Monday 22nd of July, 2019. Dan Le Batard created negative waves for ESPN last week by violating their no-politics policy. This has led to many speculating on what his future at the network could be, if one at all. And while he just signed a new contract, and there has been no indication he will leave, Michael McCarthy has reported there are those around the industry are already linking Le Batard to DAZN. Here is a breakdown of the potential market for Le Batard. DAZN is the place in large part due to John Skipper. Skipper, who is now running things over at DAZN, was not only Le Batard's former boss at ESPN, but a close friend of his. DAZN is as aggressive as anyone right now and has a name that pops up every time some one new in the sports world comes available. It would seem, though, if Le Batard joined the streaming service, it would not be exclusively. DAZN makes more sense as a simulcast of a radio show or podcast for Le Batard. These are the two areas he has the most value in. Perhaps, they could work out a deal with SiriusXM, where his radio show airs across their airwaves but can be seen via DAZN. Le Batard had talks with SiriusXM last year when his deal with ESPN was set to expire. SiriusXM could even give him his own channel as they have done with Chris Russo, Dan Patrick, and Barstool Sports. Now, this scenario does still raise questions regarding the podcast. Le Batard's radio podcast is highly downloaded and it would be surprising to see either premium service accepting it being available free each day after the show concludes. While the money isn't apples to apples, Le Batard would likely bring more digital listeners with him from ESPN than terrestrial radio. Making him a fit for really any podcast platform. The Ringer would be fascinating, but could they afford him? Bill Simmons' brainchild would be best suited for airing what aired live on DAZN a few hours later. Westwood One, Spotify, and iHeart also come to mind. A Le Batard-fronted radio show would be a major boost to iHeart's Fox Sports Radio, but they, at the moment, have no open time slot and likely wouldn't mess with their popular lineup of Clay Travis, Dan Patrick, and Colin Cowherd. As most fans of the Dan Le Batard Show know, those around him make Le Batard much better. Not having Stugotz or his producers with him would decrease his value. This wouldn't be Cowherd taking The Herd to Fox, or Patrick leaving ESPN. But again, if and only if he becames a media free agent, Le Batard would have no shortage of options post-ESPN.
FULL STORY + SOURCE: https://newsbotnetwork.com/sports/the-market-for-dan-le-batard-if-he-left-espn/