Karen Brodkin: Boardroom to Broadcast Shaping Sports from the Inside Out

In this episode of On Stage, Karen Brodkin, President of WME Basketball, joins Rachel Axon, Staff Writer at Sports Business Journal, for a dynamic conversation on leadership, representation, and influence across the sports ecosystem.  Recorded on September 25, 2025, at SBJ’s Game Changers event in New York City, this discussion traces Brodkin’s remarkable career—from senior leadership roles at Fox Sports and the NFL, to serving as Executive Vice President at Endeavor, to her current position overseeing WME Basketball.  Throughout the conversation, Brodkin reflects on:  A Career Across Power Centers: Lessons from the NFL, Fox Sports, and Endeavor—and how those experiences shape her leadership today.  Boardroom to Broadcast: How rights negotiations, distribution strategy, and talent representation intersect in modern sports.  The Business of Basketball: The growth of women’s and men’s basketball and how agencies play a role in shaping the sport’s next chapter.  Leadership & Advocacy: Her work across nonprofit and foundation boards, including youth sports and community initiatives.  Navigating Change: How to lead through disruption while maintaining clarity of vision and purpose.  It’s a compelling look at how one executive has influenced sports from multiple vantage points—league, media, agency, and governance.  Sign up for SBJ 360, our free, daily newsletter. SBJ 360 delivers a concise, high-level overview of the most important stories shaping the sports industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.