Last week we released the results of BSM’s Top 20 National Shows, and Major & Mid Market Morning, Midday, Afternoon Shows, and Program Directors. If you didn’t check out all of the lists, click here to get caught up. For today, as we’ve traditionally done the day after the Super Bowl, we’re revealing the industry’s top Sports Radio Stations for 2021.
As you look over the list, please remember that the lists represent the collective opinions of 46 industry executives. Yours truly does not vote. I’d like to thank Stephanie Eads, Dylan Barrett and Demetri Ravanos for helping me with the Top 20 process, and Point to Point Marketing for being our exclusive sponsor for this year’s Top 20. Tim Bronsil and his staff are a valued resource to many across the media industry, and if you’re not familiar with their work, you need to make time to learn more. That can be done by clicking here.
As it pertains to the voting, here are a few key things.
#1 – These results are based on 2021’s performance. 2022 changes have no impact on the outcome. As long as the station existed in the format thru the end of the year, it was eligible for voting consideration.
#2 – Our executive panel consists of program directors and corporate executives from a number of top broadcasting companies including Audacy, iHeart, Cumulus, Beasley, Hubbard, Good Karma Brands, ESPN Radio, FOX Sports Radio, SiriusXM, Spotify, and independently owned and operated radio stations. We involve a large number of people to keep the feedback spread out across the country, and to avoid the results heavily favoring one company.
#3 – A total of 35 sports radio stations were eligible for voting consideration in the Major Market Sports Radio Stations category.
#4 – Our executive panel picked the Top 20 sports stations using a few factors; ratings success, strength of lineup/talent, creative ideas, multi-platform excellence, local market impact, and brand relevance and respect. It’s important to remember that our voters live in different cities, have different tastes and experiences, and work for different companies, so certain things may be given more or less merit depending on who’s casting a vote. This isn’t a perfect science, but it’s the best system we can think of to showcase sports radio’s best.
And that brings us to the rankings for this year’s Major Market Sports Radio Stations of 2021. The best in the category according to our executive panel was once again 98.5 The Sports Hub. This year’s win represents a clean sweep for the Boston brand in the BSM Top 20. That has not happened before. The win in this category is also the Hub’s fourth straight, and the station’s fifth win in six years. BSM congratulates Mary Menna, Rick Radzik, and the entire staff on being recognized as the top brand once again, as well as all of the other stations who earned a spot on this year’s list.
Now, here are the full results of “BSM’s Top 20 Major Market Sports Radio Stations of 2021!”
Additional Notes:
- 98.5 The Sports Hub earned the most 1st place votes with thirteen (13), and finished thirty seven (37) points ahead of WFAN which had the second most first place votes with six (6).
- Spots 21-25 belonged to ESPN LA 710AM in Los Angeles, Sports Radio 950 KJR in Seattle, 710 ESPN in Seattle, 680 The Fan in Atlanta, and AM 570 LA Sports in Los Angeles.
- The tightest races saw 670 The Score nip 97.1 The Ticket by one (1) point, and 95.7 The Game hold off WEEI by two (2) points.
- Of the 35 sports stations eligible for voting consideration, six (6) received at least one (1) 1st place vote.
Here is the remaining schedule for the BSM Top 20 of 2021.
- Tuesday February 15 = The BSM Top 20 Original Sports Podcasts/Specialty Selections of 2021
Jason Barrett is the Founder and CEO of Barrett Media. The company launched in September 2015 and has provided consulting services to America’s top audio and video brands, while simultaneously covering the media industry at BarrettMedia.com, becoming a daily destination for media professionals. Prior to Barrett Media, Jason built and programmed 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He was also the first sports programmer for SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, which later became 97.5 The Fanatic. Barrett also led 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and worked on-air and behind the scenes at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years at ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT producing ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ and ‘GameNight’. JB can be reached on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
