Million Bazillion

Sign up for the Million Bazillion newsletter to get a tip sheet, episode extras, and cool comics about each week’s episode.

We hope you enjoy today's briefing from Million Bazillion. Subscribe to more Marketplace newsletters here.

An illustration shows a foosball table in motion with the title

Binglin Hu

⚽️ How do athletes get paid? 🥅

Get ready for the Public Radio Foosball Tournament!

Today, we’re resharing an episode from our archive that feels especially relevant as the World Cup men’s soccer tournament kicks off next week! “Million Bazillion” listener Alistair wants to know how professional athletes get paid. It’s perfect timing for the question as Bridget and Ryan prepare for the semi-annual Public Radio Foosball Tournament. They scramble to assemble their dream team on a limited budget, while learning the reasons why big teams pay big bucks to the players who bring in big wins.

LISTEN NOW!

What if there was just one currency for the whole world?

Listener Alessio wanted to know, so we put out a bonus episode last week looking into whether that's even possible! Listen wherever you get podcasts, and find the usual discussion questions on our website.

CHECK IT OUT

An illustration shows soccer players assembling a giant dollar sign with puzzle pieces. The pieces are labeled

Binglin Hu

And now, some tips for grownups listening to “Million Bazillion” with kids!

Money Talks

After you listen to the episode, here are some questions and conversation starters you can use with your kid listener to see how much they learned about how athletes get paid.

For sports fans, how much money do you think you’ve spent on watching and following sports in the last year?
How much do you think athletes should get paid?
Would you want to be a professional athlete? Why?
*Bonus* Not-So-Random Question: Which job should pay the most?

Tip Jar

For listeners who want to keep learning more, we’ve got ideas!

If you want to dig more into paychecks, check out this episode from “Million Bazillion” about the wage gap.
Take a deeper dive into labor unions with this episode from “Million Bazillion” about negotiations and collective bargaining.
To learn more about drafting players for sports teams, watch this video from the Los Angeles Rams about the NFL draft, created for kids.
Want to take a peek at the highest paid athletes last year? Check out this list from Forbes.

Gimmie Five

Thanks for listening to this episode! If your child has more questions about how people are paid, or anything else, send them to us using this online form.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this newsletter, forward it to a friend. If this newsletter was forwarded to you, subscribe to Marketplace newsletters here.

Got feedback for us? Just reply to this email. We can't get back to everyone, but we read it all.