The Zach Lowe sweepstakes might just be getting started.
Lowe’s new deal with The Ringer is non-exclusive, a source tells Front Office Sports, meaning Lowe is still free to pursue new TV or streaming gigs outside The Ringer and parent company Spotify.
The basketball writer, podcaster, and analyst might have multiple media opportunities. With its 11-year, $77 billion media rights deal, the NBA is adding new media rights partners Amazon Prime Video and NBC Sports to its roster next season, alongside incumbents ESPN (U.S.A.) and TNT Sports (International).
Prime and NBC have been on a hiring spree as they staff up to cover The Association in the 2025-2026 season. Prime hired Taylor Rooks to host its studio coverage, along with Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki. NBC has hired Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford as game analysts to work with play-by-play announcers Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle.
Lowe’s old podcast, The Lowe Post, was one of the most popular sources for NBA analysis and interviews. After his surprising layoff from ESPN in September with around a year left on his contract, Lowe went dark. Now he’s back in a big way. His new video podcast, The Zach Lowe Show, will launch this week. In an Instagram post, Lowe promised to drop new episodes every Monday and Thursday via Spotify and his new YouTube channel, which already has 21,000 followers.
“He’s not a former player, but he drives the conversation,” said one source of Lowe.
If Lowe does end up working for multiple sports media companies, he would just be the latest example of a growing trend. Traditionally, only play-by-play announcers worked for multiple networks, while most other talents were exclusive to one network or media company. Not anymore.
Kirk Herbstreit works for both ESPN and Prime, Charissa Thompson hosts for Prime and Fox Sports, and Michael Strahan works for both ABC and Fox. Don’t forget the unique arrangement a few seasons ago, in which ESPN and Fox shared the services of former slugger Alex Rodriguez. More recently, Stephen A. Smith signed a five-year, $100 million ESPN extension that gives him the freedom to appear on other networks like Fox News and operate his owned-and-operated production company.
As one source tells me: “Stephen A. Smith can do whatever he wants, right? …The bigger you are, the more flexibility they give you, because they want to make you happy.”
Lowe and Spotify could not be reached for comment.
