Sports Business Podcast with Prof. C - Fordham Gabelli School of Business

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and became the first African American athlete in modern times to play for a major league baseball team. When he donned number 42 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, he became a civil rights icon who endured a great deal of abuse and whose patience was tested in every game during the first few seasons he played. After he retired from baseball, Robinson became more active in the civil ...

Major League Baseball and ESPN had an ugly divorce recently as the venerable sports network opted out of its contract with MLB for broadcast rights, reflecting the uncertain media landscape of the National Pastime. Get the background of the divorce and the future of baseball broadcasting in this episode of Prof. Mark Conrad's "Sports Business Podcast with Prof. C."

Host: Mark Conrad Producer: Victoria Ilano Additional Production: J...

The growing professionalization of college sports has meant that many young athletes receive compensation for their name, image, and likeness (NIL). In the near future, they may also receive salaries and additional benefits; giving them access to considerable sums of money and, with it, the potential for being victimized by fraudsters and scammers who may target these athletes because of their financial situation, notoriety, and po...

Juan Soto's monster contract with the New York Mets raises questions regarding his tax liability in New York. While he works for a New York team, the intricacies of his contract - notably his $75 million signing bonus - are out of the hands of the New York taxman. How does this happen? Check out our latest episode with one of our frequent guests - tax expert Robert Raiola, who has worked with over 100 professional athletes across t...

On January 20th, Donald Trump will assume the presidency, and it is safe to say that his administration will make changes in certain areas of sports law. What will they be? It is likely to include changes in transgender rights, for one. For other predictions, check out Professor Mark Conrad on his podcast "Sports Business Podcast with Prof. C."

Host: Mark Conrad Producer: Victoria Ilano Additional Production: Jeffrey Haynes Artwork...

The Anti-Defamation League reports that more than 10,000 antisemitic incidents occurred in the United States between October 7, 2023, and September 2024 – a huge jump from 3,300 incidents the prior year. This podcast outlines the way that the sports industry could help in combating this scourge  -- from education to sanctions and disciplinary actions. Tune in to this edition of the Sports Business Podcast with Prof. C. to learn mor...

This episode of the Sports Business Podcast with Prof. C takes a break from controversial issues and focuses on “Pop-A-Shot” an arcade basketball game played by families and friends. Recently, a national competition for the champion Pop-A-Shot player took place, and one of the finalists was my colleague Prof. Luke Kachersky, who teaches marketing at the Gabelli School of Business.

I invited Luke and Nick Gonzalez, Vice President of...

U.S. athletes made an impressive showing at the Paris Olympics, winning 126 medals to lead all other nations. Much of the credit has gone to the college sports system, which has given track and field, swimming, and gymnastics athletes the opportunity to work under elite coaches in first-class facilities. However, with the likelihood of student-athlete compensation, sports programs that favor Olympic sports may be adversely affected...

The Olympic Movement takes itself very seriously. The often-portentous opening ceremonies invoke goals of peace and respect for athletes the world over. Unfortunately, those goals were not evident in the pouring rain of this opening ceremony in Paris. Ask the musicians who had to play in pouring rain and whose instruments were permanently destroyed. Tune in to this edition of the Sports Business Podcast with Prof. C. to learn more.

It was recently revealed that nearly half of China’s swimming team tested positive for a banned substance just months before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but the athletes were still allowed to compete. Apparently, China's Anti-Doping Agency concluded that the swimmers ingested the performance-enhancing prescription heart drug known as TMZ, unwittingly and did not enforce sanctions.

Shockingly, the international agency known as the W...

The final match in this important regional soccer tournament turned out to be an embarrassment for host country United States when some fans entered the stadium without tickets, causing delays, health concerns for fans waiting in the stifling heat and damage to the facility. Why did this happen? And what can be done before the U.S. hosts the bulk of the 2026 World Cup tournament? Tune in to this edition of the Sports Business Podca...

When negotiating contracts, the question: ”Who has the leverage?” is critical. The world of sports is no exception, and powerful sports organizations often have the leverage to negotiate contracts that give them significant advantages. FIFA’s recently negotiated contract with MetLife Stadium, which secured it as the venue for the final match of the 2026 Men’s World Cup, provides a great illustration of this phenomenon, and the ways...

Is doping in sports defensible in certain situations? Are the rules prohibiting performance-enhancing drugs too restrictive and impractical? This is not a commonly held perspective in lieu of the present views of athletes and international sports organizations, but a new book by this episode’s guest, Alexander Hutchison, Ph.D., editor-in-chief: Current Protocols, tries to refute the common wisdom. Whether you agree with his views o...

The announcement of a settlement of three class action antitrust cases filed against the NCAA and the major conferences may end the immediate cases, but many issues remain open before the issue of athlete compensation and labor rights is resolved. Professor Mark Conrad explains in the latest ”Sports Business Podcast with Prof. C” episode.

Host: Mark Conrad Producer: Victoria Ilano Additional Production: Jeffrey Haynes Artwork: Pam...

For this episode of the Sports Business Podcast with Prof. C, we dive into what is known as “immersive technology” and how this kind of delivery system can rethink how sports teams and brands can engage with fans. Prof. C. interviewed James Giglio, the founder and CEO of MVP Interactive, a firm that engages in using immersive technology in the sports area. It is a fascinating guide into the latest sphere of sports and technology. E...

With multiple lawsuits, unionization efforts by college students, and state laws allowing students to sign NIL deals, the NCAA has been pummeled in the courts, the states, the National Labor Relations Board, and the court of public opinion. In this episode of the Sports Business Podcast with Prof. C., he examines the mounting challenges this venerable organization faces, and the ways in which it could solve its problems and reform ...

After a two-year saga, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration, rendered its verdict in the case of Russian Olympic figure skater Kamila Valieva, who was at the center of the 2022 Winter Olympic doping scandal. It concluded that Valieva had violated anti-doping rules, by testing positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine, and bann...

In today’s rapidly evolving sports business environment, the ways in which technology is being used to attract and retain fans and to monetize “the product,” is shifting at an unprecedented pace. While broadcast media and cable television, once dominated the way fans “consumed” sports, they are now being enticed through rich content and streaming media that offers the opportunity to experience sporting events that were once out of ...

On podcast episode 6, we discussed taxes with Robert Raiola, an expert in the field, who has worked with over 100 professional athletes across the five major sports. He enlightened us on some of the ins and outs of dealing with the numbers, rates, and different types and scales of taxes that athletes pay. That podcast was recorded before Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, deferred $700 million contract was signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers...