This sports business media list names 54 journalists and 7 podcasts, each tied to a named source checked in October 2026. Sportico, Sports Business Journal, Front Office Sports, ESPN and The Athletic hold most of the beats. Four moves change older lists: Richard Deitsch left The Athletic for Sports Business Journal, Alex Sherman went full-time on sports business at CNBC, Ben Strauss joined ESPN, and Matt Fortuna joined Sports Business Journal.
Yahoo Media Group launched a free sports business hub on April 30, 2026 with Front Office Sports, Sportico, Sports Business Journal, Awful Announcing, Barrett Media, JohnWallStreet, Sports Business Radio and The 4th Quarter, according to Yahoo's announcement. Coverage from those partners appears in the hub, so this list treats them as one pitch network. Teams new to the field can start with EPR's overview of sports PR.
Who are the sports business reporters at Sportico?
Sportico's About Us page names 15 editors and reporters on its editorial team, and Talking Biz News reported on January 6, 2026 that Sportico hired Luisa Beltran as a deals reporter.
| Name | Role at Sportico | Evidence |
|---|
| Scott Soshnick | Editor-in-chief | About Us page |
| Tom Lowry | Executive editor | About Us page |
| Eben Novy-Williams | Deputy editor | About Us page; byline September 15, 2026 |
| Luke Cyphers | Assistant managing editor | About Us page |
| Bette Canter | Senior editor | About Us page; byline September 10, 2026 |
| Dan Bernstein | Staff editor, sports betting coverage | About Us page; bylines September 18 and October 22, 2026 |
| Molly Geary | Staff editor | About Us page |
| Kurt Badenhausen | Sports valuations reporter | About Us page; bylines September 30 and October 7, 2026 |
| Michael McCann | Senior sports legal reporter | About Us page; byline October 22, 2026 |
| Daniel Libit | Sports investigative reporter | About Us page |
| Anthony Crupi | Sports media reporter | About Us page; bylines October 1, 2 and 23, 2026 |
| Justin Birnbaum | Sports business reporter | About Us page; byline October 23, 2026 |
| Jacob Feldman | Sports business reporter | About Us page; byline October 26, 2026 |
| Sara Germano | Sports business reporter | About Us page; byline October 1, 2026 |
| Lev Akabas | Staff data reporter | About Us page |
| Luisa Beltran | Deals reporter | Talking Biz News, January 6, 2026 |
Recent bylines show where each reporter's coverage sits. Anthony Crupi wrote about MLB advertising rates on October 1, 2026 and NFL broadcast booths on October 2. Jacob Feldman covered NBA streaming availability on October 23, and Kurt Badenhausen reported the Madison Square Garden Sports spinoff of the Rangers on September 30.
Why it works: Sportico splits valuations, legal, investigative, media and data work across named reporters, so a pitch that fits one beat lands with the person who already writes that story. Pitch angles are easier to judge against EPR's catalog of 35 sports PR campaigns from 2023 to 2026.
Who covers sports business at Sports Business Journal?
Sports Business Journal has six named contacts with 2026 evidence of their roles, from executive editor Abraham Madkour to new college sports reporter Matt Fortuna.
| Name | Role at Sports Business Journal | Evidence |
|---|
| Abraham Madkour | Executive editor | JournalistDB directory, updated October 2026 |
| Austin Karp | Managing editor, digital, and lead media writer | Sports Media with Richard Deitsch, February 28, 2026; SI Media With Jimmy Traina, June 4, 2026 |
| Ben Fischer | Staff writer, NFL and pro football | JournalistDB directory, updated October 2026 |
| Alex Silverman | Lead hockey and soccer business reporter | DSM Sports, April 14, 2026 |
| Matt Fortuna | College sports reporter based in Chicago | Hire reported October 2026 |
| Richard Deitsch | Special contributor, monthly print feature | Barrett Media, January 8, 2026 |
Talking Biz News reported on August 11, 2026 that Sports Business Journal reporter Ben Portnoy was leaving, and on August 28 it posted an opening for a reporter covering college athletics with a focus on major college football. Any list that still shows Portnoy at Sports Business Journal is out of date.
