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Pat McAfee Hints Potential Field Pass ESPN Alt-Cast Is Possible for Super Bowl LXI

BSM Staff
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Pat McAfee Hints Potential Field Pass ESPN Alt-Cast Is Possible for Super Bowl LXI

As ESPN accelerates its Year of the Super Bowl initiative ahead of Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium, one concept generating early buzz inside media circles involves a potential Field Pass alt-cast built around The Pat McAfee Show — a companion stream that could bring McAfee’s sideline-driven entertainment to the biggest broadcast in American sports.

ESPN will air the February 14, 2027 game on both ESPN and ABC with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman leading the primary call. According to a report by Front Office Sports, company executives continue exploring ways to extend the presentation across multiple platforms and audiences.

The Field Pass model, which McAfee’s crew used during the College Football Playoff, delivered impressive engagement by blending access, humor and real-time reaction without the formal constraints of a traditional booth. That experiment produced tangible results. McAfee and his castmates drew 2.4 million viewers for their Rose Bowl quarterfinal alt-cast, establishing a record for the most-watched alternative broadcast in any sport.

Still, the Super Bowl operates under far stricter broadcast guidelines than any other property on the NFL calendar. Rights approvals, sponsor integrations and league production controls complicate even minor adjustments to the viewing experience. Let alone a roaming, improvisational format built on candid reactions and sideline mobility.

McAfee addressed that potential speculation about guidelines directly on social media.

“BREAKING: Source(s) tell me that the rights hurdle is very hurdle-able,” he wrote via X. “Would be absolutely bonkers.”

McAfee’s tweet signaled optimism that obstacles may not be insurmountable. His confidence matters because McAfee has become one of ESPN’s most influential daily voices since bringing his show to the network, and his audience skews younger and more digitally engaged than traditional linear viewers.

From a strategic standpoint, incorporating McAfee into Super Bowl coverage would align with ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro’s broader mandate to leverage the full Disney portfolio while modernizing presentation styles.

Alternative broadcasts such as the ManningCast have already proven that conversational formats can drive incremental reach. A McAfee-led Field Pass at the Super Bowl would push that experimentation further by prioritizing energy and immediacy over polish.

ESPN has not officially released their broadcast plans for the Super Bowl next year.

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92.3 The Hub Brings Conservative Talk to Lubbock

BNM Staff
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92.3 The Hub Brings Conservative Talk to Lubbock

A new conservative news/talk station has launched in Lubbock, as 92.3 The Hub has launched in the market.

The new station will feature nationally syndicated shows from Mike Gallagher, Scott Jennings, Erick Erickson, Will Cain, Larry Elder, and Hugh Hewitt in its daily lineup.

The station had previously been a hip-hop station known as 92.3 The Vibe.

The new conservative talk station now enters the space opposite 790 KFYO and 1340 KKAM in the news/talk radio space in the Lubbock market.

The entire lineup for 92.3 The Hub includes:

5-8 AM: Agribusiness Today with Tony James & Steven Orr
8-11 AM: The Mike Gallagher Show
11 AM-12 PM: Archive West Texas/Lubbock Podcast Today
12-2 PM: The Scott Jennings Show
2-6 PM: The Erick Erickson Show
6-7 PM: Will Cain Country
7-9 PM: The Larry Elder Show
9 PM-11 PM: The Hugh Hewitt Show

92.3 The Hub will also utilize national news updates from TownHall.

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Jon “Stugotz” Weiner Takes Aim at Colin Cowherd Producer Over Fernando Mendoza Appearance at Super Bowl LX Radio Row

BSM Staff
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Jon “Stugotz” Weiner Takes Aim at Colin Cowherd Producer Over Fernando Mendoza Appearance at Super Bowl LX Radio Row

Some possible tension inside the FOX Sports Radio family spilled into public this week when Jon “Stugotz” Weiner accused Colin Cowherd and his producer of undercutting fellow hosts during Super Bowl LX coverage.

Speaking on Stugotz & Friends, Weiner criticized Cowherd’s program for landing Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. This followed Mendoza being booked to appear on Covino & Rich, which broadcast live from Radio Row. The dispute centers on whether Cowherd’s show overstepped by redirecting a guest who had committed to another program under the same network umbrella.

Weiner framed the issue as more than a simple scheduling mix-up, arguing that context matters during Super Bowl week because shows that travel to Radio Row invest significant time and resources for access. “For every 10 big guests Colin gets, those guys [Covino & Rich] get one,” Weiner said. “Let them have their big guests. It’s Radio Row. They’re physically there, and grinding it out. They’re doing the shows.”

While the controversy likely is more for show than serious, he contrasted the Radio Row experience with studio-based programs that rely on remote bookings. Suggesting the effort required on-site should carry weight and importance when guest opportunities arise.

