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The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly

The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly

Hosted by Bloomberg

BusinessSportsSocietyCulture
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Episodes

109

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

When sports, business and culture collide, there’s often a deal to be made. Join Alex Rodriguez and Bloomberg correspondent Jason Kelly as they get the inside track from corporate titans, sports champions and game-changing entrepreneurs on investing, strategy, reinvention and the ones that got away. The Deal is a Bloomberg Podcasts and Bloomberg Originals series that’s passionate, relaxed, insightful and inspirational. If you think you know these icons, prepare to be surprised. Hosts: Alex Rodriguez is chairman and chief executive of A-Rod Corp, an investment firm that backs startups and partners with global companies across real estate, sports and entertainment. While best known as a fourteen-time All-Star and World Series champion with the New York Yankees, Rodriguez is now an owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx sports teams and an on-air analyst for Major League Baseball. Jason Kelly is the chief correspondent of Bloomberg Originals. During his two decades at Bloomberg, Kelly has served as executive editor of Bloomberg Television, hosted Bloomberg Businessweek on television and radio, and also hosted Power Players and Next in Sports series. He’s also the author of two books, The New Tycoons, about the global private equity industry, and Sweat Equity, an inside look at the business of fitness.

Listen to episodes

60 recent
August 13, 202648 min

Re-Run: Why Wall Street Giant David Rubenstein Bought the Baltimore Orioles

Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly recently had the opportunity to sit down again with David Rubenstein, co-founder of The Carlyle Group, to chat about his new book, “Inside the Owner's Box: Conversations on Power and Leadership in Sports.” That conversation got us thinking back to an earlier episode of The Deal, recorded shortly after Rubenstein's purchase of the Baltimore Orioles. We revisit that conversation, with Rubenstein telling the hosts why he bought his hometown baseball team, how he assembled the ownership group, and what the Orioles mean for the city of Baltimore. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 6, 202619 min

Alex Rodriguez on MLB’s CBA Negotiations

With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, the Major League Baseball season is officially entering its final innings. So in this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly break down some of the latest headlines, including what is happening with the negotiations over a collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players, the trade that may have guaranteed the Los Angeles Dodgers another World Series win, and why Alex is still bullish on his New York Yankees. Plus, Alex previews a very special 50th anniversary celebration for the Seattle Mariners. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 30, 202623 min

Andy Campion’s Unrivaled Approach to Youth Sports

Investors have poured money into youth sports in recent years, with some reports saying the industry is worth as much as $40 billion. It’s no surprise, then, that renowned investors David Blitzer and Josh Harris partnered with The Chernin Group in 2024 to start Unrivaled Sports, a growing portfolio of youth sports investments across baseball, softball, flag football, and more. Unrivaled’s chairman and CEO Andy Campion says they’re only just getting started.  In this episode of The Deal, Andy tells Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly why he left Nike to go all in on youth sports. From the sidelines of a youth baseball tournament at Cooperstown All-Star Village, he explains the business model making youth sports more accessible while also offering premier experiences.  You can also watch this interview on the Bloomberg Podcasts YouTube page.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 23, 202649 min

World Cup 2026 Recap

The 2026 World Cup is done and the numbers are astounding. FIFA reportedly expects to bring in $15 billion in revenue, blowing past their original projection of $12 billion. This number isn’t surprising considering that almost 7 million people attended the tournament’s 104 games and 60 million people in North America tuned into Sunday’s final.  In this episode of The Deal, we dig into the stories beyond these record-smashing numbers. First up, Jason talks to Fox Soccer broadcaster Melissa Ortiz about how this World Cup compared to the others she has covered as a broadcaster and played in as a member of the Colombian national team. She also explains what made the officiating so frustrating and why she is already looking forward to next summer’s women’s World Cup.  Next, Jason is joined by Bloomberg News sports reporter and Business of Sports co-host Vanessa Perdomo about what makes this World Cup such an incredible business story and why FIFA will likely be eager to host another major tournament in the U.S. She also gives her take on how the World Cup’s momentum will impact the MLS and predicts the future of hydration breaks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 16, 202631 min

Hoyt McGarity on the State of Golf

8AM Golf is a holding company whose portfolio includes 15 companies that touch nearly every aspect of golf. Started in 2018 by Howard Milstein, 8AM’s umbrella includes Golf Magazine, Miura Golf and a newly constructed course in Nashville built in partnership with Justin Timberlake. So, there is no one better to talk to about what is going on in the world of golf than the company’s CEO, Hoyt McGarity. In this episode of The Deal, Hoyt dials in from St. Andrews to give Alex and Jason the inside scoop on running a holding company, including: what companies 8AM chooses to invest in, which ones they don’t and when they know it’s time to sell. Hoyt also shares his perspective on making golf more accessible to a new generation of golfers while also respecting the traditions of the old heads and what existential threats the sport is facing. Finally, Hoyt tells us why a golf course must be a “good hang” and about his personal trajectory from caddie to CEO.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 9, 202631 min

