When Peyton Manning walked into the USC Annenberg forum, the energy in the room shifted. Within minutes, the Hall of Fame quarterback had the audience laughing and leaning forward. For the students in attendance, this wasn’t just about meeting a two-time Super Bowl champion — it was about learning how to tell stories that resonate in a changing media landscape.
“Game On: How NFL Legend Peyton Manning is Reshaping the Media Landscape” was moderated by Annenberg Dean Willow Bay, who brought Manning to USC on Thursday.. At the center of the discussion was Manning’s Emmy-winning media company, Omaha Productions — the studio behind a growing slate of multiplatform projects, including ESPN’s “ManningCast.”
For Bay, hosting Manning reflected Annenberg’s mission of connecting students with the people shaping today’s sports industry.
“At USC Annenberg, we’re always looking for ways to connect our students and faculty with people who are shaping the sports world,” Bay said. “Peyton has built one of the most exciting and successful media companies to emerge in recent years, so this was a chance to hear directly from him about why he started Omaha Productions, how he approaches leadership as a media executive, and what it’s like to navigate today’s constantly evolving media landscape.”
Manning spoke about how his philosophy of storytelling extends far beyond wins and losses. He recalled how, after retiring in 2015, he wasn’t sure what would come next.
“I stopped playing football in 2015, and I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do when I finished playing,” Manning said. “What I like the most about Omaha Productions is I can be a part of a team, and I can be a part of projects that I don’t physically have to be in. I don’t have to be the quarterback of everything.”
Through projects like the “ManningCast,” which pairs Monday Night Football commentary by Manning and his younger brother Eli with casual and conversational storytelling, he has shown how sports media can be immersive and relatable.
Bay said she hoped students walked away with more than just the thrill of hearing from an NFL legend.
“Sports industries, particularly sports media, are changing fast, creating all kinds of new opportunities for entrepreneurs, investors, teams, leagues, athletes and influencers,” she said. “What I really hope they take away is a sense of excitement about what’s possible, both for innovation in the field and for their own future careers.”
Manning himself emphasized the importance of adaptability, pointing to a story from his very first college game at UCLA, when a teammate told him to “shut up and call the play.”
“I tried to be the first one out to practice, the last to leave, and take responsibility for my play,” Manning said. “Slowly, toward the end of that year, I earned the respect of the people that I was trying to lead.”
Now, Manning said, the same values he learned now define his work with Omaha Productions.
“There’s an old saying that words have power — well, so does silence. I think being a good listener is an important quality of being a good leader,” he said. “Questions are how you reach open windows; that’s how you uncover potential solutions.”
That message struck a chord with students who see their own career paths beginning to take shape.
Asher Dubin, a sophomore studying business administration with a minor in AI applications, said Manning’s career pivot from the football field to media entrepreneur gave him a new perspective on possibility.
“It’s inspiring to hear how he completely reinvented himself after football and took on an executive role in an entirely new industry,” Dubin said. “As someone with a lot of different interests, it’s encouraging to know it’s possible to follow new passions, even years down the line.”
Jeremy Park, a senior majoring in business, said he walked away inspired by Manning’s emphasis on community.
“My biggest takeaway was how his mentality as an athlete could also be applied after his career in football was over,” Park said. “I appreciated the way he spoke about how sometimes it’s not about the talent in the room, it’s about the community and the people you surround yourself with. That’s something I’ll be taking with me into my own career in sports.”
Manning’s advice on preparation resonated strongly as well. “If you ever saw me play, you certainly knew I couldn’t outrun anybody,” he joked. “I had a coach tell me once that I could run out of sight in a week. But I thought I could out-prepare them.”
Bay said moments like that show why events like this matter to students.
“Here in L.A., we’re right in the middle of a nearly $3-trillion sports industry and at the heart of it all is storytelling. The stories behind the games are what pull in audiences and keep fans connected,” Bay said. “Hearing from leaders like Peyton reinforces that sports stories aren’t just about wins and losses; they’re human stories that resonate and bring people together.”