With some automakers set to remove AM/FM radio from their infotainment centers, new data from Critical Mass Insights shows just how many prospective buyers still expect the band inside their new models.
The company’s research shows that 96% of Americans say that a car having an included AM/FM radio is “important.” An additional 98% said that easy access to the AM/FM Radio inside automobiles is important.
“The bottom line here is just how much people value having easy access to both AM and FM radio in their cars,” said Critical Mass Insights Senior Vice President of Research Elizabeth Falke. “Consumers want radio for a variety of different reasons that are largely unique to local radio – everything from discovering new music to weather updates, sports reports and local news.
“This is largely due to the special connection on-air talent forms with listeners, as 9 in 10 Americans say having radio personalities easily available in their cars is important because it helps them feel less lonely,” Falke concluded.
89% of those surveyed said they would be less likely to purchase a new car that did not include the AM/FM band in it. 97%, meanwhile, pointed to the free-to-use nature of terrestrial radio as its most important feature, arguing that having a free feature inside their automobiles was an important distinction.
The findings were widespread, across several different demographics. Those surveyed ranged from 18 to 74 years old.
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.
Al Michaels, the longtime NFL play-by-play voice, indicated he would like to continue calling games for Prime Video next season during a recent appearance on the SI Media Podcast with Jimmy Traina.
“I feel really good right now. It’s been a good year. A lot of fun. I love the people I’m working with. So if I had to make a decision today, I would want to come back,” Michaels said.
Michaels, 81, joined Amazon Prime’s NFL coverage for the 2022 season after a storied run calling games for several networks. His move to streaming reflected both his enduring presence in the broadcast world and the growing competition among platforms to attract high-profile sports talent.
While explaining his desire to return to Prime Video following the conclusion of the season, Michaels understands he may not have the opportunity.
“It’s a two-way street here. They could tell me, ‘Hey, we gotta move on. It’s time to make a transition.’ All that. It could happen,” explained Michaels. “As we sit here on this mid-November afternoon, I feel really good. Still love what I do. And again, work with a tremendous crew. So, yeah, I think at this moment in time, I’d like to continue, yes.”
Michaels has shared the booth with analyst Kirk Herbstreit, bringing a combination of decades-long experience and insight into modern NFL strategy. Their broadcasts balance a traditional play-by-play style with the platform’s digital-first approach. For the second season in a row, Michaels and Herbstreit will also call a wild-card playoff game to wrap up their 2025 season.
Michaels’ Thursday Night Football partner initially inked a five-year contract with Amazon in 2022, so he is signed through next season. Michaels is currently on a season-to-season agreement with Prime Video.
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.
Vice TV is taking a big swing at some of sports’ biggest personalities with a new documentary franchise titled Out of Bounds. The network confirmed the project to The Hollywood Reporter, signaling a renewed commitment to long-form storytelling. The episodes will be built around controversy, culture, and the athletes who command headlines far beyond the field.
The franchise opens with a two-hour deep dive on UNC head coach and former Patriots coach Bill Belichick. It focuses heavily on his relationship with girlfriend Jordon Hudson, who is 49 years younger. The pairing sparked months of viral chatter and scrutiny. It gives Vice TV an entry point into a story that mixes football power dynamics with today’s digital fascination..
Vice Studios and the Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC), a Sony Pictures Television subsidiary, are producing the series. Future installments will examine the downfall of seven-time Pro Bowler Antonio Brown. In 2026, the series will also take a wide-angle look at the rapid rise of sports gambling.
Vice TV shifted to the Belichick story after a planned Hard Knocks-style project on North Carolina collapsed. Hulu also scrapped an unrelated Belichick college-coaching docuseries. This left Vice with an opening to pursue the subject on its own terms.
In a statement, Vice TV president Peter Gaffney said the network sees Out of Bounds as an extension of its mission to push beyond traditional sports content.
“Our sports programming caters to fans who want more than highlights. They want the stories behind the headlines,” Gaffney said to THR. “Out of Bounds delivers that with fearless storytelling and a cultural lens that only Vice can bring. We’re proud to partner with Vice Studios to give viewers a front-row look at some of today’s most fascinating sports stories.”
