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Why ESPN Should Double Down After ESPN BET Didn’t Pay Off

John Mamola
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Why ESPN Should Double Down After ESPN BET Didn’t Pay Off

There’s an old saying that if at first you don’t succeed, try again. ESPN and PENN Entertainment announced yesterday the mutual opt-out of their U.S. online sports betting agreement. The end coming on December 1 is the end of a partnership that still had seven years remaining on a deal that paid out ESPN $150 million per year in cold hard cash.

When the agreement was first announced, everyone asked the same question: Would this marriage actually work? The biggest name in sports media aligning itself with a gambling company that had already struggled to find traction with Barstool Sports. On paper, ESPN looked like a step up — a brand powerhouse that could turn PENN’s sportsbook into a national contender.

Just over two years later, here we are. ESPN BET is folding, and plenty of people are cheering its demise. Not because ESPN bet on sports betting — but because ESPN never really owned it. However, here’s why they will try again.

The online sportsbook game is brutal. It’s already dominated by two titans — DraftKings and FanDuel — who’ve been running the table for years.

A Numbers Game

According to CasinoReports.com, those two control roughly 66% of the entire mobile betting market. The rest — BetMGM, Caesars, BetRivers, Bet365, and yes, ESPN BET — are fighting for scraps, each with less than 10% share.

It’s the same story you see everywhere. For every Pepsi and Coke, there’s a Canada Dry. McDonald’s and Starbucks have Subway. Nike and ADIDAS have KangaROOS. No disrespect to the smaller players, but nobody’s trading their Big Mac for a cold cut combo.

That’s the reality PENN and ESPN ran into. They bet (pun intended) on each other. PENN thought ESPN’s branding would instantly legitimize its sportsbook. ESPN thought PENN’s expertise would make its entry into gambling seamless. But DraftKings and FanDuel? They’d never slap someone else’s logo on their product — because in their world, they are the brand.

“Our primary focus is always to serve sports fans and we know they want both betting content and the ability to place bets with less friction from within our products,” said ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro when the network announced the partnership with PENN Entertainment in 2023. “The strategy here is simple: to give fans what they’ve been requesting and expecting from ESPN. PENN Entertainment is the perfect partner to build an unmatched user experience for sports betting with ESPN BET.”

In theory, that sounded perfect. In practice? Not so much. There are several reasons this partnership never hit the jackpot — and most of them aren’t ESPN’s fault.

A Rough Draft

Start with timing. ESPN BET was over a decade late to the party. DraftKings launched in 2012, FanDuel in 2009. ESPN BET showed up in 2023 — when bettors had already built their habits, set up their accounts, and picked their favorite platforms. By the time ESPN arrived, the dance floor was full.

Then there’s the optics problem. ESPN has always walked the fine line between journalism and entertainment. The network has partnerships with every major league — and those leagues already had sportsbook deals elsewhere. MLB, the NBA, and the NFL all have official partnerships with DraftKings, FanDuel, or Caesars. The NHL was the only league aligned with ESPN BET.

When the heavyweights have already picked sides, you’re not exactly dealing from a position of strength.

Meanwhile, DraftKings and FanDuel didn’t just build sportsbooks — they built ecosystems. They’ve spent years locking in partnerships, influencers, sponsorships, and content deals across every major sport. They own the real estate. They own the conversation.

With no federal regulation and very little land left to own, of course it would entice a brand like PENN Entertainment to go after the biggest fish left available—ESPN branding.

But even ESPN’s legendary brand couldn’t elevate PENN’s platform to contender status. That’s not a reflection of ESPN’s failure — it’s a reflection of how entrenched the market already is.

If You Fail….

“Together, ESPN and PENN created a truly unique offering with unparalleled integrations across our various media assets,” said Pitaro on Thursday in the release about the mutual opt-out. “ESPN drove over 2.9 million new users into the PENN ecosystem, with a strong uptick in first-time bettors this fall.”

Impressive numbers on paper — but is 2.9 million users (not active users, mind you) worth $150 million a year? FanDuel reported 12 million registered users in March. DraftKings averaged 4.8 million monthly active users in Q4 last year. That’s the scale ESPN was up against.

Make no mistake about it—ESPN isn’t done betting. The PENN deal was a first draft, not the final version. The network’s direct-to-consumer product wasn’t just about cutting the cord; it was about building a subscriber base that could one day be cross-promoted into another sportsbook venture.

