October 27th, 2022 was an important day in the history of the legendary news radio brand 1010 WINS. After decades of giving listeners the world in 22 minutes on 1010 AM, the station began simulcasting on 92.3 FM.
Many observers were surprised at the announcement. Audacy New York Vice President of News Ben Mevorach said the move to an FM simulcast was a likely evolution for the venerable brand.
“It wasn’t a question of if, it was a question of when,” Mevorach told Barrett News Media. “A lot of things had to come together from a company perspective. I just think that the company saw that the world is changing, distribution platforms are changing, and 1010 WINS because of its longevity, its iconic stature, and its credibility, that there was a lot of upside that had not been realized in a market where the signal on an AM station like WINS had been a bit challenged in those later years as technology became stronger. All things sort of came together at the same time.”
While WINS-AM features 50,000 watts of power, it is a Class-B signal, meaning it must protect other stations on the 1010 frequency. That fact made it a prime target for an FM simulcast.
“There’s nowhere you can go in New York City and if you say ‘1010 WINS’ — and I don’t care what the age is, it doesn’t mean that they’re listening — but they know ‘If you give us 22 minutes, we’ll give you the world’. It’s a household brand,” said Mevorach. “Everybody knows it. Some people have moved to digital, some people have changed their radio listening habits, but we were top of mind. Always.
“So what I think happened on the FM was we were able to expand our reach, certainly in those pockets and areas where the signal was staticky. That all cleared up. Especially on the younger end of the demo, who are more inclined to sample FM, came to rediscover us, or find us for the first time. Not only did we see pretty explosive growth, the key is we’ve maintained that growth a year later. People came and they stayed.”
In the latest Nielsen ratings, 1010 WINS finished as the fifth overall station in the persons 12+ demographic. That represented a jump from seventh earlier this year.
Every news/talk radio brand is in search of a new and younger audience. 1010 WINS is no different, and Audacy New York knew adding the FM simulcast would be a driver in reaching those listeners.
“It was a critical factor to reach a younger demo. The sustainability of any brand is to find a new audience. It’s critically important to be on FM,” Mevorach said. “Young people will push it out and if they’re saying ‘I wonder if there’s a news station out there’, they’re more likely to go searching on the FM dial than the AM dial, and that’s why today it’s so important for us to be on FM.”
1010 WINS will always have an eye toward the future, Mevorach said, including how the FM simulcast plays into the branding of the all-news station.
“The question is, where are we five years from now? Or two years from now? And what do I do now to prepare for that? Do we one day become All News 92.3 FM? I would say to you probably, but not right now,” Mevorach admitted. “Because the 1010 WINS portion of this is still so incredibly entrenched in people’s minds. To diminish that part of the brand? It’s just not the right time to do that. So we will evolve, we will change, and we will find new ways.”
Mevorach concluded that while the brand will likely change one day, the station’s commitment to credible, unbiased, and trustworthy New York news coverage is unwavering.
NAB Show New York has frequently been the place to be to see the latest in broadcast technology and hear about the state of the industry. That fact was cemented by the latest show earlier this week.
The NAB reports that 12,000 attendees took in the sights and sounds of the latest show hosted at the Javits Center in New York City. That figure represents a 28% increase compared to the 2022 show.
225 panel sessions were held over the course of the show, featuring more than 300 speakers.
270 exhibitors were on hand, including 60 first-time participants.
The next NAB Show New York will be held on October 8-10th, 2024. Meanwhile, the larger event hosted by the NAB in Las Vegas is scheduled for April 13-17th, 2024.
Edison Research has recently shared a preview of the latest findings from its ongoing Share of Ear study. The report provides insights into the audio consumption habits of Americans aged 13 and above during the third quarter of 2023. The report highlights that traditional over-the-air (OTA) radio maintains a strong presence while streaming audio continues to grow in popularity.