Vice Studios president Amy Powell echoed that sentiment, noting the franchise’s focus on personality, power, and perception.
“Sports is one of the few places where power, control, and reputation play out in front of the world and in real time,” Powell said. “With Out of Bounds, we’re building a franchise that takes that lens beyond the field: into the personal stories, contradictions, and consequences that shape modern sports culture.”
The first documentary, Out of Bounds: Bill Belichick & Jordon Hudson, premieres Tuesday, December 16, at 9 p.m. ET. Vice says the film explores how an eight-time Super Bowl champion known for tightly controlling everything — from his roster to his public image — now faces a narrative he can’t fully manage.
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.
The fallout from ABC News correspondent Mary Bruce asking questions to President Donald Trump about his family’s business dealings and the Epstein Files continues, with the White House taking shots at the television network.
In a statement released by the White House on Wednesday evening, it labeled the network as a “Democrat spin operation masquerading as a broadcast network,” before lobbing other insults at the network.
“ABC ‘News’ is not journalism — it’s a Democrat spin operation masquerading as a broadcast network,” the White House said in a statement. “The network’s longstanding commitment to hoaxes, character assassinations, and outright fiction targeting only one side of the political aisle is a deliberate deception to wage war on President Trump and the millions of Americans who elected him to multiple terms.”
The statement then listed grievances the White House has about the way the network has covered President Donald Trump and his policy initiatives, ranging from his first term in 2017 to September of this year.
President Trump has not been shy in his criticism of ABC News, or the network as a whole, in recent days. On Tuesday, he balked at questions asked by Mary Bruce, calling her “horrible”, “insubordinate”, and “a terrible person and a terrible reporter” in the process.
“And ABC, your crappy company, is one of the perpetrators,” Trump said of what he called a fake news operation against him. “I’ll tell you something: I think the license should be taken away from ABC. Because your news is so fake and it’s so wrong. We have a great (FCC) Commissioner, the chairman, who should look at that. Because I think when you come in and when you’re 97% negative to Trump, and then Trump wins the election in a landslide, that means — obviously — your news is not credible.”
In a message posted to Truth Social, Trump also called for ABC to remove Jimmy Kimmel from his late-night television slot due to “very biased coverage.”
“Get the bum off the air!!!” Trump wrote.
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.
Meet The Leaders is a special 8-week series created in partnership with Point to Point Marketing. Our seventh feature is on the EVP, Creative Studio and Marketing for ESPN, Tina Thornton Follow along with the series and revisit former conversations by checking out the entire category.
As Executive Vice President, Creative Studio and Marketing at ESPN, Tina Thornton is a key member of ESPN’s executive leadership team reporting to ESPN Chairman, Jimmy Pitaro. In her current role, Tina is responsible for leading all of ESPN’s marketing efforts – overseeing all creative output for ESPN Marketing, overall media strategy, spending and budgeting, and fan engagement – across brands, events, platforms, and shows.
Thornton is instrumental to the ESPN brand, working collectively to enhance promotion for critical league partners inclusive of the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and F1, and vital priorities such as Fantasy Football, the ESPN App and ESPN+ (ESPN’s leading streaming service), among many others. Additionally, she’s responsible for fostering a culture that embraces new audience growth with strategies that engage diverse audiences throughout the ESPN ecosystem.
In this edition of “Meet The Leaders,” we dive her rise at ESPN, and how a number of pivots in her career path have defined her influence on the company as a key leader. We also discuss the marketing aspects of ESPN’s direct-to-consumer product, what makes a great leader, and how she continues to work with her teams on innovative partnerships for one-of-a-kind content opportunities serving the sports fan any time, any place, any where.
Thronton spoke with Barrett Media from her office in Bristol, CT.
*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*
John Mamola: Let’s start here. You’ve been with ESPN in some capacity for 32 years?
Tina Thornton: A little over 32 years. August 22nd was my 32nd anniversary, which seems like forever ago. It’s pretty amazing to be at the same company for that long.
John Mamola: When you walked in on day one, what was the goal for you in joining ESPN from the start?
Tina Thornton: To be honest, I thought I was going to be here for a year and then leave. I had interned at CNN Sports one summer and at CNN Promotions. I thought I’m going to go off and be a sports reporter of some kind traveling the country.
