Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs earned the first of three playoff victories necessary for the team to capture its third consecutive Super Bowl championship. The victory over the Houston Texans was broadcast live on ESPN, ABC and ESPN+ and averaged 33.8 million viewers, according to fast national data from Nielsen Media Research. As a result, the contest is the most-watched NFL game in the history of ESPN dating back to 1987. The game peaked with 39.5 million viewers during the 7 to 7:15 p.m. EST quarter-hour, marking the highest peak audience of any network on the day.
The game is up 4% year-over-year from the divisional round contest between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens in the early Saturday window last year. This presentation is also the most-watched non-Super Bowl NFL game for The Walt Disney Company, surpassing the audience for all 25 Disney NFL Playoff games taking place in the previous 29 years. Fourteen of these games were exclusively on ABC between 1996 and 2015, one was an ESPN exclusive and 10 were available on both ABC and ESPN from 2016 to 2024.
The Chiefs-Texans game is also the most-watched matchup under play-by-play announcer Joe Buck, analyst Troy Aikman and reporter Lisa Salters, who recently completed their third season working together. With this lead NFL broadcasting team, ESPN has aired seven of its eight most-watched NFL games in history. Furthermore, it is coming off its second most-watched season of Monday Night Football in network history, which averaged 15 million viewers per game.
ESPN and The Walt Disney Company will be broadcasting Super Bowl LXI to conclude the 2026 season from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. It will mark the first time both networks are simulcasting the Super Bowl championship and the first time ESPN has aired the Big Game in its history. The company is within its third year of a 10-year media rights deal with the NFL reportedly worth $2.7 billion annually.
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.
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.
On Saturday night, the Washington Commanders pulled off an upset victory against the No. 1-seeded Detroit Lions, punching their ticket to the NFC Championship Game. The NFC matchup averaged 33.6 million viewers across FOX, FOX Deportes and FOX Sports streaming platforms, marking the fourth most-watched Saturday NFC divisional game in FOX history. Moreover, the audience for the contest is projected to have peaked with 35.7 million viewers from the quarter-hour from 9:30 to 9:45 p.m. EST, according to data from Nielsen Media Research and Adobe Analytics.
FOX broadcast the Saturday NFC divisional game in the late-window last year, which featured the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers and averaged 37.54 million viewers. The Commanders-Lions game was down 10.5% year-over-year. Compared to the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles game in the comparable window two years ago, accruing an average of 28.64 million viewers, the game is up by 17.3%. FOX also broadcast the late-Sunday window divisional game under the previous broadcast deal, which amassed an average of 45.65 million viewers in the 2022 season when the 49ers faced the Dallas Cowboys.
The lead NFL on FOX broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt, analyst Tom Brady and sideline reporters Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi were on the call for the game. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels garnered headlines securing his spot as the sixth rookie quarterback in NFL history to play in a conference championship game. Meanwhile, the result was disappointing for the Lions, who were looking to return to the NFC Championship Game and qualify for the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.
FOX Sports is in the midst of a 10-year media rights contract with the NFL reportedly worth $2.25 billion per year. The company will present Super Bowl LIX from New Orleans, La. next month on its linear broadcast network, along with streaming in 4K on the Tubi platform for the first time. The NFL is coming off its most-watched Super Bowl in league history, drawing an average of 123.7 million viewers on CBS, Nickelodeon, Univision, Paramount+ and NFL digital platforms, which was also the most-viewed television program in U.S. history.
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.
Steve Scarpetti has announced that, after 25 years, he is stepping down from his full-time on-air duties at Rocker WHJY, Providence, where he is co-host of the “Doug & Scarpetti Show.”
He wrote on Facebook, “It’s been a hell of a run. I got to live my radio dream. From meeting my heroes, concerts, station trips, and working with some of the best talent in radio. It’s a part of my life that I will always cherish.”
The post continues that he will be staying on it in a part-time role and will continue to host “The Metal Zone.” His last full-time day is January 24.
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Paul Gallo, who spent more than five decades behind the microphone as one of the most prominent voices in Mississippi talk radio, died on Sunday at the age of 77.
Host of The Gallo Radio Show on SuperTalk Mississippi, Gallo had been with the statewide network since 1990, serving as “the heartbeat of the SuperTalk Mississippi network,” the outlet shared as it noted his death.
