John Ourand

Netflix is nearing a deal for at least five NFL games next season, including a Week 1 Australia matchup and a new Thanksgiving Eve contest. YouTube, meanwhile, may be left with nothing.

May 7, 2026 John Ourand Welcome to The Varsity, back in D.C. after a quick New York trip. I love all the civic pride that comes from local teams advancing through the playoffs. Montreal is in the middle of a buffalo-wing boycott as the Habs battle the Sabres. And good luck ordering a cheesesteak in […]

SC Holdings’ Jason Stein on the private-equity money gusher flooding the sports world, the commercialization of the NCAA, and why he (and LeBron and Draymond and K.D.) are still bullish on pickleball.

The World Cup’s descent on North America has been greeted by the typical grab bag of micro-scandals and preemptive complaints. In their private group chats, though, top industry executives don’t really care—they’ve seen this film before, and they’re convinced they are about to make stacks of cash.

Horizon Media’s Adam Schwartz on the amplifying value of a Super Bowl ad, MLB’s events strategy, and why the 30-second spot is still the backbone of television advertising.

Obviously, the short-lived Rousey–Carano title fight wasn’t the ideal scenario for Netflix’s M.M.A. debut. But it also wasn’t a refutation of the streamer’s “eventized” sports content strategy.

May 21, 2026 John Ourand Welcome back to The Varsity, coming to you from the Acela corridor—literally. I’m headed back to D.C. after a busy couple of days in New York: Yesterday, NBC invited me to speak at an off-site, where legendary comms exec Greg Hughes grilled me in front of a group of the […]

Wolfe Research analyst Peter Supino offers up his candid thoughts and surprising bull case for Paramount’s UFC deal and F1’s partnership with Apple—and why the mega-trend media universe keeps gravitating toward superstars.

Jun 1, 2026 John Ourand Welcome back to The Varsity. I’m John Ourand. Several sources have told me that, between the World Cup, the UFC America 250 event, and the Knicks’ Finals run, they’ve never had to field more requests for tickets. Even network and league executives have lamented being thrust into the unusual position […]

ESPN’s indomitable content chief, Burke Magnus, on losing talent to the NBA sidelines, the heat around the NHL, and what he learns from the way his kids watch sports.