The Athletic confirms ‘Scoop City’ is ‘in transition’; Dianna Russini’s future on show unclear
The Athletic quietly stopped posting episodes of its Scoop City NFL podcast last month, before the latest news about the show’s cohost, Dianna Russini, and her interaction with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel in Arizona.
Scoop City launched ahead of the 2024 season, partnering Russini with former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel as The Athletic began a targeted entry back into the podcast and digital video space. In the early months of the show’s run, an executive at The Athletic touted its success among women listeners.
The show added former NFL Network reporter James Palmer as a co-host last football season and began rotating commentators and reporters alongside Russini and Daniel. On the March 4 episode, Palmer said, “This show is done for the season,” alongside a banner calling the episode a “season finale.”
A source told Awful Announcing that staff around the show had heard it was being wound down before that episode’s publication.
In a statement, Sebastian, Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Development Officer at The Athletic, confirmed the show has been in “transition” since the Super Bowl:
“Scoop City has been in transition since the Super Bowl as we explore changes to the podcast and invest in various NFL-related opportunities. We consistently make changes to our portfolio of shows with an eye towards growing The Athletic’s audience, and will have updates and new offerings for the start of the season.”
A source confirmed to Awful Announcing that Daniel’s contract for the show had expired.
Earlier this week, photos surfaced from the New York Post‘s Page Six showing Russini at a hotel in northern Arizona, embracing and spending time poolside with Vrabel. Both Russini and Vrabel, as well as The Athletic, denied that anything improper happened during the gathering.
“The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day,” Russini told Page Six. “Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
The Athletic’s executive editor, Steven Ginsberg, said the publication was “proud” to have Russini on its staff.
“These photos are misleading and lack essential context,” Ginsberg told Page Six. “These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL, and we’re proud to have her at the Athletic.”
Front Office Sports later reported that Russini’s Athletic contract is up in August, ahead of the next NFL season.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.