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Craig Carton: NFL on Fox Analyst Greg Olsen Was Almost a WFAN Host

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Craig Carton: NFL on Fox Analyst Greg Olsen Was Almost a WFAN Host

NFL on FOX analyst Greg Olsen was once considered a strong candidate to host on WFAN, according to former station co-host Craig Carton. The behind-the-scenes story dates back to 2016 or 2017, when Carton and Boomer Esiason were anchoring the station’s morning show.

Carton said Olsen, then a tight end with the Carolina Panthers, appeared on the program as a guest. “I thought he was terrific,” Carton recalled on The Craig Carton Show with Chris McMonigle.

“We were all like, man, that Greg Olsen’s gonna be great. Greg Olsen’s got a future in the media. He might be a great sports talk show host,” said Carton.

According to Carton, the station had even planned for Olsen to temporarily fill in for Esiason during a week when Carton would also be on air. He said the idea was to have Olsen ready in case Esiason decided to leave WFAN permanently.

“If the big fella ever said, ‘You know what, I’m done,’ I had a replacement for him,” Carton explained.

Olsen’s short-term hosting stint, however, never materialized. Carton recounted that Olsen had to cancel due to a personal matter involving his brother.

“He called me and said, ‘I can’t come to New York. I’ve got to take care of the situation with my brother.’ We agreed to a rain check. The rain check never happened,” Carton said.

The story highlights Olsen’s early recognition as a media talent, well before he became a familiar face on FOX’s NFL broadcasts. Carton said the potential move to radio showcased Olsen’s versatility and on-air presence. “I knew this guy was going to be great,” he said.

Whether Olsen would have made the cut at WFAN will never be realized. The former NFL tight end has worked for FOX Sports two-time Sports Emmy Award broadcaster, having been with the company since 2021 in a booth analyst role.

A Wayne, New Jersey native, Olsen would have been a solid candidate for a role with WFAN which relies on homegrown attitude, knowledge and personality.

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Kaylee Hartung Added To NBC Sports’ Broadcast Of Super Bowl LX

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Kaylee Hartung Added To NBC Sports’ Broadcast Of Super Bowl LX

Kaylee Hartung will make her Super Bowl sideline reporting debut when NBC broadcasts the NFL’s championship game on February 8. According to a report by the Associated Press, Hartung joins veteran sideline reporter Melissa Stark for the game, marking only the second time NBC has deployed a two-reporter setup for Super Bowl coverage.

This weekend, Hartung will cover the Chicago Bears’ sideline during NBC’s broadcast of Sunday’s divisional round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. This will be her fifth NFL playoff assignment with the network, continuing a rapid rise within NBC’s football coverage.

Hartung’s role extends beyond the gridiron. She will report from the aerials and moguls freestyle skiing competitions at the upcoming Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, a testament to her versatility as a sports journalist.

Since 2022, Hartung has served as a sideline reporter for Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football and has been a correspondent for NBC’s “TODAY” show, giving her a range of experience across both live sports and general reporting. Her transition to the Super Bowl sidelines represents a significant milestone in a career already marked by high-profile assignments.

NBC’s decision to assign two sideline reporters for the Super Bowl mirrors a broader trend in sports broadcasting to provide richer, more detailed coverage from multiple perspectives. Hartung has drawn praise for her reporting style, which combines clear, concise updates with engaging, human-interest storytelling. Her work on Thursday Night Football demonstrated an ability to navigate high-pressure live environments while providing context that enhances the viewer experience.

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WTOP Adds John Wordock as New Business Reporter

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WTOP Adds John Wordock as New Business Reporter

WTOP has announced it is appointing John Wordock to its team of reporters, where he’ll serve as a business reporter for the station.

The move marks a return to the Washington, D.C., all-news brand for Wordock. He had previously been heard in the early 2000s on WTOP as Managing Editor of MarketWatch Radio.

As part of his duties with the station, John Wordock will deliver business reports at :10 and :40 past each hour. He’ll also help produce digital content for the brand.

“WTOP is setting the pace for the radio industry in our digital world,” Wordock said. “It’s a leader both in Washington and in the country. I look forward to joining its award-winning newsroom and evolving business reporting in the age of social video, YouTube, podcasts, and whatever comes next.”

“Evolution is more important than ever in the news industry. We need to meet our consumers where they are and bring them the stories they need in the formats they want,” added WTOP News Director of News and Programming Julia Ziegler. “John brings a wealth of multi-platform experience and business expertise to WTOP, and we can’t wait for news consumers in the DMV to be reintroduced to him.”

John Wordock will begin his tenure at WTOP on Monday, January 26th.

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.

