Mike Francesa is ready to broadcast once again. But this time, he’ll be sharing his hard hitting opinions on a different platform, and in a brand new role.
Barrett Sports Media has learned that the former WFAN afternoon drive time host has agreed to a multi-year deal with Rush Street Interactive to become a brand ambassador for BetRivers Sportsbook. As part of the new relationship with BetRivers, Francesa will host a new weekly podcast titled The Mike Francesa Podcast.
An official announcement is expected to be made Tuesday morning around 9am ET. The first episode from Francesa is scheduled to be released either next Monday, March 28th or Tuesday, March 29th. Episodes will run up to one hour each in an audio-only format – for now – as video could come into play in the future. Francesa is expected to release two episodes per week as part of the deal.
To help make Francesa’s transition into podcasting a smooth one, he’ll turn to longtime producer Brian Monzo. The two men spent years working together in afternoon drive at WFAN. Also providing a blast from the past to Francesa’s new show will be former New York Mets manager and fellow BetRivers Sportsbook ambassador Bobby Valentine. Bobby V, who provided appointment radio on Francesa’s show on The Fan, will join the show weekly throughout the 2022 Major League Baseball season.
In addition to hosting his new podcast, Francesa will voice commercials for BetRivers. He’ll also make a few appearances at major sporting events where he’s likely to contribute a few short videos.
Francesa began his career with CBS Sports before joining WFAN, where he rose to fame alongside Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo. The duo formed Mike and the Mad Dog, the industry’s most successful sports radio program for 19 years, consistently producing high ratings and revenue for New York’s sports radio leader. After Russo left to launch his own channel on SiriusXM, Francesa went solo, launching Mike’s On. He continued to produce big ratings on radio for WFAN until stepping away from the radio station at the end of 2017. Then just a few months later, Francesa returned to afternoons, remaining there until signing off in July 2020.
Since leaving FAN, Francesa has shared his sports opinions on Twitter, and appeared on a few shows as a guest. In fact, Francesa and Russo reunited at the 2022 Barrett Sports Media Summit in New York City to accept BSM’s introduction of the Mike and the Mad Dog Award, which was presented to 98.5 The Sports Hub’s afternoon drive show Felger & Mazz featuring Mike Felger and Tony Massarotti. The popular New York sports talk show host has said publicly he wasn’t interested in full time radio work since retiring from daily duty. However, he did leave the door open for a return to broadcasting in some capacity during a conversation with Newsday in December.
It appears Francesa has found the right broadcasting fit, and BetRivers Sportsbook has secured a high profile ambassador and host to help them penetrate the New York market. Given Francesa’s passion for New York sports, picking games, and the audience and media’s appetite for his opinions and content, expect the new weekly podcast to generate attention.
BSM’s Jason Barrett contributed to this article and report
