The NBA’s viewership issues (featuring Anthony Crupi and Austin Karp) and soccer host extraordinaire Kate Abdo

Episode 110 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features three guests. First up is Austin Karp, the managing editor for the Sports Business Daily and Sports Business Journal and one of the country’s foremost sports television ratings experts. He is joined by Anthony Crupi, sports media reporter for Sportico, a long time Ad Age staffer, and also one of the country’s foremost sports television ratings experts. Curipi and Karp join Deitsch for a wide-ranging discussion on NBA viewership; where viewership is heading; the impact of LeBron James on the viewership of the sport; whether the NBA’s support for China and Black Lives Matter has impacted viewership and much more. The final segment features Kate Abdo, who hosts UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League for CBS Sports and Premier Boxing Champions on FOX, and has covered significant soccer events for Fox Sports and Sky Sports. In this episode Abdo discusses a remarkable stretch in which she has worked for Fox, Turner and CBS; her surprise that Turner Sports opted out of its Champions League deal; how the CBS job come about; traveling to London and then going through the mandatory 14-day quarantine for travelers arriving from the United States; being fluent in Spanish, French and German and how she is able to translate in real-time different interviews during live Champions League play; her love of languages; the current run of Bayern Munich and PSG and much more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.