The PWHL is Just Getting Started With Hilary Knight

If you know nothing else about women’s hockey, you probably know Hilary Knight. The 5-time Olympic medalist has played the most games in U.S. Women’s Hockey history. She has also served as the captain of two PWHL teams and is one of the reasons the league exists in the first place. In 2019, Hilary was among several players who vowed to boycott any North American league that was not financially sustainable. In 2022, the players entered into a partnership with Mark Walter and Billie Jean King to launch the PWHL. Four years later, the league is selling out games at MSG and accepting a $100 million investment.  In this episode of The Deal, Hilary details for Jason and Alex the process of starting a league where players were partners from the jump and why Mark Walter and Billie Jean King were the right people to work with. She also explains how the momentum from this year’s Olympics bled into the PWHL season and why Heated Rivalry is one of the best things to ever happen to hockey. Finally, she shares her hopes for her post-playing career (spoiler alert! she wants to own a team) and the responsibility of being the face of her sport. Plus, Alex shares a business idea and tells Hilary why she reminds him of NBA Hall of Famer Grant Hill.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 2, 202632 min

Portland is the Epicenter of Women’s Sports with Lisa Bhathal Merage

Lisa Bhathal Merage is very busy cementing Portland’s reputation as the global epicenter of women’s sports. In partnership with her brother Alex and their RAJ Sports venture, Lisa is the owner and governor of the NWSL’s Portland Thorns and the WNBA’s Portland Fire. They came to own both teams under pretty unusual circumstances. The Thorns were in turmoil after their previous owner was ousted and RAJ Sports acquired the W’s latest expansion team after the initial deal fell through- giving them only 15 months to build a franchise from scratch. During Lisa’s tenure, the Thorns and the Fire have maintained some of the highest attendance numbers and most lucrative sponsorship deals in their respective leagues.  In this episode of The Deal, Lisa tells Alex and Jason how running the Thorns and the Fire led her to her purpose. She details the unique challenges of starting an expansion franchise in one league while also running a turnaround effort in another. She also shares how she splits her time as a governor in both the NWSL and the WNBA and how her background in fashion shapes her perspective on women’s sports.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 23, 202632 min

Is There a Future for LIV Golf?

LIV Golf is known for doing it big: big player contracts, big worldwide events and big prize purses (an average of $460 million annually). It has also received big funding from one particular source. As of February 2026, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has pumped $5.3 billion into LIV. But this past April, the PIF announced that it would halt its funding of the league at the end of this year. The PIF’s exit leaves one big question mark hanging over the league: Can LIV Golf survive? In this episode of The Deal, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil joins Alex and Jason to address the skeptics. He tells us where LIV is cutting costs and how it is maintaining relationships with its big name golfers. O’Neil also explains why he is confident LIV will survive and how it will look different post-PIF. He also shares his pitch to investors and spells out the types of investors who are already interested in LIV 2.0.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 18, 202641 min

Alex and Jason’s Kids Join Us For a Father’s Day Special!

Here on The Deal we have interviewed  some of the world’s most famous athletes and some of the most powerful people in sports. But today we welcome our most important guests and probably our hosts’ biggest critics: their children. In this special Father’s Day episode of The Deal, Alex and Jason’s kids join us to share some perspective on who their dads are off the air. First up, Natasha and Ella Rodriguez give us the inside scoop on Alex’s past as a musical theatre star and which TikTok trends he struggled to master. They also offer him some style advice and share their favorite family memories. Next, we hear from Jason’s sons, Henry and Will, about their dad’s level of Knicks fandom, who is the Josh Hart of the Kelly family and what Jason taught them about appreciating sports. Our closer is Alice Kelly, who asks Alex Rodriguez one of the most pressing questions of his career… does he like Pokémon?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 16, 202632 min

The Knicks Won Big. New York's Economy Won Bigger.

Not only have the Knicks brought New York City its first NBA title in 53 years, the team also brought their hometown a lot of money. An estimate by the New York City Economic Development Corporation puts the economic impact of the Knicks’ postseason run at $380 million. In this special NBA Finals episode of The Deal, NYC EDC Interim CEO Jeanny Pak joins Jason to break down the methodology behind the organization’s estimate and why the real number is probably much larger. She also talks about why sports are such a big economic engine for the city and how the EDC is supporting the development of Willet's Point as a sports and entertainment district. And Jeanny shares some numbers about the economic impact of sporting events like the World Cup, the MLB season and the U.S. Open.  Also in this episode, Alex and Jason marvel at the magic of the Knicks’ playoff run and discuss how the NBA can capitalize on this momentum. Plus, Alex welcomes the 2026 Knicks to New York City’s champion's circle and shares a special message for former Timberwolf Karl Anthony Towns.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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