Marchand Sports Media

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Troy Benjamin wanted to be the “Black Chris Russo.” Instead, he has the vaunted position as the lead producer on Yankees’ broadcasts for YES. His story is a unique one in major sports television.
Benjamin is the guest on “The Main Event with Andrew Marchand”
For access to our twice-a-week podcasts sign-up as a free or paid subscriber at AndrewMarchand.com

The ‘Mad Dog” Dream: Benjamin wanted to be the “Black Chris Russo” — but the story of what happened instead is pretty cool
The Foundation Born in Antigua, raised in Harlem by a mom working two to three jobs, Benjamin’s first love was cricket which led him to baseball and the Yankees
The Grind: Out of college, Benjamin was a security guard. How he got his first break at Ch. 9 and then to ABC and, finally, as a YES original.
Yankee Classics: The indescribable feeling of going into the Yankees’ clubhouse and interviewing Derek Jeter, etc. and the story of how “next time I’ll keep my mouth shut.” Plus, the intimidation of seeing the people he read, like Jack Curry and Joel Sherman, in the locker room
His “TV Pops” Connection: How one of the best producers in the business, Bill Boland, was so important in his career. Benjamin’s stop at ABC made him know he was in the right profession. And the connection to his now boss at YES, Jared Boshnack.
YES Education: What he learned from Boland, Frank DiGraci, Kevin Smollen, John Moore and John Filippelli.
Bittersweet: When Benjamin got the top Yankee job, he replaced Boland. Boland did something he didn’t have to
Principles of Producing: What is Benjamin trying to accomplish with the 130+ games YES does? How does he prepare? What are the ethos? Where should the cameras be? The resources from Jon Litner and Boshnack. What is a typical day like? The nuance of “Name that Yankee,” how Alex Mangini, Sean Sullivan and Bryant Gumbel have had a hand in it. And a sweet story about it all.
Kay Corner: His love for Michael Kay as the voice of the Yankees
Learning from the Greats: What Ian Eagle and Marv Albert taught him
What’s Next: The adrenaline of the three-hour rush.
All-Time MLB Play-by-Play List: His love for Jack Buck
Related Podcasts
* How Chris Russo became the greatest sports talk show of all-time
* Michael Kay’s legendary New York career from The Boss to the booth
* How a Hall of Fame producer changed sports TV … Fred Gaudelli TV
* A legendary World Series producer says goodbye…. Pete Macheska
* Legendary NBC director Drew Esocoff and the Super Bowl mindset
* The future of baseball & local rights with SNY president Steve Raab
* The advice of legends behind Ryan Ruocco’s rise to stardom
* On Deck by Tuesday morning: Ranking The Top 10 All-Time SportsCenter Anchors

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

On the pod, MLB has a lot of good cards going into its next media rights negotiations, but Andrew Marchand & Jon Meterparel explain why it must be smart as it spirals toward a potential lockout.
Plus, NBC’s big move is not like the others, Fox’s World Cup review, present and future & the NBA Draft needed remix on a half-hour edition of “Marchand & Meterparel: Everybody Loves Sports Media” podcast.
For access to our twice-a-week podcasts sign-up as a free or paid subscriber at AndrewMarchand.com

