The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-take/id1578096201">The Big Take</a> from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

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.

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.

The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly

Listen Now: The Big Take

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8824273b-e48f-4e35-855d-b13e0132f381/transcript

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.

Lisa Bhathal Merage is very busy cementing Portland&rsquo;s reputation as the global epicenter of women&rsquo;s sports. In partnership with her brother Alex and their RAJ Sports venture, Lisa is the owner and governor of the NWSL&rsquo;s Portland Thorns and the WNBA&rsquo;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&rsquo;s latest expansion team after the initial deal fell through- giving them only 15 months to build a franchise from scratch. During Lisa&rsquo;s tenure, the Thorns and the Fire have maintained some of the highest attendance numbers and most lucrative sponsorship deals in their respective leagues.&nbsp;
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&rsquo;s sports.

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

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c1864d58-68ad-47d0-8a59-b47a012ee0e9/transcript

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.

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&rsquo;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&rsquo;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&rsquo;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&rsquo;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.

Is There a Future for LIV Golf?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/fb57985b-b599-47d8-8741-b47101520c2c/transcript

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?

Here on The Deal we have interviewed  some of the world&rsquo;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&rsquo; biggest critics: their children.
In this special Father&rsquo;s Day episode of The Deal, Alex and Jason&rsquo;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&rsquo;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&rsquo;s sons, Henry and Will, about their dad&rsquo;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&hellip; does he like Pok&eacute;mon?

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

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/611be87f-9a4b-4f57-bf73-b46d012a8b58/transcript

Listen Now: The Big Take

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The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly

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