Podcast
The Varsity
Hosted by Puck | Audacy · EN
Puck Sports Correspondent John Ourand and a rotating cast of industry insiders take you deep inside the executive suites and owner boxes that run the entire sports business. You’ll hear interviews with everyone from players to network execs and everyone in between. The Varsity is an extension of John's private email for Puck by the same name. New episodes publish twice-weekly, every Wednesday and Sunday.
44episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Wimbledon’s Grass is Always Greener
Yesterday00:47:03Tap to summarizeWith Wimbledon in full swing, John is joined by Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of tennis. They get into Serena Williams’ return to the court, the WTA’s player protests over fair wages, and the challenges and opportunities facing the sport in the U.S. Wertheim also illuminates how tennis keeps finding itself at the forefront of women’s sports’ remarkable rise. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Fox Sports’ Golden Boot
5d ago00:47:03Tap to summarizeC.E.O. Eric Shanks joins John to gush about the World Cup and Fox’s decade-long investment in soccer. He discusses his biggest surprises, Fox’s always-on approach to coverage, Zlatan Ibrahimović’s unlikely TV career, the controversial hydration breaks, the looming 2030 rights war, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Soccer’s American Dream
1w ago00:46:46Tap to summarizeThe Athletic’s Andrew Marchand is back on the pod to discuss the World Cup’s runaway success, from its strong attendance numbers and high TV ratings to its positive impact on social media. He also predicts what the momentum means for the 2030 rights, and whether it could land on a streamer for the first time. Plus, how MLS can capitalize on the moment to become a top league globally. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →FanDuel’s Next Gamble
2w ago00:46:55Tap to summarizeFanDuel President Christian Genetski joins John to talk shop about World Cup engagement, the sports betting scandals putting the industry under a microscope, and FanDuel’s foray into prediction markets. Genetski addresses the looming transparency and regulation questions head-on, and explains how he’s threading the needle between legal complexities and a consumer appetite that's only intensifying. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →College Sports Confidential
2w ago00:46:56Tap to summarizeNBC Sports’ Nicole Auerbach rejoins The Varsity to gab with John about all the latest chaos in college sports, from a bizarre twist in the Big Ten–SEC rivalry to the ongoing legal drama surrounding Brendan Sorsby and an unexpected political threat in Washington. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →The James Dolan Paradox
3w ago00:47:08Tap to summarizeFresh off of the Knicks' historic championship victory, John sits down with ESPN's Brian Windhorst and New York's own Mike Breen to dig into James Dolan's ownership of the team, the undervalued roster Leon Rose quietly assembled, and why Jalen Brunson is essentially funding his own teammates. Breen also expands on his emotional call as the clock hit zero. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →UFC's White House Fright Night
3w ago00:47:00Tap to summarizeJohn sits down with Axios media correspondent Sara Fischer to discuss the throw down set for next Sunday on the White House lawn. They discuss the press access issues and the potential growth opportunities for the UFC. The pair also chat about the brands flocking to F1's Apple era, and the Murdoch vs. NFL leverage war playing out on Capitol Hill. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →YouTube’s NFL Discipline & NFL Partner Math
4w ago00:47:13Tap to summarizeRich Greenfield, the LightShed partner and sports guru, joins John to weigh in on the looming NFL rights renegotiation bonanza: who wins, who blinks first, and why the league still has all the leverage in the post-cord-cutting era. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Full Court Press!
4w ago00:46:53Tap to summarizePuck legal guru Eriq Gardner joins John Ourand to explain how Capitol Hill and a veritable army of lawyers are reshaping college athletics: the fight over the Sports Broadcasting Act, the usual NIL mishegas, the Sunday Ticket time bomb, and much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Burke Magnus’s ESPN Wish List
Jun 300:47:10Tap to summarizeESPN head of content Burke Magnus joins John to discuss what's working for the network and what's in store. They chat about Inside the NBA, the state of the NBA booth, the NFL Network acquisition, and what it takes to draw younger audiences in through digital and social. They also discuss the MLB.tv experiment, and Magnus reveals what's still on his wish list for the network. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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