While Sinclair is no longer as involved in sports as it once was thanks to the Diamond Sports RSNs’ bankruptcy and reorganization and its exit from Stadium, the company still has a significant sports presence. Many of the 185 local broadcast affiliates they own and/or operate carry significant sports content, and it also owns Tennis Channel.
And now, as part of an expansion of its podcast division, it’s launching sports programming there, starting with two specific shows with big names.
The first initial Sinclair sports podcast will be The Triple Option with Fox Big Noon Kickoff college football personalities Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II and Rob Stone. It will launch August 21. The second will be Throwbacks with fellow Big Noon Kickoff analyst/ leprechaun Matt Leinart and Entourage actor turned sometimes sports radio host and fantasy football show star Jerry Ferrara, which will launch Sept. 5.
As per a release, The Triple Option will “provide analysis, opinions, and unique insights on the biggest topics in college football, the NFL, leadership and more.” Meanwhile, Throwbacks will see Ferrara and Leinart “share stories about leading one of the biggest football teams and TV shows of their time, while also delivering thoughtful sports opinions and relatable family adventures.”
That lineup means that as of now, Brady Quinn is the only full-time Big Noon Kickoff panelist without a Sinclair podcast. But that could change: that release indicates the company “expects to introduce additional shows to its growing podcast lineup.” So maybe there will be something there for Quinn as well. Here are some quotes from this release on this strategy from Sinclair:
“As Sinclair continues to evolve into a cross-media platform company, we are thrilled to announce the official launch of our new sports podcast division,” said Rob Weisbord, COO and President of Local Media. “Podcasting is a natural extension of Sinclair’s commitment to providing our audience with engaging content, and we are excited to bring together top talent and passionate storytellers to deliver in-depth analysis, exclusive interviews, and the latest news in the world of sports. We have seen great success with our existing news-focused podcasts, and these additions will be a game-changer for sports fans everywhere, offering exclusive access to the stories and voices that matter most.”
“We have secured inaugural sponsorships with many great brands including Wendy’s, BetMGM, NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and ZipRecruiter, with more to be announced soon. Our partners share in the vision of what we are building, and we appreciate their passion and creativity. Leveraging the power of Sinclair’s linear, digital, and social assets to power promotion and sales efforts for the Sinclair Sports Group fundamentally sets us apart in the marketplace,” said Eric Welles, Chief Digital Monetization Officer.
…“We could not be more excited to partner with this incredible lineup of talent as we continue to build our podcasting and social division, strengthening our commitment to providing engaging content to audiences across all platforms. Our approach for these shows will allow creators to develop deep, authentic connections that drive impact. They’ll be able to provide unique access and insight, while having fun and letting their entertaining personalities shine. This is an exciting first step for us, with more big announcements on the horizon,” said Rich Cooke, VP, Audio Programming.
It’s somewhat fascinating that four out of the five first names announced here all work on the Big Noon Kickoff TV show at a different company. But there’s perhaps some logic to that. For one thing, Sinclair and Fox are more partners than competitors on most fronts; Sinclair is the largest owner of Fox affiliates (a distinction they also hold for NBC, CBS, ABC, MyNetworkTV, and The CW).
Beyond that, yes, Fox Sports does have its own podcast lineup . That includes offerings from Joel Klatt, Keyshawn Johnson, Alexi Lalas and more. But many of their personalities have podcast deals elsewhere, from Colin Cowherd (at The Volume, which he founded and owns ) to Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson (with iHeartMedia, which owns Fox’s Fox Sports Radio partner Premiere Networks, so there’s a tie there, and Fox Sports Radio has its own array of podcasts with people from Rob Parker to Jay Glazer, but Calm Down with Erin and Charissa isn’t a pure Fox Sports or Fox Sports Radio podcast).
Indeed, Meyer has had a podcast deal with On3 (for Urban’s Take with Tim May ) since 2022, although it’s unclear if that will continue this fall. And Leinart previously had one with Cumulus (for Game On! with Matt Leinart and Tom Zenner through 2020). And while it’s not the only media company that has talent with outside deals (there are currently lots of examples at ESPN and elsewhere as well), Fox has historically been quite open to this relative to some other entities. So it makes some sense for Sinclair to start this with Fox figures. And that’s before any discussion of the overlapping conservative viewpoints often expressed by both Sinclair and Fox leadership.
At any rate, it’s certainly notable to see Sinclair adding more investment into sports content after parting ways with Diamond and Stadium . And it’s interesting to see it doing so in podcasts, and bringing in these big names to start. And it sounds like it has more planned.
The post Urban Meyer, Matt Leinart, Jerry Ferrara and more to lead new Sinclair sports podcasts appeared first on Awful Announcing .
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