For one final look back at the year that was in sports media, it’s time to take a look at the stories that defined 2025 in the industry.

While the top story of the year in the Awfulies was theevolution of ESPN including their DTC launch and deals with the NFL and WWE, there was plenty that happened throughout the entire sports media universe that will help set the foundation for many years to come.

Here are just some of those stories that defined the last twelve months in chronological order.

The Fox Sports lawsuit – The industry was shook by a bombshell lawsuit at Fox Sports that mentioned everyone from Joy Taylor to Skip Bayless. It wasstunning, salacious, and shocking. Multiple employeescame forward with allegations of sexual misconduct and it ended with longtime executive Charlie Dixon beingfired from the company and many of the people named in the suit no longer at the network.

Venu Sports shut down – The evolution of ESPN with their DTC launch and NFL equity deal would not look the same if it wasn’t for the sudden end to their joint streamer with Fox and WBD, the ill fated Venu Sports. After encountering a significant legal challenge from Fubo, the media giantsdecided to pull the plug in January.

Mary Kate Cornett – The saga of an Ole Miss student plagued by sordid social media rumorsmade its way to mainstream sports media with Pat McAfee and Dave Portnoy fanning the flames in a story that showed the risks of operating in a world without any editorial guardrails.

Stephen A. Smith cashes in – The polarizing personality re-signed with ESPN in anine figure deal after months of drama around his future. SAS got everything he wanted and more in the deal as he continues at ESPN while building his own personal empire from radio to politics to podcasting and everywhere in between.

Shannon Sharpe meltdown – The Hall of Fame tight end was on top of the world after winning theUndisputed divorce with Skip Bayless and starring onFirst Take. But a sexual assault lawsuit and hiscontroversial handling of it led to ESPNcutting ties with him.

ESPN cancels Around the Horn – It’s not every day that a show that’s been on the air for 20 years says goodbye. But for reasons that we’ve never quite understood, ESPNdecided it was time to stop going Around the Horn in May. A permanent replacement at 5 p.m. ET has yet to be named.

Barstool joins forces with Fox Sports – Who ever thought we would live to see the day when Barstool Sports fully entered the mainstream? Although the FS1 daily show has been aratings ghost town, Dave Portnoy’s presence on Big Noon Kickoff helped bring Barstool to a brand new audience.

Paramount lands UFC – It was long thought that the UFC would split their rights deals when the time came to renegotiate. Instead, Paramountmade them an offer they simply could not refuse for the whole package. And with the company now owned by the billionaire Ellison family and backed by the Trump administration, it’s not done reshaping sports, news, and media just yet.

Mark Sanchez arrest – In one of the most truly bizarre stories in sports media history, Fox NFL analyst Mark Sanchez was stabbed in Indianapolis while in the city to cover a game. However, after initial reports assumed he was a victim, it turned outhe was allegedly the aggressor in a confrontation with a truck driver. Sanchez was hospitalized, arrested, and ultimatelyfired by Fox.

New NBA golden age? – The new NBA rights deals with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon have been a smash hit withratings up significantly. The NBA on NBC is back, Inside the NBA is saved, and fans are feeling as good as they have in a long time about the TV product.

MLB’s suicide squeeze – When MLB and ESPN opted out of their rights deal, it looked like all hope was lost. But MLB turned it around to not only save their relationship with the WorldWide Leader, but also partnered with NBC and Netflix. But while it sounded like a home run, there’smuch more to the story.

ESPN vs YouTube TV – Sports fans were hit with one of the longest and most painful carriage disputes in recent memory when ESPN and YouTube TV battled it out for multiple weeks in the middle of football season. Ultimately, agood deal was struck for all sides but not beforemajor reputational damage was done.