Episode
The $12.5 Billion Lakers, the NFL’s TV Fight, and Sports Media’s Big Split
- Podcast
- Channels with Peter Kafka
- Published
- Aug 19, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2561
- Processing state
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Summary
Sports teams keep selling for more money because, in theory, their media rights keep becoming more valuable. But the companies that actually pay for sports TV are starting to push back. John Ourand of Puck joins me to break down Bob Iger and Josh Kushner’s $12.5 billion deal for the Los Angeles Lakers— and whether the number makes sense if local and national TV money is no longer guaranteed to keep rising. Then: the NFL wanted its TV partners to reopen their current rights deals early and pay more now. Fox’s Lachlan Murdoch said no, and John explains why NBC, ESPN, Amazon, and everyone else seems happy to let Fox take the heat. Also discussed: Apple’s very different bets on MLS and Formula 1, why ESPN let F1 go, and whether the WNBA is wisely spreading its games across many networks—or making fans hunt for them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices