Versant CEO Mark Lazarus said that as media companies are working the next costly and competitive media-rights contract cycle with the NFL, it leaves room for newly independent Versant to “nab rights to other leagues as they come up,” according to Jill Goldsmith of DEADLINE. On an earnings call Thursday, Lazarus said that increased NFL rights fees will “put pressure on those companies that retain or grow their NFL expense to make decisions on other content,” and that Versant “will selectively look at contracts.” He added, “If you look at who the next groups of leagues that come up are, you know, whether it’s baseball, hockey, soccer or Premier League, there’s a variety of content coming.” Lazurus mentioned Versant is “well positioned” to get some of those rights. Lazarus: “Since we’ve announced our spin, we extended our USGA contract. We’ve extended our PGA of America Ryder Cup contract. We expanded our WNBA relationship. We have done a deal and have now completed our first season of League One women’s volleyball. [And] there will continue to be opportunity for us to build upon our sports” (DEADLINE, 5/14).