Who covers sports business at Front Office Sports?
Front Office Sports has 11 reporters and editors with 2026 bylines or profiles across media, deals, college sports, soccer and women's sports, according to its newsroom page and recent stories.
| Name | Beat at Front Office Sports | Evidence |
|---|
| Dan Roberts | Editor-in-chief | Hosted a Front Office Sports interview July 17, 2026 |
| Michael McCarthy | Senior media reporter, co-leads the Tuned In newsletter | Byline October 20, 2026 |
| Ryan Glasspiegel | Media and entertainment reporter, co-leads Tuned In | Byline October 24, 2026 |
| Eric Fisher | Senior reporter | Byline October 22, 2026 |
| Alex Schiffer | Reporter | Byline March 9, 2026 |
| Amanda Christovich | College sports reporter | Byline October 8, 2026 |
| Margaret Fleming | Business of soccer and World Cup reporter | Author profile; bylines August 3 to 5, 2026 |
| Ben Horney | Deals reporter | Byline October 20, 2026 |
| David Rumsey | Golf and football reporter | Byline October 8, 2026 |
| Eli Kronenberg | Women's sports coverage | Byline on the women's sports page, October 2026 |
| Colin Salao | Basketball and tennis reporter | Newsroom page; byline on the women's sports page, October 2026 |
Front Office Sports held its Tuned In media summit in New York on October 13, 2026, and McCarthy and Glasspiegel send the weekly Tuned In newsletter. Front Office Sports also posted an opening on August 4, 2026 for a reporter to lead its college football business coverage, so that seat may change.
Who covers sports business at ESPN, The Athletic, CNBC and Puck?
ESPN, The Athletic, CNBC and Puck have 14 reporters and editors with 2026 evidence, led by the six former Washington Post writers ESPN announced on March 9, 2026.
| Name | Outlet and role | Evidence |
|---|
| Ben Strauss | ESPN, sports business enterprise and investigative reporting | ESPN announcement, March 9, 2026 |
| Robert Klemko | ESPN, sports-related crime, investigations and scandals | ESPN announcement, March 9, 2026 |
| Kareem Copeland | ESPN, Midwest-based women's college basketball and WNBA reporter | ESPN announcement, March 9, 2026 |
| Kent Babb | ESPN, enterprise writing across all sports | ESPN announcement, March 9, 2026 |
| Chuck Culpepper | ESPN, all sports and events | ESPN announcement, March 9, 2026 |
| Tom Schad | ESPN, general assignment, enterprise and data journalism | ESPN announcement, March 9, 2026 |
| Steven Ginsberg | The Athletic, executive editor | Front Office Sports, March 9, 2026 |
| Andrew Marchand | The Athletic, senior sports media columnist | SI Media With Jimmy Traina, April 2, 2026 |
| Jason Murray | The Athletic, hired from the Washington Post, where he was sports editor | Front Office Sports, March 9, 2026 |
| Barry Svrluga | The Athletic, baseball writer | Front Office Sports, March 9, 2026 |
| Spencer Nusbaum | The Athletic, Nationals beat writer | Front Office Sports, March 9, 2026 |
| Adam Kilgore | The Athletic, investigative reporter | Awful Announcing, March 2026 |
| Alex Sherman | CNBC, senior reporter covering sports business full-time | Talking Biz News, September 9, 2026 |
| John Ourand | Puck, sports correspondent and host of The Varsity | NESN press room; episodes listed August 2026 |
Strauss starts from Chicago, according to Front Office Sports, and ESPN describes his job as sports business enterprise and investigative work. A pitch to ESPN's investigative unit needs documents or data a second source can confirm, because Klemko and Strauss were hired for investigations rather than product news.
Who covers sports betting and prediction markets?
