Barrett Sports Media’s Top 20 Original Sports Podcasts of 2021

The final day of the BSM Top 20 of 2021 has arrived. We close out our annual series by recognizing the Top 20 Original Sports Podcasts of 2021. For this year, we’ve also produced a BSM Top 20 Specialty Selections column. It features 20 additional categories we haven’t showcased before, and who the BSM staff selected as the winner in each. Check it out by clicking here.

Before you jump ahead to the lists, first give it up for Point to Point Marketing for serving as this year’s Top 20 sponsor. Tim Bronsil and his staff do a great job serving the media industry, and if you’re not familiar with their work, make time to learn more. You can do that here.

Also, I’d like to thank Stephanie Eads, Dylan Barrett and Demetri Ravanos for helping me with the Top 20 process. Months are spent putting together documents for all to vote, and then tracking down each individual, adding up their votes, and then producing the creative images you see to showcase the sports media business in a positive way. It takes a team to pull it off, and I hope you guys appreciate all that goes into it from our crew because I know I do.

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 simply collect the feedback and present the results. A few key things to be aware of regarding our process.

#1 – These results are based solely on taste. It’s simply about talent, content, brand, relevance, success, and originality. That tends to favor personalities and brands with a larger following. This category could literally include tens of thousands titles, but we give our voters a specific list of mainstream sports shows to vote on. The two things that matter most, the show must be produced consistently and well received. I realize there are TONS of podcasts out there, many of them being quality shows with audience and revenue, but this category is for the biggest performers in the digital audio space. That isn’t to take away from others who do kick ass work. It just explains how this category is designed for 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 72 podcasts were presented for voting consideration in the Original Sports Podcasts category. Executives also had the opportunity (if they wished) to add other titles to the list. By the end of the process, 87 shows appeared on at least one ballot.

Which brings us to the rankings for this year’s Original Sports Podcasts of 2021. We have a new winner! For the first time, the category award goes to Meadowlark Media’s ‘The Dan Le Batard Show‘. The Le Batard crew knocked off Barstool’s Pardon My Take by twenty eight (28) points to earn this year’s top honor. PMT picked up the most 1st place votes with eleven (11), but Le Batard outscored Big Cat and PFT 28-20 among Top 5 votes which went a long way towards finishing ahead. BSM congratulates John Skipper, Dan Le Batard, Jon ‘Stugotz’ Weiner and the entire team on being recognized as this year’s category winner.

Now, here are the full results of “BSM’s Top 20 Original Sports Podcasts of 2021!”

Additional Notes:

• Pardon My Take received the most first place votes with eleven (11). The Dan Le Batard Show was second with nine (9).
• Spots 21-25 belonged to Jalen & Jacoby, Stupodity, The Mina Kimes Show, The Tony Kornheiser Show and The JBoy Show.
• The tightest races saw Spittin’ Chiclets slip by Ryen Russillo by one (1) point, and 10 Questions w/ Kyle Brandt hold off Jalen & Jacoby by two (2) points.
• Of the 87 original sports podcasts to appear on ballots, fifteen (15) received at least one (1) 1st place vote.

Jason Barrett

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.