Boston sports never sleep, and neither does the media machine covering them.
On a recent episode of The Leverett Ball Show, Leverett Ball sat down with to discuss his career in sports broadcasting, life behind the scenes at NBC Sports Boston, and the nonstop chaos currently surrounding Boston sports.
From Celtics playoff disappointment to Patriots controversy and Red Sox frustration, the conversation gave listeners an inside look at both the sports world and the media industry that covers it every day.
Josh Canu’s journey into sports media started at Ithaca College, a school well known for producing broadcasters and media professionals. Like many people entering the industry, Canu initially thought his future would be on camera.
During college, he focused heavily on play-by-play broadcasting, reporting, and anchoring. He called basketball, football, soccer, and even lacrosse games before eventually discovering a passion for editing and production work.
That transition ultimately led him to NBC Sports Boston, where he first started doing freelance editing before turning it into a long-term career.
Over time, Canu became one of the network’s top media editors and earned three Emmy Awards for his work.
One of the most interesting parts of the interview was Canu’s description of how sports television actually works behind the scenes.
While many viewers assume regional sports networks operate like massive national outlets such as ESPN, Canu explained that NBC Sports Boston is actually a relatively small and collaborative team. Editors, producers, reporters, and talent work closely together every day to keep content moving across television, digital platforms, and social media.
The pace becomes especially intense during major sports news cycles.
According to Canu, the current state of Boston sports has created a nonstop stream of content opportunities for the network:
As Canu explained during the interview, modern sports media never slows down because fans constantly want updates, opinions, and reactions.
Even though NBC Sports Boston holds Celtics broadcast rights, Canu explained that football still dominates sports conversations in the city.
The NFL’s popularity combined with the legacy of the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era continues to drive audience interest. According to Canu, Patriots coverage often leads discussions at the network even during the NBA season.
That reality reflects a broader trend across sports media nationally. The NFL consistently generates the biggest ratings, the most online engagement, and the largest conversations on social media platforms.
Another major topic discussed during the interview was the role social media plays in sports journalism today.
Canu described platforms like Twitter/X as essential tools for media professionals because news often breaks there first. Reporters, insiders, athletes, and fans all react to events in real time, creating a nonstop digital conversation around sports.
At the same time, Canu acknowledged how social media has changed the nature of sports coverage itself. Modern audiences are increasingly interested in personal drama, controversies, and off-field storylines involving athletes and coaches.
That dynamic has blurred the line between sports reporting and entertainment news.
Despite the intensity of working in sports television, Canu made it clear throughout the interview that he still genuinely loves the industry.
Whether discussing NBA basketball, football, hockey, golf, or even the UFL, his passion for sports remains obvious. That enthusiasm has helped fuel a career that has already included Emmy-winning work, major Celtics coverage, and documentary-style projects at NBC Sports Boston.
Canu also discussed some of the larger feature projects he has worked on, including a documentary-style project centered around Celtics star Jaylen Brown.
For someone who originally entered the industry hoping to work on air, Canu’s career serves as a reminder that there are many different paths to success in sports media.
The interview between Leverett Ball and Josh Canu offered a fascinating look at the modern sports media landscape through the perspective of someone living it every day.
From Emmy-winning television production to covering one of the most passionate sports markets in America, Canu provided insight into the hard work, unpredictability, and nonstop energy that define the sports broadcasting industry.
For fans interested in Boston sports, sports journalism, television production, or the business of media, this episode of The Leverett Ball Show delivers a detailed and entertaining behind-the-scenes conversation.