AM/FM radio continues to be a popular choice for daily audio consumption, making up 37% of the total share. This includes both traditional over-the-air and online streaming. In addition, podcasts have reached a new milestone by constituting 11% of all daily audio consumption for this demographic. Similarly, streaming music has also seen an uptick, securing a 19% share of daily audio consumption.
On the other hand, music that we own, such as CDs and digital files, has experienced a decline and now accounts for only 5% of the time we spend listening to audio on a daily basis. Other categories of audio content, such as SiriusXM, YouTube for music and videos, and audiobooks, make up the rest of the share, with percentages ranging from 3% to 14% of daily audio consumption.
Edison Research and Amazon Ads have announced an upcoming webinar scheduled on November 2nd titled “Audio in Evolution: Five Megatrends from a Decade of Streaming Research”. The webinar aims to explore significant trends driving the growth in audio consumption and discuss the brand opportunities these trends could bring in audio advertising.
The study will utilize data from Edison Research’s Share of Ear and Infinite Dial, complemented by a survey of 1,058 US adults and in-depth interviews with 30 individuals, to shed light on the future trajectory of audio consumption trends.
The Phoenix Suns have named Amanda Pflugrad as the team’s new sideline reporter for local TV broadcasts.
The team on Thursday posted a message from Pflugrad as part of the announcement. She expressed her excitement to be working back at home in Arizona.
“I remember cheering on the Suns when I was a little girl here in the Valley,” Pflugrad said. “My dad was a football coach at ASU. My brother played wide receiver there, and I also got my sports broadcasting start as well here in Arizona.”
“I cannot wait to make this community proud,” she added.
Amanda Pflugrad joins the Suns after spending the last eight years working for the Boston Celtics as a reporter and host.
A 2010 graduate of the University of Oregon, Pflugrad has had previous stints reporting, hosting and presenting for SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, the New York Jets and CBS Sports coverage of AVP Beach Volleyball.
The Seattle Seahawks are donning their highly anticipated throwback uniforms for their game Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, and FOX NFL analyst Daryl “Moose” Johnston is ready.
Seattle’s uniforms pay homage to the Seahawks teams of the 90s that ruled the turf of the Kingdome.
Johnston was a guest on Brock & Salk on Thursday and host and former Seahawk Brock Huard asked if he and his broadcast partner Adam Admin would be taking part in the throwback in some way.
“I was not aware that it was spreading off the field, but yeah, I’m up for taking advantage, taking part in that,” Johnston said. “I could go with some 90s apparel in the booth, I could get some eye black. I guess I could see if I could dig up my old foam neck roll and have that on.”
“If you wear your old foam neck roll, that will be, as far as I’m concerned, the greatest commentary design I’ve seen,” co-host Mike Salk responded. “That would be number one.”
Johnston won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys in the 90s. Moose made his living as a fullback blocking for Emmitt Smith.
While working in television absolutely helped take his career to the next level, Dan Patrick believes hosting a radio show is more enjoyable because it’s a truer reflection of his personality and what he wants to cover and discuss.
Patrick appeared on the SI Media Podcast with Jimmy Traina this week where he was asked about his preference for radio. Dan said he’s always had a passion for the medium and when it comes to his program, he loves the studio audience aspect with the Dan-ettes.
Traina said that given the quickly changing landscape in sports media, TV viewing habits are constantly changing with streaming, social media has become a news source, radio just exists. Jimmy wondered about the state of radio in the sports media bubble in Dan’s view, and Patrick said it feels like fewer and fewer people want to be in sports radio.
“I don’t know how many people still want to do radio,” he said. “A lot of people want to do podcasts. Everybody wants to be on TV. I didn’t enjoy TV. It’s a lot of work, it wasn’t fun from the standpoint of everything is mapped out to the second. And you might have 32 seconds to talk about this. Or you got a highlight over here and you got to do an on-camera read, there could be a variety of things.”
“It’s just it’s not as freelance fun as what radio is,” Dan added. “And I Just love where I can say something on radio, and if I give you the visualization, it’s up to you. You put that in your head. The power of that to connect with somebody in their car, in their home, and it’s just your voice. There’s nothing there to dress it up. It’s just your voice, your thoughts. And I just think that’s really powerful. It’s always been that way with me.”