Then I got to ESPN as a production assistant. A lot of us came in 1993 because we were launching ESPN2. I remember getting here and just feeling like this is the place for me. It feels like a family.
I liked being behind the scenes, and starting as a production assistant was such a great opportunity. Back then, you did advance a little more quickly just because everything was moving so fast.
I loved it. Working on everything from college football and basketball, to the XGames and Winter X.
Eventually I worked on Sunday Night Football. My mentor was Fred Gaudelli. Freddie was the last major producer at NBC Sports for the NFL, and he’s amazing. I worked my way up in those spaces and eventually became a coordinating producer in charge of all NCAA championships. This includes the women’s tournament and the Final Four. I ended up working on that event in different roles for about 20 years, with the last 16 in charge as the coordinating producer.
Being involved in all these sports and opportunities, there weren’t many women at the time. It was a great experience for me to be involved in all these things. Content was my love more than anything, and I was involved in all these content opportunities.
When I was placed in charge of the outdoor programs that ESPN used to air, once those outdoor properties started to go away, one of my bosses asked me to help with sales.
I thought sales, ugh. I don’t even like putting sales in my own shows. It felt like clutter to me at the time, which sounds terrible now. I just didn’t realize the importance of it.
I decided to keep doing the NCAA championships. So I was still doing content, but I started dabbling in the business of content. I became a leader that sat between our content and sales teams and developed a team called ad sales integration.
Integrating sponsorships without hurting editorial integrity but also advancing the ball with our revenue. I loved it, and that led to more business opportunities for me.
That was my first pivot. Doing content while dabbling in the business of content and leading some areas there.
The second pivot was when Jimmy Pitaro came to ESPN.
He was looking for a chief of staff, and I had never met him. Someone told me I should talk to him about that, but I didn’t know what the chief of staff does. I was a senior leader at that time, but I did meet with him and left the meeting thinking I need that job. I need to work with him.
He gave me the opportunity to be his chief of staff and allowed me to keep the things I was doing except for content. I’ve been at the company for 25 years, but when I got into the role it was like going to graduate school all over again.
Jimmy is such an inclusive leader and included me in every meeting that wasn’t a one-on-one. All the leagues and our partners. It was such a great learning experience for me. That was my second pivot.
There was a lot of change going on with the business and the industry evolving. Jimmy asked me to step away from being chief of staff and run all of our operations to pull together all of our creative teams and oversee creative. At the same time, I was running all these other businesses for the company as well. That was amazing and right in my wheelhouse.
Then the third pivot came about two years ago when our CMO Laura Gentile was leaving. Jimmy then asked me to run marketing. I know a lot of things, but I didn’t grow up in marketing and don’t know enough about marketing. Why this and now?
He told me I think you’re a great leader, and I think you’re going to have fun.
We navigated a couple of things, but overall everything that I oversee does complement each other. Marketing, creative studio, and I have corporate citizenship which is more about marketing the good we do in the industry.
Marketing was interesting, so I took marketing about two and a half years ago and I’ve learned so much.
John Mamola: It sounds as though you’ve been tasked or asked to do something that you were completely foreign to on several occasions.
Tina Thornton: When I talk to students or people early in their careers, I talk about transferable skills. In particular, I talk about leadership. People always ask me, what is your superpower or what do you think you’re good at?
Leadership is one of those things. I’m able to get different people in different parts of the business to come together towards a common goal. That’s probably the one thing that I just feel good at.
It’s funny, I took this class in college that was about hostage negotiation. Looking back on that class as one of the things that shaped me, oddly enough. I feel like we’re in hostage negotiations every single day. We’re in some sort of area where we’re having to get people to come together towards a common goal.
That’s been a real big part of my career.
John Mamola: Was the last two and a half weeks a good use of that course you took in college? I don’t imagine you had any involvement with the carriage dispute between Disney and YouTube TV.
However, from a marketing perspective, there’s messaging with those circumstances. Did that course help in some aspects with how the messaging was navigated the last two and a half weeks?
