It’s Super Bowl week. America is getting ready for one of the last communal social events on our collective calendars. Well over 100 million people will watch the game on Sunday between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
And while some in news/talk might be jealous that their colleagues on the sports stations are in California, along Radio Row, hobnobbing with fellow broadcasters and interviewing NFL legends, they shouldn’t be. In fact, this week can be a better content week for News/Talk.
While the die-hard sports fan is likely overly obsessed with every facet of the game, millions of others will tune in this Sunday but don’t need 24/7 analysis all week. However, sports talk folks — especially those on Radio Row — don’t have much of a choice. They’re there to own the Super Bowl in their market. Bring on as many different guests on-site as possible. Make it sound big on the air.
But when you don’t have to spend every segment beating to death a game that has been overanalyzed by every media outlet in America, there’s a freedom — and a chance to grow your audience — that comes along with it.
You get the best of all worlds. News/Talk can dabble in the Super Bowl, especially on the local level. Find your favorite local sports voice to give a prediction and preview of the game on Thursday and/or Friday.
You can also talk about some of the more controversial aspects of the event. Is Bad Bunny going to get political? Roger Goodell says no, but do you believe him? Goodell is also dealing with fallout from the lack of Black coaches hired in this coaching cycle. Who’s to blame?
And then there’s everything else happening in the world. The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has sadly captivated the nation. Local and federal officials are working together, hoax ransom notes are being floated, and the President of the United States is involved. This story is quickly becoming one of the bigger mysteries the news media has covered in recent years, and it involves the host of one of America’s most iconic television brands. It’s a Hollywood-esque script playing out in real time.
Add in the major stories happening away from the Super Bowl in your communities, tied with the big national news and political stories of the day, and your show will be a heck of a lot more interesting than listening to washed-up NFL players with mediocre Q scores pushing ED pills or protein powder.
There’s certainly value in sports radio brands being on Radio Row, though which brands belong there—and for how long — is up for debate. But I promise you’re not missing out. If not handled well by the talent and programming, these shows can sound stale and mailed in, with audio quality that makes for a tough listen at times.
We get the best of all worlds right now. We can dabble as much or as little as we want, based on the news cycle and the major storylines around the Super Bowl. But we don’t have to spend hours per day overanalyzing a single game. Oh, and we get to sleep in our own beds every night this week. I’ll take that deal every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Like you, I’ll be enjoying the game on Sunday and looking for creative angles that appeal to a broader audience beyond the X’s and O’s crowd.
And for News/Talk, at a time when another format is going to be predictable, this is the moment to find ways to be unpredictable, unique, and creative.
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Pete Mundo is a weekly columnist for Barrett Media, and the Vice President of News/Talk for Cumulus Media, while also hosting “Mundo in the Morning” and programming KCMO Talk Radio in Kansas City. Previously, he was a fill-in host nationally on FOX News Radio and CBS Sports Radio, while anchoring for WFAN, WCBS News Radio 880, and Bloomberg Radio. He’s also the owner of the Big 12-focused digital media outlet Heartland College Sports. To interact, find him on X @PeteMundo.