Dan Patrick said he wasn’t trying to put down podcasting. He respects podcast hosts but still believes radio is far superior.
“I respect podcasts, but I still think that radio is the purest form of what we do because you can call in, you can email the show, you can tweet the show, so you have a relationship with your audience in real-time,” Dan Patrick said. “And I cherish that. I never, ever dismiss that. It’s important that they know that you’re kind of talking to them one one-on-one.”
John Howell, a seasoned name in Chicago radio, recently found himself at a crossroads. After over four decades in the industry, his journey at WLS 890 AM came to a close in September. But instead of fading away silently, he decided to make his voice heard in a powerful op-ed for The Chicago Sun-Times.
In his op-ed, John Howell passionately conveys his concern about the direction in which radio has been heading. He highlights a pressing issue – the dangerous spread of falsehoods, conspiracies, and divisive content under the deceptive banner of “It’s just business.” It’s a sentiment that resonates deeply with those who share his views on responsible journalism.
John Howell knows the power of media all too well, and he draws a crucial distinction between using exaggeration and satire for commentary and intentionally misleading and misinforming an audience. The rise of extreme rhetoric from both ends of the spectrum troubles him deeply.
It’s a poignant warning that calls on radio hosts and the companies they represent to exercise restraint and discretion, especially when dealing with serious, incendiary, life-and-death topics.
His message is clear: don’t pander to the under-informed, as you’ll eventually regret it. Those who do so should be held accountable, along with their enablers and sponsors. It’s a call for ethical journalism that reminds us that with great power comes an even greater responsibility.
In a recent interview with Barrett News Media, John Howell talks about his motivation for penning the article, his greatest accomplishment in his remarkable career, and how the news/talk format can strike the balance between sharing ideas and listening to different viewpoints.
Ryan Hedrick: What has been the industry’s response to your op-ed, published by various media outlets, including The Chicago Sun-Times?
John Howell: I’ve heard from many people in the business and many people outside of the business.
RH: What prompted you to write the op-ed?
JH: The killing of the six-year-old here in Chicago. It was national news, and it still is; seeing that, I was waiting for the proper moment to put my thoughts out there on the responsibilities of radio stations, companies, and hosts, and that seemed like the event to express myself.
I didn’t just want to have it come from my firing. I thought complaining about the industry was gratuitous and self-indulgent, and I wanted to wait until it was relevant. That’s what prompted me to write the piece.
RH: You’ve been in the industry a long time. What do you think about current trends?
JH: The old adage of broadcast is no longer. People find their niche, and they exploit their niche. If it’s a narrow, deep vein, they are going to mine it for all it’s worth. I understand why music radio stations play the same records over and over again. I get that. You have to be very careful. With a microphone comes great power, meaning you have to exhibit some good responsibility. You can not trigger the stupid.
I wrote in my piece that the vast majority of talk radio listeners are very well informed; you don’t have to worry about them missing your satire or your double entendre. It is a small majority of people. As a host or station, you are not responsible for giving them a reason to run off the rails.
RH: Do you think conservative news/talk radio can strike a balance and invite people who don’t agree with them to have a conversation?
JH: Terrestrial radio has painted itself into a position now where everybody is going to have to find their small but loyal audience. I don’t see many successful stations that broadcast to the city or the state any longer. This is due in part to technology with syndicated radio programs that don’t cost the local stations anything.
I understand the business aspect of this as well. I do bemoan the day you had major radio stations in small and large markets that reflected the community. A lot of that is gone now, and I don’t think that it’s coming back.
RH: What are you most proud of in your 40-year broadcast career?
JH: I had some very successful shows in country and rock music. Those are great moments in my career. I am most proud that I’ve been accused of being too hip for the room. In other words, I’ve never really said anything on the radio I truly did not believe. I’ve gotten into topics I wanted to avoid exploring in the past based on what the station wanted to be done, and I abandoned all that pretty quickly.
