NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell says its newest rightsholders would like to air more races; LIV Golf has informed employees about potential layoffs; and John Lasker is retiring from ESPN at the end of September after 27 years. Plus news on Adam Schefter, CBS Sports, MLB Network and Jacob Tobey.
O’Donnell: New rightsholders wish they bought more NASCAR races
In an interview with Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal, NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell said new rightsholders Prime Video and TNT Sports wish they had purchased additional races beyond their current five-race packages.
“We’ve got contractual obligations obviously, but what I can say — I don’t think I’m giving away any trade secrets — is if you talk to Prime, they wish they would have bought more,” O’Donnell said in the interview. “If you talk to Turner, they wish they would have bought more. That’s a good thing, that’s great for us. I’ve talked to Eric Shanks at Fox, I’ve talked with folks at Amazon, I’ve talked with Turner, and all of them are really happy with what’s going on right now and feel the momentum in the sport. Our job now is to really show that growth.”
NASCAR is in the second season of a seven-year media rights pact that keeps a majority of the races on linear broadcast and cable television across Fox Sports (12), TNT Sports (five) and NBC Sports (14). During the negotiations, Prime Video and TNT Sports were reportedly negotiating against each other for rights to a six-race midseason package, but ultimately came away with separate five-race deals.
Talks for the next cycle of media rights will begin in 2029, O’Donnell said. That is the same year the NFL can officially opt out of its media rights deals, though the league is widely expected to negotiate new contracts ahead of time. Many of the current NASCAR rights partners are actively taking part in M&A transactions; Fox plans to purchase Roku for $22 billion; Comcast is aiming to spin off NBCUniversal next year; and Warner Bros. Discovery is set to be acquired by Paramount in a $111 billion, all-cash transaction.
LIV Golf informs employees of potential reductions in force
LIV Golf informed its employees Wednesday of potential layoffs as it looks to secure investments for next year, Sports Media Watch has confirmed. Earlier in the year, the Saudi Arabia sovereign wealth fund revealed that it would not fund the golf league after the current season. The PIF told Reuters in a statement at the time that “[t]he substantial investment required by LIV Golf over a longer term is no longer consistent with the current phase of PIF’s investment strategy.”
LIV Golf, which has headquarters in the United States and United Kingdom, complied with U.S. law requiring companies with 100 or more employees to provide 60 days notice prior to mass layoffs. The company has yet to make a final decision on possible cuts and is maintaining optimism as it tries to obtain a new investment partner for the long term. Kurt Badenhausen and Scott Soshnick of Sportico reported that LIV Golf is looking to obtain “an investment between $250 million and $350 million to continue operations beyond 2026” and plans to become profitable “after three years.”
“There are no changes to LIV Golf’s current workforce, operations, or schedule at this time,” a LIV Golf spokesperson said in a statement provided to Sports Media Watch. “As our process to identify strategic investors moves forward in a positive direction, and as part of responsible planning for a range of possible outcomes, we have notified employees in the United States and United Kingdom of potential future actions related to the League’s corporate workforce. This step is being taken in accordance with legal obligations in each jurisdiction. We deeply appreciate our employees’ continued dedication as we work toward a strong and sustainable future for the League.”
The move comes at a time when the PGA Tour has plans to alter its competitive structure starting in 2028, including two tiers with a promotion-relegation system in place. PGA TOUR CEO and future commissioner Brian Rolapp instituted a returning member program for a short time earlier in the year that allowed LIV Golf members to apply for reinstatement to the PGA Tour. LIV Golf is in the second year of a media rights deal with Fox Sports.
Lasker to retire from ESPN at the end of September
Longtime ESPN executive John Lasker has made the decision to retire from the company at the end of September after 27 years, Sports Media Watch has confirmed. Lasker, who was an important part of launching the network’s direct-to-consumer platform last summer, has been with the company through several digital consumption iterations, including ESPN MobileTV, Watch ESPN and ESPN+. The DTC product includes many features with which Lasker had considerable involvement.
“Throughout his career, John has been at the forefront of nearly every major iteration and evolution of our streaming business, shaping how fans access and experience ESPN content in the digital age,” Rosalyn Durant, ESPN EVP/programming and acquisitions, said in a memo to employees. “His vision, strategic thinking and willingness to embrace innovation and risk-taking have helped ESPN meet sports fans wherever they are, and however they choose to watch.”
While speaking at the ESPN Edge Innovation Conference last fall, Lasker credited the ESPN direct-to-subscriber product for being able to enter deals for bundle packages with Fox One and NFL+. “It allows us actually not just to innovate in sort of how we serve sports fans, but how we actually present, package, partner, acquire rights,” Lasker explained.
Lasker currently works as the SVP of ESPN DTC and collaborates with multiple ESPN and Disney departments. Prior to working on digital media ventures within ESPN, he joined the company in 1999 as a supervisor of sales planning. Lasker rose through the ranks as an account sales executive and manager of program planning in 2003. ESPN VP/sports products and strategy Brian Marshall will have interim oversight of the team as the company continues trying to grow its direct-to-consumer product. Marshall will also have other responsibilities, including working in aligning teams related to programming, product and the business.
Plus: Adam Schefter, CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports, MLB Network
- ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter is reportedly nearing a long-term extension with the company under which he would remain with the network for “several years into the 2030s,” according to a report by Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports. Schefter, who joined ESPN in 2009, has become a regular source of news around NFL transactions, free-agent signings and injury updates. During the season, he frequently appears on programs such as “NFL Live,” “SportsCenter” and both the Sunday and Monday editions of “NFL Countdown.”
- The CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic will pit Arkansas against Michigan State in a 4:30 PM ET window following the network’s Bears-Lions NFL game, it was announced Wednesday. This is the third consecutive year Arkansas has played on the holiday, facing Duke and Illinois in the previous two seasons. Last year’s CBS Thanksgiving game between Duke and Arkansas, which aired in primetime following the most-watched NFL regular season game on record, was officially the most-watched college basketball regular season game since 1993. (It should be noted that this was the first Thanksgiving Day with Big Data + Panel and out-of-home measurement covering 100% of the contiguous U.S. being part of Nielsen’s official currency.)
- Former Philadelphia Phillies SP Cole Hamels will be part of MLB Network-produced coverage of the 2026 MLB Draft airing on NBC and Peacock on Saturday, July 11. Hamels will work alongside host Greg Amsinger, analysts Mark DeRosa and Dan O’Dowd, and contributors Lance Brozdowski, Jim Callis, Carlos Collazo and Melanie Newman. Coverage of the event begins 90 minutes ahead of the first round at 1 PM ET from the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
- San Antonio Spurs play-by-play announcer Jacob Tobey will no longer call games for the team after being accused of cheating on his girlfriend with the sister of a Spurs player, according to a report by Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports. Tobey had been in the role for two seasons, including the team’s just-ended 62-win campaign. The Spurs have yet to announce a new local television home for next season amid Main Street Sports Group winding down operations.