For MLB, It is not 1994: Why MLB needs to go into their next TV negotiations with its best hand as there are a couple of clouds hanging over it. The entertainment differences between 1994 and now. The Manfred All-30 and making finding games simpler. Plus, Baseball Tonight featuring Kevin Connors, Adam Ottavino and Tim Kurkjian shined, while Meterparel felt NBC’s Jason Benetti struggled. What the WBC can learn from the World Cup and how to make it bigger and better. Why developing the WBC further is important for media rights. Mentions: Roger Clemens, Rob Manfred, Scott Boras, Tarik Skubal, Anthony Rizzo & Will Middlebrooks
NBC & the Divergent Power Players: With NBC Universal and Comcast’s announced split, how Disney with ESPN and Fox with Roku are taking different approaches into the next stage of the sports streaming wars. Mentions: Jimmy Pitaro & Josh D’Amaro
Howling Fox: Why Rebecca Lowe is the female Ernie Johnson. How JP Dellacamera has struggled. Why Fox is having its best World Cup. The good and bad of Zlatan. Why this could be Fox’s last World Cup. Mentions: Alexi Lalas, John Strong, Stu Holden, Taylor Twellman, Jacqui Oatley
NBA Draft Zzzz: Who was good and who wasn’t on the coverage? And why it needs a Mel Kiper Jr. What ESPN needs to change and the miscalculation with one segment. Mentions: Malika Andrews, Lisa Salters, Shams Charania, Tim Legler, Jay Bilas, Richard Jefferson, Jay Williams & Jaylen Brown
Cakes Are Baking Game: Mark Grace, Kawhi Leonard & Jude Bellingham
Other Notables: Dr. Swanson, Nick Meteparel
* On Deck: YES Yankee producer Troy Benjamin by Thursday
* In the hole: Our Top 10 All-Time SportsCenter anchors by next Tuesday
* Subscribe at AndrewMarchand.com

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

At just 32, Shams Charania is ESPN’s top NBA insider — and it feels like he’s been around forever. How did he do it? He tells us.
It’s “The Main Event with Andrew Marchand”
For access to our twice-a-week podcasts sign-up as a free or paid subscriber at AndrewMarchand.com

* From JV Cuts to Breaking News – How getting cut from his high school team and a life-changing teacher set Shams on his path
* Early Inspirations & Influences – The impact of Lee Jenkins and RealGM
* A Teenager at the Finals – How Shams was just 19 years old when he covered his first NBA Finals in 2013
* No Fear, No Filter – How a young Shams cold-called anyone and everyone without hesitation,
* Why Sources Picked Up For A Teenager – The surprising reasons NBA executives, agents and insiders actually returned calls
* The Story That Put Him On The Map – Shams recalls the jitters of breaking his first big story at just 19 years old
* The Relationship Rules That Built His Reputation – Why honesty builds long-term equity with sources and a golden rule
* Social Network – Shams opens up about missing out on social life and sometimes wondering if it is worth it
* ESPN Almost Hired Him as a Kid – The untold story of how Brian Windhorst email almost landed him at ESPN early in his career
* Idolizing Woj – Shams opens up about idolizing Adrian Wojnarowski and how Woj changed Shams’ life
* Shams vs. Woj – Why Shams didn’t follow Woj to ESPN in 2017, how he felt about the online rivalry that consumed basketball Twitter, and the influence of Jon Krawczynski in leading him to build something special at The Athletic
* Woj’s ESPN Retirement Bomb – From Woj’s shocking retirement to Shams navigating his decision to leave The Athletic for ESPN to succeed Woj
* The American Dream – How Shams' parents emigrating from Pakistan instilled his work ethic, and the family support system that helped make it all happen

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

Who on TV is winning the World Cup and who is losing it.
Why Alexi Lalas and Zlatan Ibrahimović studio hubbub shows soccer viewing has matured. Plus, ESPN’s programming decisions, NBC’s MLB and golf coverage, YouTube dominance, UFC White House ratings, Nolan Ryan and USA Sports’ future.
It is a 33-minute “Marchand & Meterparel: Everybody Loves Sports Media.”
For access to our twice-a-week podcasts sign-up as a free or paid subscriber at AndrewMarchand.com