Would that surprise you? To me, not in the slightest.

PENN Entertainment simply gambled on ESPN’s name being enough to carry them into the big leagues. But when your partner’s network is already airing games loaded with ad inventory from your competitors, you’re playing against a stacked deck.

This wasn’t a win-win, nor was it a lose-lose. It was a swing — and a miss — by two brands trying to figure out how to play in a game already decided.

So yes, ESPN BET is dead. But ESPN’s gambling ambitions aren’t. You can bet on that.

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.

How Vince Coglianese Added On to the House that Dan Bongino Built

Garrett Searight
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How Vince Coglianese Added On to the House that Dan Bongino Built

Vince Coglianese was put into one of the more unenviable tasks in news/talk radio: stepping into the shoes vacated by Dan Bongino.

Earlier this year, Bongino revealed he would exit his national syndicated news/talk radio show with Westwood One to join the Trump Administration as Deputy Director of the FBI.

To call Bongino’s audience rabid might be an understatement. The “Bongino Army” was widespread and strong. So, in comes Vince Coglianese, who was elevated from WMAL in Washington, D.C. to the national spotlight to replace Bongino on both his podcast and his nationally syndicated show.

But he hasn’t been intimidated by the challenge. He’s embraced it.

“It’s been a total blessing to get to do it,” said Coglianese. “I was very fortunate to be asked to take it on. It’s been great. Dan Bongino is a great guy. I filled in on his radio show when he was hosting from 12 to 3 PM ET with some frequency, and got really good audience response whenever I did it.

“So when the time came for Westwood (One) to try and figure out who was going to take that job, it worked out really nicely, because we had this massive audience all across the country who had become accustomed to me. And as a result, I fit in really well with them. We’ve grown together into a pretty massive show this year, and it’s just been a great ride.”

In the initial months after Bongino’s departure, Vince Coglianese sustained the podcast audience, remaining as one of the most listened to programs according to the Triton Digital and Edison Research rankings.

Coglianese believes that’s a byproduct of putting in the work behind the scenes.

“I spent a lot of time getting to know the audience. And so the story there, I think, and the story that, basically I figured out right away, is that great, I’m creating a product that people like. My job now is to get the rest of the country as acquainted with me as possible. So in every other market, I just want people to get to know me better with each passing day. Because I really think we have massive, massive opportunities to have one of the biggest shows in the whole country.”

The setup for Coglianese is a little different than many news/talk radio hosts. Instead of the content of his program being repurposed into on-demand audio labeled as a podcast, the VINCE show is it’s own, one-hour, purpose-built podcast separate from the news/talk radio show.

He admits that despite the radio show being three times longer, it’s the easier of the two programs to navigate.

“I know it’s three hours of content, but I’m so accustomed to it that I do feel like sometimes I can do it in my sleep,” he joked. “I have so much fun, and I feel so comfortable on radio that that part — to the extent that I have any control — feels like it comes very naturally.

“The podcast and doing it on camera is using new muscles that I’ve been developing. I feel more at ease doing it now than I did when we started in March. But that’s the big challenge, being able to produce four high-quality hours of content every single day. And luckily, I’ve got really, really great teams who make that job very easy, working on both shows. I couldn’t ask for a better arrangement.”

While Coglianese admits he can use the same topics for both his podcast and the radio show, there’s a distinct difference between the two.

“On the podcast, I try and come up with an overarching theme that I think is the most important thing to spend some time on, especially if it has visual elements. The upside of the podcast is that, because we do a show on Rumble, on camera, we can really emphasize things that are visually compelling,” he shared. “Whereas on radio, you’re obviously concentrating on an audio product, and those that those distinctions are big also on radio.”

He joked that one of the biggest challenges of hosting a video podcast has been the adjustment to the camera.

“One of the things I love about radio is that, traditionally, I’ve just been able to stare at my computer, kind of be rude because, theoretically, you’re not visually dealing with a person one on one most of the time. You don’t have to stare at them, engage them with eye contact, and these types of things. My full mental focus can be on the radio product and dealing with all the things that go into radio.

“The podcast requires my visual attention on the camera that I’m staring at. And for the most part, I have to kind of break myself free of looking at the computer, consulting notes, pulling up websites, that sort of thing. It’s training the muscles.”

