Chad Millman

Chad Millman is an American author, journalist, and media executive. He is best known as the co-founder of The Action Network, a sports betting media company launched in 2017 and acquired by Better Collective in 2021 for $240 million.[1] Millman previously served as editor-in-chief of ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com, where he oversaw the launch of ESPN’s sports betting coverage.[2] His career has been profiled in national outlets, including a 2024 feature in Bloomberg Businessweek on the role of sports betting in sports media.[3]

Early life and education

Millman was raised in Highland Park, Illinois. He graduated from Indiana University in 1993 with a degree in journalism and political science.[4]

Career

Sports Illustrated

Millman began his career in 1993 as a reporter at Sports Illustrated, where he covered national sports stories for five years.[5]

ESPN

Millman joined ESPN The Magazine in 1998 and contributed feature stories, including a 2009 profile of poker player Phil Ivey.[6] He appeared on ESPN programs such as SportsCenter and E:60, and in 2011 was named editor-in-chief of the magazine.[7]

As editorial director of ESPN Digital Content, Millman helped launch initiatives including The Body Issue and the docuseries We The Fans.[8]

The Action Network

In 2017, Millman joined The Chernin Group to help launch The Action Network, a digital sports betting media company.[9] The company was acquired by Better Collective in 2021 for $240 million.[1] Millman co-hosts The Favorites podcast with professional bettor Simon Hunter, which has been included in industry roundups of notable sports betting podcasts.[10]

The Volume

In September 2025, Millman announced his resignation from The Action Network after eight years with the company.[11] He subsequently joined Colin Cowherd’s The Volume Podcast Network to host a new sports betting show, Sharp or Square.[12]

Books

Millman has written or co-written several nonfiction books

  • Pickup Artists: Street Basketball in America (1998), with Lars Anderson, on street basketball culture.[13]
  • The Odds: One Season, Three Gamblers, and the Death of Their Las Vegas (2001) — described by the Detroit Free Press as a "roller-coaster experience."[14]
  • The Detonators: The Secret Plot to Destroy America and an Epic Hunt for Justice (2006) — reviewed by Kirkus Reviews as "an intriguing, bracing tale... fast-paced and vivid."[15]
  • Invincible: My Journey from Fan to NFL Team Captain (2006), co-authored with Vince Papale, recounts Papale’s path to the NFL; the book was adapted into the 2006 Disney film Invincible.[16]
  • Iceman: My Fighting Life (2008), with Chuck Liddell — a New York Times bestseller and autobiographical fight memoir.[17]
  • The Ones Who Hit the Hardest (2010), with Shawn Coyne, chronicling the Pittsburgh Steelers and labor history in football.[18]
  • They Call Me Baba Booey (2010), co-written with Gary Dell’Abate of The Howard Stern Show.[19]

Awards and recognition

Millman was inducted into the Sports Betting Hall of Fame in 2025 by SBC Events.[20]

During his tenure at ESPN, The Magazine received multiple nominations for the National Magazine Awards, and in 2017 won the Ellie Award for General Excellence.[21]

He has also been a featured speaker at conferences including the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference and Sports Business Journal’s Dealmakers event.[22]

References

  1. ^ a b Sharma, Shalini (May 3, 2021). "Action Network to Be Sold as Sports-Betting Deals Surge". The Wall Street Journal. New York. Archived from the original on 2025-07-11. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  2. ^ Maglio, Tony (March 12, 2014). "ESPN.com and espnW Name New Editors-in-Chief". The Wrap. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  3. ^ "Sports Betting Is Legal, and Sportswriting Might Never Recover". Bloomberg Businessweek. August 16, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  4. ^ Sharockman, Aaron (July 25, 2002). "Alumnus uncovers gambling business". Indiana Daily Student. Bloomington. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  5. ^ Boren, Cindy (September 12, 2017). "ESPN editorial director Chad Millman is leaving, reportedly to join Barstool Sports' parent company". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  6. ^ Millman, Chad (2009-11-02). "4 Days, 3 Nights, $1 Million". ESPN The Magazine. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
  7. ^ "Chad Millman Replacing Gary Belsky as ESPN The Magazine Editor-in-Chief". Adweek. 2011-04-12. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
  8. ^ "ESPN's Next Documentary 'We the Fans' to Focus on Chicago Bears". Variety. 2017-04-06. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
  9. ^ Glasspiegel, Ryan (September 11, 2017). "Chad Millman Leaving ESPN, Joining Barstool Parent Company Chernin Group". The Big Lead. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  10. ^ "21 Awesome Sports Wagering Podcasts Worth Your Time". Sports Handle. August 21, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  11. ^ "Chad Millman announces resignation from The Action Network". Awful Announcing. September 1, 2025. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  12. ^ "Chad Millman Leaves Action Network to Launch Volume Show". Front Office Sports. September 2, 2025. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  13. ^ "Pickup Artists". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Media LLC. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  14. ^ McCabe, Mick (March 25, 2001). "Review of The Odds: One Season, Three Gamblers, and the Death of Their Las Vegas". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  15. ^ "The Detonators: The Secret Plot to Destroy America and an Epic Hunt for Justice". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Media LLC. June 1, 2006. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  16. ^ Invincible: My Journey from Fan to NFL Team Captain. Hachette Book Group. 2006. ISBN 978-1-4013-0884-1. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  17. ^ "Best Sellers: Paperback Nonfiction". The New York Times. February 17, 2008. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  18. ^ Shribman, David M. (September 25, 2010). "Raising the Steel Curtain". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  19. ^ "Gary Dell'Abate, Baba Booey of the Howard Stern Show". GQ. November 18, 2010. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  20. ^ "Honoring Industry Icons: Meet the 2025 Sports Betting Hall of Fame Inductees". SBC Events. May 7, 2025. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  21. ^ "Ellie Awards 2017 Winners Announced". American Society of Magazine Editors. February 7, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  22. ^ "Sports Betting in Media Broadcasting". Sports Business Journal Events. November 30, 2022. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
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