It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The NFL season is at the midway point. College Football is gearing up for bowl season and playoffs. The NBA and NHL fill the gaps between snaps, and sports radio faces a new challenger each and every November. It’s not anything they have ever prepared for, because there is no playbook to defend against it.
The market-by-market format flips to Christmas music. Bah humbug!
Every year, music radio races to be the first to capture the holiday spirit and the audience that comes with it. Just yesterday, at least 95 more stations across the country made the call, flipping to the only music format that is a proven juggernaut in the ratings. Holiday music is the new Q4 combatant for sports radio. In the words of Mariah Carey, “It’s time” to think differently about how sports radio can close out the fourth quarter with a better gameplan than the status quo.
Football is king. There’s no question that the game drives audience, engagement, and listening cume. Every September book, from Seattle to Tampa Bay. The influx of interest rises all boats in all three categories of relevance: audience, revenue, and engagement.
However, when the calendar flips to November. Half of the NFL teams are out of the playoff picture, and the best college headlines may not involve your local school or conference of choice. Interest may wane on the week-to-week storylines of losing or just bad football. You can’t always lean into the spin for the positive, or everyone on the firing line week to week.
On top of that, Christmas music begins on November 1. Three weeks before Thanksgiving and almost two months ahead of Kris Kringle. For sports radio, this means the December ratings book and the close of the most important quarter of the broadcast calendar.
Is there any way that sports radio can combat the loss of listeners to Bing Crosby and “Old Blue Eyes?” It’s time (there’s that phrase again) to think differently.
Pick up the Promotions
In order to combat the competition, you need to think like the competition. Getting creative with promotions has lacked massively in sports talk, whereas music radio capitalizes. This is especially true during the holiday shopping season. Instead of clients or partners loading up their holiday giveaways for the music station, think about what plays to your sports radio audience.
Jewelry stores, car dealers, travel companies, and resorts are just a few areas where a little creativity and the promise of the engaged sports radio listener could prevent audiences from finding other options on the radio dial. Set those appointments not just with guests, but with text-to-win contests for holiday travel vouchers or a massive ladder of gift card giveaways to the local jeweler for that one-of-a-kind Christmas gift that will never be forgotten.
It’s amazing how your content, mixed with the right promotions at the earliest point of the holiday shopping season, can keep the audience engaged with the station.
Invade Enemy Territory
It’s no secret: cross promotion always works best. If you’re on a sports radio brand where your sister station flipped to Christmas, you’re going to hear a lot of cross promos in unsold inventory with sponsor messaging and plugs to drive the audience away from your show or station.
Fight back.
What about topical and relevant cross plugs on the flipped music station driving listening appointments back to the sports radio brand? Don’t think that could be done? Why is it being done on a sports radio station in the first place? The flipped station needs that audience you cater to. Put it in reverse with some crafty and effective cross plugs of your own, and fight the battle within. The more people who come to both brands more often wins the day.
Want to really leave a dent in the Christmas surge? Have sports radio talent host the songs in specific key dayparts for cross promotion. What better way to showcase your talent to a new audience and use that marketing machine to drive new listeners?
Force A Turnover
The obvious way to battle for the holiday cume is to mix up your playlist on your sports radio station. Every bit of research shows that listeners love holiday music, hence why more stations are flipping earlier than ever before. Get into the party, mix it up with holiday favorites of your talent, and get creative with it on social media.
Every little bit of insertion helps, but it doesn’t have to be a full dive-in. The listener’s expectation is still the same: compelling content will always be the focus. That’s what your listeners expect, but putting up some lights and a little tinsel never hurts. Especially considering the average time spent listening is on the decline, dig into the B-sides and run wild for fun.
Building Community
Lastly, think community. People who consume your brand come from all backgrounds and demographics—rich to poor, young to old, male to female. A massive number of people struggle to make the holidays memorable and affordable. Instead of a cluster-wide food or toy drive, create your own and make it unique for your station. Find those top-dollar clients willing to match every donation, and unique experiences that can give a family in need a helping hand during the holidays. If sports can bring people together, there’s no reason sports radio can’t, too.
Jolly old St. Nick is out for your cume this holiday season, and there’s no end in sight to see how far he will go. While the holiday book for many sports radio brands is a throwaway, the December book is massive for closing out the most important quarter of the year.
The bottom line: sports radio doesn’t have to surrender to sleigh bells and snowflakes. With creativity, smart partnerships, cross-promotion, and a touch of holiday spirit, stations can not only protect their audience but grow it. The key is thinking differently, acting early, and leaning into what makes sports radio compelling in the first place—engaging talent, relevant content, and a connection with the community.
So, this holiday season, don’t just watch the ratings slide toward jingles and bells. Fight for every listener.
Deck the halls, mix in some fun, and make your station the destination your audience doesn’t want to leave. Because while Santa may be coming to town, the real winners will be the sports radio brands that treat December like game seven.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
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.
