Good Wednesday morning to you, and welcome to the weekly sales meeting. Hopefully, you had a great weekend filled with sitting around and watching plenty of college basketball. This week, we’re going to talk about an objection I recently heard from a client. Interestingly, this wasn’t during a pitch for sports radio advertising—it came up in casual conversation.
As critical as I can sometimes be about the radio industry, I’m still not going to let people get away with crazy misconceptions like, “Nobody listens to the radio anymore.” That’s exactly what someone casually said to me recently.
Look, we all get it—or at least, we should. We live in a digital-heavy world where streaming, podcasts, and on-demand content dominate conversations about media. Advertisers are shifting budgets toward digital, and radio often gets dismissed as “old media.”
But the truth is, radio is far from dead. In fact, it remains one of the most effective, trusted, and consistent advertising platforms—especially in sports media.
I’ve written about this before, but our real challenge is reframing the conversation. We need to educate advertisers, agencies, and anyone else willing to listen. We must demonstrate why sports radio is not only alive and well but also an essential part of the marketing mix.
And let’s be honest. If someone were to say that fewer people listen to the radio today, that would be correct. After all, in 2023, Nielsen reported that 93% of U.S. adults listened to the radio weekly. According to the latest study, that number has plummeted—all the way down to 92%. Facts are facts.
Now, consider this: Over 85% of 18-34-year-olds still tune in to the radio weekly. Radio accounts for 41% of total listening time among U.S. adults—23% higher than the second-place medium, streaming audio. These numbers paint a clear picture: Perception does not match reality. And yet, as an industry, we are allowing perception to win.
So, what should we say when someone brings up this objection? Try something like this:
“That’s a common misconception, but the numbers tell a different story. In fact, sports radio audiences are some of the most engaged in media. Our listeners tune in for multiple hours per day, actively interacting with hosts, sponsors, and content across digital and social platforms. You want to reach sports fans, right? Well, our audience isn’t just listening—they’re responding. They’re the ones calling in, texting, tweeting, and showing up at events. That’s engagement you can’t buy with a Facebook ad.”
These days, advertisers and agencies often focus too much on the platform—radio, digital, TV, print—when they should be focusing on the audience. Media isn’t about where the content lives; it’s about who is consuming it.
Additionally, we must highlight the unique advantages of radio—things digital media simply cannot replicate. A digital ad is often ignored or scrolled past in seconds. A 30-second pre-roll video? Skipped. A banner ad? Blocked. But a sports radio endorsement from a trusted host—especially one integrated seamlessly into the content and conversation? You can’t beat that.
The real question isn’t whether people listen to the radio—it’s whether we can connect a business with the right audience. Sports radio listeners are passionate, engaged, and—most importantly—they take action when a trusted host recommends a business. That’s what sets sports radio apart.
And whenever possible, back up your points with real-world examples. If you’re speaking with a potential client, share a success story from a business in a similar industry or of comparable size.
To sell radio, you have to sell the story—and the best way to do that is by proving it with real results.
For example, let’s say you’ve worked with sports bars before. Instead of starting from scratch every time, use a success story to make your point. It might sound like this:
“We worked with a local sports bar that was struggling to bring in fans on game days. They ran a six-week campaign on our station, including live mentions from our hosts and a ‘Football Friday’ segment promoting specials. By the end of the campaign, their weekend sales were up 30%, and they had to hire extra staff to handle the rush. That’s the power of sports radio.”
At the end of the day, it’s all about selling the story. First, understand what that story is. Then, refine your pitch and present it over and over again so this objection eventually stops coming up altogether.
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Dave Greene is a former Editor and Columnist for Barrett Media. His background includes over 25 years in media and content creation. A former sports talk host and play-by-play broadcaster, Dave transitioned to station and sales management, co-founded and created a monthly sports publication and led an ownership group as the operating partner. He has managed stations and sales teams for Townsquare Media, Cumulus Media and Audacy. Upon leaving broadcast media he co-founded Podcast Heat, a sports and entertainment podcasting network specializing in pro wrestling nostalgia. To interact, find him on Twitter @mr_podcasting.