Four reporters at Legal Sports Report and Covers published sports betting and prediction market business stories between October 20 and 22, 2026, and Sportico's Dan Bernstein and Michael McCann cover the same beat.
| Name | Outlet and beat | Evidence |
|---|
| Sam McQuillan | Legal Sports Report, lead writer on the business and regulation of sports betting and prediction markets | Legal Sports Report byline, October 22, 2026 |
| Corey Sharp | Legal Sports Report, industry news and regulation | Legal Sports Report byline, October 22, 2026 |
| Geoff Zochodne | Covers, sports betting journalist | Covers byline, October 21, 2026 |
| Brad Senkiw | Covers, betting industry news | Covers byline, October 20, 2026 |
McCann wrote on February 26, 2026 that conflicting court rulings put prediction market regulation on a possible path to the Supreme Court, and Bernstein reported on September 2, 2026 that Kalshi removed injury-duration markets at the CFTC's request. Crisis angles on betting scandals belong with investigative reporters, and EPR's record of 28 sports PR failures shows how those stories unfold.
Which new writers and outlets joined sports business in 2026?
Three writers started new sports business roles at Yahoo and Sport & State in 2026, and Dow Jones plans its own sports business platform for early 2027.
| Name | Outlet and role | Evidence |
|---|
| Dylan Dittrich | Yahoo, author of a new sports business newsletter | Yahoo announcement, April 30, 2026 |
| Shlomo Sprung | Yahoo, contributing writer and former Boardroom staff writer | Yahoo announcement, April 30, 2026 |
| Mark Burns | Sport & State, a new publication, covering sports business | Talking Biz News, August 19, 2026 |
Dow Jones named Rachel Fleitell general manager of its sports business news, data and intelligence platform on September 9, 2026, with launch planned for early 2027 and an editorial lead still to be appointed. No Dow Jones reporters are named for the platform yet, so a pitch there has no contact to address.
Which sports business reporters changed jobs in 2026?
Nine job moves between December 31, 2025 and October 2026 changed who covers sports business at the major outlets, listed here in order.
- Richard Deitsch's last day at The Athletic was December 31, 2025, according to Awful Announcing, and he joined Sports Business Journal as a special contributor in 2026.
- Sportico hired Luisa Beltran as a deals reporter on January 6, 2026.
- The Washington Post shut its sports section in February 2026, and The Athletic hired six of its alumni.
- ESPN announced six Washington Post hires on March 9, 2026, including Ben Strauss and Robert Klemko.
- Yahoo launched its sports business hub on April 30, 2026 with Dylan Dittrich and Shlomo Sprung as new voices.
- Ben Portnoy's departure from Sports Business Journal was reported on August 11, 2026.
- Mark Burns joined Sport & State on August 19, 2026.
- Alex Sherman moved to a full-time sports business beat at CNBC, and Dow Jones hired Rachel Fleitell, both on September 9, 2026.
- Sports Business Journal added Matt Fortuna to cover college sports in October 2026.
How were names verified for this list?
Each name needed a staff page, a dated byline or a dated announcement from 2026. Names with only older sources were left out until a 2026 source turns up, for example Mollie Cahillane, whom Talking Biz News reported Sports Business Journal hired to cover sports media in March 2024. A staff directory such as JournalistDB is a third-party source, so roles taken from it should be rechecked against a recent byline.
Why it works: A masthead can lag a job change by weeks, while Talking Biz News and Awful Announcing post moves as they are reported. A name search on both sites catches a departure that a staff page may still list.
