Dan Patrick: Media Must Prepare for Post-LeBron, Post-Rodgers Era

Renowned sports commentator Dan Patrick addressed a looming challenge for sports media: the eventual retirements of LeBron James and Aaron Rodgers, two of the most talked-about athletes in American sports.

“Who Will We Talk About Next?”

On his show, Patrick highlighted just how much airtime both stars currently command.

“People are obsessed with Rodgers — and now he’s back,” Patrick said. “The amount of content that networks get from Rodgers and LeBron is staggering. When they retire, networks will have to seriously ask themselves: ‘Who are we going to talk about now?’”

ESPN and Debate Shows Still Centered Around LeBron and Rodgers

Patrick pointed out that shows like First Take essentially build daily rundowns around these two names, along with the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Cowboys. The formula has long fueled ratings, but as both stars near the end of their careers, the debate topics have grown increasingly polarizing.

A Media Challenge on the Horizon

With LeBron turning 40 later this year and Rodgers coming off a major injury, their futures remain uncertain — and so does the future of the debate-driven sports media model built around them.

Patrick’s warning underscores a growing question for networks like ESPN and Fox Sports: when two of the most reliable headline generators walk away, who fills that void?