As I’ve written in a couple of pieces since I’ve been on the beach, I only talk about interesting things. I refuse to peddle chicken excrement and call it chicken salad. I just won’t do it. If it costs me money, it costs me money, I won’t do it. I prefer the view from the high road.
RH: Did your firing at WLS come as a surprise?
JH: I knew I was an outlier. There’s no doubt. You just had to listen to the station. The station has been lagging in the ratings for a long time. But, budgetarily, I was one of two local shows. Local shows can be eliminated overnight, and then you have to flip a switch and bring in a syndicated host or somebody already on staff. It was not unexpected. The timing was surprising to me.
RH: Do you plan to get back into the business?
JH: I’ll see what the future holds. There have been inquiries about my availability for stations in Chicago and some other networks. I was never a big spender; I saved a lot of money, and I am in a good position where I’ll be fine if I spend the days in creative pursuits other than radio. There are plenty of opportunities, and I will explore those when the time is right.
RH: What changes would you make if you could change the news/talk format right now?
John Howell: I don’t know if there are any mechanisms available right now, either through communities or the government. I’m not for censorship, I’m not for a fairness doctrine, I’m not for any of that, but stations have demonstrated that it’s difficult for them to self-police, and I don’t have the answers. If I did have that answer, I would probably be in management.
Chris “Mad Dog” Russo was put through the wringer this week after the Diamondbacks won the NL pennant. Russo ahead of Game 6 in the series said he would retire if Arizona came back from down 3-2 to go to the World Series. 92.3 The Fan hosts Ken Carman and Anthony Lima went on the defensive of Russo, saying Gambo’s comments – even if said in a joking way – were out of line.
Arizona Sports host Jon Gambadoro was among those in sports media who felt like Mad Dog needed to follow through on what he said, which he later clarified he would retire from hosting on the SiriusXM channel that bears his name. The Burns & Gambo host joked that Russo was “past his prime.”
“There’s no hosts out there I dislike enough to start ripping publicly like that,” Carman said on Carman and Lima’s Emerging Podcast Scene on Thursday.
Ken Carman went on to say that any claims Mad Dog is in the twilight of his career is sorely mistaken. Gambadoro did say he and Russo are friends. But Carman said saying things like Mad Dog is past his prime or implying he’s over the hill is not only false, but it’s something you should probably keep private.
“I don’t know why you would take swings at a guy like that when obviously he still knows major people in the business,” he said.
“I just don’t know why I would put myself in the crosshairs when I’m trying to keep a career going, and I could learn from these people who still have careers going obviously,” Carman added. “That’s what I don’t understand.”
Lima felt like a lot of the whole thing has been blown out of proportion.
“I didn’t even think there was a lot of conviction behind it,” he said.
For three to four hours every day, news/talk radio hosts spend time opining on the news of the day in their communities, cities, the country, and across the world. And while there are certainly varying viewpoints on every issue, one thing we can all agree on is the news cycle has been gloomy in recent weeks (one may argue years, but let’s keep it more recent).
We’re talking about war, a tough economic climate, and a Presidential election is around the corner. We need levity, we need humor, and we can’t spend three or four hours every day telling our listeners why their city, country, or planet is in a bad place. They might catch a quarter hour or two, but will they hang around for a barrage of bad news? I’ve never thought so.
It’s why I’ve written a lot lately about how news/talk can approach or dive into certain topics, when appropriate, that breaks up the monotony of the news cycle. Example A: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.
As I wrote earlier in the month, this is a great story to keep tabs on. It appeals to in-demo (25-54) males who are football fans and have kids, plus women who are Taylor Swift fans (and maybe football fans) with kids. It’s what they’re talking about around their dinner table, so why wouldn’t you want to dive into it too?
Those who can’t stand it? Probably your “Get-Off-My-Lawn” guy. That’s ok. We love them, too, but it doesn’t grow the audience to superserve them every quarter hour of a show.
