The NFL Nation

The NFL returned this week, reclaiming its place as the country’s most powerful media and cultural force.

Simply put, no other sports league commands the same audience or influence. In fact, last year, 72 of the 100 most-watched broadcasts in America were NFL games. That outsized dominance has reshaped not just sports but the media itself, as outlets compete to cover the league and, in many cases, do business with it.

To mark the season’s kickoff, Status spoke with Steven Ginsberg, the former Washington Post veteran who became executive editor of The Athletic in late 2022. We talked about the NFL’s hold on American life, the challenges of covering it critically, and where he sees the future of sports media heading.

Below is the Q&A, lightly edited for style.

You announced an expanded NFL roster this week. What was the thinking behind this talent investment right now?

We talk a lot at The Athletic about owning the moment, swarming the most consequential stories and providing expertise and insights that fans can’t find anywhere else. These changes are aimed at doing even more to deliver on those promises, ensuring that we can cover every story in every way that readers want.

The Athletic has always prided itself on depth. How do you keep readers engaged in a media environment that rewards speed and hot takes?

Speed and depth are not at odds. If you report like hell and own your beat, you can provide insights, analysis and revelatory reporting at any speed, in any format. That’s what we do, whether in a breaking news video capturing the essence of a game or a months-long investigation that uncovers wrongdoing. The goal of everything we publish is to have something no one else has.

How has The Athletic changed since being inside The New York Times?

It has grown in every way. We cover more sports. We have added video offerings, including highlights for most major sports leagues. We have a growing visual journalism team, a new investigative unit, more prominent podcasts. We launched Connections: Sports Edition earlier this year. Athletic stories are now available on Apple News, Yahoo, and, of course, across New York Times surfaces. But the biggest growth is in our audience, which has more than doubled since The Athletic became part of The Times.

The NFL is the most powerful media property in America. What makes it so dominant compared to other sports?

I think it dominates because fans love it. It’s probably the biggest cultural force in America—72 of the 100 most-watched broadcasts last year were NFL games. Which is a big reason why we have dedicated so many resources to cover it. We have 44 reporters in our NFL group and they deliver, by far, the best and most comprehensive coverage anywhere. We’ll be on site at almost every game this week—and every week—providing live coverage during the action, analysis afterward and more in-depth stories after that. We have two stand-out podcasts—”The Athletic Football Show” and “Scoop City”—that offer news and analysis after games and all week long. Fantasy and betting are also a big part of the NFL’s popularity and we have dedicated teams to cover those aspects of fandom as well.

The NFL has weathered plenty of controversy over the years, from concussions to player protests. And yet, it's still the most dominant sports business in America. Why do you believe it has effectively become scandal-proof? Is it perhaps related to the fact so many media companies are in business with the NFL?

We know about the danger of concussions and other issues in the NFL because of the media, so I’m not sure there’s a lack of scrutiny on the league. There certainly isn’t from The Athletic.

Speaking of which, ESPN is now a business partner of the NFL. Do you believe a media outlet ever truly hold accountable a league it is financially tethered to?

I can’t speak for others, but we’re independent and that ensures that we will be aggressive and relentless, no matter the topic or issue. It’s a trust factor with readers and a big part of why our coverage stands apart.

If you’re looking forward five years, what does sports media look like? Who wins and who loses in that ecosystem?

Sports media will continue to expand into new formats, especially video and other visually driven ones. A.I. will play a bigger role. But no matter the changes in technology, fans and the general public will continue to highly value original reporting that provides revelatory information about the teams they love and sports in general. The winners will be the ones who invest in that kind of journalism and deliver a unique product that’s worth paying for.

OK—give us your prediction. Does Taylor Swift play the halftime show this year? Roger Goodell certainly suggested this week that there might be some behind-the-scenes negotiations happening right now.

I think she’s more likely to play the halftime show than her fiance is to play in the game!

In this week’s episode of Power Lines: We break down David Ellison’s looming deal to acquire Bari Weiss’ The Free Press and elevate her at CBS News—and how it runs contrary to Ellison’s remarks from just a few weeks ago; examine the media’s silence on troubling photos of Donald Trump’s health that will only fuel conspiracy theories; and unpack John Malone’s latest absurd attacks on CNN as “anti-Trump.”

You can watch on YouTube—or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Data via Box Office Mojo]