Episode Summary

NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum joins Alex Sherman to discuss the league’s surging ratings, new media partnerships, international expansion plans, ticket accessibility, draft lottery changes, and how AI could shape officiating. The conversation offers a high-level look at where the NBA is headed across Europe, Africa, Seattle, Las Vegas, and beyond.

Episode Notes

NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum joins Alex Sherman for a wide-ranging conversation on the business, growth, and future of professional basketball. Tatum discusses why NBA ratings are climbing, how new media partners like NBC and Amazon are helping tell player stories, and why the league sees major long-term opportunities in Europe, Africa, and domestic expansion markets. The episode also covers the economics of NBA Finals ticket prices, the league’s approach to fan accessibility, the evolving draft lottery system, and how technology and AI may assist referees with calls in the future. Plus, sports professor Rick Horrow joins the podcast to talk this week in sports.

Topics discussed:

• Why NBA regular season and playoff ratings have surged
• The impact of star players, competitive balance, and Finals viewership
• How NBC, Amazon, ABC, and ESPN support NBA storytelling and distribution
• President Donald Trump attending Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals Game 3
• Jim Dolan, the New York Knicks, and the team’s Finals run
• High NBA Finals ticket prices and secondary market dynamics
• NBA Europe expansion plans and the target launch timeline
• What the NBA is looking for in European ownership groups
• Potential NBA Europe cities, investors, media partners, and competition model
• Basketball Africa League growth, investor interest, and economic opportunity
• Domestic NBA expansion discussions around Las Vegas and Seattle
• Other possible future markets, including Mexico City and Vancouver
• Draft lottery reform, anti-tanking incentives, and the proposed 3-2-1 system
• Player availability, regular season length, and the role of the Emirates NBA Cup
• AI and technology in officiating, including goaltending reviews

Timestamps:

01:43 New NBA media rights partners, NBC, Amazon, ABC, and ESPN
02:35 President Trump attending Knicks-Spurs Finals Game 3
03:46 Jim Dolan, the Knicks, and the team’s turnaround
04:49 NBA Finals ticket prices and fan accessibility
07:01 NBA Europe expansion plans and possible launch timing
08:46 What makes a desirable NBA Europe owner
09:36 How NBA Europe could interact with NBA teams
11:50 NBA Africa investment opportunity and Basketball Africa League growth
14:07 Media partner interest for NBA Europe
15:10 Domestic expansion focus on Las Vegas and Seattle
17:09 Draft lottery reform, anti-tanking, and competitive balance
19:21 The ongoing Aspiration lawsuit process
20:32 Regular season length, player availability, and the Emirates NBA Cup
22:39 Potential NBA rule changes and competition committee priorities
23:23 AI and technology in NBA officiating

Mentioned in this episode:

• NBA
• NBA Finals
• New York Knicks
• San Antonio Spurs
• NBC
• Amazon
• ABC
• ESPN
• Basketball Africa League
• NBA Europe
• FIBA
• Emirates NBA Cup
• Madison Square Garden
• Garden of Dreams Foundation
• Las Vegas
• Seattle
• Mexico City
• Vancouver
• Summer League
• AI officiating technology

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MLS commissioner Don Garber breaks down why the 2026 World Cup is “rocket fuel” for Major League Soccer—and what metrics (attendance, media coverage, social growth, and player movement) will prove it. He also explains MLS 3.0, the league’s post-World Cup calendar shift, and what he’d change about the Apple TV model as MLS plans its next media rights chapter. Alex also speaks with Mark Trübenbacher, CEO of Stadium Growth Lighting. They are the company in charge of preserving the grass on every World Cup pitch.

Key topics and takeaways

• How MLS plans to measure the World Cup effect: attendance lift, media coverage, social followers, fan engagement, and talent inflow after 2026
• “This game on us”: why 22 MLS teams plan free tickets for the first match after the World Cup to convert new fans
• What MLS 3.0 means: post-World Cup strategy, new calendar format, roster rule updates, and increased marketing/content distribution
• Calendar realignment: moving toward the international calendar to better match transfer windows and global competition
• Building a global league: brand ambitions, club valuations, and why MLS wants more than one globally recognized team
• Life after Messi in Miami: why Garber believes Inter Miami can sustain global momentum beyond a single superstar
• Apple TV partnership lessons: why MLS took the risk, what worked, and why the paid-subscription “experiment” didn’t fully land (yet)
• Next media deal strategy: Garber’s case for multiple partners and why “streaming reach” can be misunderstood vs. linear reach
• CBA priorities (expiring after the 2027 season): player access, biometrics/data, and how AI is becoming embedded across the business
• Integrity and betting: prediction markets, risk controls, FIFA monitoring, and Garber’s mention of a deal with Polymarket
• Succession planning: what Garber says about his contract through 2027 and the league’s ongoing search process
• World Cup logistics and ticket pricing: why he expects concerns to fade once the tournament begins, and how FIFA executes at scale

Timestamps

• 24:08 World Cup 2026 as “rocket fuel” + how MLS will measure the impact
• 25:57 Why World Cups tend to create a pro-league “bump” (and what matters more long-term)
• 27:22 “This game on us” free-ticket push after the World Cup
• 27:53 What MLS 3.0 is and what changes after 2026
• 31:00 Calendar shift + transfer-window alignment
• 32:01 Valuations, global brand building, and competing with top European clubs
• 34:44 Agree/Disagree: fan growth and league competition
• 37:30 Apple TV deal, innovation, and the limits of the paywall model
• 39:27 Why the next MLS media deal may need multiple partners
• 41:03 CBA issues: player access, biometrics, and AI
• 43:20 Betting integrity, monitoring systems, and Polymarket
• 44:47 Garber on succession and his 2027 timeline
• 49:30 World Cup concerns: politics, logistics, and ticket pricing
• 51:36 FIFA operations at scale and why the in-stadium experience wins

Links & resources

• Major League Soccer: https://www.mlssoccer.com/
• MLS Season Pass (Apple TV): https://tv.apple.com/
• U.S. Soccer: https://www.ussoccer.com/
• FIFA: https://www.fifa.com/
• Polymarket: https://polymarket.com/

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RCX Sports has been building a youth sports platform around pro-league partnerships—now it’s scaling with new investment. In this conversation, host Alex Sherman sits down with Eli Manning and RCX Sports CEO/founder Izell Reese to break down the acquisition by Brand Velocity Group (BVG), how the business works, and the bigger question: can private equity and “keep it affordable” youth sports actually coexist?

They explain RCX’s model as a services-and-licensed-gear engine supporting local organizations like Parks & Recs and YMCAs, while licensing pro league branding for uniforms and equipment—what Reese describes as “Little League baseball meets fanatics.”

Eli frames the investment thesis in human terms: access, life lessons, and grassroots community reach—plus the built-in fandom flywheel when kids play under real NFL team logos at a young age.

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