The Herd with Colin Cowherd — Podcast Summary

Episode: Barstool’s Netflix Deal, Joe Burrow’s Trade Value? Tua’s Career Over? NBA Cup Is Great
Date: December 18, 2025
Host: Colin Cowherd
Guests: Danny Parkins, Sophie Cunningham

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the seismic shifts in sports media and broadcasting—specifically Netflix's aggressive move into podcasting and what it means for content creators, companies, and consumers. Colin, Danny, and Sophie also dive deep into the NFL’s quarterback landscape, including Tua Tagovailoa’s future, Russell Wilson's decline, Justin Herbert’s development, and Joe Burrow’s value (and potential frustrations) in Cincinnati. The NBA In-Season Cup’s innovation and legitimacy gets a thoughtful debate, and the show closes with draft evaluations and betting banter.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Netflix’s Podcast Deal: Shifting Media Paradigms

[00:08–16:58]

• Netflix’s Move: Netflix has acquired rights to podcasts (notably from Barstool) and plans exclusive video distribution, challenging YouTube’s supremacy.

• Creator Opportunity: Colin frames the Netflix entry as a win for content creators, giving them leverage in negotiations, similar to TV’s expansion in baseball.

  “That’s not selling out. That is the space expanding and opening up.” — Colin (01:21)

• Consumer Impact: Danny highlights consumer frustration with fragmentation—content migrating behind paywalls (e.g., podcasts shifting from YouTube to Netflix subscription)—comparing modern streaming woes to the old cable bundle.

  “Let’s bundle it all together and call it cable.” — Danny (04:46)

• Strategic Intent: Sophie and Danny speculate Netflix’s play is for “time spent on the app” rather than new subscribers:

  “You go for a documentary and you’re like, oh god, I’ll stick for another half hour and watch this pod. It has a stick quality.” — Sophie (06:14)

• Audio vs. Video: Sophie notes podcast audio audiences still dwarf video, but platform exclusivity disrupts viewing habits.

• ‘Sellout’ Backlash: The group agrees the economic upside and creative freedom outweigh the “sellout” label for big creators, with Colin using Oprah and Howard Stern as examples of choosing wealth over relevance.

  “When six is the first number of your age, get out of relevance. You don’t need to be more famous at the grocery store. Go with wealth.” — Colin (14:45)

• Analogy: Bill Murray’s advice—“Try rich; that'll do”—is invoked to underscore the upsides of cashing in for creators. “If Pardon My Take does lose some audience, if they’re getting an additional $4 million each from the company, you take it.” — Colin (15:33)

• Distribution Still Matters: Despite video migration, most of the audio podcast audience remains unaffected; only the “visual” podcast fans must follow the show to Netflix.

2. Streaming Sports, the NBA Cup, and Media Authenticity

[16:58–21:44]

• NBA Cup Reception: Colin defends the NBA’s In-Season Cup, stressing that criticism mainly comes from non-fans and creators embrace change.

  “People that complain a lot are rarely creators. Surround yourself with creators, not complainers.” — Colin (16:58)

• Player Buy-In & Authenticity:

  “The NBA players I watched last night were more into that than the COVID Orlando experience… these guys are busting their butt.” — Colin (17:14)

• Copying Success: Danny admires Adam Silver’s unapologetic admission that the Cup is a Premier League imitation:

  “I love that he, like, unapologetically stole it from the Premier League… That is one my favorite things a commissioner in sports has said in my lifetime.” — Danny (18:26)

• Long-Term View: Success of the NBA Cup expected to grow and integrate into basketball culture. Danny suggests the debate about banners is “silly,” and the notion will mature with time.

• Venue Innovation: Silver’s reported interest in staging future Cups in famed college arenas (e.g., Allen Fieldhouse, Cameron Indoor) is praised.

3. NFL Quarterbacks: Tua, Herbert, Burrow & the Small QBs Dilemma

[27:36–48:54]

• Russell Wilson & Tua Tagovailoa Parallel: Colin has an epiphany connecting Wilson’s sudden drop-off with Tua’s struggles—concluding that smaller quarterbacks simply can’t physically endure the NFL’s pounding over time.

  “Size matters at quarterback. Smaller quarterbacks age overnight.” — Colin (29:19)

• Tua’s Caution: The panel agrees Tua now plays to avoid big hits, a combination of concussion worry, physical limitations, and team caution.