Vince Coglianese is everywhere in the media space. In addition to the daily video podcast with Rumble and the nationally syndicated news/talk radio show, he also continues to write for The Daily Caller. And he says having all of those avenues for consumption actually makes him a better news/talk radio host.

“I think ultimately the value that comes with it is one that it improves your ability to convey information in a short, understandable format,” he shared. “If you have practice with writing, it makes you a better verbal communicator, because you understand word economy and how to deliver a headline and how to deliver a lead sentence. I think those skills translate really well into radio and into podcasting.”

There’s another thing that writing helps in the spoken word area, too.

“I just have an insatiable curiosity,” Coglianese shared. “The nice thing about having a newsroom (at The Daily Caller) is that I can service that and then turn around and try and get something useful for the audience. I’d hate to be in a position where I was giving them something empty. I want to give them something that has a lot of calories every day.”

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.

Kenny Smith Could Be Risking Overexposure With New ESPN Contributor Deal

John Lund
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Kenny Smith Could Be Risking Overexposure With New ESPN Contributor Deal

In a studio not so far, far away, four basketball Jedi keep the galaxy balanced. Ernie Johnson is Obi-Wan Kenobi—calm, wise, and impossible to rattle, even when surrounded by chaos. Charles Barkley is Han Solo—loud, fearless, and allergic to filters, always ready to shoot first and ask questions never. Shaquille O’Neal is Chewbacca with a business degree—massive, loyal, hilarious, and part of every deal in the galaxy. And Kenny “The Jet” Smith is Luke Skywalker in a blazer—the pilot, the balance, the steady hand guiding the Rebel ship through laughter and madness.

Together, they form Inside the NBA—the Rebel Alliance of sports television. Unscripted. Honest. Chaotic in the best possible way. And for the first two weeks of the NBA season, there was peace in the galaxy.

But in the distance, a red light blinked. In this galaxy, the Dark Side doesn’t wear a helmet—it features an ESPN logo.

Everyone assumed Charles would be the first to defect—the loudest Jedi, the easiest to tempt with a giant paycheck despite his boisterously famous denials. However, the Empire struck smarter. They didn’t chase the chaos. They targeted the control.

A New “Jet” Airliner

ESPN’s latest power move was landing The Jet—the calm one, the glue, the X-wing pilot who kept the crew flying straight. That’s how empires expand: they don’t destroy the Rebellion—they infiltrate it.

This week, Kenny Smith signed a multi-year deal with ESPN. He’ll appear on First Take (clashing sabers with Darth himself, Stephen A. Smith), on NBA Countdown, and on select live broadcasts. A smart financial move for him. A strategic masterstroke for them. Because when you steal the pilot, you don’t just take one ship—you open the whole hangar.

ESPN doesn’t just hire talent—it replicates it. Every take becomes a clip. Every clip becomes a short. Every short becomes a tweet, reel, or viral post. They don’t just put you on air; they multiply you across every corner of the content galaxy.

Soon, there will be many Kennys—debating on First Take, joking on Countdown, trending on X, smiling on TikTok, breaking down tape on YouTube, and arguing with AI-generated versions of himself by Christmas. That’s the Empire’s true power: replication. It’s not a Death Star—it’s a content factory. And its favorite raw material? Personalities that used to feel unique.

Stephen A. Smith. Mike Greenberg. Ryan Clark. Each one brilliant in doses—but overused until even brilliance becomes background noise. When every face is everywhere, no one feels essential.

The Overexposure Element

That’s how the Dark Side wins—not by conquering, but by cloning. They flood the galaxy until the Force—that sense of authenticity and scarcity—disappears behind a constellation of thumbnails.

Now the radar’s already locked on the rest of the Rebel base.

Charles Barkley? Already testing the waters, joining ManningCast during the Cowboys’ loss to the Cardinals on Monday night. The Empire’s tractor beam is warming up.

Shaq? He’s already the marketing Death Star—Papa John’s, Icy Hot, Gold Bond, Reebok, Pepsi, Amazon, Krispy Kreme, Carnival Cruises—you name it. He doesn’t say “no” to new galaxies; he says, “When do we move out?”

Ernie Johnson? The ultimate weapon. Because if you can anchor Inside the NBA chaos that smoothly, you can anchor anything—and the Empire knows it. NFL Draft? NBA Finals? Next in line to keep First Take in check?

