Sports Radio News
The Rams Impact On STL Media
Published
9 years agoon
101 ESPN has been the St. Louis Rams flagship radio station since the station adopted the sports format in 2009. The Rams are its anchor property and drive conversation on many of its talk shows. The Rams’ presence also leads to a considerable amount of ancillary content, including pregame and postgame programs plus coach Jeff Fisher’s weekly show.
“It’s important to have a big NFL local team,” said John Kijowski, who has run the station since its inception.“There’s an expectation the Rams are on 101 ESPN. That would hurt” if they move.”
“We are truly having a terrific financial year. That will be three in a row. However, we are more financially successful with Rams than without Rams.
“As far as revenue this year, we actually are at par with last year and in fact will end up with more Rams revenue due to the additions of new advertisers.”
BUSINESS ANGLE
Kijowski remains hopeful that the Rams stay in St. Louis. But is realistic, too, and has a plan for next season if the team is gone.
“We will go to a Plan B for Sunday entertainment and content,” Kijowski said. “Which is, we would take on two NFL games on Sunday. We are poised for coverage of the NFL now actually” he said, noting that the station carries Monday and Thursday night games and will carry postseason contests, including the Super Bowl.
If the Rams leave, history says they won’t be gone on the St. Louis airwaves.The football Cardinals moved from St. Louis to Arizona following the 1987 season but their broadcasts remained on locally for years.
KMOX (1120 AM) was on their radio network for the team’s first four seasons in the desert. And their first 42 regular-season games after leaving were televised in St. Louis, primarily on KMOV (Channel 4). KSDK (Channel 5) finally cut the cord late in the 1990 season, when it carried a Chiefs-Raiders game with playoff implications instead of a contest between last-place teams Arizona and New England.
But the “better” game performed poorly in the ratings compared to what the Cards had done, and they were back on St. Louis TV the next week. It wasn’t until late in 1992 — nearly five full seasons after they had fled — that the Cardinals finally were off local television on a regular basis.
Then there was the Warner Factor, when KTVI (Channel 2) showed New York Giants games whenever possible in 2004 because popular former Ram Kurt Warner was their quarterback in his first season since leaving St. Louis. Channel 2 was rewarded with strong ratings.
So would KTVI and WXOS follow suit with the Rams?
“We carried Kurt Warner when he went to the New York Giants, I don’t see why we wouldn’t carry the Los Angeles Rams in St. Louis,” KTVI’s Spencer Koch said. “But a lot of that is taking the temperature of the viewership.”
Kijowski, meanwhile, was playful about the situation but did not rule out becoming a Los Angeles Rams radio affiliate.
“Don’t say that!” he said, laughing at that possibility. “I’m not hearing that. Goodbye.”
To read the full article visit the STL Post Dispatch where this story was originally published
Jason Barrett is the owner and operator of Barrett Sports Media. Prior to launching BSM he served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He has also produced national shows for ESPN Radio including GameNight and the Dan Patrick Show. You can find him on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or reach him by email at [email protected].
Sports Radio News
SiriusXM Media, GroupM and Edison Research Team Up for Sports Audio Report
The report notes sports fans spend six hours and 26 minutes with audio content each day—that’s over two hours more than the average American spends listening to audio.
Published
3 hours agoon
April 17, 2024By
BSM StaffSiriusXM Media, GroupM and Edison Research recently conducted the first-ever Sports Audio Report to understand the role that audio content, across sports podcasts, satellite, and radio shows, plays in fans’ engagement with sports and leagues. Through an online study of over 3,500 Americans ages 13 and older who self-identify as sports fans, some solid insights were identified.
One major note from the study is that a massive 89% of sports fans say they frequently or occasionally watch sports content, while 64% say they frequently or occasionally listen to sports content.
“The passion and community of sports fans is undeniable, and we’re excited to share brand-new research that not only confirms this but shows the power of audio content for sports fans as well,” said Melissa Paris, VP Sales Research at SiriusXM Media. “Our new report with GroupM and Edison Research shows that audio offers sports fans unique perspectives on sports that aren’t covered in other media. And advertisers should take note: Sports audio listeners (especially podcast listeners) are spending significantly more than sports video viewers.”
“There is a deep connection between listeners and the audio content they consume, whether it’s music, sports, talk shows, books or podcasts,” said Jen Soch, Executive Director, Channel Solutions, GroupM US. “Many times, audio audiences find content related to their interests and passions, and we know sports fans’ zeal is unmatched. Audio is a critical component of holistic media investments, and it needs to be a top consideration for brands looking to extend their reach and overall presence in sports.”
While baseball has been labeled “America’s favorite pastime,” the study found that the NFL dominates as the most popular sport or league—90% of sports fans ages 13+ are NFL fans, with 59% saying they follow it closely. College football is not far behind, with 74% of those surveyed identifying as fans and 37% following closely.
The report notes sports fans spend six hours and 26 minutes with audio content each day—that’s over two hours more than the average American spends listening to audio. And over 90 minutes of sports fans’ daily audio time is spent listening to sports content specifically. While sports radio leads for Gen X and boomer fans, sports podcasts lead the way for Gen Z and millennials.
Other audio highlights from the first Sports Audio Report include:
- 66% of sports listeners say they listen to hear unique perspectives on sports that aren’t covered in other media, and 60% listen to get exclusive content.
- 86% of sports listeners say they listen to stay connected to their team or sport, 58% to be part of a community of fans, and 56% to feel more connected to friends/family/colleagues.
- 52% of sports listeners say they listen to be a more informed sports bettor, and 44% to be a more informed fantasy sports player.
From a financial standpoint, the study showed that compared to sports video viewers, sports audio listeners are bigger spenders. They spend an average of $262 on sports merch/memorabilia in a year (even higher for sports podcast listeners at $321), compared to just $185 for sports video viewers.