Seven sports business and sports media podcasts have documented 2026 episodes, hosts or distribution deals, and each one books guests from the outlets above.
| Show | Host and producer | 2026 evidence |
|---|
| Sports Media with Richard Deitsch | Richard Deitsch, outside The Athletic since December 31, 2025 | Episodes with Austin Karp on February 28, Mike Breen on June 1 and Linda Cohn and Neil Everett on July 30, 2026 |
| The Sports Media Podcast with Austin Karp | Sports Business Journal | Successor to the Marchand and Ourand show; Deitsch makes occasional appearances, per Barrett Media on January 8, 2026 |
| The Varsity | John Ourand, Puck | Twice-weekly episodes on Podnews; video episodes listed on NESN and SportsNet Pittsburgh in August 2026 |
| SI Media With Jimmy Traina | Jimmy Traina, Sports Illustrated | Episode with Andrew Marchand on April 2, 2026 and with Austin Karp on June 4, 2026 |
| The Awful Announcing Podcast | Awful Announcing | Named as a Yahoo sports business hub partner on April 30, 2026 |
| Sports Business Radio | Brian Berger | Named as a Yahoo sports business hub partner on April 30, 2026 |
| Sportico Sports Business | Sportico | Episodes with Geno Auriemma on July 27 and Josh Harris on August 25, 2026 |
Newsletters reach the same readers on a schedule, and five are worth tracking in 2026:
- Sportico publishes The Morning Lead newsletter and a weekly transactions wire.
- Front Office Sports sends Tuned In weekly, written by Michael McCarthy and Ryan Glasspiegel.
- Puck carries John Ourand's The Varsity newsletter, which the podcast extends.
- Yahoo's new sports business newsletter comes from Dylan Dittrich.
- The Fixture covers women in sports three times a week and is written by Katie McInerney, a Boston Globe editor.
Podcast guest slots turn on a news hook, and EPR's guides to podcast tours and podcast PR and AI visibility cover the booking side.
Which beat should a sports business pitch go to?
A sports business pitch should go to the reporter whose recent stories match its subject, and the table below maps seven beats to the names with the most recent coverage.
| Beat | Names to check first | 2026 evidence |
|---|
| Prediction markets and betting | Sam McQuillan, Corey Sharp, Dan Bernstein, Michael McCann | Legal Sports Report covered state pullbacks on October 8, 2026, and McCann wrote on Kalshi and the Supreme Court on February 26 |
| College sports | Matt Fortuna, Amanda Christovich | Sports Business Journal and Front Office Sports both posted college football business openings in August 2026 |
| Women's sports | Eli Kronenberg, Margaret Fleming, Kareem Copeland, Kurt Badenhausen | Badenhausen reported on October 7, 2026 that the Golden State Valkyries became the first women's sports team with $100 million in annual revenue |
| Soccer | Margaret Fleming, Alex Silverman | Fleming reported on August 3, 2026 that MLS picked a private equity veteran, Larry Berg, as its next commissioner |
| Media rights and streaming | Anthony Crupi, Jacob Feldman, Michael McCarthy, Ryan Glasspiegel, Austin Karp, Alex Sherman | Crupi reported on August 17, 2026 that NBA ad sales reached $2.1 billion in the first season of the new rights deals |
| Valuations and deals | Kurt Badenhausen, Luisa Beltran, Ben Horney, Eben Novy-Williams | Badenhausen reported the MSG Sports spinoff of the Rangers on September 30, 2026 |
| Investigations and legal | Daniel Libit, Michael McCann, Ben Strauss, Robert Klemko | ESPN hired Strauss and Klemko for its investigative unit on March 9, 2026 |
A PR team should verify a sports media contact with four checks before every pitch, because sports newsrooms changed faster in 2026 than staff pages updated.
- Open the outlet's staff page and note the beat listed for the reporter.
- Read the reporter's three most recent bylines and note their dates.
- Search the reporter's name on Talking Biz News and Awful Announcing for a departure or new role.
- Check the reporter's newsletter or podcast page for a new employer.
Older lists still place Richard Deitsch at The Athletic. Awful Announcing reported that his last day there was December 31, 2025, and Barrett Media reported on January 8, 2026 that he joined Sports Business Journal as a special contributor while his podcast continues outside The Athletic. EPR's guides to building a media list and effective media pitches cover the full process.
How to build a media list
Effective media pitches
Sports PR failures: 28 cases
PR firms directory
Before the next sports pitch, open the outlet's staff page, find the reporter who owns the beat, and confirm that reporter's current outlet from a byline in the last 30 days.