When every Jedi becomes a daily hologram, when every quote is clipped, captioned, and recycled, the lightning that made Inside the NBA special turns into static. The audience stops missing you—because you never left. That’s the tragedy of overexposure. Not that the Empire wins—but that the light fades slowly, one repost at a time.

Will ‘Inside the NBA’ Cave?

So will the Dark Side win? Make no mistake—this was no random signing. This was a strategic first shot. The Empire didn’t start with Barkley’s blaster or Shaq’s starship. They started with The Jet—the pilot. The quiet one who makes the chaos work. The one whose loss you don’t feel right away… until everything drifts off course.

Now the question hangs in the air: Will ESPN’s cloning machine drain what made these guys special? Will the laughter, honesty, and chaos that defined the Light Side survive the content algorithm?

Because this is how the Dark Side really wins—not with explosions, but with repurposing. Not by firing lasers, but by posting clips. Not by silencing you—but by turning you into background noise.

So is this the end of the Rebellion? Or just the calm before the next counterattack? The Empire has fired its first shot.

May the Force—and the funny—be with us all.

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.

What Election Results for Curtis Sliwa, John Reid, and Bill Spadea Mean For the Future of the Media to Politician Pipeline

Pete Mundo
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What Election Results for Curtis Sliwa, John Reid, and Bill Spadea Mean For the Future of the Media to Politician Pipeline

This week, we saw the end of multiple candidacies from individuals with news/talk backgrounds. Most notable was Curtis Sliwa’s long-shot New York City mayoral bid. However, former WRVA host John Reid also lost his race to become the next lieutenant governor of Virginia. In the primary season, WKXW’s Bill Spadea ran for governor of New Jersey but came up short against Jack Ciattarelli.

Some may view this as media personalities failing in their bid to become politicians; however, all three were facing uphill battles, either in the primary or the general election.

Does this mean the media-to-politics pipeline is broken? Not at all.

In fact, there’s a recent example of a former radio host working his way up to vice president: Mike Pence. Pence transitioned from talk show host to member of Congress, then to governor, and ultimately to vice president under President Trump during his first term in office.

The TV path may include more notable figures, such as Donald Trump, Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura, and Al Franken. But does it mean the radio path is not a viable one? Absolutely not.

In fact, I expect a political landscape that will include even more media personalities in the years to come. Before his tragic assassination, there were already discussions that Charlie Kirk might be a future presidential candidate. President Trump has hired multiple key figures with TV backgrounds, and his own VP, JD Vance, became a household name as an author (Hillbilly Elegy).

In the current administration, Pete Hegseth, Dan Bongino, Jeanine Pirro, Mike Huckabee, and Dr. Oz all come from the media world.

In a fragmented environment with limited attention spans, having the draw of a candidate who already has a built-in audience—whether through radio, TV, podcasting, or YouTube—can be an early leg up for any candidate. That’s not to say they are guaranteed to win anything. Fundraising, campaigning, policy ideas, and the ability to connect with voters still matter much more, along with the specific race a person is running in. However, it can be a boost out of the gates, which, in the right race with the right environment, can make a big difference.

People are seeking a genuine connection with their candidates. They are still interested in hearing from people who are not already in elected office. The “outsider” candidate remains appealing. These are all qualities that Donald Trump figured out early in his 2015 campaign.

As the political establishment mocked him, he was growing his support. He knew how to cultivate an audience, in part thanks to his years in television and other media. In today’s world, where it’s more complicated than ever for a personality to keep an audience growing and engaged, those who know how to do it will succeed on various platforms and can find themselves succeeding on the campaign trail.

The bottom line? The intersection of media and politics isn’t going away. If anything, it’s becoming more common — and more influential.

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.

Overcoming Decision Exhaustion Starts With Your Uniform

Keith Cunningham
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Overcoming Decision Exhaustion Starts With Your Uniform

Most leaders suffer from decision exhaustion. The solution may start with wardrobe.

Want to be a better leader? Try wearing the same clothes to work each day.

I always wondered why Steve Jobs always wore the same clothes. When I finally looked into it, it made sense. I was reminded of this recently when a co-worker sported the same Rush shirt on back-to-back days to show his support for the band’s upcoming tour. 

The practice of wearing the same outfit each day started decades ago in Japan but caught Steve Jobs’ attention when he visited Sony. Years later, other leaders like Mark Zuckerberg and Barack Obama followed suit — literally. Now it’s quietly catching on with Gen Z.