Dana Loesch: Tucker Carlson Has Told Me Verbatim He Won’t Come On My Show

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Dana Loesch: Tucker Carlson Has Told Me Verbatim He Won’t Come On My Show

Tucker Carlson is one of the most in-demand figures in conservative media. But Dana Loesch says there’s one show he won’t appear on: hers. And it isn’t because she doesn’t want him.

During The Dana Show, Loesch took issue with a recent encapsulation from Tucker Carlson, who compared the death of Minnesota resident Renee Good at the hands of ICE to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

She argued that Carlson was completely misguided in his stance that the two were similar. She then questioned why he’s made a shift in his perspective in recent months, before then revealing that she won’t have the opportunity to question him on her program.

“What happened to Tucker? I would talk to him about it, but he won’t come on my show,” Loesch said. “He’s told me that verbatim. He will not come on because, I guess, it’s because I’m not an Islamist apologist, and I won’t ask softball questions. And I won’t laugh or chuckle and go along with everything. It’s unfortunate.”

Dana Loesch continued by saying that she believes it is hypocritical for Tucker Carlson to demand that people reach out to him to speak privately if they have an issue with him, without him returning their outreach.

“I got to tell you, I get really tired of people who tell everybody else, ‘Well, if you have a problem, call me. If you have a problem, message me.’ And then when you do, they don’t answer because they know that they’re going to have to defend their position,” she said. “These people are cowards. It’s absolute cowardice. Don’t let it masquerade as anything other than exactly what I said that it was because it’s what it is: cowardice.”

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Netflix WWE Viewership for ‘Monday Night Raw’ in 2025 at Over 340 Million Views

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Netflix WWE Viewership for ‘Monday Night Raw’ in 2025 at Over 340 Million Views

WWE is celebrating its first year on Netflix, a partnership that has not only brought the world’s top wrestling content to streaming audiences but also shattered viewing records across the globe.

Since debuting on January 6, 2025, WWE programming—including RAW and a slate of Premium Live Events—has racked up 525 million hours watched by Netflix members worldwide. RAW alone accounted for nearly 340 million hours, while Premium Live Events drew 185 million hours of viewing, even in markets outside the United States.

Over the past year, RAW has maintained a near-constant presence in the Global English TV Top 10, appearing 47 out of 52 weeks. The weekly series has averaged more than 3 million views per show and achieved Top 10 status in 34 countries, including the United States (51 weeks), Bolivia (49 weeks), Canada (48 weeks), the United Kingdom (40 weeks) and Mexico (38 weeks).

Other WWE franchises have similarly found international success. Events such as WrestleMania, Elimination Chamber, Money in the Bank, Night of Champions and the Royal Rumble reached the Top 10 in 42 countries. Notably, the Royal Rumble earned this recognition despite not being available for streaming in the United States.

In August, Netflix expanded WWE’s content library with WWE: Unreal, a behind-the-scenes docuseries taking fans into the league’s writers’ room and providing unfiltered access to their favorite Superstars. The series appeared in the Global Top 10 and reached the Top 10 in eight countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Ireland, and New Zealand. Season 2 is set to premiere January 20.

WWE’s presence on Netflix has also boosted its social media footprint. Posts across Netflix-owned platforms have generated over 5.8 billion impressions from roughly 8,000 posts. One of the most successful posts featured FC Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal reacting to a Randy Orton RKO, drawing more than 50 million impressions on Facebook. Content from WWE: Unreal and nostalgic clips, including John Cena’s entrances and Randy Orton highlights, have similarly captured tens of millions of interactions.

As of January 6, 2026, WWE’s social media following across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube exceeds 6.2 million, delivering more than 4.4 billion total impressions.

The first year of WWE on Netflix demonstrates not only the enduring appeal of the league’s live action and archival content but also its ability to engage fans globally across streaming and social media platforms.

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.

Megyn Kelly: ‘Embarrassing and Disrespectful’ of Golden Globes to Give Amy Poehler Best Podcast Award

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Megyn Kelly: ‘Embarrassing and Disrespectful’ of Golden Globes to Give Amy Poehler Best Podcast Award

Amy Poehler won the inaugural Best Podcast Award at the Golden Globes over the weekend. It’s safe to say Megyn Kelly doesn’t approve. 

Kelly wasn’t nominated for the award after being one of the programs eligible to qualify for the distinction. In late 2025, she shared that she wouldn’t go through the process of qualifying due to the “dog and pony show” nature of the process.

However, after Good Hang with Amy Poehler won the award, Kelly lambasted the decision. “They gave it to one of their own,” she said, before stating that she’s never watched or listened to the program.

After playing a clip from a recent episode with Gwyneth Paltrow, where Poehler misidentified her body of work, Megyn Kelly took the program to task.

