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 hundreds of proficient individuals working below him.
This week, he returned to my Sports activities Media Podcast for an hour-plus to debate a wide range 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 just lately left ESPN to teach the Los Angeles Lakers. That is the second NBA analyst in your prime group who’s left for an NBA job this 12 months. Do you could have a plan proper now heading ahead as to who would be the prime NBA group subsequent 12 months?
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 actually nonetheless be with us.
As troublesome as the choice was (to half methods) with Jeff (Van Gundy) and Mark (Jackson), we felt like we have been very, very strong going into the season in each the sport group and the studio. We had it solved in a very attention-grabbing and modern method that we thought was going to final for a number of years with Doris Burke making historical past, stepping as much as the “A” group, a confirmed, high-caliber broadcaster and Doc (Rivers). We even had our succession plan labored out with the “B” group, with Ryan Ruocco, JJ, and Richard Jefferson. … Clearly, we received the curveball of all curveballs with Doc’s departure. However I assumed JJ stepped proper in and helped us proceed to carry out at a excessive degree. He had indicated curiosity in teaching, in order that was not a shock.
We now 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 may they not see this coming; how may they not be ready for this sort of factor?” The truth is, we have been. We took Doc at his phrase that he was finished 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 course of the season, which was extraordinarily uncomfortable.
However I assumed JJ actually stepped up and stuffed in at a really excessive degree. By the best way, if he ever desires to come back again and be a broadcaster after teaching, I feel the world is aware of now that he’s an ideal basketball thoughts, and he has a vivid future in our world if he ever finds himself in it once more.
JJ Redick’s departure for the Lakers’ head-coaching job as soon as once more leaves ESPN scrambling to fill a void in its No. 1 NBA broadcasting crew. (Jamie Schwaberow / Getty Pictures)
What are you able to say publicly about the place ESPN/Disney is correct now relating to a future media rights settlement with the NBA?
Clearly, I can’t verify something. … However I can say that our group has been working actually diligently over an extended time period. Based mostly on the present relationship that we’ve got with the NBA over a few years and likewise the present state of it, which is powerful, optimistic, productive, an ideal two-way road and nice collaboration with Adam (Silver) and his group, we really feel comparatively assured about our future with the league as they work to finalize all the things with all of their companions. We be ok with the place we stand in the intervening time.
Let’s transfer to school soccer. What’s the ESPN reasoning for licensing these early Faculty Soccer Playoff video games to TNT?
(Warner Bros. Discovery) reached out to us. They made a very compelling case to become involved. The association has a number of sides that we felt have 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 at the moment, (WBD doesn’t) televise regular-season school 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 may be found out simply. So we thought this is a chance to get someone else concerned who’s received a giant platform that has attain, that has a special viewers composition than we do.
Is it two video games per 12 months 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 choice the power to (sublicense) a semifinal recreation probably over the six years of the brand new time period. So two turns into 4, after which there’s form of this selection on a semifinal recreation, which we’ll consider once we get deeper into the connection.
An choice for them to sublicense a CFP semifinal recreation?
Our choice. In the event that they’re fascinated with it, we will resolve whether or not or not we need to do this.
Stephen A. Smith’s contract is up in 2025. Puck just lately 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 at the moment’s media surroundings, he simply is, as a result of all the things he does, individuals have a excessive curiosity in. No one works more durable than him. He’s in all places on a regular basis, and all the things we ask him to do from a special present or a specific look and even inside ESPN issues comparable to, “Are you able to be part of this assembly with gross sales as a result of it’s an vital consumer assembly and so they’d actually like to have you ever cease by and meet the consumer?” — he’ll do that. He by no means says no. He’s nice in that regard.
“First Take,” which is his major project, is a juggernaut. I feel we’re going to get 24 straight months of month-over-month, year-over-year viewers development. That simply doesn’t occur in at the moment’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 feel 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 important to form of calibrate accordingly when it comes to the way you spend money on non-game programming.
“I really feel nearly as good about our 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. lineup as I’ve ever felt,” ESPN’s Burke Magnus says. “(Stephen A. Smith is) a key element to that.” (Tim Heitman / Getty Pictures)
I understand you aren’t going to barter publicly right here. However there may be an present wage construction in terms of recreation expertise comparable to (CBS’) Tony Romo and (ESPN’s) Troy Aikman. (Fox’s) Tom Brady is clearly in a special stratosphere. How do you decide somebody like Smith who doesn’t do dwell sports activities however, as you mentioned, is a vital a part of your studio programming?
The individuals you talked about have one factor in frequent on the sport aspect: 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 group round we had is tough to place a worth on that given the funding that we’ve got within the NFL general. Relative to what networks pay for NFL recreation content material, that’s what drove the excessive finish of the analyst and play-by-play market to the place it’s at the moment. I feel that is smart. … Studio (exhibits) Monday by Friday, daytime studio, it’s completely different. There’s a special calculus there, for certain. However once more … (Smith is) the perfect there may be proper now.
How would you analyze your confidence degree when it comes to Smith returning to ESPN?
I are typically 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 massive personalities by being on our platform. There’s a worth to that for individuals. I’m optimistic as a result of I feel it’s a mutually helpful scenario, and I feel each side understand that, and that is simply the dance we’ve got to bounce.
