This weekend’s NFL conference championships are dominating headlines, with endless storylines surrounding potential the games and the potential Super Bowl matchups. The Kansas City Chiefs are two wins away from becoming the first team in NFL history to three-peat as Super Bowl champions, but first, they’ll face a familiar playoff foe in the Buffalo Bills, who are determined to avenge past heartbreaks in Arrowhead Stadium.
In the NFC, Jayden Daniels is one game away from making history as the first rookie to start in a Super Bowl. His path to New Orleans, however, runs through a division rival — the Philadelphia Eagles and their top-ranked defense.
While football fans gear up for a thrilling weekend, the world of sports media has been just as busy. Here’s a recap of the latest news shaping the industry this week.
Latest Sports Media News (Jan. 20)
NFL Told Patriots to Shut Down Bluesky Account
Fred Kirsch, vice president of content for Kraft Sports & Entertainment — the parent company of the New England Patriots — revealed in a podcast interview earlier this week that the NFL instructed the team to shut down its Bluesky account.
“Right now, we’re not allowed to,” said Kirsch on the Patriots Unfiltered podcast when he was asked if the team has considered making a Bluesky account.
“We had an account briefly on Bluesky, but the league asked us to take it down because it’s not an approved social media platform for the NFL yet. Whenever the league gives us the green light, we’ll get back on Bluesky.”
Shaq, Kenny Smith Reportedly Re-Signing With TNT
With Warner Bros. Discovery’s TV agreement with the NBA set to expire after this season, the company reached a deal in November 2024 to license Inside the NBA to ESPN for the next season.
On Thursday, it was reported by Alexander Sherman of CNBC that ‘Inside the NBA’ stars Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith will remain with the show for the foreseeable future. O’Neal is reportedly re-signing on a five-year deal, while Smith’s contract is confirmed to be for multiple years.
‘Bussin’ With the Boys’ Signs Huge Deal With FanDuel
Dave Portnoy made waves when he revealed that ‘Bussin’ With the Boys’ podcast hosts Will Compton and Taylor Lewan were leaving Barstool Sports for a deal Barstool simply couldn’t match.
Shortly afterward, Compton and Lewan confirmed their departure from Barstool, acknowledging that while they wanted to stay, the offer was too good to pass up.
On Friday morning, Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reported that the duo landed a massive sponsorship deal with FanDuel.
With FanDuel TV, its partnership with The Ringer, and its previous sponsorship of The Pat McAfee Show, FanDuel has shown an interest in investing heavily in content. Compton and Lewan have built a loyal following with their popular podcast, making them a prime addition to FanDuel’s growing media portfolio.
