Nearly two years after being laid off by ESPN, Joon Lee has reemerged.
And having been sidelined from sports media since being let go by the Worldwide Leader in July 2023, the former MLB writer has some thoughts.
Most specifically, Lee believes that “sports media is broken.” And over a series of videos posted to social media on Wednesday, the Seoul native pointed out all of the issues he sees with the industry he was previously embedded in, specifically when it comes to the proliferation of sports gambling ads and hot takes.
“For decades, it felt like sports were always about more than who won, who lost and the box score,” Lee says. “Sports were a place to tell stories about underdogs and dynasties and heartbreak and redemption. And it feels like, at least right now, the entire industry has lost sight of that.”
Gambling isn’t the only thing warping sports.
We’re overloaded with hot takes.
I love a good hot take, but as more and more reporters get laid off and more journalism gets put behind a paywall, the only thing we’re left with is arguments.
The same debates. Every. Single. Day. pic.twitter.com/SnHrWal8Gn
— Joon Lee (@joonlee) April 2, 2025
That, however, hasn’t jaded Lee, who pointed out the exciting time we’re living in with regard to the greatness of individual athletes such as Shohei Ohtani, Patrick Mahomes, Victor Wembanyama, Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Kylian Mbappe. And he also isn’t just complaining, but offering a potential solution for fans who feel the same way he does in the form of an independent sports journalism YouTube channel.
“I want to build a community that values the joy around sports,” Lee said. “I want to build a community that reminds us why we fell in love with sports in the first place.”
As for what viewers can expect from Lee’s channel, he said he’ll be doing deep-dive interviews and stories with players, coaches, executives and even fans. He also emphasized that he won’t be taking any gambling sponsorships in order to avoid any potential conflicts of interest, noting the eroding trust between the public and media regarding such matters.
“I want to center trust again between me and you,” he said. “I want to make sure that when I’m reporting something or I’m telling a story, that you feel like you can trust that I have no exterior motivations motivating me to hold something back or tell stories a different way.”
He added: “I believe we can make sports media fun again. I can’t do this alone — I mean, I don’t want to do it alone. So if you are tired of all the noise, if you miss feeling connected to sports, join me.”
So I’m starting something new: an independent sports journalism YouTube channel
No gambling sponsors, so you can trust that I’m telling you the truth and holding nothing back.
Storytelling, curiosity and reporting making sense of everything happening in sports pic.twitter.com/LlAEfsfFwJ
— Joon Lee (@joonlee) April 2, 2025
Lee’s ambitions are certainly noble and it will be worth monitoring how his new project takes shape. In the meantime, you can subscribe to his YouTube channel here.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.