No one is saying wearing the same shirt and pants every day. If you want a Sydney Sweeney-style closet with a see-through dress collection that could bankrupt small countries, go for it. Having a simple, repeatable wardrobe though isn’t necessarily laziness. It can be consistent identity.

If you love a specific look that fits within your company’s limits and makes you feel smarter, more confident, and adds a little swagger — wear it often. Who cares what Karen in the adjacent cubicle thinks.

BE YOU. It can be your logo.

Look at rock stars we love — they’ve got uniforms.

  • Slash and his hat
  • Bono in shades
  • Kurt Cobain with flannel
  • Sleep Token behind masks

When he was President, no one talked behind Obama’s back saying, “There he goes in a BLUE SHIRT AGAIN!?”

What you wear — especially what you wear often — will leave a mark. It’s like personal branding.

The premise here is simple: having one less decision to make in the morning means more mental energy for other decisions later in the day.

Whether this habit is any type of performance game changer is debatable. It’s likely more a mental motivator than anything but think about it as the first move in a daily chain of events. Every unnecessary decision you eliminate saves focus and energy for those that matter more.

I’ve been around long enough to know: the “what should I wear” crisis can drain time and energy from anyone, even the most strong-willed. It leads to decision exhaustion that sees them leave the house in pajamas. If you know, you know.

Now think about decision exhaustion in the radio world.

Music scheduling comes to mind first. That sense of doom right after hitting “schedule” — anxiously waiting to see how many unscheduled positions you’ll have and the time it will take to finish. That is followed by visually checking hundreds of segues that “passed.”

Now add everything else: other programming duties, promotional chores, an air shift, non-stop emailing and texting, meetings, maybe an appearance. That’s hundreds of daily decisions that need to be made. Most are small, but all draining.

And we wonder why managers or Program Directors look beat by 5pm, and why so many brands sound checked out.

Decision exhaustion hits all sectors of the music industry, not just radio. We won’t fix it by wearing the same turtleneck each day, but the principle applies:

Eliminate the small stuff, and save brain power for what really moves the brand forward.

Some basic ideas for Programmers and Marketers:

Log Help

Facing dozens of unscheduled positions? Call tech support. You may be one rule tweak away from a cleaner log and restoring some sanity.

The Firehose of Questions

Set “Ask me anything” zones (ex: 10:00am & 2:00pm) to move the random sales questions or pop-in visits into focused zones of efficiency.

Control Your Inbox

Only check email and texts at set times each hour. If it’s that important, someone will call or beat down your door. Use the rest for deeper stuff. Even 45 uninterrupted minutes can change your day.

Avoid the Redundant Questions

Design a pre-approved playbook or a brand guide that answers the redundant questions. When does this air? Should I post this? Does this tagline work? What deliverables come sponsorship?

Focus Hours

Everyone gets a “do not disturb hour” for focus and productivity, not interruption.

Meeting Overkill

Cancel every unnecessary meeting. Shorten and focus the others. Most meetings are low-productivity time-killers once labeled as critical.

In the end, it’s not what you wear each day. It’s what you stop wasting time on.

Like freeing up space on a hard drive, your needle-moving brain needs memory to run.

How a Springsteen Biopic Teaches Lessons for Classic Rock/Hits Radio

Mike Stern
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How a Springsteen Biopic Teaches Lessons for Classic Rock/Hits Radio

Writing a weekly column about Classic Rock/Hits Radio gave me a great excuse to sneak out last night to see the latest biopic, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, so I could use the movie as a basis for this week’s post.

While I didn’t come home and rush to my keyboard rife with inspiration, a couple of articles I’ve since read about the movie made some points that are relevant to our little corner of the radio world.

So with full gratitude to Killian Faith Kelly’s piece in GQ, Eight Lessons Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere Can Teach Future Music Biopics, and Daniel Parris’ latest Stat Significant post, Hollywood’s Music Biopic Boom: Quantifying the Rise of a Soulless Genre. Here are some takeaways from the Springsteen movie that relate to running a Classic Rock/Hits radio station.

People Still Like to Learn About Their Favorite Artists

While you can debate the effectiveness of how filmmaker Scott Cooper accomplished this on screen, a few of the more interesting moments in the movie are when we see Springsteen being inspired to write the songs for Nebraska.

