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The Varsity: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Puck | Audacy
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.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- Yesterday43 min
Kevin Burkhardt's Art of "Not Showing How Smart You Are"
Fox's go-to guy for the Super Bowl and World Series joins John to discuss his enviable broadcast career, his weekly prep routine during the NFL season, and the zen of knowing when not to let your research get in the way of the game. Join us at In the Arena on Oct. 1 in NYC. Tickets here: https://puck.events/inthearena/
- 5 days ago42 min
TV’s New Gatekeepers
Super analyst Michael Nathanson returns to the pod to discuss the tectonic forces reshaping how America watches sports. He and John unpack the logic behind Fox’s bid for Roku, why YouTube TV could save cable, Charter’s streaming-bundle strategy, and Netflix’s “eventization” of everything. Join us at In the Arena on Oct. 1 in NYC. Tickets here: https://puck.events/inthearena/
- 1 weeks ago43 min
Peter Schrager’s Big Day
ESPN's Peter Schrager joins John to discuss his winding road to hosting his own daytime show. The two also dig into the Rams’ rough Australia opener, the NFL’s flag football and international push, the next wave of team owners, and the NFL’s standoff with YouTube over live rights.Join us at In the Arena on Oct. 1 in NYC. Tickets here: https://puck.events/inthearena/
- 1 weeks ago43 min
Nick Khan’s Plan to Fix Boxing
WWE president and TKO board member Nick Khan joins John ahead of Saturday’s Ryan Garcia-Connor Benn welterweight title fight to lay out the Zuffa Boxing strategy. The two dig into why past boxing broadcasters bailed on the sport, WWE’s Netflix and ESPN Unlimited deals, the soaring valuations behind the Lakers and Commanders sales, and why Khan tunes out the noise on social media.Join us at In the Arena on Oct. 1 in NYC. Tickets here: https://puck.events/inthearena/
- 2 weeks ago43 min
Jim Gray’s History Lessons
The Zelig-esque sportscaster joins John on the eve of a new NFL season to discuss why football has a stranglehold on the sports-watching public. Plus he recounts the backstories behind his memorable interviews with George W. Bush, Mike Tyson, Pete Rose, and more. Join us at In the Arena on Oct. 1 in NYC. Tickets here: https://puck.events/inthearena/
- 2 weeks ago43 min
Can Washington Actually Fix College Sports?
Industry consultant Marc Ganis, a member of President Trump’s College Sports Council, joins John to break down the bipartisan Senate bill aimed at saving college athletics from itself. The two dig into runaway transfer chaos, the Lakers’ $12.5 billion sale, why the Seahawks fetched over $9 billion, Lachlan Murdoch’s risky bet on NFL media rights, the league’s flag football and international expansion push, and the never-ending saga of the Bears’ stadium search.Join us at In the Arena on Oct. 1 in NYC. Tickets here: https://puck.events/inthearena/
- 3 weeks ago43 min
The NFL’s Broadcasting Shake-Up
The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand returns to the pod to break down the biggest storylines in sports media ahead of the NFL season. He and John weigh Tony Romo’s odds of returning to CBS’s top booth, Mike Tomlin’s early days in NBC’s studio, and whether Aaron Rodgers could follow the long line of star quarterbacks into broadcasting. They also dig into the NFL’s media rights leverage heading toward 2030, Netflix’s uneven push into live sports, and the economics behind Pat McAfee’s ballooning role at ESPN.Join us at In the Arena on Oct. 1 in NYC. Tickets here: https://puck.events/inthearena/
- 3 weeks ago43 min
NASCAR’s $7.7 Billion Bet
Brian Herbst, the executive who negotiated the sport’s media rights deals, joins John to assess a landscape reshaped since he signed them. The two dig into the new Chase playoff format, the surprisingly loyal audience following NASCAR across five networks, Herbst’s beef with Nielsen's methodology, and the sport’s growing bet on original content, including the Days of Thunder sequel.
About The Varsity
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.
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The Varsity covers topics including News. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
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