A Warner Bros. Time Bomb & Notre Dame Scandal
John Ourand joins Peter to reveal the sleeper issue in the WBD acquisition wars: the fate of the company’s high-value sports rights. What happens if Paramount wins and absorbs the WBD portfolio—or if Netflix prevails, and the Global Networks division is spun off? The twosome also dig into Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff snub, and why the school’s media-savvy athletic director is now waging a scorched-earth P.R. campaign against the ACC. 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
10 Dec 22min
MAGA’s ‘26 Nightmare
Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter to break down what a sluggish, Republican-controlled Congress might look like next year, as G.O.P. lawmakers grow frustrated with the gridlock and are bracing for midterm losses—while some are already packing up amid promises of retirement. Can Trump breathe new life into the party, or is it too late to rally the troops? 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
9 Dec 20min
Media Monday: Netflix’s $83B Hollywood Heist
Jon Kelly and Peter chew over Netflix’s shock victory in the WBD bidding war—outmaneuvering Paramount and Comcast to nab WBD’s Studio and Streaming assets. They parse every angle of this $83 billion deal: whether the Trump administration will actually scrutinize the merger, whether David Ellison is ready to give up and walk away, what this all means for the CNNs of the world, 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
8 Dec 24min
Introducing How We Made Your Mother Season 2!
It’s been 20 years since How I Met Your Mother premiered, and just over 10 years since the finale. Josh Radnor, who played “Ted” for nine seasons teams up with series co-creator Craig Thomas for this episode-by-episode rewatch podcast. For the superfans, HWMYM (listen to the trailer to learn how it’s pronounced) will get into all the secrets, theories, and pineapples, but we'll also use HIMYM – and our relationship to it two decades later – to talk about life and love and art and everything in between. How We Made Your Mother… a flashback podcast for a flashback show. You can listen to all episodes of season 1 now, and join Josh and Craig as they dive into season 2! 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
7 Dec 4min
Marchand, Round 2!
Varsity favorite Andrew Marchand reunites with John to debate the week’s biggest sports-media plot lines: the NFL’s holiday-week stacked matchups and Amazon Prime’s outsized role in juicing viewership; MLB’s new media-rights math; ESPN’s quiet strategic wins; and whether streamers like YouTube are ready to jump into the next bidding war. Plus: what Netflix poaching ESPN talent like Elle Duncan really signals about the streamer’s accelerating pivot into sports. For more great episodes of The Varsity, subscribe here 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
6 Dec 47min
The Nuzzi-Lizza Show & CNN’s Prediction Play
Dylan Byers joins Peter to discuss the latest twists in the never-ending Nuzzigate saga, as Olivia Nuzzi and her angry ex-fiancé Ryan Lizza keep trading barbs around this week’s release of Nuzzi’s “tell-nothing” memoir. They also dig into CNN’s new deal with prediction market Kalshi—further gamifying cable news and amplifying the media’s obsession with predicting the future. 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
5 Dec 28min
The G.O.P.’s Midterm Blues
Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter to discuss the heartburn inside the Republican Party heading into next year’s midterms: last month’s Democratic dominance, Trump’s plunging approval ratings, the G.O.P.’s messaging problem regarding the country’s enduring affordability crisis, and more. Is an insurmountable blue wave on the horizon? Leigh Ann says the Republicans she's spoken to fear so. 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
4 Dec 21min
Trump’s Antitrust Roulette
Eriq Gardner joins Peter to assess the White House’s laissez-faire posture toward regulatory and antitrust enforcement, as favored corporations seem to get free passes while everyone else is left guessing which rules still apply. Plus: Could a WBD–Paramount merger be derailed because the president hates CNN? 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
3 Dec 22min
