Sports podcasts are a subset ofpodcasts that cover topics related to sports and athletes. Content can include sports news, predictions and analysis of game results, debates and discussions between hosts, and interviews with sports figures.
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Podcasts in general began to gain a following in the mid and late 2000s. In October 2004, Sam Coutin beganThe Sports Pod and shortly after he launched the My Sports Radio podcast network.[1][2] By 2006, shows on Coutin's network were achieving 500,000 downloads each month.[2]
ESPN was an early adopter of the podcast format, launching their first in 2005.[3] In 2007,Bill Simmons stumbled upon a podcast interview ofBoston Celtics executiveDanny Ainge byESPN NBA draft analystChad Ford.[4] Simmons, also an ESPN employee at the time, inquired to his management about hosting a podcast of his own. Simmons was sent basic audio equipment and hosted hisB.S. Report podcast in aDIY fashion from his home.[4] Simmons' podcast was popular among sports fans and his success would help "launch a sports podcast revolution".[4]
In 2016, Simmons left ESPN and founded his own website venture,The Ringer, that centered much of its focus through podcasts.[5] HisBill Simmons Podcast hosted on the website was "the lone sports program amongiTunes' 20 most popular [podcasts in 2017]".[4]Indianapolis ColtspunterPat McAfee retired following the2016 NFL season and ventured into podcasting atBarstool Sports. His eponymousPat McAfee Show has been credited with "paving the way for fellow athletes to pursue a media career upon retirement".[6]
Around this period, sports podcasts began attracting more attention as a vehicle for advertisements, similar to howsports radio functions.[4][5] The Ringer's ad sales exceeded $15 million in 2018.[7] From 2015 to 2020, ad revenue for podcasts rose 1,350%; sports podcasts were near the top of all genres driving that revenue.[8]
By the late 2010s, podcast versions of sports television talk shows likeThe Herd with Colin Cowherd andFirst Take were among popular sports podcasts.[4] Radio shows are also repackaged into podcasts.[6] Established sports networks, such as ESPN, also offered original podcast programming in addition to their repackaged content.[6] Series hosted byBomani Jones andKatie Nolan, as well asBarstool Sports' lineup, includingPardon My Take, hosted byDan "Big Cat" Katz andPFT Commenter, were also cited as popular by theSports Business Journal (SBJ).[4]
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The 2020s brought upon further expansion and growth for sports podcasts, with major acquisitions and network developments occurring.[6] Simmons soldThe Ringer toSpotify for $196–$250 million in 2020.[9][10] In 2021, television station groupTegna purchased theLocked On Podcast Network, "which produces 160 daily shows for U.S. sports teams".[6] Partnering withiHeartMedia in 2021, established sports media personalityColin Cowherd launchedThe Volume, his own podcast network, to better connect with consumers.[6][11] In January 2022, Fox Sports launched Fox Audio Network, a podcast network to leverage its on-air talent such asSkip Bayless andNick Wright, in the audio space.[12][13]
Early in the history of sports podcasts, exact numbers on viewership was difficult to track. ESPN opted to not share viewership ofThe B.S. Report with Simmons, and the latter only realized how popular his podcast was whenSeth Meyers, then a cast member onSaturday Night Live, asked to guest on it.[4]
In 2018,SBJ wrote that "Unlike TV, where live games account for all but a handful of the most-watched programs in the U.S. each year, sports podcasts trail shows focused on news and political shows or general interest in both audience size and revenue".[4] According to industry analyst Podtrac, only two sports programmers ranked among top 10 among podcast programmers in March 2018:ESPN was ranked 7th andBarstool Sports was ranked 10th, with 4.4 million and 2.4 million monthly unique listeners, respectively.[4] ESPN experienced a 43% increase in 2018 over 2017 in podcast downloads.[14][15]The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz was the network's most downloaded sports podcast show in 2018, with more than 91 millionIAB Certified downloads.[15]
In 2019, ESPN executive Traug Keller stated that "podcast listeners skew significantly younger, certainly younger than ESPN Radio, in fact, younger than any other platform at ESPN", detailing that, "the ESPN podcast listener is on average 33, and 60% of our podcast listeners are 18 to 34. That's 13 years younger than our radio listeners".[14]
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