OVER DEZE AFLEVERING
Recorded Friday, November 6.
The WTA mic'd its practice courts at the WTA Finals, and Jessica Pegula's private read on Mirra Andreeva went out on the live stream.
- Pegula told her coach Andreeva is "a diva" who "needs to be humbled," then called her a physical 12. JB on what players sign in their tour media agreements, and why mics at a distance catch everything. The WTA has since said it never told players the mics were live.
- Nat's Numbers: MLS dropped its Season Pass paywall this year, and live viewers rose 62% over the first three months (per MLS, linear and streaming combined). Nat wants Tennis Channel on the base YouTube TV plan. JB credits Messi.
- Why nobody stumbles onto tennis outside the slams, what Tennis Channel CEO Jeff Blackburn could do about it, and Norm's question for the sport: what's the exit?
- Rafael Jodar is the first man to reach the ATP Top 10 in his first season on tour. Juan Carlos Ferrero picks Ben Shelton, and Norm on Spain's culture of suffering through a point.
- Norm takes Alcaraz at +139 live against Fritz, and the hosts argue whether AI can beat a sportsbook's line.
Brought to you by Lone Pine Brewing.
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3. Chapter markers
00:00 Intro00:27 Happy Friday and an ATP cocktail glass01:02 "What do you even talk about?"01:36 Tennis only trends during the slams02:26 The Tennis Channel paywall problem05:04 What's tennis's exit? LIV's $5 billion lesson06:01 The World Cup effect on US soccer08:04 Five to seven names can't carry a sport09:11 Owning our lane10:10 Nat's Numbers: MLS drops its paywall, viewers up 62%11:00 JB: it's Messi, it's the product11:17 Tennis finally has new names13:02 Network TV and the Big Three era13:27 F1 on Apple TV14:20 Time on site beats viewers14:55 Tennis Channel's no man's land15:46 Jeff Blackburn's Tennis Channel16:51 Pegula's hot mic19:46 "If she had Coco's mentality"22:55 Was it staged?23:06 Who owns practice-court audio?25:27 Race to Turin: Fritz, Alcaraz and Jodar25:49 Jodar's record first season27:58 Spain and the art of suffering28:38 Ferrero, Shelton and rally tolerance30:16 Why Ferrero picked Shelton31:48 Moving past the parent-coach32:36 Jodar's coaching search and David Ferrer33:23 Billie Jean King Cup33:51 A live bet on Alcaraz35:07 Can AI beat the books?36:32 Zverev's No. 1: fans or the computer?~37:52 Outro
