The summer numbers are out for Dallas, and has been the case before, things remained complicated due to the split between radio and streaming. According to Nielsen Audio, 105.3 The Fan topped Sports Radio 1310/96.7 The Ticket by more than a full point in weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p) for their target audience of men 25-54 if you go solely by radio measurement. The Fan finished seventh with a 4.3 and The Ticket was tied for 12th with a 2.9 share.
But when streaming enters the mix, things get complicated. The Ticket produced an impressive 2.6 streaming share M-F 6a-7p, nearly the same share as their over the air radio performance. The Fan on the other hand delivered a 0.3 in the M-F 6a-7p timeslot.
If people are listening to programming offered by a station thru their phone or computer, that should coun for both brands. Digital listening continues to grow and the work-from-home regularity caused by a global pandemic may be helping the tendency along. It’s important to note that many sports radio brands don’t deliver a digital share as large as the one generated by The Ticket. In some dayparts, The Ticket’s streaming number surprisingly out-rated their terrestrial share.
Starting with the morning shows, The Fan’s duo of Shan Shariff and RJ Choppy outrated KTCK’s The Musers terrestrial audience by more than a point and a half. Shan and RJ topped their spring performance by a full point, finishing seventh with a 4.1 share for the summer book. They also gained another 0.6 from streaming. On the other hand, summer listening for The Ticket’s iconic morning show declined a bit, both terrestrially and digitally as The Musers earned a 2.4 share, while their streaming number was a 1.8. With or without the stream included, Shan & RJ prevailed this book.
From 10a – 3p, The Fan again saw their audience increase from the spring book, finishing in sixth place with a 4.8 share. They pick up another 0.2 in streaming. The Ticket’s over-the-air number was tied for 14th with a 2.6, down half a point from the spring. Their stream though for the second straight book topped their terrestrial listening with a 3.1 share. The midday timeslot is occupied on The Fan by K&C Masterpiece from 10am – 2pm, and GBag Nation from 2p-3p. The Ticket during those hours features Norm & Donovan from 10a to noon, and BaD Radio with Dan McDowell and Jake Kemp from noon to 3pm.
In afternoons, GBag Nation led by Gavin Dawson, which actually airs from 2 – 7p, earned a top-10 finish and a 3.8 share for The Fan. They picked up another 0.1 on their stream. For The Ticket, The Hardline with Corby Davidson and Bob Sturm finished 12th with a 3.5 share from 3 – 7p but gained an additional 2.6 share from their streaming number.
The top-rated radio brand in the market from 3 – 7p is rock station 97.1 The Eagle which earned an 8 share during the summer book. From 2 – 5p, The Eagle features Ben Rogers and Jeff “Skin” Wade, former sports radio hosts on 105.3 The Fan and ESPN 103.3. During their three hours on-air together, Ben and Skin were first in the market among Men 25-54.
For The Fan and The Ticket, there will be new audience available in the fall book in terms of the local sports radio listener. During the summer book, ESPN 103.3 earned a 2.1 share in weekday prime, but Cumulus, who also owns The Ticket, chose to release control of their ESPN affiliate to Disney as of October 7th. Disney has since cut local weekday programming on the station in favor of their national ESPN Radio lineup.
*** This article has been modified to correct an error from earlier which accidentally left out The Fan’s streaming number with Men 25-54. We apologize for the mistake.
Brandon Contes is a former reporter for BSM, now working for Awful Announcing. You can find him on Twitter @BrandonContes or reach him by email at Brandon.Contes@gmail.com.
There is no reason to keep carrying water for two bums who aren’t even on a sports radio station. But, hey, keep cashing those Entercom checks as you keep pushing a B-list sports talker over the iconic Ticket.