So on that similar note, in a never-ending search for positivity and relatability, I took a chance in welcoming the KCMO Talk Radio audience into the most personal space I’ve ever welcomed them into.
This week, we did a gender reveal on air. I had my wife and two daughters come into the studio for a segment as the four of us found out live on air what our third child, and their second sibling, would be.
None of us knew the answer ahead of the on-air reveal. My oldest daughter was adamant about wanting a brother. I thought it was a girl (I play the odds), while my wife thought it was a boy.
As it turned out, I was right because even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.
We ate a cupcake that was made with either pink or blue frosting in the middle to find out what gender the baby would be, and it was my oldest who broke the news on air when she bit into it and said “It’s pink”.
It was a vulnerable moment for our family, but the overwhelming response via the phones, text lines, and social media (in our most-viewed Facebook post of 2023 thus far), made me realize it was the right decision.
Now, there were dissenters. There always are. Some called me “woke” for doing a gender reveal. As I explained to them, the “woke” thing to do would be to wait until Kindergarten to let the child pick their gender. Some asked why I would bring another kid into the world when the whole planet is going to hell in a handbasket. Huh? I’m sure they’re fun at cocktail parties.
I know this is going to shock you, but my gut tells me those dissenters are the same people who don’t like any conversations around Taylor Swift or Travis Kelce. Call me crazy, but I feel quite confident coming to that conclusion.
The overwhelming majority of listeners are never going to be upset when you share important life moments with them. It makes you more relatable as a personality beyond the topics and issues of the day. You make that connection that has always made radio the most intimate media platform.
And it will be the ones they remember too. So when appropriate, bring them into your life. You’re a human being, not a hot-take machine. Be vulnerable. And enjoy it and have fun along the way.
When Monumental Sports & Entertainment purchased the remaining 67% stake of NBC Sports Washington from NBCUniversal last August, it marked a historic occasion for the enterprise and significant addition to its portfolio. The entity owns the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Washington Mystics of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL), along with Capital One Arena and other sports franchises.
It made the prudential decision as the regional sports network faced increased scrutiny and turbulence, catalyzing a change in core business strategy. While teams were recovering from the global pandemic and compensating personnel with large contracts, the regional broadcast products were growing less profitable and subsequently confronted with an ambiguous future.
As evidenced in the past year, Diamond Sports Group, a subsidiary of Sinclair, Inc., declared Ch. 11 bankruptcy and is currently within an exclusivity window trying to restructure debt equating to more than $8 billion. Facing mounting pressure from professional sports leagues and distributors, the company has selectively rejected contracts throughout the process, a situation Major League Baseball foresaw prior to the start of its 162-game regular season. The uncertainty has precipitated obloquy towards Diamond, with an obfuscatory business strategy and structure presumably on the horizon.
Once a lucrative subset of sports media, some regional sports networks find themselves in plight as the industry’s ecosystem transitions with new technologies and refined consumption habits. Consumers have a variety of choices on many platforms, and brands are ultimately competing to earn shares of attention that convert into brand affinity and loyalty. By attracting viewers and transforming them into devoted fans, these networks are able to continue growing their reach and revenue while remaining relevant.
Zach Leonsis, Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s president of media and new enterprises, was heavily involved in the decision to grow its media ventures and involvement in the space. The company recently completed a full rebrand of NBC Sports Washington to Monumental Sports Network, introducing a lineup of new programming and functionalities, along with live game broadcasts of their local teams. If the model proves to be adopted by teams en masse, it is likely that Monumental Sports & Entertainment would be considered among the “innovator” category within the diffusion of innovations curve.
“We were certainly one of the first teams to buy our rights back, and we have seen several teams take their rights back moving forward as well,” Leonsis said. “I think that teams are well-positioned to do this, and there are a number of independents who have proven that they can manage distribution and provide a quality TV product for their fans.”