“If you go to Super Bowl week and you’re physically there. It’s different than being set up at your normal studio and just having guys filter guests into you,” Weiner says. “Those guys were there grinding. That guest was theirs. It was booked on their show.”

Weiner reserved his sharpest criticism for Cowherd’s producer, whom he accused of deflecting responsibility once the controversy surfaced. While both Covino and Rich say the responsibility lies on a freelance talent booker that worked the week with the company, Stugotz’ ire didn’t miss towards Cowherd’s on site producer.

“I need to clear this up, and I don’t want to hear from Colin’s producer,” Weiner said. “Seriously, take some responsibility for your actions, man. I’m tired of the sports radio game where there’s no accountability. Everyone’s stabbing each other in the back.”

According to Weiner, the decision to pursue Mendoza did not happen accidentally. He alleged that Cowherd’s producer initiated the move and later shifted blame.

“No, it was him,” Weiner said. “He called Colin. He told Colin, ‘Hey, order the Code Red.’”

To their credit, both Covino and Rich played off the moment and used it as a growing lesson. However, Weiner leaned on his own industry resume to explain why he believes the explanation offered publicly does not add up.

“Listen, I’ve done all the jobs, man. I know all the excuses. I know what to say,” he said. “There’s nothing that anyone has done in this industry, is currently doing, that I haven’t done. I know how to weasel my way out of situations like that.”

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Netflix Reportedly Aiming To Add Barry Bonds to MLB Opening Day Coverage

BSM Staff
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Netflix Reportedly Aiming To Add Barry Bonds to MLB Opening Day Coverage

As Netflix prepares to stream its first exclusive Major League Baseball broadcast, the company is aggressively pursuing star power in an effort to make its Opening Day presentation feel less like an experiment and more like an event.

Netflix has held discussions with Barry Bonds about joining its March 25 coverage. The broadcast will feature the San Francisco Giants hosting the New York Yankees. The report was first shared by The Athletic. No agreement has been finalized at this time. If a deal is reached, Bonds is expected to appear on-site for both pregame and postgame coverage.

At the same time, Netflix has explored adding CC Sabathia to represent the Yankees’ perspective in studio coverage, according to The Athletic. Sabathia, a Hall of Fame pitcher, has built a steady media résumé since retiring. He previously appeared on MLB Network programming. He has also logged time on the YES Network.

The streamer already secured Elle Duncan as its lead studio host across sports properties, and she is expected to anchor the Opening Day pregame and postgame shows. The March 25 game marks the beginning of a three-year agreement between Netflix and Major League Baseball, signaling the platform’s most significant step into live U.S. sports.

In addition to Opening Day, Netflix will stream the Home Run Derby ahead of the All-Star Game. The platform will also carry the Field of Dreams matchup. That game features the Philadelphia Phillies and the Minnesota Twins. It is scheduled for August 13 in Dyersville.

Landing Bonds would immediately elevate the profile of the debut broadcast. The all-time home run leader with 762, Bonds spent the final 15 seasons of his career with the Giants and remains one of the most polarizing figures in baseball history.

For Netflix, that edge may be part of the appeal. Other networks have successfully integrated controversial stars into studio roles, betting that name recognition and strong opinions drive audience engagement. If Netflix follows that model, pairing Bonds with Sabathia would give its Opening Day show instant credibility, built-in storylines, and the type of cross-generational appeal that could help convert casual viewers into subscribers as the streaming wars increasingly play out on the sports calendar.

Netflix has not commented on the reporting by The Athletic.

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Dan Abrams: We’re Keeping Court TV And Expanding Distribution After Law&Crime Network Purchase

BNM Staff
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Dan Abrams: We’re Keeping Court TV And Expanding Distribution After Law&Crime Network Purchase

Earlier this week, a surprise announcement revealed that the Law&Crime Network was purchasing Court TV from Scripps. Dan Abrams, founder of the Law&Crime Network, says fans have nothing to worry about.

After news of the sale was announced, reports surfaced claiming that mass layoffs would take shape at the network. Furthermore, some reports stated that the network would be shut down.

However, Abrams says that’s not the case.

In a post on social media, Dan Abrams argued the opposite is true.

“To be really clear, with the acquisition of Court TV by Law&Crime Network, we are keeping the great Court TV network, keeping live courtroom programming and maintaining, and even expanding, its distribution,” Abrams wrote. “These will now be two distinct but complimentary (sic) brands.”

Scripps originally purchased the Court TV brand from WarnerMedia in 2019. It subsequently relaunched the channel as a 24/7 hub for legal news and proceedings.

Law&Crime Network was purchased by Jellysmack from Abrams for what was reported as a nine-figure deal in 2023. He still serves an executive for the brand.

