In life, it’s hard to forget the first time. A first time at a sporting event or concert. The first time you held hands and shared moments with someone you care about. In media, everyone remembers their first nomination for a Marconi Award from the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). For Phil Mackey of SKOR North, his first Marconi win came under some of the most unique circumstances imaginable.
Last month, Mackey attended the awards ceremony as SKOR North and its flagship podcast, Purple Daily, competed as nominees in the Best Radio Podcast category. It wasn’t his first time attending the event. SKOR North had previously earned four nominations but had yet to take home a trophy. However, hoping the fifth time would be the charm, Mackey received an unexpected offer to kick off his evening.
“It was a unique experience for me because the NAB had graciously asked me to be a presenter for a block of awards that night,” explained Mackey. “The issue was I hadn’t read off a teleprompter in a setting like that before. My pulse was racing around 120 beats per minute. I was trying not to sound like an idiot in front of a room of radio and media luminaries for about twenty minutes.”
After managing his nerves, accepting an unexpected assignment and serving as emcee for four awards, Mackey finally had a chance to await the announcement for Purple Daily. Little did he know, the news would arrive almost immediately.
“I went to sit down at the table [after hosting], and immediately the very next award was the podcast award,” said Mackey. “Then you hear your name called and it’s kind of a blur. I’m accepting the award, but it’s on behalf of the team and audience of SKOR North. They’ve been supporting us for this whole seven-year journey.”
Thinking Different
The story of SKOR North began with a desire to rethink sports content for a new generation. Mackey, who was hosting at ESPN Radio 1500 at the time, walked into the office of Hubbard Radio Minnesota Vice President/Regional Manager Dan Seeman and Senior Vice President of Programming Greg Strassell in the fall of 2018. What started on a whiteboard was a collection of shows and podcasts that would eventually transition from ESPN 1500 into a podcast network. Thus, SKOR North was born.
Without the support of a traditional radio signal, SKOR North has since become a digital sports media juggernaut. In addition to a model for what the radio industry can accomplish beyond terrestrial broadcasting.
“This was literally an idea that was on a whiteboard over seven years ago. Trying to go from the old radio model to building something new that is sustainable on digital platforms for a long time,” said Mackey in reflection. “To see it come to fruition with some cool industry recognition was a powerful moment.”
Unlike his hosting roles on several SKOR North podcasts, Mackey had limited time to speak after accepting the Marconi for Best Radio Podcast. Having just finished his first stint as an awards presenter, he now had to encapsulate an inspiring and heartfelt message of appreciation into a brief acceptance speech.
“If I would have tried to open up a piece of paper, I would have been shaking and would have been a total sweaty trainwreck,” said Mackey. “Thank the audience who clicks play wherever they may be. The other item was this. Hubbard Media is a one-hundred-year-old broadcast company. But it’s a one-hundred-year-old broadcast company that gives a s**t about the next one hundred years and is passionate about it. The fact that a small number of people can be so mighty across all these platforms is a testament to how awesome our staff is.”
When Effort Meets Passion
SKOR North’s success is rooted in its commitment to meeting audiences where they are. Rather than remain a radio station searching for another meter or two to tell a better story, the brand chose to write its own narrative. Building connections with some of the most passionate fanbases online.
“If you rank how passionate and emotionally tied each NFL fanbase is to their franchise, the Minnesota Vikings, if not number one, are certainly in the top three or five,” explained Mackey. “After the pandemic, we decided to make Purple Daily a seven-day-a-week show. Because we wanted to see the Vikings win a Super Bowl before we die. When we said that, the fanbase caught onto that throughline from our podcast to them as a rallying cry.”
The content strategy and message were simple: Celebrate the positives while identifying areas for improvement throughout the calendar year. The NFL is often described as a year-round sport. In addition, the passion surrounding Minnesota Vikings content offers one of the league’s strongest examples of that commitment.
What Mackey takes the most pride in, however, is the engagement of Purple Daily’s listeners. Rather than briefly scrolling past content on social media, the audience invests time in the longer-form, sit-down-and-lean-in approach Mackey and co-host Judd Zulgad bring to the program, alongside a roster of weekly contributors.
“Anyone can create content. There’s more competition for people’s attention than ever before. That puts pressure on everyone to be on your A-game to stand out,” said Mackey. “I can’t explain why people choose us over other options. But we take a lot of pride in doing a daily show and being a steady presence in people’s feeds… There’s been an episode of Purple Daily posted daily since May of 2020. We feel compelled that having that daily connection is the best way to be stewards of Vikings fans.”
Preparing For More
That connection is also what Mackey believes positions Purple Daily and SKOR North’s entire programming lineup to stand out as the media industry adapts to artificial intelligence. He recognizes AI’s usefulness as a productivity tool that can complement any business or program. But he doesn’t believe technology will ever replace genuine human interaction.
“The more we move into this automated world, the power of a true connection to humans is more evident than ever. People are still human. They want to seek out community, friendship, and like-mindedness. They want to celebrate when their team just won,” explained Mackey. “There are pockets of our world that don’t want automation. They want that human connection, and we plan to continue giving that to them.”
Mackey also believes in the concept that “niches get the riches.” A phrase he picked up while hosting a panel with Meadowlark Media’s Carl Scott at the 2022 Barrett Media Audio Summit.
With that philosophy guiding SKOR North’s growth, the brand plans to continue expanding. By hiring people who can dive deep into individual niches rather than adding another generalist voice to the lineup.
“Yes, you’re playing to a smaller audience if you niche down. But you’re carving out something that’s extremely distinguishable and searchable,” explained Mackey. “Even in these passionate sports markets where you think the average fan is a fan of all the teams. That’s not the reality. Most fans are fans of a team or two.”
That philosophy will help shape one of Mackey’s top priorities heading into 2027: launching SKOR North’s first WNBA-focused podcast centered on the Minnesota Lynx.
“I’ll self-report that we need a Minnesota Lynx podcast. We’ve been saying that for two to three years,” said Mackey. “The WNBA increases in interest every year. Plus, it’s the only team in town that’s won championships in thirty years. We are very overdue for a Lynx podcast, and would love to do that riding this momentum into 2027.”
For Mackey, winning his first Marconi Award meant much more than finally hearing SKOR North’s name called after five attempts. It validated an idea that started on a whiteboard, a team that believed in building something different and an audience that embraced the vision along the way. The media landscape will continue to evolve, platforms will change and technology will introduce new ways to consume content.
However, Mackey believes the foundation of success will remain the same: Give people something they can’t find anywhere else and a reason to keep coming back.
Seven years after SKOR North existed only as an idea, Mackey and his team now have their first Marconi Award. If the journey has proven anything, it’s that sometimes the best way to make history is to stop following someone else’s playbook and write your own.
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