The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk about the state of baseball (including the sorry state of the Yankees) and break down Paramount's massive new deal with the UFC. Then, they speak with Allyson Felix about how she parlayed her legendary track and field career into unexpected activism in the world of business. Felix tells the hosts why it was important for her to stand up for mothers' rights in her figh...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk about Stanford’s surprising pick for its new athletic director, and the drama taking place at the NFL Players Association. Then, they speak with DeMaurice Smith about his time as the Executive Director of the NFLPA and his new book, "Turf Wars: The Fight for the Soul of America's Game," which gives an inside look at the league. Smith dishes on the NFL’s 20...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly speak with Haley Rosen about why she founded “Just Women’s Sports,” the media company focused solely on – you guessed it – women's sports. Rosen tells the hosts how she got investors to see the coverage as a real business and not a charity, how she is both creating and leveraging this moment of fandom for women’s sports, and why she thin...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez tells Jason Kelly about his plans for celebrating his 50th birthday. Then, they speak with Mayor Muriel Bowser about the biggest sports deal in Washington, D.C.’s history. Bowser tells the hosts what lies ahead for a D.C. Council vote on the deal to bring the Washington Commanders to RFK Stadium, how she got Ted Leonsis to keep the Washington Capitals, Wizards, and Mystics in the na...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez tells Jason Kelly about his experience at the MLB All-Star Game in Atlanta. Then, they speak with Sam Kennedy about his “bold decision making” as President and CEO of the Boston Red Sox. Kennedy tells the hosts how he handles tough decisions like trading Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, why buying Liverpool FC is proof that “there's really no bad ideas,” ...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez tells Jason Kelly how he’s feeling leading up to his first press conference as the owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx at the NBA’s Summer League, and what he’s looking forward to at the MLB All-Star Game next week. Then, they speak with Will Ahmed about how he came to found the fitness tracker Whoop. Ahmed tells the hosts the unique way he got early adapters Mi...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez tells Jason Kelly how he has felt since finalizing his ownership of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx. Then, they speak with Michelle Wie West about what she learned during her impressive golf career. West tells the hosts why she was excited to invest in Togethxr to promote women’s golf, why she sees potential in the new simulator golf league TGL, and what she learned from her fat...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk with iconic football coach Bill Belichick and Bridgewater's legendary founder Ray Dalio about their guiding principles for success. Belichick tells the hosts how he was inspired by Dalio’s book “Principles” to write “The Art of Winning: Lessons from My Life in Football,” and why he’s excited for a new challenge coaching at the Unive...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk with David Blitzer, Blackstone’s chairman and the co-founder of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, about how his teams use data and analytics to improve fan experience. In this conversation, which was taped in front of an audience at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, Blitzer tells the hosts how a “failed athlete” came to be the first...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk with Magic Johnson, the iconic point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. In their conversation, taped in front of a live audience at the Milken Global Conference, Johnson reveals what he’s learned from his “greatest deal,” becoming part of the Washington Commanders ownership group. He also explains why pitching himself as a partner to the Starbucks boa...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk with Susie Wolff, the managing director of F1 Academy, about how she’s helping more female racers try to advance into the ranks of Formula One. In this conversation, Wolff tells the hosts how she got all ten F1 teams to support cars in F1 Academy, why she wanted to sign makeup brand Charlotte Tilbury and what she hopes viewers will learn from watching Netflix&rs...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk with Washington Commanders Owner Josh Harris about how he was able to bring the team back to the RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. In this conversation, Harris tells the hosts how he was also able to negotiate a deal with Comcast for the Philadelphia 76ers’ new arena, why his team was able to perform so much better on the NFL Players Association report card this y...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk with Mellody Hobson, co-CEO and president of Ariel Investments, about her firm’s newly launched fund, “Project Level,” devoted to investing in women’s sports. In this conversation, which was taped in front of an audience at Bloomberg’s Invest conference, Hobson tells the hosts why she decided to personally invest in the Chicago White Sox ...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly sit down with Georgia Tech Athletics Director J Batt to discuss the current upheaval in college athletics. In their conversation, taped in front of a live audience during March Madness, Batt explains how his athletics department is helping students navigate new rules around “name, image and likeness,” the transfer portal and potential revenue-sharing opportunit...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk about McLaren Racing’s success at the Miami Grand Prix, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finishing first and second on the podium. Then, they speak with Zak Brown about how McLaren Racing came back from the brink of bankruptcy to be a winning team. Brown tells the hosts how he and his drivers deal with media scrutiny, why Netflix and Brad Pitt are crucial to ...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk about the new Washington Commanders stadium deal and the upcoming Miami Grand Prix. Then, they speak with Jennifer Epstein about what it’s like to build a team from scratch with the NWSL’s latest expansion team: Boston Legacy FC. Epstein tells the hosts what she learned from her family’s ownership of the Boston Celtics, how she’s inspired by th...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk about the potential #1 pick in the NFL draft and Alex's report from sitting court-side in LA at a star-studded Timberwolves/Lakers Game 1 of the NBA playoffs. Then, they speak with Christine Dorfler about how she’s rising to the economy’s challenges as the NFL’s chief financial officer. Dorfler tells the hosts how a recession could affect the NFL&rsq...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk about Rory McIlroy’s historic win at the 2025 Masters at Augusta National. Then, they speak with Richard Jefferson about how he made the transition from NBA star forward to ESPN analyst. Jefferson tells the hosts why work ethic is important to him, the lessons he learned from being robbed by his former manager, and why he’s never been more nervous than at ...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk about two big records: Alex Ovechkin topping Wayne Gretzky’s legendary scoring record in the NHL, and Geno Auriemma’s 12th NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship win as coach at the University of Connecticut. Then, they speak with Jessica Berman about how she has helped revolutionize the National Women’s Soccer League for the last three years as ...