Over half of Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s yearly revenue emanates from media ventures both at the regional and national levels. Even before the abeyance of professional sports due to health and safety concerns associated with the global pandemic, the value proposition of teams owning their media rights was becoming more alluring and palpable in scope. Although it was difficult to completely offset some of the fiscal losses these leagues endured, the abridged and restricted return of sports in bubble formats sans fans helped recoup some of the expected profits.
“When you get a lot of change, it can present challenges, of course, but it can also present great opportunities,” Leonsis said, “and I think that our platform in Monumental Sports & Entertainment has been and continues to be well-positioned to take advantage of new investments [and] new acquisitions.”
Leonsis is an integral part of the company’s future, spearheading a revolutionary process to change the way consumers watch sports in the Washington metropolitan area and beyond. As the son of Ted Leonsis, owner and chief executive officer of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, he has studied and attained the erudition necessary to become a stellar businessperson, remaining cognizant of the present while thinking about the future.
Zach Leonsis earned his master of business administration at Georgetown University after matriculating at the University of Pennsylvania, receiving an undergraduate degree in communications and commerce. Through a combination of his studies and watching his father exercise his foresight and ability to interpret and thrive in situations of discordance, he recognized how essential it is to keep a broad point of view and not become consumed by one particular silo of business.
“We don’t operate any of our businesses individually,” Leonsis said. “We have one, shared collective leadership team that operates everything together [and] think that we’re stronger by doing that.”
Referring to the theory as the “platform effect,” Leonsis posits that the synergies and workflows within individual teams render seamless collaboration and amalgamate to form a strong final product. Through the utilization of that thereof, the vertical integration of portions of the brand can be actualized and made more effective. Furthermore, entities can engage in a comprehensive review of their internal strengths and weaknesses, along with potential external sources of windfall and affliction. In particular, Leonsis has focused on new technologies and initiatives, recognizing the company’s efforts to invest in sports betting, Esports and other growing spaces.
The company has had interest in its media properties for several years and was keenly observant of the hastened pace of cord cutting when it was negotiating its agreement with Comcast Corporation in the latter half of 2016. As a result, Monumental Sports & Entertainment worked with NBC Sports Group to create a digital sports and entertainment over-the-top (OTT) sidecar platform, which subsequently obtained an equity partnership in the venture. Shortly thereafter, the entity launched a direct-to-consumer (DTC) product offering live streams of games for the Washington Mystics (WNBA) and Washington Valor (AFL), its first experimentation in the space.
“I think we pride ourselves on being first-movers; we pride ourselves on being calculated risk-takers,” Leonsis said. “We’ve had a great track record of success, [but] we’ve had some failures too – we’re not afraid to admit that – and we’ll continue to operate in that same fashion moving forward with the quest to build the world’s most valuable regional sports and entertainment property.”
In completing the acquisition of NBC Sports Washington, Monumental Sports & Entertainment worked internally to develop a new identity and reinvent its airwaves. The company forged a partnership with brand agency, HZ, which helped develop the new logo, marketing campaign and other extensions. The network revealed its new slogan, “The game’s on,” and launched a brand video featuring the new look, along with on-air talent and highlights from its various properties.
In making this strategic business transaction, Leonsis felt it was an opportunity for the company to play both offense and defense. As it pertains to being on the offensive, being able to maximize the potential of the vertical integration and opportunity to reestablish the instantiation of coverage throughout the locale were points of benefit within the deal.
Monumental Sports & Entertainment completed equity financing since then and now has the ability to control its direction with ownership of the live and local rights. Because of this, the sports and entertainment firm has future opportunities within its own purview, whereas it worked with an external media partner and did not have as much latitude in this regard. No longer outsourcing regional coverage and distribution permits the company to focus on promulgating its assets and providing viewers with unrivaled, behind-the-scenes coverage.
“I think we really viewed it as an opportunity to buy our rights back as opposed to buy the network,” Leonsis said. “While the RSN business has had plenty of editorial around its demise, I would not conflate the demise of an RSN system with the value of the local rights.”