You see Bruce stumbling across the film Badlands, which led him to learn more about Charles Starkweather’s killing spree, which eventually led to the title track. You also see him reading Flannery O’Connor stories, which also inspired several songs.

These are the stories people like, and we need to keep sharing them.

Don’t Let the Facts Get in the Way of a Good Story

Faith-Kelly notes that some of the moments in the movie were probably true to life but would have benefited from embellishment. Like the moment when Springsteen’s manager describes the new songs to his wife by saying they are “deeply personal.”

It creates a “no duh” sort of moment that could have been improved by him saying something more profound.

That applies to entertaining on the radio too. While there are times facts are important, quite often embellishment is the key to good storytelling.

Specifics Matter

One point that I agree with Faith-Kelly on is that the movie fails to develop the secondary characters.

One of Springsteen’s friends drives him across the country as the singer is having a breakdown. We never learn who this person is, how he fits into Springsteen’s world, or anything about him. It leaves the emotional stakes exceptionally low even in a final heartfelt moment between the two characters.

This is a great reminder that the more specific the details are in a story, the more brightly the picture is painted for the audience, especially in an audio medium where there are no visuals to rely on.

Don’t Be Too Subtle

The title of this movie is somewhat of an outlier.

Parris points out that most music biopics are either the artists’ name, like Amy or Ray, a famous song title, like Bohemian Rhapsody or Walk the Line, or a combination of the two, like Bob Marley: One Love.

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere gets halfway there but then chooses to reference a song that doesn’t exist, which leaves it to the potential viewer to decode the marketing.

A good reminder that the less direct your promotions and marketing are, the more risk you take of wasting your efforts because the audience doesn’t have time to figure out the message you are sending.

Play the Hits

Not that you probably don’t already know this, but I’m going to say it anyway because at times we all forget this simple rule. It applies in radio and in filmmaking.

Faith-Kelly notes that even though the songs on Nebraska aren’t huge hits, their moody sound would have fit the film perfectly, yet they get little play in the movie. Likewise, there are a lot of huge Springsteen songs that a clever writing team could have found ways to take advantage of by including them in appropriate moments.

That didn’t happen either. In our world it’s a lot more straightforward. There are ways to work in secondary and even tertiary songs in certain moments; the rest of the time, play the hits.

Hopefully, these thoughts will not only help keep your Classic Rock/Hits station moving in the right direction, they will also save you $40 or more in tickets and concessions, as I wholly recommend waiting until this movie hits streaming.

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.

Why We Can’t Quit Christmas Music

Bob Lawrence
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Why We Can’t Quit Christmas Music

Ah yes! Christmas music! The seasonal soundtrack that seems to sneak into stores before we’ve even finished our Halloween candy. For the record – I must admit that we flipped our mainstream AC “The Bay” to all Christmas last Saturday, November 1st. I know, I know. You say, “Way too early!” – but not so fast. After the first weekend we received scores of excited emails from listeners who just love it.

The best part happened even earlier on Halloween night when my next-door neighbors were out trick-or-treating with their two little girls. As they’re walking away mom turns and yells out, “Hey Bob! Does Christmas music start tomorrow?” I answered, “Sure does!” She raised her arms and started dancing down the driveway, hooting and hollering about how much she loves it. Frankly, it’s those smiles (and extra revenue generated) that excite me.

Every year, stations across the country flip the switch to all Christmas, all the time, and suddenly we’re humming “Jingle Bell Rock” against our will. Love it or loathe it, you really can’t escape it. But come on now – deep down inside, we don’t really want to.

In reality, Christmas music is emotional manipulation at its finest. The second those sleigh bells start jingling our brains begin the flood of nostalgia. You’re not in traffic anymore; you’re eight years old, wearing footie pajamas with those ever-so-useful nonstick bottoms, shaking your presents to see if anything rattles with clues. Bing Crosby croons “White Christmas” and suddenly you’re misty-eyed over snow, even though last February, you cursed every flake that touched your driveway and created 6-foot ice daggers that hung from your gutters like Samori warriors waiting for the strike!

All-Christmas radio is like a peppermint-scented time machine. The moment any station starts playing nonstop holiday hits is right after the last pumpkin has been ripped apart by every squirrel and racoon in the neighborhood. That’s when you know it’s time to hang your twinkle lights, bake sugar cookies, and go into mild to severe financial panic. It’s comforting I suppose – kind of like wrapping yourself in a snuggly, warm blanket made of pure commercialism and cinnamon.

