If there was a ranking of people who shape sports consumption in the United States, Burke Magnus would be very high on the list. A nearly 30-year employee at ESPN, Magnus was promoted to president of ESPN’s content in March 2023. This means he has oversight of ESPN’s live events, studio shows, newsgathering, investigative journalism, original content/ESPN Films, the talent office, audio, digital, and social media. It is a significant portfolio, with thousands of talented people working under him.
This week, he came on my Sports Media Podcast for an hour to discuss a variety of sports media storylines as the news cycle has been on hyperdrive, particularly involving his company.
The interview below has been edited for clarity and length.
How aggressive will ESPN be regarding renewing your media rights agreement with the NBA?
We’ve been real clear on this, and I think everyone in the industry knows where we stand. We have an unbelievable relationship with the NBA. (Disney CEO) Bob (Iger), (ESPN chairman) Jimmy (Pitaro), myself, all the way on down through the company, we have a ton of avid NBA fans. It’s a great game. It’s ascendent on a global level. It’s run by extremely smart people who are savvy about where we are at this point in time in the media landscape. It’s…
