@benjstrauss.bsky.social
Washington Post sports & media reporter; co-author of Indentured: The Inside Story of the Rebellion Against the NCAA ben.strauss@washpost.com
New: I wrote about Nick, TV's biggest Chiefs fan www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...
Nick Wright, Fox Sports star, keeps cashing in on his Chiefs obsession
A Kansas City native, Wright has turned loving the Chiefs — and trolling their rivals — into an art form.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 4, 2025 at 2:01 PM
New: I wrote about Nick, TV's biggest Chiefs fan www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...
NEW: The New York Times has declined to voluntarily recognize the Athletic as part of the Times Guild. In letter to staffers, Times says it would recognize a separate Athletic bargaining unit, a la Wire Cutter. Staffers have petitioned the NLRB for a hearing.
January 9, 2025 at 7:33 PM
NEW: The New York Times has declined to voluntarily recognize the Athletic as part of the Times Guild. In letter to staffers, Times says it would recognize a separate Athletic bargaining unit, a la Wire Cutter. Staffers have petitioned the NLRB for a hearing.
NEW: The staff of the Athletic has signed union cards and today petitioned NYT management to join the Times Guild www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...
Journalists for the Athletic push to join the New York Times union
It’s unclear whether the Times, which shuttered its own sports desk after buying the Athletic, will fight the journalists’ effort to join the bargaining unit.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 6, 2025 at 3:06 PM
NEW: The staff of the Athletic has signed union cards and today petitioned NYT management to join the Times Guild www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...
Reposted
NBA Ratings panic, a tale as old as time
March 1991: "NBC's ratings are down 12%...after NBC's four-year, $600 million NBA contract was touted as the deal of the decade."
June 1999: "In the first season without (MJ) the ratings fell to their lowest levels in 18 years."
July 2007: NBA ratings down
March 1991: "NBC's ratings are down 12%...after NBC's four-year, $600 million NBA contract was touted as the deal of the decade."
June 1999: "In the first season without (MJ) the ratings fell to their lowest levels in 18 years."
July 2007: NBA ratings down
December 27, 2024 at 8:17 PM
NBA Ratings panic, a tale as old as time
March 1991: "NBC's ratings are down 12%...after NBC's four-year, $600 million NBA contract was touted as the deal of the decade."
June 1999: "In the first season without (MJ) the ratings fell to their lowest levels in 18 years."
July 2007: NBA ratings down
March 1991: "NBC's ratings are down 12%...after NBC's four-year, $600 million NBA contract was touted as the deal of the decade."
June 1999: "In the first season without (MJ) the ratings fell to their lowest levels in 18 years."
July 2007: NBA ratings down
Reposted
What should we know about NBA viewership? And is Cowherd right? www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/...
December 26, 2024 at 2:50 PM
What should we know about NBA viewership? And is Cowherd right? www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/...
What should we know about NBA viewership? And is Cowherd right? www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/...
December 26, 2024 at 2:50 PM
What should we know about NBA viewership? And is Cowherd right? www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/...
Happy Hannukah! Merry Christmas!
I wrote about TV ratings, the *discourse* and the winter of discontent for the NBA.
w/ help from Kendrick Perkins, Vincent Goodwill, Brian Scalabrine, Frank Isola, Brian Windhorst. Kirk Goldsberry and Sam Smith www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/...
I wrote about TV ratings, the *discourse* and the winter of discontent for the NBA.
w/ help from Kendrick Perkins, Vincent Goodwill, Brian Scalabrine, Frank Isola, Brian Windhorst. Kirk Goldsberry and Sam Smith www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/...
NBA ratings are down. Three-pointers are up. And the discourse is everywhere.
It has been a winter of discontent for the league even after it signed 11-year, $76 billion broadcast contracts.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 25, 2024 at 4:58 PM
Happy Hannukah! Merry Christmas!
I wrote about TV ratings, the *discourse* and the winter of discontent for the NBA.
w/ help from Kendrick Perkins, Vincent Goodwill, Brian Scalabrine, Frank Isola, Brian Windhorst. Kirk Goldsberry and Sam Smith www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/...
I wrote about TV ratings, the *discourse* and the winter of discontent for the NBA.
w/ help from Kendrick Perkins, Vincent Goodwill, Brian Scalabrine, Frank Isola, Brian Windhorst. Kirk Goldsberry and Sam Smith www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/...
Reposted
New pod: WaPo's Ben Strauss on:
* The Big Ten media deal
* Stephen A
* FIFA Women's World Cup media rights
* ESPN's Simpsonscast
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
* The Big Ten media deal
* Stephen A
* FIFA Women's World Cup media rights
* ESPN's Simpsonscast
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
Stephen A. Breaks the Bank & World Cup Media Limbo
Podcast Episode · The Varsity · 12/11/2024 · 41m
podcasts.apple.com
December 11, 2024 at 12:50 PM
New pod: WaPo's Ben Strauss on:
* The Big Ten media deal
* Stephen A
* FIFA Women's World Cup media rights
* ESPN's Simpsonscast
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
* The Big Ten media deal
* Stephen A
* FIFA Women's World Cup media rights
* ESPN's Simpsonscast
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
NEW: I wrote a remembrance of Rudy Martzke, the king of sports media.
“I cannot tell you how influential he was," said Mark Shapiro. "He’d be in the corner of the [Super Bowl] parties, everyone was working him, kissing the ring. It was insane!” www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/...
“I cannot tell you how influential he was," said Mark Shapiro. "He’d be in the corner of the [Super Bowl] parties, everyone was working him, kissing the ring. It was insane!” www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/...
‘He was the guy’: How Rudy Martzke invented the sports media beat
The USA Today sports-TV columnist, who died last week at 82, was feared by some broadcasters and adored by others.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 27, 2024 at 4:15 PM
NEW: I wrote a remembrance of Rudy Martzke, the king of sports media.
“I cannot tell you how influential he was," said Mark Shapiro. "He’d be in the corner of the [Super Bowl] parties, everyone was working him, kissing the ring. It was insane!” www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/...
“I cannot tell you how influential he was," said Mark Shapiro. "He’d be in the corner of the [Super Bowl] parties, everyone was working him, kissing the ring. It was insane!” www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/...
NEW: I hung out with Ohio State fans tired of drinking at 9 am for all their noon games and wrote about the Big Ten TV deal, probably the biggest, most-complicated ever in sports. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/...
Rise and whine: Big Ten football fans cry foul over early kickoffs
Fans of Ohio State and other Big Ten schools say they hate noon kick-offs. TV ratings say otherwise.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 22, 2024 at 3:52 PM
NEW: I hung out with Ohio State fans tired of drinking at 9 am for all their noon games and wrote about the Big Ten TV deal, probably the biggest, most-complicated ever in sports. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/...