And the songs themselves? They’re all over the place, which is part of the fun, don’t you think? You’ve got classics like “Silent Night” and “The Little Drummer Boy” – the solemn ones that make you feel slightly guilty about how many gingerbread men you just ate. Then there’s Mariah Carey, who annually emerges from her glittery hibernation to belt out “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” reminding us that she owns December forever. When I owned Pinnacle Media Worldwide, Mariah was consistently in the top 10 every, single year. That list also consisted of Brenda Lee, Burl Ives, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, and Bobby Helms. Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra also thaw out every year, smooth as ever, like human versions of eggnog.

Let’s not forget the earworms that play on repeat in every store and elevator from now until January. “Feliz Navidad” will live rent-free in your head until Easter. The one that gets to me most is “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” It honestly, has me questioning my life choices. Yet somehow, I still find myself singing along loudly, and with disturbing enthusiasm.

The secret to Christmas music’s power is simple: it creates true inner joy. It’s cheesy, sentimental, and sometimes downright ridiculous, but isn’t that the point? For a few weeks each year, we all collectively agree to suspend our cynicism and just feel good. Even the grumpiest among us get worn down eventually. You can roll your eyes all you want, but when “Last Christmas” comes on, you’re going to sing that chorus.

We all do.

So yes, all-Christmas radio can be over-the-top, ridiculously repetitive, and mildly infuriating by December 23rd. But it’s also magical in its own wonderfully, absurd way. It reminds us that it’s okay to be a little corny, to dance in the kitchen, and to belt out “Jingle Bells” like nobody’s listening. Because when it comes to Christmas music, nobody’s immune.

In the end, we don’t love Christmas music despite its overexposure; we love it because of its overexposure. It’s predictable, it’s comforting, and it’s the one time of year we can turn it on without judgment. And nowadays, anything that is universally appealing and doesn’t create division is truly a holiday miracle in itself.

Michelle Beadle “Praying” for the Downfall of Stephen A. Smith

BSM Staff
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Michelle Beadle “Praying” for the Downfall of Stephen A. Smith

Stephen A. Smith’s latest endorsement deal has drawn sharp criticism from former ESPN personality Michelle Beadle and her co-host Cody Decker. On the latest episode of Beadle and Decker, the pair reacted to news that Smith had been named an ambassador for Papaya Gaming’s World Solitaire Championship, a partnership announced just months after Smith went viral for being caught playing Solitaire during ESPN’s NBA Finals coverage.

“Honestly, I’m not a religious person, but I pray for the downfall,” said Beadle. “It’s gross, man, you gotta have principles in this thing.”

Beadle didn’t hold back in her assessment, accusing ESPN of creating a media monster by enabling Smith’s antics and outsized personality.

“ESPN pays him a gazillion dollars to get a lot of stuff wrong and yell,” Beadle said. “He gets caught playing solitaire during the NBA freaking Finals. You created this monster. He is bigger than you now, and that’s exactly your fault. You let him run rampant all over that company.”

She went further, arguing that Smith’s new gaming deal symbolizes how disconnected he’s become from his role as ESPN’s top face.

“He made you look like fools for handing him a blank check in the first place,” she added. “He doesn’t even give a s**t about the stuff that he’s paid a gazillion dollars to talk about. Now he’s turning around and turning that into a money-making opportunity. Then the money-making opportunity looks like it’s a fraudulent crap business to begin with.”

Papaya Gaming Company is currently engaged in a lawsuit filed by competitor Skillz Platform Inc. The lawsuit alleges that Papaya committed fraud through false advertising. Plus violated New York’s general business law by promoting its mobile games as “totally fair and skill-based” when they are instead “rigged.”

According to the complaint, between 2019 and “at least November 2023,” Papaya used bots “masquerading as human players” in games where human players had money on the line, unfairly making it impossible for users to succeed.

As for Beadle, she has been a long time critic of Smith at ESPN. In June, after The Hollywood Reporter confirmed Stephen A. Smith would be taking over Beadle and Decker’s timeslot on SiriusXM radio. Beadle spoke with Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports earlier this year. Where she turned her ousting by SiriusXM into a personal beef with her successor in Smith. Although they were colleagues at ESPN together at several points throughout their careers. Beadle has admitted that her and Stephen A. Smith are not friends in the discussion with FOS.

