As has been written earlier than on this house, if there was a rating of people that form sports activities consumption in the USA, Burke Magnus can be very excessive on the checklist. His title is president of ESPN’s content material, and he has oversight of ESPN’s most vital properties, with 1000’s of gifted folks working beneath him.
This week, he returned to my Sports activities Media Podcast for an hour-plus to debate quite a lot of sports activities media storylines together with media rights offers and on-air expertise at his place. This interview has been edited for readability and size. You may take heed to the complete interview right here.
JJ Redick not too long ago left ESPN to teach the Los Angeles Lakers. That is the second NBA analyst in your high staff who’s left for an NBA job this yr. Do you have got a plan proper now heading ahead as to who would be the high NBA staff subsequent yr?
Not particularly, and that’s in all probability no shock because it was solely a few weeks in the past the place the world thought it was going to be Danny Hurley (teaching the Lakers) and JJ would in truth nonetheless be with us.
As troublesome as the choice was (to half methods) with Jeff (Van Gundy) and Mark (Jackson), we felt like we had been very, very stable going into the season in each the sport staff and the studio. We had it solved in a extremely attention-grabbing and revolutionary approach that we thought was going to final for a number of years with Doris Burke making historical past, stepping as much as the “A” staff, a confirmed, high-caliber broadcaster and Doc (Rivers). We even had our succession plan labored out with the “B” staff, with Ryan Ruocco, JJ, and Richard Jefferson. … Clearly, we acquired the curveball of all curveballs with Doc’s departure. However I believed JJ stepped proper in and helped us proceed to carry out at a excessive stage. He had indicated curiosity in teaching, in order that was not a shock.
Now we have some work to do upfront of subsequent season. The one factor I’ll say about Doc, as a result of there was some reporting on the market down the angle of, “How might they not see this coming; how might they not be ready for this type of factor?” In reality, we had been. We took Doc at his phrase that he was accomplished teaching. He gave us a three-year dedication. It was written into the contract particularly that he was not going to return to teaching. That’s not what occurred. Sadly, it left us within the lurch in the midst of the season, which was extraordinarily uncomfortable.
However I believed JJ actually stepped up and stuffed in at a really excessive stage. By the way in which, if he ever needs to come back again and be a broadcaster after teaching, I believe the world is aware of now that he’s an ideal basketball thoughts, and he has a vibrant future in our world if he ever finds himself in it once more.
What are you able to say publicly about the place ESPN/Disney is true now concerning a future media rights settlement with the NBA?
Clearly, I can’t verify something. … However I can say that our staff has been working actually diligently over an extended time period. Primarily based on the prevailing relationship that we now have with the NBA over a few years and likewise the present state of it, which is robust, optimistic, productive, an ideal two-way avenue and nice collaboration with Adam (Silver) and his staff, we really feel comparatively assured about our future with the league as they work to finalize every little thing with all of their companions. We be ok with the place we stand for the time being.
Let’s transfer to varsity soccer. What’s the ESPN reasoning for licensing these early School Soccer Playoff video games to TNT?
(Warner Bros. Discovery) reached out to us. They made a extremely compelling case to get entangled. The association has a number of aspects that we felt had been form of desk stakes for us, which in my world is that we’re going to produce the video games and it’s going to be our expertise on the video games. As we sit right here right now, (WBD doesn’t) televise regular-season faculty soccer, so that they don’t have an infrastructure that’s constructed across the sport. They regarded instantly to us and our experience when it comes to how they get produced and offered. Branding will be discovered simply. So we thought this is a chance to get anyone else concerned who’s acquired an enormous platform that has attain, that has a distinct viewers composition than we do.
Is it two video games per yr for the sublicense?
It’s that for the primary two years, that are technically the final two years of the unique deal after which it expands past that to 2 extra within the quarterfinal rounds. So it could possibly be 4. There’s additionally at our possibility the flexibility to (sublicense) a semifinal sport doubtlessly over the six years of the brand new time period. So two turns into 4, after which there’s form of this feature on a semifinal sport, which we’ll consider after we get deeper into the connection.
An possibility for them to sublicense a CFP semifinal sport?
Our possibility. In the event that they’re taken with it, we are able to determine whether or not or not we wish to do this.
Stephen A. Smith’s contract is up in 2025. Puck not too long ago reported extensively on that wage negotiation. From an govt perspective, give me a way of the way you see Smith within the bigger ESPN ecosystem.
