“Why is it so hard to just watch the game?” That’s what Texas Senator Ted Cruz asked a panel of executives from Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League earlier this week as the U.S. Senate held a hearing regarding the future of sports broadcasting. The NFL sat out because they don’t have regional rights agreements like the other three major leagues.
It’s no secret that fans continue to find it very difficult to watch a game featuring their favorite team. As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, prices continue to go up for fans just to enjoy a game on the couch after a long day at the office. Rising ticket costs push more of the common fan away, while multiple games on multiple streaming services—and some on just basic cable—have led to so much frustration that Congress is now noticing.
While the frustrations of being a fan continue to mount, this is also radio’s biggest opportunity to grow awareness and cume with a FREE product for those same fans.
Consumers go through struggles of finding the best product for the most affordable price possible. We do this with clothing, cars, gas, food, and so many other items we need for our daily lives. Sports is no different. It’s the single greatest entertainment product that is provided to an audience on a near-daily basis throughout the entire year.
Where the Opportunity Lives for Sports Radio To Win Big!
How many times have you tried to find an illegal stream of your favorite sports team because you didn’t want to pay a massive amount of money to just to sit on your couch and watch your team? Don’t be shy—we’ve all at least tried. The Senator from Texas is correct in his question, it is harder to watch games and be able to afford it for many people.
For example, I live in the Tampa Bay area. To watch the Tampa Bay Rays, I need to subscribe to FanDuel Sports Network for the season at the low price of $19.99 a month. FanDuel Sports Network doesn’t carry every game of the Rays’ baseball season. They have games on AppleTV+, which costs $9.99 a month. Then, if they make the postseason, there are added costs for TBS, ESPN, and FOX through their subscription services or a cable plan.
So, just to watch every game of the Rays’ season, it will cost a minimum of $30.00 a month—plus more if I expect postseason access—because most cable packages in the Tampa Bay area may not include FanDuel Sports Network. I also have the option of using my Amazon Prime account (another fee) to tie into FanDuel Sports Network as an add-on for an additional cost.
Why is it so hard to just watch the game? The better question might be: why aren’t more radio stations saying with added emphasis, “Don’t pay anything—listen to all the action here”?
In most cases, the single most-listened-to product on a sports radio station is live and local play-by-play. It’s a marketing arm using franchise rights to cross-promote your radio brand. It’s a tool to drive advertising dollars to your station and talent. It’s a great portal for people to connect with your talent during, before, and after games—on air or on social media.
If Congress is saying sports on television is getting too complicated and expensive for the average sports fan, has there ever been a better opportunity for sports radio stations to shout the word FREE?
Sports Radio Needs a Better Gameplan
I’ve talked and consulted with programmers and talent across the country on sports radio brands that house local play-by-play rights. They cross-promote the broadcasts in updates, shows occasionally mention the game is tonight, and there might be a social graphic or two scheduled on the station’s accounts to drive digital listening.
Simply put, the promotion of listening to the game on the radio station seems like an afterthought. Social engagement or marketing is nearly invisible in most cases. It’s almost like it’s more inconvenience than opportunity for most sports brands.
Has sports radio forgotten the value of the word FREE to drive appointment listening?
If sports radio stations can give away FREE tickets to the biggest concerts in their areas, why not promote the FREE broadcast of your local team’s hometown call on the radio?
If sports radio stations can hand out FREE swag at promotional appearances, why not slap the word FREE on your station gear to market that the broadcasts can be heard for FREE on your brand?
“It’s frustrating and it’s annoying to the dedicated sports fan,” Senator Ted Cruz said. “It’s not just frustrating—it can be expensive. … It can cost hundreds of dollars per year for a hardcore fan.”
Where is SportsTalk 790 in Houston reaching out to Senator Cruz, inviting him to listen to the hometown call of the Houston Astros or Rockets for FREE?
“Streaming may well be the future, but it shouldn’t sideline the fans,” Cruz said.
Where is SportsRadio 610 in Houston informing the senator that you’ll never be sidelined from any of the Houston Texans action all season long for FREE?
If Senator Cruz thinks that any act of Congress is going to make it easier or cheaper for the average fan to watch their favorite team anytime soon, he’s mistaken. Leagues are in the business of making money and care very little about how many hoops they make the average fan jump through to find their product. Sports is life, and fans will never cease to exist.
Sports radio stations have made it easier for fans to catch the action—not just on the radio like it’s been since the early twentieth century—but now through streaming. Many leagues have loosened geofencing reach to allow fans to stream games on their favorite radio station however they choose.
The best part? No additional cost for the fan. FREE!
Plus, you’ll not only get the regular season, but in many cases the preseason and full postseason run of your favorite team—with a hometown call of the action.
Seems like a sweet deal we could market to a consumer, right?
The Time Is Now To Swing for the Fence
Today we wrap up day two of the annual BSM Summit in Chicago. We’ve been discussing how sports radio can continue to evolve and reach new consumers through traditional and digital means. Is there any better way to reach a new customer than by giving them what they desire—for FREE? Wouldn’t that customer return to your product and continue to consume as much FREE content as they could handle?
Sports have become harder to watch; Senator Ted Cruz isn’t wrong. Even the biggest celebrities in our industry face this issue from time to time, though they have the means to purchase whatever they need to enjoy the product.
This could be a massive rallying moment for sports radio brands across the country—a little added promotion, some creative digital graphics, and added marketing—all in the name of giving sports fans what they want most:
Sports. For FREE!
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