The Walt Disney Company announces multi-year distribution agreement with YouTube TV pic.twitter.com/Gw0rYO1KrN
Tina Thornton: It did. I was involved to a point, but it was a broader thing for the Walt Disney Company. It wasn’t just about ESPN, but yes, absolutely. Those types of things are things that I do draw from, which I think is important.
It’s been fascinating in this marketing role. I spent the first year in marketing learning from others and building relationships. Not only on our team but making sure that we weren’t siloed. Making sure that we were represented across the company in a great way.
Particularly building relationships at the Walt Disney Company because we knew that we were going to step into the direct-to-consumer space.
Disney had been in that space with Disney+ and Hulu.
Having to start thinking about full direct-to-consumer was important to me. I made one of the best hires; her name is Jo Fox. Jo originally came from Sky Sports but then helped launch Peacock as well. You always pride yourself in the people that you bring to the table.
My leaders are the best leaders, whether it’s Jo leading marketing, or Carrie Brzezinski Hsu who leads our creative studio, or Kevin Martinez who leads CSR. They are amazing.
Jo has transformed marketing and put it in a place that really looks at the entire package. It’s not just D2C, and it’s not just our sports and linear offerings. It’s everything collectively, and it’s just been amazing to learn from her.
Even as her leader, I learn from her. You don’t always know the ins and outs of every little thing. You have to trust in your people, and that’s what I must do.
John Mamola: How long was the planning for the direct-to-consumer product that launched this year?
Tina Thornton: I don’t know if I can speak to when it started, but it had always been on the roadmap. Our affiliate agreements, there were certain things that the affiliate team had to get through in order to get to that next step.
What I can say from a marketing perspective is I knew two years in advance what we were going to do. But really that first year of me in marketing was just me learning about marketing in general.
Bringing Jo [Fox] on board was important for me because she really helped solidify our messaging and thought process. She and I working together along with Carrie Brzezinski Hsu, all the creative was done by our creative studio.
Except for one item we took out very early on when we did something called Sports Forever. Everything else remained internal.
Jo was hired, onboarded, and boom. You’re in this, and let’s go. We were then suddenly thinking about D2C all the time, but then we must remember we have all these other partners that we have to work with.
That first fall that she was here, we were still in an NFL season. We were still in a college football season, and about to do the women’s tournament. All these things were going on, and oh there’s D2C too.
Even just coming up with the simplicity of the name, and calling it ESPN. To all of ESPN in one place. We really looked at that as that message is about creating awareness.
You’re getting all your content in a centralized place, and you have control of it. Jo called that the three Cs: content, centralization, and control. We were just really redefining alongside our product partners how fans experience sports.
It was so much fun thinking about the partnerships that the team was developing. It was amazing. The creativity was all done internally. It brought a consistent look, a consistent feel. I’m really proud of it.
John Mamola: This is more playing to your content background. The updates that ESPN made with the added features to the app, I would imagine everything wasn’t released all at once. Is that a constant conversation that’s ongoing within on how to build moving forward?
Tina Thornton: Jimmy [Pitaro] always says we’re in the first inning. If you think about other media and streaming companies, they evolve all the time. The expectation for us is that we do the same. We evolve, we innovate as we go.
Yes, there are all kinds of unique and interesting opportunities down the road. Let’s get past the first inning. Make people aware of it, and let’s keep evolving it. Our product team does such a great job with that. More people are starting to use the Verts tab, and it’s evolving.
I think we’re going to continue to evolve and hopefully continue to be a leader in this space.
On the DTC front, that first phase for us from marketing was about awareness. Now it’s about what’s the value proposition. Why should fans keep ESPN year-round?
The landscape is complex. We know that. It may take a few years for the complexity to simplify, if that makes sense. For people to understand what they can get, where they can get it, and when they can get it.
John Mamola: When it comes to the marketing of the ESPN DTC moving forward, there’s a lot of discussion currently about the term affordability. People attempting to figure out how to spend on the products they value.
Next year, when these introductory bundles potentially expire, from a marketing perspective, how do you address the concerns about affordability with your subscribers today that will be making that decision at some point next year?
Tina Thornton: We are going to start with a phase two on December 18. More to come on that, I can’t really speak about it yet. It’s sort of phase two, and it’s also a time around the holidays where a lot of people do churn. So, we’re going to come in with a phase two that’s about the value proposition.