The man’s a bona fide famous person, proper? In right now’s media surroundings, he simply is, as a result of every little thing he does, folks have a excessive curiosity in. No person works more durable than him. He’s all over the place on a regular basis, and every little thing we ask him to do from a distinct present or a selected look and even inner ESPN issues comparable to, “Are you able to be part of this assembly with gross sales as a result of it’s an vital shopper assembly they usually’d actually like to have you ever cease by and meet the shopper?” — he’ll do that. He by no means says no. He’s nice in that regard.
“First Take,” which is his major task, is a juggernaut. I believe we’re going to get 24 straight months of month-over-month, year-over-year viewers development. That simply doesn’t occur in right now’s world. It occurs as a result of he’s constructed this present … We’re within the 24/7, 365-day sports activities enterprise. … I really feel nearly as good about our 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. lineup as I’ve ever felt, and I believe the outcomes bear that out. He’s a key element to that. However the video games are nonetheless the video games, and that’s why it’s a must to form of calibrate accordingly when it comes to the way you put money into non-game programming.
I understand you aren’t going to barter publicly right here. However there may be an current wage construction with regards to sport expertise comparable to (CBS’) Tony Romo and (ESPN’s) Troy Aikman. (Fox’s) Tom Brady is clearly in a distinct stratosphere. How do you choose somebody like Smith who doesn’t do dwell sports activities however, as you mentioned, is a vital a part of your studio programming?
The folks you talked about have one factor in widespread on the sport facet: They’re NFL analysts. They broke the mildew. Tony Romo’s deal broke the mildew. For my part, the cash that we’re paying (“Monday Night time Soccer” broadcasters) Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, they’re value each cent of that. I imply it sincerely. … When Damar Hamlin occurred, to have Joe Buck and Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters and the staff round we had is difficult to place a price on that given the funding that we now have within the NFL general. Relative to what networks pay for NFL sport content material, that’s what drove the excessive finish of the analyst and play-by-play market to the place it’s right now. I believe that is sensible. … Studio (reveals) Monday via Friday, daytime studio, it’s completely different. There’s a distinct calculus there, for certain. However once more … (Smith is) the very best there may be proper now.
How would you analyze your confidence stage when it comes to Smith returning to ESPN?
I are usually an optimistic individual by nature. I do know he’s nice for us. I do know we’re nice for him. From a relevance, attain and Q rating if you’ll, there’s a rocket gas that ESPN naturally form of supplies to huge personalities by being on our platform. There’s a price to that for folks. I’m optimistic as a result of I believe it’s a mutually useful state of affairs, and I believe each side understand that, and that is simply the dance we now have to bounce.
If Smith doesn’t return to ESPN, do you have got a alternative plan for the reveals he’s on?
Not particularly, however “First Take” would proceed, clearly. We’d determine that out. The nice half concerning the surroundings that we dwell in … there’s a wealth of gifted folks on the market who, if given the prospect, I believe might additionally turn out to be superstars very simply on our platform. The format of “First Take” I believe lends to that. It’s already an ensemble state of affairs in some ways. So, I don’t fear about that in any respect.
Will Pat McAfee be on “School GameDay” this season?
Yeah, I presume he’ll. What Andrew (Marchand) reported is technically true relative to ink on a chunk of paper. However as you understand in our world, it’s a reasonably widespread state of affairs to have reached an settlement with out an executed contract or piece of paper. …
I believe sometimes Pat likes to simply muse on what he could or could not wish to do. … We’re not within the enterprise of handcuffing anyone to a desk. This isn’t distinctive to Pat. If anyone involves us and says, “Hey, I’d somewhat do that or that as a substitute of that,” we’ll pay attention and have these conversations. However Pat I count on to be there on “School GameDay.”
McAfee books his visitors and has artistic management of his present. ESPN licenses the present. Has Pat crossed any strains for you, and maybe extra importantly, is there a line for ESPN with regards to that present?
Yeah, I don’t love the dialog round a line as a result of a line by definition is form of clear and definable. Let me begin with this. I typically learn or hear issues on podcasts the place the sentiment is, “(Is) ESPN dedicated to Pat McAfee?” We completely are. This man is so gifted. Every thing he’s created, he created on his personal together with his staff.