“Mississippi has lost a giant today,” said SuperTalk Mississippi Media owner Steve Davenport. “For over 30 years he was my friend – a true brother in broadcast and in life. To Paul, radio wasn’t just a career, it was a calling. His favorite part of the job, as he often said, was ‘our audience family.’
“His listeners weren’t just numbers, they were the pulse of everything he did,” Davenport continued. “He made everyone feel like they were sitting across the table from an old friend, drawn in by his voice and captivated by his unwavering passion for Mississippi. I will miss him dearly, just as I know people from all corners of this state will miss him.”
“Paul Gallo’s voice may be silent, but his stories, his legacy, and his vision will forever echo across the state he loved so dearly,” a statement from SuperTalk Mississippi concluded.
According to the outlet, Gallo is survived by his wife of 55 years, Patsy, their two children, six grandchildren, and three grandchildren.
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.
Throughout the NFL season, there has been speculation pertaining to the broadcast future of analyst Tom Brady, who is on the verge of completing his first season in the booth with FOX Sports. Brady, who is reportedly under contract for 10 years and $375 million, is also said to have been assisting in the head-coaching search for the Las Vegas Raiders as a minority owner of the team.
Although he has been operating under restrictions throughout the season that hinder his ability to attend production meetings, access team facilities and publicly criticize officials, he has elicited mixed reviews and demonstrated avidity towards the role. Brady officially acquired a 5% stake in the Raiders upon being approved by NFL owners this past October.
Don Yee, Brady’s agent, recently told Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal that his client intends to finish the full length of his contract. Brady, alongside play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt, appeared to confirm that sentiment during Saturday’s presentation of the Rams-Eagles divisional round game. Boomer Esiason, who called Monday Night Football games for ABC and Westwood One throughout his career in sports media, gave his perspective on the situation surrounding Brady on Monday’s edition of Boomer & Gio on WFAN.
“Yeah, it’s 100% a conflict of interest, but that $370 million that FOX gave Tom Brady to do this 10-year deal probably was a lot of the money that went into the Raiders, I would think,” Esiason said. “He’s made so much money in his career, and he’s obviously one of the most popular players in the history, and no matter where he goes, and if he decides to give a speaking engagement, I’m sure it’s probably for at least a half a million to a million dollars, and he’s pretty good when he goes into those situations and he’s very sought after.”
Esiason added that he does not believe NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is going to get involved since the putative quandary involves Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion who is synonymous with the sport. Co-host Gregg Giannotti acknowledged that Goodell went after Brady pretty hard as a player, but Esiason voiced that it did not seem as if anything would be done. On the contrary, he voiced that the league is ostensibly allowing him to be himself and do what he wants under the aforementioned constraints. Esiason compared Peyton and Eli Manning to Brady in terms of their broadcasting and the approach they took to become involved in sports media.
“[The Mannings have] built in the padding for themselves – there’s not going to be a lot of criticism, if any criticism whatsoever thrown at them,” Esiason said, “but yet Tom Brady has chosen the path of Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, all the lead announcers to go from the field into the booth and suffer the slings and arrows of the criticism that comes along with that.”
Giannotti expressed that he has become immune to the broadcasts, comparing what he hears to gibberish replicated by a teacher in the Charlie Brown animated specials. There are instances, however, in which he will concentrate on the commentary. An example of such is when CBS Sports analyst Tony Romo was discussing the play calling at the goal line during the Bills-Ravens divisional matchup on Sunday night.
“I don’t really think about it – I don’t know,” Giannotti said. “I’m in sort of in my own world watching the game, paying attention and processing it myself, and I guess that’s a compliment to the broadcasters because the only time I really get annoyed with a broadcast is if I feel like they’re getting in the way of me consuming the game.”
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OutKick — the digital media entity founded by Clay Travis — finished the fourth quarter of 2024 with nearly 100 million multiplatform views, up nearly 33% compared to same quarter in 2023.
During the year’s final quarter, the platform earned 7.8 million average monthly unique visitors. According to data from Comscore, that was a 28% year-over-year increase. Additionally, the platform saw 91 million total multiplatform minutes, an increase of 25%.
“OutKick’s growth comes from having common sense and authenticity across our platform,” OutKick Senior Vice President and Managing Editor Gary Schreier said. “This has been the foundation of OutKick and has generated an increased demand for our content as other sports sites are afraid to speak their minds.”
