The Work in Sports Podcast - Insider Advice for Sports Careers · Brian Clapp - Work in Sports

Growing Your Sports Career in Digital Content

·1 hr 3 min·2 clips
A walk-on mentality: show up daily, get smarter, and find ways to win against better-equipped opponents.
Brian Clapp interviews SVP Fox Sports Digital Michael Buckland about a career trajectory shaped by walk-on mentality at UGA basketball and serendipitous 2006 ESPN hire. Buckland shares how teaching himself HTML, Photoshop, and Final Cut led to early success with NCAA Football simulations and video game content. He details ESPN's navigation of social media disruption (2008-2015), moving from pure linear broadcast to cross-platform 'social production' strategy that treated each channel distinctly rather than recycling broadcast content. His philosophy: outwork, outsmart, show up daily. He transitioned to Fox Sports in 2016 to lead from a smaller platform and now emphasizes developing people, distributing credit, and maintaining quality in an AI-disruption era.

As heard by us

A grounded sports-business conversation about AI anxiety, priorities, and practical career focus.

The episode opens with a familiar worry about AI and whether it will thin out creative work in marketing and content. Brian Clapp keeps the discussion anchored in what still matters: strong writing, clear priorities, empowered teams, and putting time and budget where they count.

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Why you'd press play

If you want a clearer path into sports media and leadership, press play here.

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