The famous wrestler Sting, in describing his character change in 1996 from a clear babyface to a darker, enigmatic character, offered the perfect axiom about predicting the future. Noted the Stinger: “The only thing that’s for sure about Sting is nothing’s for sure.”
This would be the same for sports media. There are some trends that look obvious (increased investment in women’s sports media; legacy media consolidation and layoffs; Netflix becoming a bigger sports player; more media leaning into sports betting revenue), but who knows? Still, we bring you some guesses for 2025.
1. Tom Brady will walk away from broadcasting before the start of the 2025 NFL season
I’ve previously said I’d put down big money that Brady will not finish his 10-year, $375 million contract with Fox, given all his various business interests away from broadcasting, including ownership. That remains true. The safer prediction would be that Brady walks away from his Fox deal after three or four years. But I’m going bold and saying Brady gets deeper involved with the Las Vegas Raiders in the offseason and decides to go all in with NFL ownership and his production company by the start of the next NFL season.
2. WNBA viewership will go up in 2025
This isn’t a moment for women’s sports; it’s…
