The most talked about story in sports radio circles this week is likely to be extended another week. Entercom, Mike Francesa and CAA Sports have finalized an agreement to bring the New York sports radio icon back to afternoon drive on WFAN starting next Tuesday. Francesa’s show, “Mike’s On”, will be heard weekdays from 3p-6:30p ET. CMB will move to an earlier timeslot.
The new deal which is being promoted as a mixture of radio, digital and live events, includes the addition of a brand new mobile app which features exclusive live video streaming of Francesa’s weekday radio program on WFAN. It will also serve as the exclusive home of the “Mike’s Football Sunday” show, starting with the 2018-19 football season, and provide exclusive audio and video archival content of Francesa dating back through his storied 30-year career at WFAN. The app will be free to download in summer 2018 and offer a subscription option for fans who want to hear and view additional content. The audio stream for Francesa’s radio program on WFAN will be available on Radio.com.
“We are excited about this partnership with Mike and CAA Sports,” said Entercom President and CEO David Field. “We are proud of the terrific lineup on WFAN and are looking forward to bringing Mike back into the mix in this new, multiplatform and innovative way.”
“After exploring several options, this partnership with CAA Sports and Entercom was the perfect fit,” said Francesa. “This partnership allows me the chance to return to WFAN and all of our loyal listeners, as well as significant opportunities, including the app and live events, that are completely new. I look forward to working with both companies on making this a very successful venture.”
WFAN and Francesa have also agreed to join forces for a series of live events across formats and venues, including live broadcasts, one-on-one interviews and a speaker series. More information can be found on www.mikesonnetwork.com.
“From the very beginning of our relationship with Mike, we fielded a tremendous number of offers for him across an array of business areas,” said Michael Levine, co-head of CAA Sports. “As we got to know Mike, we believed that the best opportunity would capitalize on his entrepreneurial spirit, and build upon the appetite of his multi-generational fan base. Our partnership with Entercom enables Mike to interact with fans across multiple platforms, including digital and live events, bringing him closer to his audience than ever before.”
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
