Happy Thursday everyone.

Thanks for the feedback on last week’s interview with Michael Albanese. I’m excited to continue doing more in a variety of formats.

Speaking of which, I went to the “Breakfast Club” in Los Feliz last week and met some fascinating people (all worthy interview candidates) including:

• A Tokyo-born, international performing classical musician who spends her free time marketing & representing Japanese artisans who craft home goods by hand using centuries-old techniques

• A Danish guy representing the Austrian Trade Commission in Hollywood who’s on a mission to democratize funding and production access for talented screenwriters through curated on-stage performance events

• The woman responsible for the Community programming at Soho House, a16z, and Summit Series, amongst others

One big takeaway after meeting all these talented and driven individuals:

It’s so important to continuously put yourself out there and do things IRL. Drop the screen for a few hours. Our entire network of friends, partners, opportunities etc. is downstream of people you meet and come to know - in person. This is, by default, the most human-proof experience.

More on this in the coming weeks, but today we dissect a huge topic, so let’s dive in….

Sports Media and Content

I don’t know about you, but my timeline is filled with discussion, debate, commentary, and opinions on media and content.

I believe this is because we - as humans - are storytellers more than anything else.

And today, when creativity can now be outsourced in such sophisticated ways, it’s not just the story we tell, but how we tell it.

First, let’s talk about Media

It’s important to understand the modern-day media barbell. This has been discussed by Marc Andreessen and others, particularly in Silicon Valley where a media renaissance is currently underway.

Think of a barbell. 2 heavy weights, 1 on each side. It’s a metaphor to explain the 2 major forms of content consumption in the year of our Lord 2025.

On one side you have short-form content. These are the sub 2 min clips that people consume at nauseam. Reels, tiktok, shorts, etc.

Then there’s super long-form content - mostly defined by 2+ hr podcasts. For those times when you really want to go deep.

Anything in the middle that had defined trad media for the past few decades (talk-shows, roundtables, etc.) in pretty much dead. Ofc there are always exceptions, but look at your own consumption habits.

A great example of this is crystalizing in sports media, where some major moves are defining the landscape going forward.

We’ve talked about ESPN before but it’s clear they are not a sports journalism platform. They are an entertainment platform. Their recent actions only reinforce this.

Outside McAfee, their long-form media is almost entirely live sports, with the NFL RedZone acquisition as the biggest prize of all. Millions of Americans consuming 8 straight hours of football every Sunday.

Their short-form media strategy is to employ “content creators” to be the face of their socials, like this week’s Katie Feeney hiring.

Now let’s talk about the actual Content

If you read the comments surrounding these announcements, the majority look like this:

People lament the loss of “Around The Horn” or say they fired revered NBA reporter Zach Lowe to hire female Tiktok influencers, but they’re missing the point.

First of all, the 30 min - 1 hr show format that ESPN thrived on just doesn’t work anymore. Not optimized for today’s consumption habits. This is the middle ground…no man’s land.

Like it or not, they will continue to operate at the extremes. Live sports broadcasts are about as authentic a human drama as you can get. On the other hand, their short form content tends to be algo-driven slop…cringey soundbites from lousy shows.

But the media barbell isn't just changing consumption - it's creating unprecedented opportunities for creators who understand that authenticity shines brighter than ever.

For the Zach Lowe types, they are wayyy better off on their own. Their focus on genuine, “for the love of the game” journalism rooted in deep knowledge and unapologetic opinions is long-form gold much better served at The Ringer and away from the trad corporate umbrella. ESPN just isn’t a good match anymore.

Look at our boy Pablo Torre, we praised his work a few weeks ago and boom - he gets a seven figure licensing deal with The Athletic this week. The female-led “Sports Gossip Show” also joined The Athletic from Substack.

Case in point: there has never been a better time to be an authentic, creative storyteller/builder. Whether it’s writing, podcasting, sketches, etc….people will crave it even more as the ai onslaught continues and opportunities will arise. Find your voice. Find your lane.

I’m not even hating on Katie Feeney. We might not love getting more tiktoks, but she built her brand and audience, and now she get’s a shot of defining a new era at ESPN. That's cultural coherence. Her success feels inevitable once you understand her connection to her younger audience is exactly what Disney wants for its algo metrics.

The lesson is clear:

All these success stories we read about are because these people have built something authentically true to them, and they’re being rewarded.

As our friend Ish Verduzco argues, building a personal brand is the highest leverage thing you can do today.

Don’t be mad at ESPN, just seize the opportunity to either build what you want yourself or seek out countless other amazing people building on their own and support them.

While we’re here…a few of my favorites in sports:

• Offball

• Joker Mag

• Baller Golf

Around the Horn

Metro Boomin got my 2010’s nostalgia up to 11. His latest album is a millennial banger.

Homeland is legitimately one of the best shows I have ever watched. I missed it when it came out but just started a few weeks ago. Wow. This reddit thread sums it up perfectly. 13/10.

“Taste” is hard to describe. This podcast does an exceptional job.

This Week’s Playlist

Metrooooooo

RP WEEKLY!!!!