-week sports media podcasts sign-up as a free or paid subscriber at AndrewMarchand.com

* Why PGA Tour CEO’s Brian Rolapp’s plan makes sense
* Buck and Troy Aikman have restored the marquee of MNF
* Remembering Chris Spatoloa
* Tom Brady needs to pay for better WiFi
* What was up with Gus Johnson
* ESPN’s plan, at this moment, with Aikman is …
* If it doesn’t workout with Aikman, what could be next
* With the Manningcast ratings not great, how about …
* Evaluating Jim Nantz and J.J. Watt after two weeks
* McAfee is the center of everything at ESPN
* Rece Davis is almost non-existent on GameDay
* CBS Sports president David Berson’s power
* CBS/TNT’s portfolio rivals ESPN’s
* Rolapp and the “haves and have nots”
* Rolapp’s moves makes TV sense
* Doc Rivers stabbed ESPN in the back, now he’s back on NBC
* Evaluating Matthew Berry’s Roku move
* How is Peter Schrager’s show doing
* Alexa math
* “Cakes Are Baking” Game
* Ourand blooper

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.andrewmarchand.com

CEO Brian Rolapp has transformed the PGA Tour over his first year in charge. He tells us how all sports leagues should be diversifying their revenue to be less reliant on media rights.
Plus, why there will be “haves” and “have nots” in the $30 billion media rights pie. And much more.
It is a 42-minute “The Main Event with Andrew Marchand.” The podcast was taped as part of the “Off The Record with Andrew Marchand presented by WSC Sports” event series.
For access to our twice-a-week sports media podcasts sign-up as a free or paid subscriber at AndrewMarchand.com

POD RUNDOWN …
* Rolapp explains how the PGA Tour weekend viewership beats NBA first round playoff games
* How the NFL went from around $7 billion in revenue when he joined in 2003 to $20+ billion when he left
* Why the LIV “crisis” made it the right time for Rolapp to leave the NFL for the PGA
* The major sports history behind his thinking
* Why competitive parity, scarcity and simplicity are so important for sports
* Rolapp explains how the new approach achieves the goals
* How Pete Rozelle figured out the TV model to leapfrog other sports
* Why Rolapp thinks major sports leagues should diversify away from being so dependent on media rights
* Why the Cowboys have done it right, even if they haven’t won
* What the NFL did to expand this idea with Skydance Sports
* Why media is still most important
* The Rolapp pitch for the PGA Tour to networks and platforms
* Why the players are aligned with a mandate for change
* How Tiger Woods, Theo Epstein and others were part of the process
* Rolapp explains how the drama of the season will work
* How meritocracy was central to what the PGA Tour is creating
* It is is what players want
* The luck for how Rolapp ended up at the NFL
* Why Rolapp nearly quit after six months at the NFL
* An amazing Paul Tagliabue, Pat Bowlen, Robert Kraft, Jerry Jones and Steve Bornstein story
* How his amazing answer to Tagliabue and company changed his career
* The NFL, the media and $30B pie that will be split between the “haves and the have nots”
* Will the traditional players be part of the NFL in the mid- to late- 2030s
* Rolapp says sports packages will have to change to fit the new models that streamers, etc. want
* Why the PGA Tour is focusing on the summer
* How AI will impact sports in a good way
On Deck: By Thursday, Marchand & Meterparel: Everybody Loves Sports Media
Related Podcasts: Howard Katz, Mark Shapiro I and Mark Shapiro II, Jay Marine, Rick Cordella, Hans Schroeder, Christian Oestlien, Laura Rutledge, Mike Soltys, Chris LaPlaca, Booger McFarland, Greg Hughes, Adam Schefter, Peter King, Fred Gaudelli, Drew Esocoff, Traug Keller, Peter Schrager, Jay Glazer, Ian Rappoport, Kevin Clark, Joe Buck, Ian Eagle, Jim Nantz, Adam Schein, Cam Heyward, Eli Manning, Jason McCourty, Damien Woody

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.andrewmarchand.com

Founder Craig Karmazin has built a sports media business over three decades and he believes sports are about to “explode” because of AI. He spends half of his day on AI and offers his passionate views on the future of media.
In the late 1990s, Karmazin started his then radio-focused company with a couple of high school friends and now Good Karma Sports has 500 employees, works with ESPN, top professional teams, leagues and stations across the country. Karmazin, the son of Mel, is also a minority owner of the Milwaukee Bucks. .
It is an illuminating 48-minute “The Main Event with Andrew Marchand.”
POD RUNDOWN …
* Why Karmazin chose to do his first interview ever about his company
* How Good Karma Sports creates and monetizes across all platforms
* His dad, Mel, loved making money from sports, while Craig loves sports
* How he and his high school friends started the company in the late 1990s
* The first idea to put sports radio on the FM dial
* Karmazin would have bet against radio surviving
* How the Good Karma relationship with ESPN has grown
* Why a lot of Good Karma’s partnerships are secret
* How teams used to make so much from people who didn’t watch their games
* How the Milwaukee Bucks and others are solving the RSN problem
* The DNA of the company is focus, not scale
* How Giannis trade helped make an 80-game schedule on over-the-air possible
* The Bucks will be the top rated show in the market 80 nights, Karmazin said
* How the direct-to-consumer product works for the Bucks
* Can the money replace the lost regional sports networks
* Why audio is bigger than ever
* ESPN Radio lineup is an example of the content strategy
* What is going on with ESPN New York and understanding its business
* Where Michael Kay, “DiPietro & Rothenberg“ do well
* How “Don, Hahn & Rosenberg” are now leading into Knicks games
* Kay still badly wants to beat WFAN
* Assessing ESPN New York at 25
* Karmazin spends half his time on AI
* What it takes to make a good team
* How AI is changing his business for the better
* Why AI does not narrow the gap between businesses
* Why AI is going to lead to job growth at his company
* Karmazin says a marketing consultant only is using 28 percent on sales … AI can change that percentage
* Karmazin clearly explains how it will work better
* How AI is going to take the impressions for podcasts down to almost zero
* Why this will create scarcity
* Trust is going to be more important in all of our lives
* Why AI hosts will have a success based on personalities
* AI is about to make sports explode
* What is like to have Mel as a father
* The lessons he learned from his father
* A great Howard Stern story about his dad
* Dish Network and giving out his father’s home phone number
* His dad fighting the government
* Having Mike Francesa reassure him about the Knicks as a kid
* How his dad thinks everyone of Craig’s ideas are bad
* How Craig became a minority owner of the Milwaukee Bucks
* A tremendous analogy about his ownership share
* How his company is like LeBron’s
Related Podcasts: Michael Kay, Chris Oliviero, Traug Keller, Amanda Gifford, Chris (Mad Dog) Russo, Boomer Esiason, Adam Schein