I can say this with nice authority, having youngsters which can be 25 and 22 and are huge sports activities followers. He’s the voice of the youthful era from a sports activities fan perspective. He books visitors like no person else within the enterprise proper now. … So there’s a validation in right now’s world for being a visitor on his present, and that’s as a result of he units the dialog in some ways and notably for youthful audiences. …
He talks for 3 hours, 5 days per week, proper? What makes him nice is that he goes proper up there. Then often he has mentioned some issues or accomplished some issues that both he would have wished to take again or rubbed some of us the improper approach. Imagine me, he doesn’t have a free cross for all of eternity. Now we have a standing dialog with him. (ESPN chairman) Jimmy (Pitaro) and I discuss to him just about on a weekly foundation whether or not we now have one thing to speak about or not. He’s extraordinarily receptive to suggestions and needs to understand how he can proceed to be higher. …
There’s no fact to the notion that we’re not dedicated to him long-term. We’re not even a yr into this relationship. Between his present and his work on “School GameDay” and different issues he’s accomplished for us on the enterprise and gross sales facet, it’s been an ideal expertise for us, however the truth that after all we’ve needed to handle among the conditions that you simply talked about, which had been both uncomfortable or troublesome for us.
Is ESPN liable for when somebody on his present, not him, says one thing on his airwaves? Say if Aaron Rodgers goes down a street that’s both political or some would possibly say conspiratorial or one thing else, what’s ESPN’s accountability right here understanding that you simply license this present?
He’s technically not an ESPN worker, which limits form of the standard paths we now have in circumstances like that. We do license his present, which he totally produces and controls totally. However … it’s our platform on the finish of the day. That’s the fragile stability when in circumstances such as you talked about.
So, sure, I do assume we play a task and bear some accountability. I might be much more involved about circumstances like that going ahead if we didn’t have the form of dialog and open channels we now have with Pat. I wish to make it clear: He isn’t saying, “Hey, don’t discuss to me, it’s my present.” It’s fairly the alternative. … It’s arrange for us to have the ability to cope with these conditions as they arrive.
Netflix getting NFL video games (on Christmas) feels very important. Out of your perspective, somebody who may need to compete with them on sports activities rights, how did you view that?
I believe it was a circumstance that was … proper up their alley. I don’t know what their technique is … however it appears to me what they’re doing is looking for one huge or attention-grabbing occasion. … They’re full-time within the direct-to-consumer enterprise, in order that dynamic is identical for all of us, which is it’s a must to purchase subscribers after which it’s a must to retain subscribers.
To the NFL’s credit score, right here’s two video games on a vacation that turn out to be accessible in isolation and separate from any form of greater package deal that they must chunk off. The NFL will get one more companion into the combo. I wasn’t stunned in any respect. I don’t know that it bodes any additional “what’s subsequent” hypothesis for Netflix within the NFL as a result of I believe that’s all that exists proper now, some particular person alternatives. We’re completely proud of our NFL package deal, we’re wanting ahead to a different season of “Monday Night time Soccer,” and we acquired a Tremendous Bowl coming in a few years.
Netflix goes to want somebody to provide these video games. Would ESPN be taken with doing that?
As you in all probability know, that’s in all probability the busiest … two weeks of our whole yr. Now we have 5 NBA video games to provide that day. Now we have 40 bowl video games over the 2 weeks. We’ve acquired the CFP proper across the nook. We’re good. We are able to’t tackle anyone else’s stuff.
How aggressive will ESPN be with regards to the WNBA heading ahead?
We’re extraordinarily bullish on it. We’ve been there since Day 1 of the WNBA, and we’re actually pleased with that. We really feel equally concerning the ladies’s NCAA basketball match and the arduous work that’s been accomplished over many years with that property with the intention to develop the sport. Caitlin Clark is a phenomenon, and naturally, it’s introduced form of meteoric ranges actually shortly, which is just a little little bit of a difficulty they’ve been coping with relative to the protection and the scrutiny across the sport. When that form of normalizes and finds its stage, the audiences and the curiosity within the WNBA goes to be considerably greater than it has been traditionally.
The place would you characterize ESPN having the WNBA Finals in any long-term deal?
Actually vital. The reply I gave you if you requested me this final yr for the NBA Finals was “must-have,” and right here I believe just a little bit in a different way. Perhaps considerably unselfishly, we take a look at the expansion of the WNBA on the variety of varied entities concerned in it. We see an upside in different broadcasters additionally being concerned. After all we would like the WNBA Finals. I’m certain that at some stage that’s going to be a element of the deal. But when we don’t have them each single yr as a result of it means it’s on different networks in a similar way, I believe that’s truly a superb factor for the final word continued development and improvement and curiosity within the league.
GO DEEPER
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(High photograph of Burke Magnus in 2022: Gongora / NurPhoto through Getty Pictures)