Overview of Steve Bornstein’s NFL Gospel (The Varsity Podcast)
This episode of The Varsity (host John Arand) features Steve Bornstein — former ESPN/ABC Sports president and architect of NFL media growth — reflecting on Paul Tagliabue’s legacy, the evolution of sports media, and where the business is headed. The conversation covers the launch and scaling of NFL media properties, streaming vs. broadcast dynamics, college-sports commercialization (Big Ten/private financing), measurement issues (Nielsen vs. streaming counts), and under-the-radar growth opportunities in sports media.
Background & context
- Guest: Steve Bornstein — led ESPN in the 1990s; later ran NFL Media and helped launch NFL Network.
- Host: John Arand, Puck’s sports correspondent.
- Timely framing: the recent death of former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue (discussed at length) and current Big Ten financing dispute (USC and Michigan opposing a plan to sell a 10% stake to UC Investments).
- Episode date reference: Wednesday, November 12.
Major topics discussed
Paul Tagliabue — personal and professional legacy
- Bornstein repeatedly praises Tagliabue for intelligence, humility and judgment; credits him with being a key factor in Bornstein joining the NFL.
- Anecdote: Tagliabue’s pride over Georgetown retiring his jersey number (light moment about Patrick Ewing’s 33).
- Example of Tagliabue’s judgment: cautious response after 9/11 — chose to delay games, a decision Bornstein ultimately agrees with.
ESPN, NFL Network and media consolidation
- Bornstein helped expand ESPN’s NFL programming (Sunday night/whole-season NFL content) — pivotal to ESPN’s growth.
- He feels ESPN is a good steward for NFL Network assets and that consolidation with a larger media house is necessary for digital growth and audience development.
- Explains NFL Network’s ecosystem includes linear channels (NFL Network, Red Zone) plus digital products (NFL Plus, social feeds).
The NFL rights marketplace & strategy
- Market is “frothy” — high value for live sports IP; owning live-sports rights is advantageous.
- The NFL will balance reach and revenue: preserve broadcast reach while monetizing streaming/digital partners.
- On negotiations: money matters but so does reach, fan growth, and long-term strategy (internationalization emphasized).
Streaming vs. broadcast & audience measurement
- Bornstein argues streamer-provided counts are “real” (server-level metrics) and that Nielsen has known limitations; new measurement methodologies will settle over time.
- He believes traditional reach arguments still matter for the NFL, but digital metrics will increasingly drive valuation and strategy.
College sports, Big Ten financing, and professionalization
- The Big Ten situation (seeking $2.5B private financing; USC & Michigan resisting a 10% sale to UC Investments) reveals fractures inside college sports driven by money and differing school priorities.
- Bornstein: the current college-sports commercial evolution is long-standing and not new — money has always been in play; current changes are rationalizing and bringing transparency (e.g., NIL).
- He expects structural and governance changes over the next 3–5 years and sees opportunity for innovative solutions (leadership like Tony Petitti and Greg Sankey important).
Emerging sports and programming opportunities
- Not bullish on pickleball as a major TV sport.
- High conviction pick: women’s college volleyball is underexposed and primed for growth.
- Media companies and sports properties that can globalize and integrate digital-first audience strategies will win.
Media companies, leaders and future bets
- Big companies to watch: YouTube (as a dominant distribution/attention platform), and executives trying bold plays (David Ellison at Paramount mentioned for strategic positioning).
- Advice for grads: consider nuclear energy, AI/biotech for curing disease, and media — which is at an inflection point and remains interesting for entrepreneurial talent.
Key takeaways
- Live sports, led by the NFL, remain the most valuable appointment-viewing content; owners can command premium prices.
- Consolidation (legacy broadcaster + digital reach) is often necessary to nurture and scale single-sport networks in today’s fragmented media market.
- Measurement is shifting: streaming counts will become the baseline for valuing audiences, while Nielsen will need to adapt.
- College sports face an unavoidable money-driven restructuring; change is coming and likely to be messy but necessary.
- Underserved collegiate sports (e.g., women’s volleyball) present real growth opportunities for broadcasters and platforms.
Notable quotes
- On Tagliabue: “He was the smartest guy that I ever worked for…incredibly intelligent, incredibly eloquent, and really a humble human being.”
- On media ownership: “If you are an IP holder today this is a good time to own IP.”
- On ratings: “When you look at these numbers that you're getting directly from the streamers, they're real…you can actually count how many eyeballs are watching.”
Actionable recommendations / what to watch next
- For students/young professionals: consider careers in energy (nuclear), AI/biotech, or digital-first media.
- For media buyers and rights holders: prepare for increasingly granular digital measurement and prioritize partners who can both reach mass audiences and grow next-gen fans.
- For sports executives: explore undervalued properties (women’s college volleyball) and think global in rights and distribution strategies.
- For followers of college sports: expect more private capital involvement, shortened timelines for governance fixes, and continued debate about how to balance money, Title IX, and amateurism.
Listening notes
- The episode blends industry history (ESPN/NFL in the 1990s–2000s) with strategic forecasting (rights, streaming, college sports).
- Best for listeners who want both color from an industry insider and practical perspective on media/rights trends going into the mid-2020s.