1. ⬆️⬇️ What’s Up, What’s Down: Fox’s World Cup CoverageThe World Cup TV revolution is here in the US. The analyst who has had a monster tournament. Why Lalas is hearing it from all sides. And the day Fox got really right. Plus, the play-by-players up and down.
2. 📺 ESPN & NBC Old SchoolA championship moment sparked some old-school ESPN magic — and a standout PTI fill-ins, while NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball has a lot of pluses, but … Also, Linda Cohn retired after we recorded, but we discussed her phrase, “Master batter.”
3. 📺 Has YouTube Already Won?Netflix. Amazon Prime Video. ESPN. On & On. Everyone’s fighting for your screen — but has YouTube already won. Why it can control the board.
4. ⛳ NBC’s US Open Coverage Reviewed What NBC got right
5. 🥊 UFC at the White House Numbers: What to make of them?A promise of Super Bowl numbers. The ratings are in — and we have thoughts.
6. ⚾️ Everybody Loves Local: The Baltimore Orioles crewMeterparel has high praise.
7. 🏒 USA Sports, Nolan Ryan & ‘Cakes Are Baking’ Could USA Sports be a surprise player for MLB or NHL rights? We dig into their ambitions. Plus, Papa Clicker weighs in on the Nolan Ryan biography you might like and the “Cakes are Baking” game is back with Marchand entering 6-for-24.
Bold Faced Names In The Pod: Marcelo Balboa, Alexi Lalas, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Thierry Henry, Rebecca Lowe, Stuart Holden, John Strong, Juergen Sommer, Taylor Twellman, John Ourand, Jason Benetti, Anthony Rizzo, John Kruk, John Franco, Stephen A. Smith, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Frank Isola, Pat McAfee, Peter Schrager, Rich Eisen, Linda Cohn, Norby Williamson, Rece Davis, Matt Hong, Dana White, Ronda Rousey, Michelle Obama, Mike Tirico, Joe Buck, Al Michaels, Jim Nantz, Chris Fowler, Ian Eagle, JP Dellacamera, Jacqui Oatley, Ian Darke, Mark Scott, Dan Hicks, Brad Faxon, Wyndham Clark, Kevin Brown, Ben McDonald, Jim Palmer, Melanie Newman, Josh Lewin, Papa Clicker, Nolan Ryan, Red Murph, Tim Brown, Clyde Drexler, Meryl Streep, Kurt Warner, Richard Deitsch, Phil Sanford, Oliver Kahn, Tom Brady, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, Adam Schein, Derek Rae, Rob Stone, Marv Albert, Jack Edwards, Keith Jackson & Darren Fletcher
* On Deck by Thursday Morning: ESPN’s Shams Charania

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

USA Sports president Matt Hong explains how Versant is playing a “different game.” It already has major relationships with the PGA, Premier League, NASCAR, WWE & more. But it has designs to reconfigure its business, while maintaining a 50 percent stake in broadcasting.
In a fascinating 47-minute discussion, Hong, who rose in the media world at AOL and TNT Sports, is the guest on “The Main Event with Andrew Marchand.”
The interview was part of the “Off The Record with Andrew Marchand presented by WSC Sports” series.
For access to our twice-a-week podcasts sign-up as a free or paid subscriber at AndrewMarchand.com

RUNDOWN …
* Where is sports going?
* Explaining what Versant is trying to accomplish
* The percentage of live sports and news on Versant tells a story
* Why no NFL or NBA for Versant
* What works for Versant
* Understanding Golf Now and Fandango businesses
* The goal is change the model
* Why MLB & NHL could be something USA Sports pursues
* How the NFL getting more could be good for USA Sports
* Why Versant will be more ROI driven than others
* The reasons NBC and Versant split up the sports rights the way they did when the new company was formed
* The three buckets of USA Sports and NBC
* Why Versant can be more nimble
* Hong’s Mark Lazarus connection
* Why golf is the perfect business for Versant
* How Versant is on the front foot with AI
* How Versant could partner with NBC and others
* How M&A is part of what they do
* What is Versant’s digital strategy
* How did Hong rise through media
* Why the AI age may be similar to the digital age
* The mandate to do something different after NBC spinoff
* The advice from Jeremy Legg
* How David Levy, Lenny Daniels and Jeff Behnke helped Hong
* What is Charles Barkley like
* TNT Sports and wanting to get the NFL back
* How the CBS and TNT Sports worked so hard for the NCAA deal
* Hong was ready to leave the sports television business and then Hong received a call from Mark Lazarus
* It was too good to pass up; especially with the team Lazarus had put together with people like Anandi Kini and David Pietrycha
Some Related Podcasts: Gabe Spitzer, Rick Cordella, Christian Oestlien, Mark Shapiro, Jay Marine, Don Garber, Hans Schroeder