The outlet saw 5.1 million social interactions during October, November, and December. Meanwhile, between Facebook, X, and YouTube, it featured 48.3 million video views, up 25% compared to the previous quarter, according to data from Shareablee.
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.
Welcome to the Barrett Media’s first-ever Top 20 series for Music Radio. Today’s series begins with a look at the Top 20 shows of 2024 in Rock Radio. The Rock category is comprised of shows from both the Active and Modern Rock formats. Make sure to also check out our list of Rock Radio’s Top 20 program directors too. To keep up with all of the Top 20 results, access the website section here follow BM on X, Facebook or LinkedIn or sign up for our newsletters here.
I want to thank Radio.Cloud for being our presenting sponsor of this series. If you’re not familiar with their services or how Andrew Scaglione and his team are helping brands, check them out. They’re doing excellent work, and can help your radio station.
We have created Top 20’s for the Sports and News/Talk formats for years, but this is by far the largest project we’ve ever done. 173 program directors, corporate executives, and format consultants voted in this series. 250+ were invited to be a part of it. Though some brand leaders and company executives couldn’t make time to vote and some didn’t respond, I’m ecstatic with our turnout. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reaching out to folks given that I’m a new face to some, but many knew our brand, and were excited to participate. It’s been fun connecting with so many accomplished programming professionals.
As you review these results, please remember that they represent the collective feedback shared by our industry voters. I do not vote in this process. My role is to assemble the group, collect their votes, and present the information. At the conclusion of the series, Jeff Lynn and I will record a video for the Barrett Media YouTube page sharing our takeaways from the series. Be sure to subscribe to the page so you’re notified of when the video goes live.
Given the size of Music Radio formats, we are presenting the Top 20 shows and programmers from ALL markets. This includes Major Markets, Mid-Markets, and syndicated programs. The best of the best if you will. Some formats are combined due to similarities such as AC/Hot AC, Adult/Classic Hits, and Rock (Active/Modern Rock). There are also a few shows, hosts and/or programmers who appear on lists in multiple formats due to their stations featuring music and programming that crosses over.
Important Information
#1 – Music radio is a massive space, and stations don’t always provide or update information. That makes it hard at times to issue credit to deserving programmers or hosts. We’ve tried to be accurate with the spelling of names, shows, brands, cities, and positions, but we’re human, and mistakes happen. If you see an error, please email Jason@BarrettMedia.com so we can make a correction.
#2 – We’ve asked the voters to supply photos and logos to avoid headaches. 320 images across eight (8) different formats are displayed in this series. For that reason, there are no photo changes unless it involves a mistake. Thanks in advance for understanding.
#3 – This series specifically focuses on United States terrestrial music radio shows and programmers. Shows and brand leaders with Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, SiriusXM, YouTube, podcasts and programming outside the United States are not included.
#4 – 75 Active/Modern Rock radio shows appeared on ballots turned in by our voters. Executives were asked to rank their Top 10 selections using the following criteria: Quality of Show (ear test), Originality, Ability to Entertain-Inform-Connect Across Multiple Platforms, Ratings Success, Clearance (national shows) and Industry Buzz. A 1st place vote equals 20 points, 2nd gets 18, and it goes down by 2 each time until reaching 10th and earning 2 points. Remember, our voters live in different cities, have individual tastes, work for different companies, and value certain factors higher than others. This is not a perfect system but it’s one we feel good about using to showcase the industry’s best.
#4 – 27 broadcasting companies are represented in this series. Among them include iHeartMedia, Audacy, Cumulus Media, Townsquare Media, Beasley Media, Hubbard Radio, Bonneville, Meruelo Media, Radio One, Cox Media Group, Alpha Media, Connoisseur Media, Saga Communications, Hearst Communications, Rubber City Radio Group, Cromwell Media, Press Communications, Pamal Broadcasting, Lotus Communications, Shamrock Communications, Midwest Communications, Seven Mountains Media, Summit Media, Buck Owens, Local Media San Diego, Colorado Springs Radio Broadcasters, and Milwaukee Media Group. Another 18 consulting groups were involved as well. We involve people from different groups and cities to make sure balance is provided.
