Sports Radio running thread

LeBatard and John Skipper entered that space at the perfect time as the betting companies were falling over themselves to give out tens pf millions of dollars. And because they got DraftKings to build them a Miami studio, DraftKings is in for a penny, in for a pound with the show. I think their deal is up soon, but LeBatard has been talking about negotiations starting soon. I don’t think the TV product has been great and DraftKings has retooled the show and its offshoot podcasts multiple times, but it’s such an innings eater for multiple streamers that I think they’re pretty well positioned.

The show seems overcrowded, but not when you consider each person does multiple podcasts within the network.

 

Brian Murphy has to be next. He’s the longest tenured now that Tolbert is gone. Feel like they’re grooming the 20-something bros to eventually take over. It’s a real shame. The institutional knowledge is draining fast.

KNBR shafting the Warriors was the biggest mistake they made. They had all three at one point but prioritized the Giants at the start of their season over the Dubs making a playoff run. Warriors leave amidst this dynastic run meanwhile the Giants have been a hot dose of meh. Then who listens to NFL games on the radio? Greg Papa sucks hard and is up his own asshole. 95.7 The Game benefits from the TV pbp guy for the Warriors sucking even harder than Papa and they have Tolbert for home games.

 

KNBR having an actual stake in the Giants, and I'm sure its in the contract anyway, was likely what drove the Warriors away. Im sure it is a "demo play" by KNBR, I just don't think 20somethings listen to the radio much. Not even sure what percentage of Giants fans DRIVE to and from games anymore.

 

Being a Bay Area kid and knowing enough about the demographics (and working radio in Concord, Vallejo and Napa while trying to land a gig somewhere on the other side of the Berkeley hills), I'm certain the beancounters have been looking at the ratings books and realizing it's getting harder and harder to sell ads for a dwindling audience, particularly on the AM side.

The audience that listens to radio play by play on terrestrial radio is a fraction of what it once was and getting smaller by the day. The Giants, Warriors and Niners have a huge following but that's not translating to enough ears to pay salaries.

The first time I realized how bad things were getting was when the Hurricanes fired longtime radio voice Chuck Kaiton and went to simulcasting the TV broadcast over the radio network. I found out the average radio audience on the Raleigh network station was less than 1,000 listeners per game. Just imagine how few were listening across the affiliates.

 

The Giants have been with KNBR since 1979 so probably have priority over any other team. Hell, even spring training games forced the Dubs elsewhere. Steve Kerr does a weekly show on KNBR, but he was teammates with Tolbert at Arizona. I imagine, contractually, it'll last through the end of the season, but after that?

Papa sounds just like any other team announcer on radio, a screaming homer.

 

The Sharks went the streaming route with radio broadcasts a couple of years ago. From what I understand, they had a great relationship with KUFX, a classic rock station based in San Jose, but the station didn't like East Coast games interrupting afternoon drive.

 

The LA Kings went streaming of radio a few years ago and last year moved to a simulcast. They don't even pretend they are on radio. There is a lot of "look at this" as commentator Jim Fox describes a replay.

They had been on Iheart and this year switched to ESPN LA, with some games airing on terrestrial radio.

 

I remember when the Blackhawks did the simulcast, with Sportschannel and WBBM(?). I swear you couldn't tell (or at least I couldn't tell as a hockey newcomer) that it was a combined TV/Radio simulcast. Such an art form to pull that off and do it well.

 

Pat Foley!

 

100 percent Pat Foley!

Talking the mid-1980s, with Murray Bannerman in goal, Denis Savard and Al Secord. Eddie Olczyk.

Hated the Blackhawks with a passion, but could listen to Pat Foley on the radio doing games from Chicago Stadium all night long.

 

Love it. Chicago Stadium is my all-time favorite sports venue. Recommend Olczyk's book highly. So, too, Kennan's new one with Scott Morrison. Just finished it Wednesday.
First caught the Hawks on 670 WMAQ. Jim West was the p-by-p voice. Missed out on Lloyd Pettit.

 

That is astonishing. I had never thought about what a Hurricanes game would draw in radio listeners, but I assumed > 1,000.
If they’re like most NHL teams, I suspect a large portion of their fan base is in the arena for home games.