When FOX Sports Radio launched in August of 2000, the goal was to produce a home for industry-leading talent focused on delivering entertaining, informed, and thought-provoking programming for sports fans. Through the last quarter-century, the network has gone through a metamorphosis as the industry expands in distribution and listener expectations change. Currently, the FOX Sports Radio lineup features titans of the industry in The Dan Patrick Show and The Herd with Colin Cowherd, as well as the fastest-rising stars of the network, Covino & Rich.
For the last twenty years, Steve Covino and Rich Davis have been entertaining audiences with their talents on SiriusXM Radio and several music radio brands around the country. The duo made their debut on FOX Sports Radio in September of 2021, hosting weekends. Just one year later, the duo was promoted to a weekday program airing from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The rapid rise of Covino & Rich is no accident—only feeding their competitive edge for more.
“One of the lessons we learned over the years is if you want something, you got to say you want it. Hell yeah, we want that Dan Patrick slot when he retires,” said Davis. “We talk about sports. We’re competitive, man.”
For nearly three years on FOX Sports Radio, Covino & Rich have provided the listening audience with a unique blend of sports talk and pop culture, with their dynamic personalities and unique sense of fun. They consider their approach similar to discussions you may hear in the barbershop, gaining the respect of the audience with each crack of the mic while attempting to stay true to themselves.
“We realized from doing talk radio, the more people knew about you and the more vulnerable or open you were, the more invested they’d be in you,” said Covino.
“Our sports show is like 75% not sports,” added Davis. “I feel like most men and women listening aren’t one-dimensional. They’re not just listening to only want to hear about the NBA Finals. Personal stories are way more relatable than just analysis of Game Four.”
Making the Transition From Music to Sports Talk
Both hosts come from music radio backgrounds—one from rock radio and one from Top 40. They don’t shy away from the skill sets they earned through their previous experiences, using them to provide references that average listeners can gravitate to for a more unique attachment with the audience.
“We are a sports radio combination of what rock radio and Top 40 radio were,” explained Davis. “We’re not as soft as Top 40, but we’re not as aggressive as a rock radio show. We’re in a perfect pocket—we’re a hybrid.”
While some may consider music and talk radio like oil and water, Covino & Rich believe music is a big part of sports and never attempt to keep them separate.
“When it came to music and sports, it always seemed to be mutually exclusive,” said Covino. “We’ve always combined them from day one, always trying to incorporate music elements into what we do—like a talk show radio opera. We never shied away from incorporating what we did on the music side of things into what we do on the talk radio side.”
The program has been entertaining audiences on over 300 FOX Sports Radio stations across the country for the last several years, as more and more local radio stations continue to battle the challenges within the industry. It is not lost on either Covino or Davis that added affiliates across the country mean added pressure to perform to keep audiences attached to local affiliates.
“There is a pressure to deliver a great product. If affiliates are saying, ‘We’re going to go with the syndicated show,’ it better be good. I feel that pressure,” said Davis. “There’s going to be syndication. We might as well be the guys. It’s going to happen, right? Don’t fight it. Just be the best so that the people that pick up your show say, ‘Great. We got a great product every day.’”
Producing Results Doing Whatever It Takes To Grow
A great product that is receiving great results. FOX Sports Radio says that Covino & Rich’s audience grew 47% year-over-year in the coveted adults 25–54 demographic for the Spring 2024 ratings book—results that speak to the notion of playing where everyone is while maximizing your day.
While hosting weekdays on FOX Sports Radio, both have continued work on SiriusXM and have been active in podcasting. The duo recently launched the Overpromised with Covino and Rich podcast to go along with their Covino & Rich podcast available through Patreon. Covino has also been part of several programs on The History Channel, while Davis co-hosts the Have Kids They Said podcast with fellow SiriusXM talent Nicole Ryan.
“In today’s business, you have to have your hands in every possible opportunity—whether it be podcasting, terrestrial, or satellite. We do it all. You have to do that,” said Covino. “We’ve been humbled. We’ve had gigs. We’ve lost gigs. You have to have a backup. You have to have other things going on always. That’s just the nature of the game right now.”
Covino and Davis met and grew up in the industry together. Their humble beginnings in Hoboken, New Jersey set the foundation for the drive and success that followed. The power of their friendship allowed them to push boundaries with no ego attached. Now, twenty years later, they find themselves as the rising stars of a network filled with legends of the industry they admire.
“I feel like the industry has found our lane,” explained Davis. “Whether it’s (Pat) McAfee or Barstool (Sports). I feel like where the popularity of sports talk has gone—that hybrid of guy talk and sports.”
With that approach, Covino & Rich have been a go-to fill-in for The Dan Patrick Show when the noted commentator has taken time off. A program that leans heavily on sports discussion but also has the off-ramp to dive into other topics. Due to the balance of the content Dan Patrick provides his audience, both Covino and Davis feel they’ve adapted to know the daypart and the audience that comes with it.
“Dan Patrick is so great at what he does. He also goes off the rails sometimes, and he’s a lifestyle sort of show,” said Covino. “It was a perfect fit for us to do what we do. I feel like his audience has embraced us, even though we are still very different.”
With Patrick slated to retire following Super Bowl LXII in Atlanta in February of 2028, there has been wide speculation as to who will be chosen to replace the legendary sports talk host.
“We’re doing it because it’s our way of connecting to different markets and affiliates,” noted Covino. “It’s fun to fill in for a guy we always admired in Dan Patrick. We often say that if you want something, you got to make it known. We absolutely want that spot.”
Davis follows Covino’s statement about stepping in for Patrick following his retirement by adding, “I want to be in an Adam Sandler movie one day as well. Let’s make that happen.”
Covino & Rich Turning Twenty When Your Over Forty
This weekend, the duo will be headed to Las Vegas for a 20th-anniversary bash with 500 or more of their dedicated listeners. While they both have a disdain for the term ‘fans,’ they do revel in the term ‘friends.’
“One of the proudest things that we have done is build these friendships with these people over the years,” explains Covino. “Not only our friendships, but the friendships that were built through the show have meant the most to us. They’ve all become friends together.”
The entertainment Covino & Rich have brought to so many people over the past twenty years is further proof that people can connect through the power of radio, leading to lasting bonds for generations.
“It’s wild that we have listeners that met through the show. Men and women that have children together because they met through our show,” said Davis. “There are human beings that are alive because Covino and I talk about bulls**t together. It’s the coolest thing.”
As the questions about the future of FOX Sports Radio continue to be debated, Covino & Rich are focused on making every minute of every day count. The hard work, dedication to the craft, and the ability to stay competitive have lifted two kids from New Jersey into the broadcasting journey of a lifetime—two decades later and still counting.
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John Mamola is the sports editor and columnist for Barrett Media. 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. Honored to be a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Media and honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL). Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
Great article. Rich Davis is from Long Island though, not New Jersey.
He is actually from Franklin Square
Covino and Rich are great at what they do. They deserve to move up to his slot.
Best in the business! Following these guys since the beginning & credit them for introducing me to my husband & my closest friends. Much deserved!
Knowing the guys for the better part of 18 years and listening longer, it is so awesome to see my friends getting the shine from the industry they have busted their asses to be a main staple in. We just finished up the 3 day #CRC20 in Vegas and it was great to meet so many new Fox Sports listeners that are new to the show.
Keep Killing it my Guys!
I look forward to them getting another hour. It is such an entertaining show.