Why do you keep ESPN year-round? Why do you keep the bundle year-round?
You suggest that there’s this large expense tied to it. Depending upon what type of subscriber you are, there are different price points that different people are good with.
It’s not just ESPN’s direct-to-consumer proposition. It’s about ESPN’s entire distribution model, which includes people like YouTube TV, Comcast, and Charter. Plus, our own bundle or our own standalone direct-to-consumer.
We are giving fans choice. As we do that, we just need to continue to push the value of ESPN and why you need to keep ESPN all year round. If you’re a sports fan, you will.
Why is it also important for a casual sports fan, a women’s sports fan, or your kids? There are all kinds of ways to think about it, but you’ll see phase two coming up here soon. Next summer we’ll likely move into the next opportunity that we have. Just be on the lookout for that.
John Mamola: As you know, sports fans consume the sports they love differently. More today than ever before. From your perspective, how drastic has the consumption of sports becoming more highlight driven than ever before affect how you market to the ESPN consumer?
Tina Thornton: How old are your kids?
John Mamola: I have a 17-year-old son, and a 12-year-old daughter.
Tina Thornton: I have a 19-year-old daughter. She’s a sophomore in college, and she plays soccer — small Division III. She does watch differently than I watch. Yet she has become a big fan and watches longer, more so on her phone.
Think about the features that we’re offering in terms of personalization, betting, and opportunity to purchase consumer products right from the app. We’re hopefully doing a really good job bringing something for everyone. There are people that do like bite-size, some like long-form. Others watch full games, and there are people that fan in different ways.
The hard part for us from a marketing standpoint is capturing all of those people in simple messages. It’s really tough. I’m proud of the things that we’ve done so far, and I’m looking forward to continuing to learn.
One of my teammates — we were talking about something the other day — and they use this phrase “launch and learn.” It’s not about launch and you’re done; it’s about launch and learn. What are you learning next? What’s the next thing? How is the product evolving? What are you doing? What’s the next message? How do you simplify it?
People will figure it out as long as you get them there.
I have so many thoughts on all these things. It’s fascinating not coming from a marketing background and stepping into this going, “Wow.” This has been such a unique experience for me.
John Mamola: You mentioned betting. ESPN BET is going away at the end of the month. How does that change the user experience on the ESPN app and possibly the marketing around it?
Tina Thornton: A product person would be able to answer that fully, but I would also tell you that we’re trying to create a seamless integration and a seamless experience.
DraftKings is a leader in the betting space. It’s nice to have two leaders combining and partnering up. Bringing forward this great opportunity.
Fans aren’t just watching. They want to interact with personalized, real-time insights, with features. It’s just another layer to their experience.
We want to elevate sports from game to experience, and that’s what the betting space is. It’s another opportunity for fans to engage in a way that maybe feels connected to the outcomes, which is fun.
John Mamola: Let’s talk about creative studio. Monsters Funday Football is next month. You’ve been a part of the Simpsons Funday Football and Dunk the Halls.
These are great ideas utilizing a lot of different partners. How did this one in particular come together?
Tina Thornton: I’m so excited about this one. Monsters, Inc. is one of my favorite IPs at the Walt Disney Company. This is the second one that we’ve done with Pixar. Toy Story was the first.
The way Pixar, ESPN, NFL, Beyond Sports — we all work together in partnership on this. This one — I’m excited because we get to use voice actors now. We did that with Simpsons, but didn’t get to do that for Toy Story, because Toy Story was during the writers’ strike. We couldn’t use voice actors.
To be able to hear some of the things that I’m seeing and some of the things you’ll see on December 8th — Billy Crystal, John Goodman — it’s going to be so exciting.
What I love so much about these is that we create a story within a story. You have the game that’s going on, and that’s a story in itself. Then you have Mike and Sully playing in the game. Mike’s going to play for the Eagles, and Sully is playing for the Chargers. They’re playing on a cheer floor.
The creative studio team — Michael Szykowny is an amazing leader that looks through the lens of this story with Pixar and says, “Hey, what’s important to this brand? What’s important to this IP?”