  “He is afraid to get hit. That’s not disputable.” — Colin (27:57)
  “He’s concussion prone, and… he’s clearly been told you can’t get concussions, man.” — Danny (31:03)

• Career Prognosis:

  “Is your career over?” — Colin (32:45) “It’s over. His career’s over because he’s way too expensive and too accomplished and… he’s probably best served to not play anymore.” — Danny (32:48) “[Tua] played out ironically the way it should have… won an Addie, drafted first round, made a Pro Bowl, got paid… it was always probably going to be his career.” — Colin (33:15)

• Draft Room Stories & Justin Herbert Hype:

  “Justin Herbert’s probably my favorite non-Caleb Williams player in football. I love watching Justin Herbert play football, have for forever.” — Danny (34:27)

  Colin shares insights from Chargers GM Tom Telesco, who initially doubted Herbert but became convinced after seeing him live. Oregon’s conservative offense (protecting Herbert due to lack of a good backup) masked his true athleticism.

  “You gotta see Herbert in person… He is way bigger in person than on TV… And Tom said, he’s really, really athletic.” — Colin (35:13)

4. Joe Burrow’s Value and the Cincinnati Conundrum

[41:40–50:03]

• Burrow is “Trapped”:
  Colin expresses sympathy, arguing Burrow is “the greatest American football player who's in an awful situation in Cincinnati.”

  “He’s never had an O line rated higher than 23rd best in the NFL. They don’t make any big trades… I feel horrible for him.” — Colin (42:01)

• Burrow’s Attitude Toward Fame:
  Danny explores Burrow’s personality:

  “Joe Burrow strikes me as someone…who loves football but does not love the things that come with football… I don’t think Joe Burrow likes fame.” — Danny (44:34)

• Team Commitment and Frustration:
  Both compare Burrow’s plight to Tom Brady’s disappointment with New England’s lack of offensive help.

  “Joe’s like, you won’t protect me. I’m the car—that’s the insurance policy. You won’t pay the policy known as the O-line.” — Colin (48:20)

• Future Uncertainty:
  Danny suggests if Burrow loves football but not the Bengals, almost every team in the league should pursue him.

  “If he loves football and hates Cincinnati, everyone should try to get Joe Burrow to demand a trade.” — Danny (49:44)

5. Quarterback Prospect Scouting: Mendoza & McCarthy

[55:21–61:23]

• Draft Capital for QBs:
  The team discusses hypothetical trade values if an elite quarterback like Burrow were available. Nick Wright’s take (“give all your first-rounders for as long as he’s with the team”) is admired.

• Evaluating Prospects:

  • Sophia highlights Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza as a “pro-concept” QB:

    “He’s also such an easy player to scout because Indiana runs pro concepts… the easiest guy to scout ever.” — Sophie (58:11)

  • Discussion of J.J. McCarthy compared to Mendoza—traits, level of difficulty, and next-level readiness.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Netflix/YouTube rivalry:
  “YouTube dominated in that space. Netflix a competitor. It’s good for people like iHeart and Dave Portnoy and me and the Volume. Eventually.” — Colin (01:00)

• On creator economics:
  “When six is the first number of your age, get out of relevance. … Try rich; that'll do.” — Colin (14:45, paraphrasing Bill Murray)

• On “hate-watching” the NBA Cup:
  “People that bitch about the NBA Cup, they don’t watch the NBA… I watched last night. I’m like, these guys are busting their butt.” — Colin (17:00)

• On the plight of small quarterbacks:
  “Smaller quarterbacks age overnight. If they lose elusiveness, if they get hit too many times, they don’t withstand the punishment.” — Colin (29:19)

• On Herbert as top QB:
  “If you think there are five quarterbacks in the world better than Justin Herbert, I just think you’re insane.” — Danny (39:44)

• On Joe Burrow’s predicament:
  “We’re watching the greatest American football player who’s in an awful situation in Cincinnati.” — Colin (42:01)

• On scouting in person:
  “You gotta go to the games… There’s certain things you gotta see… You gotta hear the ball when they throw it past you.” — Colin (36:35)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:08–16:58] — Netflix’s move into podcasting, media landscape analysis, consumer vs. creator incentives
• [16:58–21:44] — NBA In-Season Cup legitimacy, adoption, and impact
• [27:36–34:27] — The fates of small quarterbacks: Tua Tagovailoa, Russell Wilson, and the hazards of NFL attrition
• [34:27–41:26] — Justin Herbert’s journey, draft insight, and the importance of in-person scouting
• [41:40–50:03] — Joe Burrow’s value, Cincinnati’s limitations, and psychological impacts of fame and roster support
• [55:21–61:23] — Evaluating current and future quarterback prospects, trade value, and the fundamental worth of high-end QBs

Tone & Language

The conversation is sharp, incisive, packed with anecdotes, takes, and both macro- and micro-level sports media analysis. There’s camaraderie, humor, and a recognizable blend of journalistic skepticism and ex-player insight.

For Listeners Who Missed It

If you care about where sports media and content are heading—and want unvarnished takes on everything from the fate of small QBs, the innovation of the NBA Cup, Justin Herbert's ceiling, to Joe Burrow’s psyche—this episode delivers classic Cowherd: opinionated, well-argued, and fun.