NESN, Puck Partner To Broadcast ‘The Varsity’ Podcast Across Video Platforms
Episodes to run Mondays and Wednesdays on NESN and SportsNet Pittsburgh with premiere scheduled for Nov. 12
NESN, New England’s premier sports network, and Puck, the innovative media company focused on putting journalists at the center of its business model, on Tuesday announced a partnership to bring “The Varsity” podcast to television and streaming video. The program will air at 6 p.m. ET on Mondays and Wednesdays on NESN and SportsNet Pittsburgh.
Produced by NESN in collaboration with Puck, “The Varsity” will premiere on NESN’s linear network and also be available on NESN 360 and NESN NATION, the network’s FAST channel, as well as NESN’s YouTube page. Episodes will air twice weekly, on Mondays and Wednesdays. NESN, in partnership with Puck, will also license the program to additional distribution partners to be announced in the future.
Hosted by Puck’s award-winning sports correspondent John Ourand, “The Varsity” has become required listening within the sports business industry, delivering a behind-the-scenes look at the trends, innovations and people shaping the ecosystem. Each episode features sharp analysis, insider perspectives, and conversations with industry leaders.
“’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. “’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.”
“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 John Ourand, Sports Correspondent at Puck. “With a wide audience of dedicated sports fans, NESN was the perfect partner to take ‘The Varsity’ to new platforms.”
The addition of “The Varsity” continues a commitment to deliver innovative, insider programming to NESN and SportsNet Pittsburgh viewers. Over the last year, NESN has launched several content platforms for NESN and SNP, including video podcasts, alternative broadcasts like “Unobstructed Views” and MultiView for Red Sox, Bruins, Penguins and Pirates games, pregame broadcasts like “Red Sox Batting Practice Live,” “Bucs BP” and “Bruins Morning Skate,” a first-of-its-kind animated STEMcast, original shows like The Mindset with Red Sox and Bruins players, and many others.
What: “The Varsity” podcast from Puck
When: Mondays and Wednesdays at 6 p.m.
Where: NESN, SportsNet Pittsburgh
Who: John Ourand hosts a rotating cast of industry insiders and insightful commentary
About NESN
NESN is consistently one of the top-rated regional sports networks in the country with award-winning Red Sox and Bruins coverage, and recently named RSN of the Year by Cynopsis. NESN and NESN+ are delivered throughout the six-state New England region and are available anytime, anywhere, on any device on the NESN 360 app via direct subscription or TV authentication. The network is also distributed nationally as NESN National. NESN’s free ad-supported streaming (FAST) channel, NESN NATION, offers 30+ hours of weekly live and original programming, including exclusive sports content, interviews, and behind-the-scenes features, available on Samsung TV Plus, Prime Video, Roku, LG, Twitch, Plex, and TCLtv+. NESN.com is one of the country’s most visited sports websites with dedicated digital video production and always-on news coverage. NESN’s social responsibility program, NESN Connects, is proud to support and connect its employees with charitable organizations in the Greater Boston community. NESN also manages SportsNet Pittsburgh, home of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Pittsburgh Pirates for all regionally televised games in and around Pittsburgh, as well as other local sports content. NESN is owned by Fenway Sports Group (owners of the Boston Red Sox) and Delaware North (owners of the Boston Bruins).
About Puck
Puck, which was founded in 2021, covers the inside conversation at the nexus of Wall Street, Washington, Silicon Valley, Hollywood, the art market, the business of sports, the media, and fashion. The company has introduced an innovative business model premised on treating journalists as influencers by offering them equity and performance bonuses. The New York Times referred to Puck as “Vanity Fair for the Substack Era.” Puck’s founding investors are Standard Investments and TPG. J. Rothschild Capital Management led the Series B investment round, alongside the founding investors.
