The ESPN layoffs — and the media impact of LeBron to the Sixers

Episode 668 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features two guests. First up is Michael Grady, who works as a play-by-play broadcaster nationally for the NBA on Prime, the NBA on NBC and locally for the Timberwolves. He is followed by Mirin Fader, the editor of "The Year’s Best Sports Writing 2026," the annual anthology of the best sports writing. She is also a senior writer for The Athletic. In this podcast, Grady discusses his multiple roles calling NBA games; how he would define or describe how Amazon produces the NBA; what it's like working on NBC's NBA broadcasts; his opening games of the NBA season including for Peacock on Oct. 26 for Warriors-Nuggets and Thunder-Cavaliers on Nov. 2 for Prime Video; working with Candace Parker on the NBA and the WNBA; calling games for the Timberwolves; his sports broadcasting evolution; the big storylines in the NBA this season; how the Eastern Conference has become a power; his Instagram feed as an ode to Brooklyn to travel and more. Fader discusses the role of the editor in the Year's Best Sportswriting series; what she discovered reading so much longform sports writing; the pieces this year in the book; her lead essay about the dismantling of The Washington Post sports section; why she still remains hopeful about the interest in longform sports writing among young people; Giannis Antetokounmpo moving to Miami, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more.

Episode 667 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a roundtable with Jon Lewis, editor and founder of Sports Media Watch, Chad Finn, sports media columnist for the Boston Globe and Austin Karp, the media writer for Sports Business Journal. In this podcast we discuss ESPN NFL analyst Troy Aikman's recent statements including this on to Jimmy Traina: "it just seems to be where they're [ESPN] going — that they’re gonna go in a different direction because there’s been no talks, no contract negotiations"; why ESPN would let Aikman walk; how much finances are part of the equation; who could be a replacement for Aikman; the Greg Olsen factor; the NFL averaging 18.8 million viewers per game, meaning it is now up for the year; the impact of the Brewers in the World Series; whether a Brewers-Rays or Brewers-Guardians World Series can draw; the College Football Playoff expanding the field to 24 teams in 2027 and what that means from a media perspective and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more.

Episode 666 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Westwood One Sports broadcaster Oliver Wilson who hails from Leighton Buzzard, England and is calling the NFL's International games in Europe this season for Westwood One Audio. In this podcast, Wilson discusses calling last week's thrilling Jaguars win over the Eagles at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium; working his second year for Westwood One after calling four games last year; whether his approach changes for an American audience; how he came to get the NFL job; the challenge of being a freelance sports broadcaster in the United Kingdom; his experience calling Super Bowls in the United States; the dream of calling a World Cup; what it's like calling games in Madrid;the sports podcast space in the United Kingdom and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more.

Episode 665 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features a roundtable with Jon Lewis, editor and founder of Sports Media Watch; Armand Broady, the co-host of the Sports Media Watch podcast and a contributor to SMW, and Derek Futterman, a multimedia writer and producer for Sports Media Watch. In this podcast, we discuss Stephen A. Smith making light of Lane Johnson's decision to retire, where Johnson cited mental health concerns, and then Smith being excoriated before issuing an on-air apology; why this stuff happens; where ESPN management fits in here; the new sports portfolio for Skydance; what CBS Sports head David Berson will do longterm with the J.J. Watt analyst spot; how much Skydance's debt will impact its sports portfolio; Major League Baseball wanting to cut down the number of regular-season games from 162 to 154 starting in 2029 and expanding one round of the postseason; why this is about expanding postseason inventory in what is expected to be the first under new national media contracts; and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more.

Episode 664 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Peter King, the longtime Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports writer and on-air reporter. King is the author of the new book, "The Game," a memoir and history of the NFL. The book comes out Oct. 13. In this podcast King discusses why he wrote the book; the NFL's enduring popularity; his favourite stories over the years; why King could not possibly have the same career today if he started in 2026 as opposed to 1984; his list of the 100 most influential people in NFL history; why by the the time he retired the football media life "had become an overly scripted, press-conference-dominated, closed-locker-room, measure-every-word-you-utter world"; why his Sundays are like today; how he feels about the role of the media transaction breaker; his dream of visiting Sweden and watching the Canadiens play at the Bell Centre in Montreal and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more.