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]
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]
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