Monday night, in a bit of sports media inception, Puck reporter John Ourand’s The Varsity newsletter broke a story about John Ourand’s The Varsity podcast.
The sports media and business staple show is heading to NESN.
“The Varsity is now on TV, the very medium whose secular decline we often lampoon! And an R.S.N. no less!” wrote Ourand. “Hot off the presses: NESN will produce the video for a twice-weekly program based on the world-famous Varsity podcast. The show will run on its two TV channels, NESN and SportsNet Pittsburgh, on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6 p.m. The podcast video will also air on NESN 360, the NESN Nation FAST channel, and the NESN YouTube page.”
NESN released a press release on Tuesday, explaining that it will produce the show in collaboration with Puck and air it starting on November 12.
“The Varsity is exactly the kind of smart, original programming we want to bring to NESN and SportsNet Pittsburgh viewers,” said David Wisnia, President & CEO of NESN and SportsNet Pittsburgh in a statement. “The Varsity’s editorial voice and John Ourand’s reporting and commentary make this show essential for anyone interested in where sports and media are headed. We’re excited to partner with Puck to expand its reach and give our audiences a front-row seat to the biggest conversations in the industry.”
Ourand was named Best Sports Insider while The Varsity won Best Sports Media Podcast in the 2024 Awfulies Awards. The sports media insider started the podcast after joining Puck in late 2023, following 17 years at Sports Business Journal.
“We launched The Varsity podcast to allow our readers to hear directly from the larger-than-life figures shaping the sports industry, from the on-screen announcers and analysts to team owners to media executives. Just one year later, we’re thrilled to be partnering with NESN to bring our podcast to television and streaming,” said Ourand in a statement. “With a wide audience of dedicated sports fans, NESN was the perfect partner to take The Varsity to new platforms.”
It’s unclear how die-hard Baltimore Orioles fan Ourand will mesh with the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates content surrounding his show.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.