“They’re so relatable. They have busy lives. They get tired earlier, just like you,” Kelly said, sarcastically, of Paltrow and Poehler. “Stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, just like you. Riveting, right? Well, maybe she won because of her insightful interviews — no, wait, that wasn’t it, the preparation she does, perhaps.

“Amy Poehler thought Gwyneth Paltrow was in Cold Mountain, which she wasn’t,” she continued. “They played it off, like it was hilarious. But the truth is, she didn’t show Gwyneth Paltrow the respect of actually understanding what her body of work is, recent body of work, for them to discuss. So that’s embarrassing and disrespectful, and that’s what wins you, yay, the award for best podcast.”

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.

Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg Praise HOT 97 Hire Of ‘The Kid Mero’

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Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg Praise HOT 97 Hire Of ‘The Kid Mero’

Bronx-born comedian and media personality The Kid Mero officially takes the helm of HOT 97’s morning show, HOT 97 Mornings with Mero, starting Tuesday, January 13. The program airs weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET, marking a major shift in the station’s lineup following the exit of Peter Rosenberg, Laura Stylez and Ebro last month.

On today’s Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg Podcast, the trio praised the hire by HOT 97 as Rosenberg and Stylez shared detailed reactions to Mero’s new role, balancing support for their former colleague with candid reflections on their own departure.

“He’s a great guy,” Stylez said. “He’s with a great team. Our team is a great team. Mia Bell is amazing, of course, Shawnee Juanito, people we absolutely adore. We don’t know if they’re gonna stay, but I hope they do.”

Rosenberg also praised the hire, saying, “The most perfect and apt phrase for me when it comes to this is a broken clock is right twice a day. The powers that be, I think this is a very good hire. Mero is entertaining, super New York, super good dude, has four kids, family dude. It’s great.”

However, both hosts emphasized that their issues were with management, not staff nor Mero on his entry into the fold with the New York City radio station.

“Our issues were never with the people there. We love the people there. Even HOT 97 as a brand, we just didn’t… we hated the company that runs it,” Stylez said.

Rosenberg says there is a lingering frustration over the rollout of Mero’s hire which utilized an elaborate social media campaign.

“The one thing that is hard not to feel a way about it is to see the rollout and the excitement and the posts and the production around it… The only reason that I’m left with the nasty feeling is that our exit was plain old nasty. There’s just no way around it,” said Rosenberg.

He added that the station could have handled their departure more professionally.

“Had they reached out to us and said, ‘Here’s the deal. We can’t come to terms. Y’all are unhappy. We understand. We’re going a different direction. Let’s wrap this thing up nice.’ They absolutely could have done that,” he elaborated.

Mero, known for his sharp humor and cultural commentary as one-half of the comedy duo Desus & Mero, has hosted Victory Light with The Kid Mero and co-hosted 7PM in Brooklyn with NBA star Carmelo Anthony. His hire represents HOT 97’s continued effort to feature personalities deeply connected to New York’s cultural scene.

In mentioning the hire by his former station, Rosenberg hints that there would likely be more cast members added to the program. HOT 97 has not officially announced any additional contributors to their new morning program. HOT 97 Mornings with Mero premieres Tuesday, January 13.

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Salem Media, Triton Digital Announce Expansion of Longstanding Partnership

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Salem Media, Triton Digital Announce Expansion of Longstanding Partnership

Salem Media has announced it is extending its longstanding partnership with Triton Digital.

The company will continue utilizing the Streaming Services and Podcast Services through Omny, as well as measurement services from Webcast Metrics, Podcast Metrics, and Demos+. The expansion now includes Podcast Video Metrics for YouTube and will also utilize the Sounder offering from Triton Digital.

“Our long-standing partnership with Salem Media demonstrates the strength of collaboration built over many years,” said Triton Digital President and CEO John Rosso. “Salem’s portfolio spans a wide range of trusted formats and highly engaged audiences across streaming and podcasting. With this renewal, we are expanding our support through advanced measurement, monetization, and audio intelligence solutions that align with Salem’s continued digital focus.”

“Working with Triton Digital gives us the tools and insights we need to support our growing digital audio and podcast offerings,” said Salem Media Chief Digital Officer Jamie Cohen. “Their measurement, monetization, and new Sounder capabilities help us better understand our audiences and continue delivering content that resonates across platforms and with our audience.”

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Former Good Karma Brands Market Manager Vinny DiMarco Joins Team Boxing League

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Former Good Karma Brands Market Manager Vinny DiMarco Joins Team Boxing League

Vinny DiMarco, the former market manager for ESPN New York under Good Karma Brands, has been named Chief Revenue Officer of Team Boxing League, he announced via LinkedIn.

In his new role, DiMarco will oversee revenue growth, strategic partnerships, and brand integrations as the league expands its team-based boxing format. Team Boxing League blends elite athletic competition with city pride and fan engagement. Its nationally televised events attracted more than 12 million viewers during the third season.