“I will never share a set with that person ever, because I don’t respect him,” she said. “Life’s too short.”

Cody Decker echoed Beadle’s frustrations, focusing his criticism on other ESPN talents who have joined Smith in promoting Papaya Gaming’s Solitaire app online. He accused them of putting corporate relationships above personal integrity.

“I don’t know how much shilling is going on behind the scenes, but people in our industry have embarrassed themselves in ways that I don’t think I’ve ever seen,” Decker said. “You have them all fighting for Solitaire ads for Stephen A. Smith. You have all of these dips***s just shilling themselves out…. Let’s just call it what it is—whoring themselves out as harshly as they can.”

Smith, already one of the highest-paid figures in sports media, has steadily expanded his brand beyond First Take through podcasting, satellite radio, digital partnerships, and personal branding deals.

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.

Shawn Tempesta Moving to Mornings at 96.3 KKLZ, Aimee Thomas Shifting to 102.7 Coyote Country

BMM Staff
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Shawn Tempesta Moving to Mornings at 96.3 KKLZ, Aimee Thomas Shifting to 102.7 Coyote Country

Beasley Media Group has announced a pair of changes to its programming line in Las Vegas, as Shawn Tempesta is moving to 96.3 KKLZ and Aimee Thomas is shifting to 102.7 Coyote Country.

Previously, Shawn Tempesta and Aimee Thompson had been paired together in mornings at 102.7 VGS. However, as that station is undergoing a frequency flip with Coyote Country, with KVGS moving to 107.9, Tempesta is now being added to morning drive alongside Carla Rea on 96.3 KKLZ, beginning on Monday, November 17th.

Furthermore, Thomas is returning to 102.7 Coyote Country to pair with Shawn Stevens in morning drive.

“Las Vegas is home to some of the best talent in the country, and these moves strengthen two of our incredible brands,” said Beasley Media Group Chief Content Officer Justin Chase. “We’re thrilled to see Shawn join forces with Carla on KKLZ and to welcome Aimee back to The Coyote family. Our listeners are going to love what’s ahead.”

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.

Chris Van Vliet Joins Cumulus Podcast Network

BSM Staff
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Chris Van Vliet Joins Cumulus Podcast Network

Cumulus Media announced award-winning interviewer Chris Van Vliet has joined the Cumulus Podcast Network. Bringing his popular show Insight with Chris Van Vliet to one of the largest audio platforms in the country.

The partnership, part of Westwood One’s portfolio. It will see Cumulus distribute, market, and monetize the program as Van Vliet continues expanding one of wrestling’s most recognizable media brands.

“I couldn’t be more excited to bring Insight to the Cumulus Podcast Network,” Van Vliet said. “Pro wrestling is the hottest it’s been in decades, and this partnership allows us to continue growing the show and connecting with fans who love authentic, meaningful conversations.”

The move comes as professional wrestling reaches new levels of mainstream popularity. Fueled by billion-dollar media rights deals and record-breaking television ratings from WWE and AEW. Van Vliet’s Insight has become a fixture in the space, consistently ranking among the top sports and entertainment podcasts on Apple and Spotify.

His YouTube channels have combined for nearly 2 million subscribers and more than 2.8 billion views.

Launched as a personal project, Insight evolved into a leading destination for long-form, thoughtful conversations with the biggest names in wrestling and entertainment. Van Vliet has built a reputation for in-depth, humanizing interviews with stars. These include The Rock, John Cena, Chris Jericho, Becky Lynch, Cody Rhodes, Rey Mysterio, and The Undertaker.

The new partnership will give Insight access to Cumulus’ extensive marketing and ad sales infrastructure. While expanding its digital reach to millions of new listeners. In addition to weekly episodes. The collaboration will include exclusive live events and bonus content designed to engage wrestling fans in new ways.

Collin Jones, president of Westwood One and the Cumulus Podcast Network, said Van Vliet represents the type of creator the company wants to champion.

“Chris Van Vliet is a standout creator whose authenticity and consistency have built a powerful brand,” Jones said. “His podcast is a perfect fit for our network, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to the Cumulus family. This is another step in our mission to deliver premium, thought-provoking content to audiences nationwide.”

New episodes of Insight with Chris Van Vliet will continue to release multiple times per week across all major podcast platforms and on Cumulus’ digital channels.

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.

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