If Smith doesn’t return to ESPN, do you could have a alternative plan for the exhibits he’s on?
Not particularly, however “First Take” would proceed, clearly. We’d determine that out. The nice half in regards to the surroundings that we dwell in … there’s a wealth of proficient individuals on the market who, if given the possibility, I feel may additionally turn into superstars very simply on our platform. The format of “First Take” I feel lends to that. It’s already an ensemble scenario in some ways. So, I don’t fear about that in any respect.
Will Pat McAfee be on “Faculty GameDay” this season?
Yeah, I presume he’ll. What Andrew (Marchand) reported is technically true relative to ink on a bit of paper. However as you realize in our world, it’s a reasonably frequent scenario to have reached an settlement with out an executed contract or piece of paper. …
I feel once in a while Pat likes to simply muse on what he might or might not need to do. … We’re not within the enterprise of handcuffing anyone to a desk. This isn’t distinctive to Pat. If someone involves us and says, “Hey, I’d somewhat do that or that as an alternative of that,” we’ll pay attention and have these conversations. However Pat I count on to be there on “Faculty GameDay.”
McAfee books his friends and has artistic management of his present. ESPN licenses the present. Has Pat crossed any traces for you, and maybe extra importantly, is there a line for ESPN in terms of 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 proficient. Every thing he’s created, he created on his personal together with his group.
I can say this with nice authority, having children which might 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 friends like no one else within the enterprise proper now. … So there’s a validation in at the moment’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 every week, proper? What makes him nice is that he goes proper up there. Then sometimes he has mentioned some issues or finished some issues that both he would have needed to take again or rubbed some of us the improper method. Consider me, he doesn’t have a free go for all of eternity. We now 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’ve got one thing to speak about or not. He’s extraordinarily receptive to suggestions and needs to know the way 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 12 months into this relationship. Between his present and his work on “Faculty GameDay” and different issues he’s finished for us on the enterprise and gross sales aspect, it’s been an ideal expertise for us, however the truth that after all we’ve needed to handle a number of the conditions that you just talked about, which have been both uncomfortable or troublesome for us.
“There’s no fact to the notion that we’re not dedicated to him long-term,” Magnus says of Pat McAfee. “It’s been an ideal expertise for us.” (Ron Hoskins / NBAE by way of Getty Pictures)
Is ESPN answerable for when somebody on his present, not him, says one thing on his airwaves? Say if Aaron Rodgers goes down a highway that’s both political or some would possibly say conspiratorial or one thing else, what’s ESPN’s duty right here understanding that you just license this present?
He’s technically not an ESPN worker, which limits form of the traditional paths we’ve got in circumstances like that. We do license his present, which he absolutely produces and controls totally. However … it’s our platform on the finish of the day. That’s the fragile steadiness when in circumstances such as you talked about.
So, sure, I do suppose we play a task and bear some duty. I’d be much more involved about circumstances like that going ahead if we didn’t have the form of dialog and open channels we’ve got with Pat. I need to make it clear: He’s not 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 vital. Out of your perspective, somebody who might need to compete with them on sports activities rights, how did you view that?
I feel 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 massive or attention-grabbing occasion. … They’re full-time within the direct-to-consumer enterprise, in order that dynamic is similar for all of us, which is it’s important to purchase subscribers after which it’s important to retain subscribers.
To the NFL’s credit score, right here’s two video games on a vacation that turn into out there in isolation and separate from any form of greater package deal that they must chew off. The NFL will get yet one more companion into the combination. 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 feel that’s all that exists proper now, some particular person alternatives. We’re completely pleased with our NFL package deal, we’re trying ahead to a different season of “Monday Night time Soccer,” and we received a Tremendous Bowl coming in a few years.
Netflix goes to wish somebody to provide these video games. Would ESPN be fascinated with doing that?
As you in all probability know, that’s in all probability the busiest … two weeks of our complete 12 months. We now have 5 NBA video games to provide that day. We now have 40 bowl video games over the 2 weeks. We’ve received the CFP proper across the nook. We’re good. We will’t tackle anyone else’s stuff.
How aggressive will ESPN be in terms of the WNBA heading ahead?
We’re extraordinarily bullish on it. We’ve been there since Day 1 of the WNBA, and we’re actually happy with that. We really feel equally in regards to the ladies’s NCAA basketball match and the onerous work that’s been finished over a long time 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 rapidly, which is slightly little bit of a problem they’ve been coping with relative to the protection and the scrutiny across the recreation. When that form of normalizes and finds its degree, the audiences and the curiosity within the WNBA goes to be considerably larger 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 12 months for the NBA Finals was “must-have,” and right here I feel slightly bit in a different way. Possibly considerably unselfishly, we take a look at the expansion of the WNBA on the variety of numerous entities concerned in it. We see an upside in different broadcasters additionally being concerned. In fact we wish the WNBA Finals. I’m certain that at some degree that’s going to be a element of the deal. But when we don’t have them each single 12 months as a result of it means it’s on different networks in a similar way, I feel that’s truly a very good factor for the last word continued development and growth and curiosity within the league.
GO DEEPER
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(High picture of Burke Magnus in 2022: Gongora / NurPhoto by way of Getty Pictures)