#5 – Though we have a total of 173 voters in this series, the number voting on each format is lower. This is by design. We wanted experts from each format to vote on what they know best. This means that 39 programmers, consultants, and executives voted on the Rock category, not managers from other formats with less knowledge of Rock radio’s best shows and leaders.
I want to thank Dylan Barrett for doing an excellent job with our graphics, and Stephanie Eads for helping with the voting process. I’d also like to thank every single voter who made time to participate. Now without further delay, here are the Top 20 Rock Radio Shows of 2024.
Additional Notes:
Preston & Steve won this category by forty four (44) points over Dave & Chuck The Freak. WMMR’s morning duo received a category best six (6) first place votes.
Spots 21-25 belonged to Aly, Lex & Terry, Ryan Castle, Pablo, and Johnny Dare.
The closest contests saw Dave & Chuck The Freak and Bob & Brian hold off Rover’s Morning Glory and Chaz & AJ by three (3) points each.
Of the 75 shows to appear on ballots, fifteen (15) received at least one 1st place vote.
Barrett Media Top 20 of 2024 in Music Radio Upcoming Schedule:
Tuesday January 21 = BMM Top 20 Alternative Radio Shows and Program Directors
Wednesday January 22 = BMM Top 20 Classic Rock Radio Shows and Program Directors
Thursday January 23 = BMM Top 20 Adult/Classic Hits Radio Shows and Program Directors
Friday January 24 = BMM Top 20 Country Radio Shows and Program Directors
Monday January 27 = BMM Top 20 Urban/Hip-Hop Radio Shows and Program Directors
Tuesday January 28 = BMM Top 20 AC/Hot AC Radio Shows and Program Directors
Wednesday January 29 = BMM Top 20 CHR/Top 40 Radio Shows and Program Directors
Welcome to the Barrett Media’s first-ever Top 20 series for Music Radio. Today’s series begins with a look at the Top 20 program directors of 2024 in Rock Radio. The Rock category is comprised of shows from both the Active and Modern Rock formats. Make sure to also check out our list of Rock Radio’s Top 20 radio shows too. To keep up with all of the Top 20 results, access the website section here follow BM on X, Facebook or LinkedIn or sign up for our newsletters here.
I want to thank Radio.Cloud for being our presenting sponsor of this series. If you’re not familiar with their services or how Andrew Scaglione and his team are helping brands, check them out. They’re doing excellent work, and can help your radio station.
We have created Top 20’s for the Sports and News/Talk formats for years, but this is by far the largest project we’ve ever done. 173 program directors, corporate executives, and format consultants voted in this series. 250+ were invited to be a part of it. Though some brand leaders and company executives couldn’t make time to vote and some didn’t respond, I’m ecstatic with our turnout. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reaching out to folks given that I’m a new face to some, but many knew our brand, and were excited to participate. It’s been fun connecting with so many accomplished programming professionals.
As you review these results, please remember that they represent the collective feedback shared by our industry voters. I do not vote in this process. My role is to assemble the group, collect their votes, and present the information. At the conclusion of the series, Jeff Lynn and I will record a video for the Barrett Media YouTube page sharing our takeaways from the series. Be sure to subscribe to the page so you’re notified of when the video goes live.
Given the size of Music Radio formats, we are presenting the Top 20 shows and programmers from ALL markets. This includes Major Markets, Mid-Markets, and syndicated programs. The best of the best if you will. Some formats are combined due to similarities such as AC/Hot AC, Adult/Classic Hits, and Rock (Active/Modern Rock). There are also a few shows, hosts and/or programmers who appear on lists in multiple formats due to their stations featuring music and programming that crosses over.
Important Information
#1 – Music radio is a massive space, and stations don’t always provide or update information. That makes it hard at times to issue credit to deserving programmers or hosts. We’ve tried to be accurate with the spelling of names, shows, brands, cities, and positions, but we’re human, and mistakes happen. If you see an error, please email Jason@BarrettMedia.com so we can make a correction.
#2 – We’ve asked the voters to supply photos and logos to avoid headaches. 320 images across eight (8) different formats are displayed in this series. For that reason, there are no photo changes unless it involves a mistake. Thanks in advance for understanding.
#3 – This series specifically highlights terrestrial music radio shows and programmers in the United States. Shows and brand leaders from Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, SiriusXM, YouTube, podcasts and programming outside the United States are not included.
