ESPN is the champion of sports media. If you look at the numbers, the 34-year-old network does reign supreme when it comes to covering sports.

The network’s value is estimated between $40 billion and $60 billion — that’s at least 20 times bigger than the New York Times Company.

Just this month, more than four million people watched ESPN’s “NASCAR Spring Cup,” making it the top cable sporting event of the week.

So how does ESPN live up to its tagline of “The Worldwide Leader in Sports”?

The Atlantic’s business editor, Derek Thompson, says the media giant has fine-tuned a business model that others find hard to beat.

• The Atlantic: The Global Dominance of ESPN

Guest

• Derek Thompson, business editor for The Atlantic. He tweets @DKThomp.

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