“Team Boxing League is transforming the sport of boxing with a team-based format that unites elite athletes, city pride, and a modern fan experience,” DiMarco wrote in his announcement. “The league operates at the intersection of competition, entertainment, and culture, and I am energized by the opportunity ahead.”

Team Lead Boxing also announced the hire of Danny Vella as Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, further strengthening the league’s executive leadership as it continues its rapid growth.Vella joins TBL following four years as Executive Director of the Arizona State Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission.

“Vinny and Danny each bring exceptional expertise that aligns perfectly with where TBL is headed,” said Kevin Cassidy, CEO of TBL Team Boxing League. “Vinny’s proven ability to drive sustainable revenue growth across complex media and partnership ecosystems will be critical as we scale, while Danny’s regulatory leadership and commitment to safety and integrity will ensure our expansion is built on the highest professional standards.”

DiMarco brings extensive experience in sports media and sales leadership to the role. He served as market manager for Good Karma Brands’ New York operations from January 2022 until July 2025. During his tenure, he managed the station’s day-to-day operations. He also spearheaded initiatives, including the launch of 880 ESPN New York, following the end of a local marketing agreement with Emmis Communications for the 98.7 FM frequency.

Prior to his market manager role, DiMarco was senior director of sales for ESPN Audio partnerships. He oversaw radio affiliate relationships and a growing sales team. His work helped position ESPN New York across multiple platforms, maintaining the network’s presence despite changes to the FM signal.

Despite the career shift, DiMarco emphasized gratitude toward mentors, colleagues, and industry partners who have shaped his career. On LinkedIn, he singled out Team Boxing League CEO Kevin Cassidy for placing trust in him. This came as the organization charts its next phase of growth.

“TBL is redefining what’s possible in professional boxing,” DiMarco said. “I’m excited to join the organization and help build innovative, scalable revenue opportunities that support the league’s long-term vision.”

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Fanatics, OBB Media Announce Formation of Content Studio

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Fanatics, OBB Media Announce Formation of Content Studio

Fanatics and OBB Media are expanding their footprint in sports storytelling with the launch of Fanatics Studios, a newly formed joint venture designed to operate as a full-scale global studio focused on sports entertainment.

The venture positions itself as an independent content engine capable of financing, producing and distributing projects across multiple formats. Its initial slate includes feature films, documentaries, scripted and unscripted series, live event programming and premium digital content, all centered on the growing intersection of sports and popular culture.

By combining Fanatics’ vast ecosystem of athletes, leagues and commercial partners with OBB Media’s production experience, the companies aim to create a centralized home. The goal is ambitious sports-centered storytelling.

Fanatics has built its brand across apparel, collectibles, sports betting, events and media. OBB has gained recognition for producing culturally relevant content that has generated billions of views and multiple industry awards.

Fanatics Studios will debut with several high-profile projects already in development. Among the most notable is a wide-ranging content partnership tied to the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The deal includes film, television and digital productions spotlighting athletes and cultural moments. The content will lead up to the Games and reflect back on them. Additionally, the studio will produce the official Olympic film, planned for a theatrical release.

Football will play a central role in the studio’s early programming. The Fanatics Flag Football Classic is a live event to air on FOX from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It will feature current and former NFL stars, highlighted by Tom Brady’s flag football debut. The event will also anchor One More Drive, a multi-part documentary. The series follows Brady’s preparation for the competition and his potential pursuit of a Team USA spot.

Fanatics Studios is also expanding into marquee sports television. The company will collaborate with ESPN and Full Day Productions on the 2026 ESPY Awards. It will also enter a broader multi-year programming agreement with ESPN. The deal includes renewed coverage of Fanatics Fest.

Additional partnerships extend to WWE, Major League Baseball and the World Baseball Classic. Projects range from digital interview shows and lifestyle programming to a global baseball docuseries.

OBB founder Michael D. Ratner will lead the new venture, who will serve as CEO while continuing to oversee OBB Media’s other businesses. OBB Pictures will manage physical production for Fanatics Studios projects, while select pre-existing OBB Sports properties will remain outside the joint venture.

“I’m incredibly excited about launching Fanatics Studios and adding an important content and media business to our growing sports platform that also supports all of our existing businesses,” said Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin. “We could not have dreamed up a better partner in Michael Ratner and the team at OBB, and together we are going to continue pushing our mission of relentlessly enhancing the fan experience by creating content that brings fans closer than ever to the teams, players, sports, cultural moments and events that they love in a way that’s never been done before.”

The launch of Fanatics Studios further signals Fanatics’ long-term commitment to content, following its recently announced 10-year extension to co-produce Fanatics Fest, which returns to New York City’s Javits Center this July.

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