#4 – 57 Active/Modern Rock radio program directors appeared on ballots turned in by our voters. Executives were asked to rank their Top 10 using the following criteria: Quality of Shows (ear test), Originality, Ability to Entertain-Inform-Connect Across Multiple Platforms, Ratings Success, Clearance (national shows) and Industry Buzz. A 1st place vote equals 20 points, 2nd gets 18, and it goes down by 2 each time until reaching 10th and earning 2 points. Keep in mind, our voters live in different cities, have different tastes, work for different companies, and value certain things higher than others. This is not a perfect system but it’s one we feel good about using to showcase the industry’s best.
#4 – 27 broadcasting companies are represented in this series. Among them include iHeartMedia, Audacy, Cumulus Media, Townsquare Media, Beasley Media, Hubbard Radio, Bonneville, Meruelo Media, Radio One, Cox Media Group, Alpha Media, Connoisseur Media, Saga Communications, Hearst Communications, Rubber City Radio Group, Cromwell Media, Press Communications, Pamal Broadcasting, Lotus Communications, Shamrock Communications, Midwest Communications, Seven Mountains Media, Summit Media, Buck Owens, Local Media San Diego, Colorado Springs Radio Broadcasters, and Milwaukee Media Group. Another 18 consulting groups were involved as well. We involve people from different groups and cities to make sure balance is provided.
#5 – Though we have a total of 173 voters in this series, the number voting on each format is lower. This is by design. We wanted experts from each format to vote on what they know best. This means that 39 programmers, consultants, and executives voted on the Rock category, not managers from other formats with less knowledge of Rock radio’s best shows and leaders.
I want to thank Dylan Barrett for doing an excellent job with our graphics, and Stephanie Eads for helping with the voting process. I’d also like to thank every single voter who made time to participate. Now without further delay, here are the Top 20 Rock Radio Shows of 2024.
Additional Notes:
Chuck Damico claimed victory over Keith Cunningham by securing a 9 point win. Damico recorded a category best five (5) first place votes.
Spots 21-25 were held by Mark ‘Ellwood’ Mailler, Rick Everett, Greg Rambin, Rick Vaughn, and Mike Duffy.
The closest contest featured Chumley holding off Doug Palmieri by 1 point.
Of the 57 program directors to receive votes, 11 received at least one 1st place vote.
Barrett Media Top 20 of 2024 in Music Radio Upcoming Schedule:
Tuesday January 21 = BMM Top 20 Alternative Radio Shows and Program Directors
Wednesday January 22 = BMM Top 20 Classic Rock Radio Shows and Program Directors
Thursday January 23 = BMM Top 20 Adult/Classic Hits Radio Shows and Program Directors
Friday January 24 = BMM Top 20 Country Radio Shows and Program Directors
Monday January 27 = BMM Top 20 Urban/Hip-Hop Radio Shows and Program Directors
Tuesday January 28 = BMM Top 20 AC/Hot AC Radio Shows and Program Directors
Wednesday January 29 = BMM Top 20 CHR/Top 40 Radio Shows and Program Directors
2024 was a busy year in the news media industry. Fox News Digital saw gains in several metrics to make it the leader in the pack in a crowded field.
During the calendar year, the network earned the top spot in multi-platform total views, besting CNN and The New York Times in the category. Overall, Fox News had 21.1 billion total views, up 5% compared to the previous year.
The network averaged 110.7 million total visitors each month according to data compiled by Comscore. CNN, meanwhile, featured 113 million unique visitors for the year, down 7%. The New York Times saw 77 million unique visitors, relatively flat compared to 2023.
The Fox News mobile app alone reached an average of 6.2 million unique visitors each month.
41 billion total multiplatform minutes were spent on Fox News Digital platforms in 2024. That represents an increase of 11% compared to 2023. That total eclipsed the 22.5 billion minutes spent with CNN.com and 19.2 billion earned by NYTimes.com.
On social media, Fox News was the most engaged brand with 404.4 million total social interactions, up 34% according to figures from Emplifi. Instagram was the network’s most engaged platform, as 247 million interactions took place on the social media platform, with an additional 126 million coming from Facebook and 33 million on X.
Additionally, the network earned 2.8 billion views on its YouTube channel. According to Shareablee, that is a 20% increase compared to 2023 and a 3% increase over the last presidential election year in 2020.
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.