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ESPN Announces ‘The Year of the Super Bowl’ Campaign

BSM Staff
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ESPN Announces ‘The Year of the Super Bowl’ Campaign

ESPN is officially turning the page toward its first Super Bowl broadcast with an expansive, yearlong initiative designed to build momentum across television, streaming, digital, live events and theme parks ahead of February 2027.

The network on Wednesday unveiled “The Year of the Super Bowl,” a 12-month, multi-platform celebration created in collaboration with the National Football League and backed by the full resources of The Walt Disney Company. The campaign will culminate with ESPN and ABC televising Super Bowl LXI on Feb. 14, 2027, marking the first time ESPN produces the NFL’s championship game.

The effort launched immediately following Super Bowl LX with a coordinated event titled The Handoff, spanning SoFi Stadium and Disneyland Park. During a symbolic on-air moment, longtime ESPN personality Chris Berman ceremonially passed coverage responsibilities to Scott Van Pelt, visually connecting the close of one Super Bowl to the beginning of another. Van Pelt anchored SportsCenter from SoFi Stadium, which will host Super Bowl LXI, before ESPN programming shifted to Disneyland Park the following day.

Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN chairman, described the initiative as a companywide undertaking that blends storytelling, technology and fan engagement while leveraging Disney’s global reach.

“With the full strength of The Walt Disney Company and in collaboration with the NFL, ESPN has embarked on a year-long Super Bowl celebration,” said Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN Chairman. “Across our platforms, screens, and parks, we’ll build momentum throughout the year toward Super Bowl LXI — a monumental event for sports fans everywhere and for ESPN.”

At the core of the strategy sits an ambitious content plan titled 61 Super Bowl Stories, which will unfold across ESPN platforms throughout the year. A weekly series, I Scored a Touchdown, will spotlight players who reached the end zone in the Super Bowl, offering short-form features designed for television and digital distribution.

The first installment featured David Tyree, whose touchdown in Super Bowl XLII preceded his iconic helmet catch for the New York Giants.

In addition, ESPN launched a new weekly video podcast, The Biggest Game, hosted by Jeremy Schaap, revisiting defining moments from six decades of Super Bowl history. The premiere episode featured Berman, who has covered 44 consecutive Super Bowls, and new episodes will roll out around the NFL Draft and beyond.

The campaign also extends beyond sports programming. ESPN and Disney debuted We’re Going, a marketing spot that reimagines the long-running I’m Going to Disney World tradition by assembling more than 60 Disney characters and personalities en route to Super Bowl LXI.

The ad will air across ESPN and Disney platforms, reinforcing the cross-company scope of the initiative.

Meanwhile, Disney Advertising plans to introduce premium, cross-platform opportunities tied to the yearlong celebration, offering brands integrated access across ESPN, ABC and Disney properties.

Together, the coordinated storytelling, marketing activations and live-event integrations signal ESPN’s intent to treat Super Bowl LXI not as a single broadcast window, but as a multiyear cultural moment unfolding in real time.

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Brandon Tierney Warns Sports Talk Personalities About Taking Political Stances on Air, Online

BSM Staff
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Brandon Tierney Warns Sports Talk Personalities About Taking Political Stances on Air, Online

As the volume of political discourse in sports media continues to rise stemming from Super Bowl LX, former WFAN host Brandon Tierney is drawing a firm line about where he believes that conversation should end.

During a recent episode of his YouTube program, BT Unleashed, the longtime sports radio host delivered a blunt message to commentators who routinely blend partisan viewpoints into their analysis. He argues that many in the industry have overestimated both their influence and their audience’s appetite for political takes.

“You’re not nearly as important as you think you are,” Tierney said. “Nobody gives a s**t about what you think about politically. They really don’t. I know that you think that they do. They don’t. So get over yourself, because the days of people caring what you think about politics, if you’re a sports guy, they are quickly coming to an end.”

Tierney framed his comments not as a rejection of civic engagement, but as a warning about professional boundaries in a media environment already saturated with opinion-driven programming. He suggested that sports fans typically turn to games, analysis and personality-driven discussion as a break from the daily churn of political conflict, and that repeatedly steering conversations toward ideology risks undermining that relationship.

Moreover, he criticized content creators who intentionally weave political commentary into sports coverage in pursuit of social media traction, describing that strategy as short-sighted and corrosive to long-term credibility.

“If you think that I’m going to waste my time, or I’m going to waste your time shoving this stuff every which way sideways. Just to get a few more followers or buy some social media equity. Get lost,” said Tierney. “You couldn’t pay me to play that game. That game is played out, that game is weak.”

In Tierney’s view, the incentives of the digital age have encouraged some broadcasters to chase engagement metrics at the expense of trust. Especially when the short-term spike in clicks can create downstream consequences for personal brands and station identities.

“There’s repercussions,” he said. “It might not be immediate, but downstream. That’s coming back to roost. I can’t tell you how disenchanted I am and how disgusted I’ve become with so many reckless opinions and the infighting. It is a joke, absolute joke.”

