Sports radio has had several long and successful dynamic duos. From Mike & The Mad Dog to Mike & Mike, the longevity of a pairing on sports radio is only as good as the chemistry and defined roles of the two individuals. Tony Rizzo and Aaron Goldhammer have been waking up Cleveland sports fans on ESPN Cleveland for the better part of the last two decades.
Known as The Really Big Show, the pairing has entertained audiences through the hills and valleys of what makes Cleveland a fascinating Midwestern sports mecca. Leaning on their chemistry as self-admitted “theatre kids,” Goldhammer and Rizzo built upon a proven brand in the market and, true to the namesake of the program, made it really big.
“Sometimes hosts in this industry can’t stand to work with one another. I think Rizz [Tony Rizzo] and I appreciate each other just about every single day,” explained Goldhammer on what he feels makes their partnership work over time. “The luckiest thing that ever happened to me is that I landed with Rizz. He was a known personality in the market that had a vision for the show he wanted to do. I aligned with that vision.”
Goldhammer’s journey to “The Land” began in the small town of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, in 2005. The small community, home to just over 16,000 people, is where Goldhammer began his career at Good Karma Brands, which was also founded in the same town. Between running soundboards and learning through making mistakes. Goldhammer recalled this time as some of the most important in his career.
“I can’t tell you how valuable that time was,” said Goldhammer of his time in Beaver Dam. “Going to a smaller market where the stakes are lower and being on the air every single day. Make mistakes, get feedback, and grow. That was so important for me. I don’t think I’d be here without that experience.”
Being a Part of the A-Team
When he made the move to Cleveland to pair with Rizzo on ESPN Cleveland, Goldhammer understood he was joining a known commodity. The goal was not to overtake but to embrace. Playing off one another and putting ego aside for the entertainment of the listener. The two provided balance in conversation and never shied away from honesty with the audience.
“He’s the total local Cleveland, live-and-die-with-the-teams guy. I think I provide good balance with that as someone who didn’t grow up here,” explained Goldhammer. “I’m confident that I highlight his strengths and put him in a position to be successful. That’s the most important part of my job. If he’s at his best, everything else is going to fall into place.”
Recently, ESPN Cleveland shifted its weekday lineup ahead of football season, providing more options for Cleveland Browns fans to get content surrounding their favorite team. With the announcement of the new lineup, Rizzo would be tasked with hosting a one-hour program streaming on YouTube only. Separate from the station carrying the syndicated ESPN morning show Unsportsmanlike.
Adapt or Die Mentality
For Goldhammer, he considers the hour away from Rizzo as an opportunity to join him with fresh ammo for The Really Big Show at 9 a.m. However, the move is less about one show and more about how the consumer is reaching content.
“We’ve realized that if we’re just going to be an AM radio station. Then we are going to be out of business. We know we have to be involved in being a digital media company,” said Goldhammer. “This is a big experiment we’re doing to see how it would go if Rizzo did essentially what he’s looking at as a television show—an hour before he and I then come together at nine o’clock. It’s gone awesome so far.”
Admittedly, Goldhammer said the new YouTube program has thrown off old habits of preparation for the three-hour Really Big Show. However, he reiterated that he is fully supportive of the measure because he sees the opportunity to capitalize. Where other traditional radio brands have yet to start thinking about the future.
“We are as numbers-driven a team as we’ve ever been. These are numbers that we really believe are accurate. They aren’t just a reflection of a very small sample size being extrapolated to try to show what the entire community is thinking,” said Goldhammer.
The metric that defines success for Goldhammer is revenue. If the station is making money, that defines success. The one element of his role that keeps him up at night is whether he’s endorsing the right products. Also whether those partners are receiving a return on their investment.
“We’re in business. So all the different ways that we have to drive revenue for our team is ultimately how we’re judged. Rizz isn’t the most valuable teammate in the history of Good Karma Brands just because he does a really good show. He’s also an incredibly trusted and wonderful endorser of products,” explained Goldhammer. “I think all the time about how to engage the audience that’s there and get them to be a part of our community.”
In line with driving revenue through unique means. An aspect that makes ESPN Cleveland stand out is the continued adaptation of The Land On Demand—a paid subscriber-based podcasting platform for those who wish to consume ESPN Cleveland content on demand with no commercials. The concept was introduced in 2017 and is still a viable option for listeners today. Despite consumers shying away from paywalls.
“We try to treat the subscribers like family. It’s a cool club, and I think we’ve made it a fun club to be a part of,” said Goldhammer. “What else we could add to get to the next level of subscriber—that’s something we’re talking about internally all the time. But if you ask the typical Land On Demand subscriber if they get their $8.50 a month in entertainment, they would say, ‘I get $85 worth of entertainment.’”
An All in Partnership With the Browns
What aids ESPN Cleveland in its content model is a unique partnership with the Cleveland Browns and their cross-town competition at 92.3 The Fan. The Browns partnership is one fixated on having both stations involved in Browns programming. With talent from both stations contributing to content airing on the opposing station. Play-by-play for every Browns game is also heard on both stations, maximizing the reach of the broadcasts to sports fans across the market.
Goldhammer admits that the partnership may seem foreign as a concept to many brands around the country but says it has worked for many years because both brands work so well together.
“The Browns understand that we love them. If we’re critical of them, it’s only because we care so much. We want to have the day when the Browns go to the Super Bowl,” said Goldhammer. “Audacy has also been an incredible partner, and that’s why we keep doing this. We’ve renewed this agreement a number of times because it’s worked. The Browns like having all the voices involved together. I see them mostly as our partner rather than our competition.”
While many of his peers tend to keep an eye on their competition, Goldhammer stresses the opposite. His reasoning lies in the notion that he can only control what he can control.
AM to Algorithm
While Goldhammer admits he’s not naïve to the fact that consumers will dabble from station to station, his focus solely remains on content creation at ESPN Cleveland and building audiences for the future.
“We’re driving so much of our consumption to YouTube. I think it’s so important for what we’re doing,” said Goldhammer. “What will never be the same is the format in which the audience consumes us and the way they consume us now. Social, digital, YouTube, video—it’s so important for us to nail those areas so we can adapt to the world we’re living in now. It’s not the only thing we’re offering, but I understand what that’s all about, and it makes total sense.”
The investment that Good Karma Brands continues to make at ESPN Cleveland is what has Goldhammer excited for his future and Cleveland’s longest-running dynamic duo. What began in a small town in Wisconsin has now morphed into a two-decade career at one of the most innovative sports radio brands in the country.
“The world is changing rapidly; technology is changing it. The sports conversation is not going to stop. Where the sports conversation is happening and how it’s happening is evolving by the day,” said Goldhammer. “I’m not saying we’re anywhere close to perfect. I just know that the one-on-one connection you make on radio—that’s the world we live in today.”
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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.