Sports Radio News
Courtney Cox: WNBA Could Be Approaching ‘Turning of Tides’
“And I’m just saying there could be a change here with Caitlin Clark.”
Published
3 hours agoon
April 17, 2024By
BSM StaffThe 2024 WNBA Draft on ESPN was the most-viewed edition of the event in league history, averaging 2.45 million viewers and peaking at 3.09 million viewers. These numbers followed record-breaking viewership of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament, including a National Championship Game that averaged 18.1 million viewers. Iowa guard and NCAA Division I Basketball all-time scoring leader Caitlin Clark was selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever on Monday, which led to her jersey being sold out in all sizes within the first hour on Fanatics. Courtney Cox discussed these metrics on Wednesday’s edition of The Greg Hill Show on WEEI and explained their significance in the landscape of women’s basketball and sports as a whole.
Clark has made a palpable impact on women’s sports, evidenced through viewership numbers during the NCAA Tournament, her growing NIL portfolio and impact on young athletes. The WNBA is coming off a record-breaking 2023 regular season that attained over 36 million total unique viewers across all national networks. The WNBA Finals between the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty averaged 728,000 viewers on ESPN, making it the most-watched championship round for the league in 20 years. No WNBA game has surpassed 1 million viewers in 16 years, but there is evidence suggesting that the league is about to embark on a paradigm shift.
“I just think that this could be a turning of tides,” Cox said. “I’m not saying overnight that they’re going to have the same numbers as the NBA at all.”
Co-host Jermaine Wiggins expressed that the league needs to cease playing in the summertime because of the nice weather and the fact that people are outside. Show producer Chris Curtis then utilized an example of NBC morning host Hoda Kotb discussing the pay gap between Clark and NBA players on her show to demonstrate how the league is receiving more attention. Curtis did not think Kotb had ever discussed the WNBA on her program and implored people to discuss and support the league if they want other people to watch and reciprocate through conversation.
Basketball fans were stunned to find out that Clark will be making $76,535 in her rookie year and a total of $338,056 in her four-year contract, prompting several people to call for equal pay between women and men. Cox stated that journalist Jemele Hill did a good job in saying to stop comparing the NBA and WNBA and how much she is making compared to other first-overall draft picks.
She believes that the topic goes beyond whether or not she should be making as much as an NBA player, articulating that it is a “shockingly low number” for somebody who is being regarded as the face of women’s basketball. Nonetheless, Cox believes that there is a chance she will revolutionize the sport and help grow its overall fanbase.
“Listen, no one cares about the WNBA – that’s it,” Wiggins countered later in the discussion. “We talk about Caitlin Clark. Her biggest fame is going to be from when she played in college basketball. She’s going to go to the WNBA, and she’s going to be like all those great WNBA players. She’s just going to kind of fade off into never, never land.”
Co-host Greg Hill is not sure that will happen, asking why women and men tuned in to watch the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament at record levels. Curtis replied by stating that it was an event people are into, similar to when Michael Phelps competed for his 12th gold medal or when there is a chance for a Triple Crown to be attained in horse racing. Wiggins feels that the reason behind the numbers was the drama being built up with LSU and star player Angel Reese, who defeated Clark in the 2022 National Championship Game.
“I think it was because she was setting a record when it came to men and women in points scoring in NCAA Basketball,” Hill conveyed. “I think that people go, ‘Who is this woman? She’s incredible. I’m going to tune in and watch.’ Maybe that will happen with the WNBA. I think it’s probably unlikely, but it might happen.”
Cox postulated that it is salient to invest in Clark if there is an interest in growing the sport, something that was evident over her time with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Furthermore, she cannot understand why those interacting with the show through Twitch or the text line are “butthurt” when they bring up the argument about Clark’s salary. Wiggins concluded that companies will struggle to find a return on investment when people do not know about and/or watch WNBA games.
The point is the female basketball players that were successful in college – like a Breanna Stewart; Aliyah Boston – once they got out of college, all eyes are off of them,” Wiggins argued.
“And I’m just saying there could be a change here with Caitlin Clark,” Cox replied.
Sports Radio News
Arizona Sports Becomes First Ever Sports Radio Station to Win NAB Crystal Award
Since 1987, the NAB Crystal Radio Awards have recognized radio stations for their exceptional year-round commitment to community service.
Published
23 hours agoon
April 16, 2024By
BSM StaffCongratulations to Arizona Sports. The Phoenix sports brand received one of 10 Crystal Awards given out by the National Association of Broadcasters. The honor gave the Bonneville sports station the honor of becoming the first ever sports radio station to receive the prestigious award.
Winners were announced at the We Are Broadcasters celebration on Tuesday at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. The 10 winners were chosen from a list of 50 finalists. Arizona Sports had been a finalist in 2023.
Since 1987, the NAB Crystal Radio Awards have recognized radio stations for their exceptional year-round commitment to community service. Winners were chosen by a panel of judges representing the broadcast industry, community service organizations and public relations firms.
“It’s a major part of the fabric of what we do and to have it be recognized sort of brings it all into perspective why we do what we do,” said Bonneville Arizona Director of Programming Operations Brian Long about the commitment the station and cluster make to working within the community.
Bonneville Phoenix SVP, Market Manager Ryan Hatch added, “Thank you to all Bonneville Phoenix teammates for their efforts to build up, inform and uplift our community. Whether it’s connected to a station program or volunteering on a project to help improve our neighborhoods, it has a meaningful impact.”
One example of the work done by Arizona Sports and sister station KTAR News 92.3 saw the two brands team up with Phoenix Children’s Hospital for a Give-a-Thon week in 2023. The two outlets combined to help raise $2.15 million for kids and families in need.