While sports and politics inevitably intersect at times, particularly when leagues or athletes address social issues, Tierney contended that commentators should approach those moments with discipline rather than reflex. He argued that the role of a sports host centers on insight, perspective and entertainment, not ideological combat.

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Craig Carton: “Let’s Play The Smallest Violin For Mike Tirico” Of NBC Sports

BSM Staff
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Craig Carton: “Let’s Play The Smallest Violin For Mike Tirico” Of NBC Sports

Craig Carton is pushing back on the growing chorus praising Mike Tirico for what many in sports media have framed as a remarkable broadcasting feat. On Tuesday’s episode of The Craig Carton Show on SportsGrid, Carton openly mocked the narrative that Tirico’s quick pivot from calling Super Bowl LX to hosting NBC’s Winter Olympics coverage amounted to something heroic.

He argued that the coverage surrounding the assignment has drifted into exaggeration.

“Oh my gosh. How does Mike do it? What a warrior, what a great guy,” Carton said sarcastically.

Tirico handled play-by-play duties for the Super Bowl before transitioning almost immediately into his role as primetime host for NBC’s Olympic coverage in Italy, a move that NBC Sports promoted as a showcase of its top broadcaster’s range and endurance across two global tentpole events.

“That plane that he flew on stopped into New York to gas up. That’s a bombardier express. I’ve been on a bombardier. I took a bombardier to Vegas once. That thing is nicer than my house. Let’s play the smallest violin in America. For my guy, Mike Tirico,” said Carton.

Mike Tirico has become the network’s central voice across major properties, from Sunday Night Football to the Olympics, and his visibility during one of the busiest stretches on NBC’s calendar naturally drew attention from industry observers and viewers alike. NBC Sports positioned Tirico as the connective thread between the NFL’s championship stage and the Winter Games, reinforcing its strategy of building brand consistency through familiar on-air talent.

Carton, however, ridiculed the tone of admiration that followed.

“He got 15 million dollars this year to announce a football game. Get on a private jet, get on another private jet and go to Italy for a month. Don’t say it’s heroic, it’s not,” Carton added.

While Tirico’s schedule required coordination and travel across continents, Carton argued that such demands come with the territory at the highest levels of network sports television, particularly for talent entrusted with marquee events.

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Political Talk and News Podcast Listeners Evenly Split Down Party Lines, Sounds Profitable Data Shows

BNM Staff
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Political Talk and News Podcast Listeners Evenly Split Down Party Lines, Sounds Profitable Data Shows

The political talk and news podcast genres are some of the largest formats in the space. But the political affiliation split among those listeners may surprise you.

According to data collected by Sounds Profitable, there’s an almost perfect split among those who are monthly consumers of political talk and news podcast episodes.

36% of political talk listeners identify as conservatives, while 34% are liberal, and 29% are moderates.

Sounds Profitable Partner Tom Webster noted that the data flies in the face of the perception of the genre as a whole.

“For all the hand-wringing about echo chambers and the assumption that political podcast audiences are just people yelling into ideologically sorted voids, the actual data suggests something far more mundane: people across the political spectrum are interested in political content,” said Webster.

The split along political affiliation lines is similar in straight news podcast listening, as well. 32% of monthly news podcasts identify as liberal. That exact same figure — 32% — label themselves as conservatives, while 34% say they are moderates.

“If you were designing a genre from scratch to perfectly mirror the podcast audience, you couldn’t do much better than News,” Webster concluded.

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Glenn Beck: Turning Point USA Halftime Show Proves You Can Pull People to Digital Platforms at Biggest Moments

BNM Staff
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Glenn Beck: Turning Point USA Halftime Show Proves You Can Pull People to Digital Platforms at Biggest Moments

The Turning Point USA All-American Halftime Show brought in several million viewers on Sunday evening. Glenn Beck says it’s a positive sign for the future of not only counterprogramming but for digital avenues, too.

During The Glenn Beck Program, the host argued that the NFL was viewed as bulletproof during its Super Bowl halftime show in the past. But the Turning Point USA show — which featured Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett — shows that that isn’t true, Beck believes.

“What happened Sunday was a proof of concept,” said Beck. “You can’t necessarily pull people from the NFL because it’s unique. It’s offering something you can’t get anywhere else. So people are addicted to it, and they will not leave it, no matter how many times they violate principles. They’ll never leave it.

“You’re not going to be able to do it unless you offer a better product that people want,” Beck continued. “So it’s not going to happen. However, you can work on a halftime show.”

Beck added that the moment is similar to when he left Fox News to launch his own digital platform.

“This is like Blaze 2011. What Sunday proved is you can pull people off of that network and put them online and negate that. I mean, it’s a huge, huge success. YouTube said this may be the largest live audience they’ve ever had.”

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