With rising team valuations and player salaries, there are concerns regarding the affordability of live sports. Certain marketplaces feature ticket prices that are not affordable to most fans, making the prospect of going to a game exceedingly rare. Teams often utilize a dynamic pricing model and have special promotions on seats throughout the year, equipping media channels as a means of promotion to drive fans to their venues.
Over time though, there has been a greater focus collectively placed on the viewing experience, hence the introduction of DTC platforms with innovations such as real-time advanced statistics and different commentary options. The consumer is being granted more control than ever before, a critical point of differentiation within the Monumental Sports Network DTC service, which was introduced earlier in October.
Through the platform, fans have access to multiple camera angles during live home games, along with the ability to rewind and replay action both in real time and slow motion. Moreover, the network has introduced a daily newsletter complete with news, scores and other information. The platform, which allows fans to watch Monumental Sports Network live on multiple devices, is currently available on the web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV with more platforms to come in the near future.
“We used our preseason as a dress rehearsal and really a public beta to try to work through a lot of [potential] issues, and we think we made a tremendous amount of progress through that,” Leonsis said. “We’re going to be uber-critical internally of how we’re performing; we’re going to be reviewing how we’re driving subscribers, monitoring churn [and] watching viewership on the network on a daily basis, not even a weekly basis.”
Leonsis considers the entity fortunate to have received previous experience in this space so it is able to better serve the consumer and avoid some of the shortcomings and common mistakes made in the early stages of launch. In being able to leverage its properties at all levels of professional sports, the platform has the potential to benefit the District at large rather than solely fans of the area’s teams.
“We’ll continue to do additional work with local high schools and colleges so we can build out a real grassroots and amateur space community,” Leonsis said. “I think we have an opportunity to build this into a real community asset, and great programming begets great partnerships, relationships and the like, so we’re excited about what we’re investing back into.”
The Capitals, who captured a Stanley Cup championship in 2018, have a team with veteran talent headlined by forward Alexander Ovechkin, who is chasing the all-time NHL scoring record. Ovechkin netted his 800th career goal last season and currently sits just 70 goals behind Wayne Gretzky for the prestigious mark. The 38-year-old is quickly approaching the milestone as the team looks to thrive in the competitive Metropolitan division.
“We are documenting so much of his run – we had incredible footage from when he broke the 800-goal mark and when he broke Gordie Howe’s record, and I think our fans have an insatiable appetite for wanting to understand more from Ovi directly,” Leonsis said. “‘How does it feel? How do his teammates rally around him and what not?’ We’ll continue to leverage that behind-the-scenes access and tell that story.”
The company recently reached a deal with Robinhood, a financial services platform, to serve as the official jersey patch sponsor for the Wizards. Additionally, the brand will be featured throughout broadcast coverage, including as the presenting sponsor for Wizards Postgame Live. The transaction serves as an example of business opportunities and integration across the company in different areas of focus.
“We’ll all gain a bit more flexibility as we move forward,” Leonsis said. “We’ve fully integrated our ad sales team with our larger partnership team, and we’re seeing great uplift from that as well.”
Simultaneously, questions naturally arise regarding how genuine the coverage is in expressing news, information and opinions under the same roof as ownership. There are plenty of independent media outlets that cover sports teams, but there are some concerns about being able to proffer unbridled opinions and remain objective when consolidated in this sense.
Regional sports networks have rarely been solely owned by a professional sports team and often provide varied and deft opinions. Altogether, producing and propagating coverage through the same platform poses risks to equitable and impartial coverage, Monumental Sports & Entertainment points to other examples of ongoing instances – specifically those in New York City – that have proven successful in the space.
“Clearly there are best-in-class examples [with] networks like the YES Network and MSG Networks,” Leonsis said. “We have another independent network here locally in MASN – that’s our neighbor – and so our focus is going to be on delivering what we do best: behind-the-scenes access and really, really high-quality programming.”
