The Play-By-Play

The FIFA World Cup has been defined by VAR, leading to international controversies and conspiracies. Has the technology gone too far?Plus, a look at what Bundesliga's new U.S. TV deal means for the Premier League, MLS and the rest of the soccer world's broadcast market going forward.Awful Announcing on X: https://twitter.com/awfulannouncingAwful Announcing on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awfulannouncingAwful Announcing on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awful_announcing/Awful Announcing on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@awful_announcingAwful Announcing on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/awfulannouncing.bsky.socialAwful Announcing on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/awfulannouncing/

Conor McGregor exited his UFC 329 fight early with a knee injury, leading to immediate speculation over his status heading into the fight. Even Dana White was forced to weigh in, though it did little to quell fans' doubts.Is there actually a conspiracy at play here, or just more gambling-fueled skepticism?Plus, the story of Bryce Harper and a FanDuel VIP message gets even weirder.It's The Play-By-Play LIVE!Awful Announcing on X: https://twitter.com/awfulannouncingAwful Announcing on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awfulannouncingAwful Announcing on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awful_announcing/Awful Announcing on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@awful_announcingAwful Announcing on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/awfulannouncing.bsky.socialAwful Announcing on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/awfulannouncing/

Netflix will reportedly pursue the World Cup and other sports rights more aggressively as it struggles with lagging engagement compared with YouTube and other free services.Plus, MLB is in experimentation mode with July 4, the Home Run Derby and Field of Dreams games this summer. Is it working?Awful Announcing on X: https://twitter.com/awfulannouncingAwful Announcing on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awfulannouncingAwful Announcing on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awful_announcing/Awful Announcing on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@awful_announcingAwful Announcing on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/awfulannouncing.bsky.socialAwful Announcing on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/awfulannouncing/

The USMNT and star Christian Pulisic are getting crushed by former U.S. stars and across American sports media after an ugly loss to Belgium in the World Cup.We break down reactions from Alexi Lalas, Carli Lloyd, Taylor Twellman and more in "Stock Watch Stock Watch."Then, a look at the future of World Cup broadcasting, with Fox set to lose rights after its third tournament.Awful Announcing on X: https://twitter.com/awfulannouncingAwful Announcing on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awfulannouncingAwful Announcing on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awful_announcing/Awful Announcing on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@awful_announcing

Dave Portnoy has a new book on the history of Barstool Sports, charting all the innovation, controversy and inflection points that led it to become one of the most important companies in the history of media.We break down the lessons from the book, Portnoy's press tour, and what the future of Barstool might look like.Awful Announcing on X: https://twitter.com/awfulannouncingAwful Announcing on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awfulannouncingAwful Announcing on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awful_announcing/Awful Announcing on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@awful_announcing

FIFA is experimenting with YouTube and TikTok livestreams of games at the World Cup, a growing trend of leagues going around traditional TV to reach fans online.Lillian Rizzo of CNBC joins to break down how it's working for FIFA and the NBA, plus what to expect from Fox after it acquires Roku, and how the looming NBC Universal spinoff could affect NBC as a live sports destination going forward.Awful Announcing on X: https://twitter.com/awfulannouncingAwful Announcing on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awfulannouncingAwful Announcing on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awful_announcing/Awful Announcing on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@awful_announcing