Some regional sports networks launching direct-to-consumer platforms have created various purchasing options to grant fans more capability in selecting what they want to receive. For example, fans are able to purchase individual games on some services, gaining access to the proceedings as if they had a single-game ticket. Monumental Sports & Entertainment decided not to take this approach in an effort to mitigate difficulties and complexity, instead offering fans either a monthly or annual package. TV Everywhere subscribers can access an equivalent to the annual plan using valid login credentials.
“We didn’t slice things by team [and] we didn’t slice things by individual games,” Leonsis said. “We want to try to over-deliver [and] we want our platform to be intuitive to use.”
The first 10,000 subscribers to the annual membership package receive an exclusive, limited-edition bobblehead set of three which includes the aforementioned Ovechkin, along with Kyle Kuzma and Elena Delle Donne. Along with the bobbleheads, which play audio of game calls from Monumental Sports Network play-by-play announcers, all annual subscribers receive a score of other benefits. Some of these include a 20% discount off team merchandise and apparel, discounted tickets for a selected monthly game and pre-sale ticket access.
“I think about our direct-to-consumer offering like, ‘What is the Amazon Prime equivalent for our company, Monumental Sports?,’” Leonsis explained, “and that’s something that I think we are uniquely positioned to offer that might be more challenging for a third-party network.”
Leonsis knows that rights are going to be distributed in a variety of ways in the years to come; however, the mission for teams remains the same in generating interest. On average, Capital One Arena welcomes 3 million people through its turnstiles each year, and the teams are focused on providing a safe and enjoyable in-arena experience with a product that resonates with fans and keeps them coming back.
“We, as teams, are direct-to-consumer businesses ourselves,” Leonsis said. “We have millions of emails and names in our database here locally, and that better positions us to frankly grow and scale a direct-to-consumer product.”
Monumental Sports & Entertainment is currently in the process of constructing a state-of-the-art studio and production space adjacent to the arena set to open in Q1 2024. The two-story, SMPTE 2110 facility is set to include two studios with the ability to combine for certain broadcasts if necessary. Additionally, two insert studios and five control rooms will allow the network to produce multiple events in real time, an ability especially useful because of the frequent overlap between Wizards and Capitals games. Everything will be connected through cloud-based technology that will enhance the network’s capabilities to efficiently turn ideas into reality.
“We expect to improve and increase our video quality across all of our programs from 1080i to 1080p at 30 frames per second to 60 frames per second,” Leonsis said, “and we’ll be ready to go 4K when our distributors are ready for that too.”
The studio will also lend itself for producing ancillary programming surrounding the games, such as pregame and postgame shows, team-oriented news programs and highlight-based presentations. As part of the change, the network tabbed hosts Wes Hall and Alexa Landestoy to host weekly series for the Wizards and Capitals, respectively, and also reached a deal to bring Rachel Nichols to its airwaves to host an interview format series. Nichols covered the Capitals with The Washington Post during her formative years in the industry and currently serves as a contributor to Undisputed on FOX Sports 1.
“She obviously lends a lot of credibility, not just to the NBA but all of sports,” Leonsis said. “I think our athletes really, really respect her; our fans instantly recognize her and the cache that she’s brought, I think will do a lot for our air and perfectly complements the kind of brand that we’re trying to build.”
As a company, Monumental Sports & Entertainment is focused on building the world’s most valuable regional sports and entertainment platform. The company wants to surpass $1 billion in revenue, a goal Leonsis divulged that it is “well over halfway there” in attaining.
Through various endeavors and operating in the ninth-largest designated market area (DMA), according to the latest report by Nielsen Media Research, Zach Leonsis and the team at Monumental Sports & Entertainment are focused on crafting a product built for fans. By honoring tradition and staying focused on the future, the enterprise is excited about being able to shape its programming and broadcasts for years to come.
“We have some really exciting things ahead, I think, as we continue our transformation over these next few months,” Leonsis said, “and by the time we get to the beginning of 2024, I think fans are really, really going to be delighted with what they see.”