There’s going to be 6,000 monsters on the cheer floor, and appearances by other monsters. Roz is going to interview players — not live obviously. We also have people like Katie Feeney who’s going to be the social screamer. The CDA is running the sky cam. Roz is going to make sure everything runs smoothly just like she does in the movie. All of these stories play into it.
I’m just so excited about this opportunity. These alternate telecasts are great opportunities for co-viewing with families and getting kids to sit down with their parents to watch football. I’m just so proud of the team and working with our production partners. Our partners at Pixar, to gain the trust in Pixar that we have. To take their IP and use it in something like this, it’s special.
John Mamola: You’re only a couple weeks to air. What’s the next couple of weeks like for you? How involved are you to make sure this goes off as best as it can?
Tina Thornton: You’d be surprised. I’m not nearly as involved as you may think. We just have so much going on. Whether it’s the DTC work that’s going on, the college football playoff, the NFL.
We’re thinking about Super Bowl 2027.
John Mamola: I’m glad you brought up the Super Bowl. Are there plans laid in yet to begin marketing the first Super Bowl in ESPN’s history?
Tina Thornton: It’s a huge deal. Yes, we already have thoughts in place. I can’t go into all of them, but I’ll tell you we’ve been working on the Super Bowl probably for a year already.
There’s a committee set up that goes through and talks about all the different ideas and applications we have. We have employees that are providing ideas along the way that we take into account. We’ve got ideas for marketing in the works.
So, you asked me how involved I am with Monsters Inc. It’s hard to get super involved with any one thing because there’s so many things going on at ESPN at any given point in time. I really do have to rely on the amazing teams that we have.
John Mamola: What’s a typical day-to-day like for you?
Tina Thornton: It’s checking in but not micromanaging. It’s about staying up on the balcony and looking at everything, but also being there for anyone that needs counsel. People may want to come and just bounce ideas off of you.
There’s also a lot of people stuff too. There’s a lot of structural change, the evolution of the business. It’s amazing how much leaders do that’s even outside their area of expertise.
Prioritization is huge. Think about all that we just talked about. We have to prioritize every single day what we can even get done, and who can get it done.
John Mamola: What is the best part of your job, but also the most challenging part of your job?
Tina Thornton: The best part of my job is working with all the amazing and talented people that we have at ESPN. It’s always been the best part of my job. Growing up at the company — the people make the difference.
The most challenging part of my job?
It’s not so much when do I sleep. It’s that I wake up every night at 3–4 in the morning thinking about the challenges that I have to face the next week. I never look at work-life as balance. I look at work-life as integration. Each day you integrate differently based upon what you have to get done.
When I was growing up at the company, even when I was at really busy times. I never played lacrosse, but I coached my daughter’s lacrosse team for nine years. That was really important to me. When my daughter was in high school and she had her soccer season or her lacrosse season, I would leave the office to go to her games. That was really important to me.
Now it doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t get on calls when I was at the field, or work into the evening because I was trying to catch up on something that maybe happened. That was really important to me. So, I do look at work-life as integration.
Now that she’s off in college, I traveled to 12 or 13 games between all the things that were going on and between all the launches. We launched our direct-to-consumer in August, then launched an NFL Plus premium bundle. Two weeks later, we launched WWE and a FOX one bundle two weeks after that. It was a lot, but I still wanted to see her play.
You figure out how to make time.
The most challenging thing for me is waking up in the middle of the night thinking about all the things I have to do and still wanting to get a good night’s sleep.
Challenges are opportunities. I try to lead with an optimistic view, and challenges sometimes sound a little pessimistic to me. How do you transition that wording to what are the opportunities we have to be better and evolve? What hard decisions do we have to make today?
Once we get there and get past those things, there’s opportunities on the back end of those.
John Mamola: What excites you the most about the future of ESPN?
Tina Thornton: In the 32 years that I’ve been here, we’ve evolved significantly. There were periods of evolution that took place along the way. We’ve always been innovative; people forget that.
Particularly in the tech space, ESPN has always been innovative. I’m proud of that.
What excites me the most is that continued innovation. What are we going to do next, and how are we going to bring the sports fans love to them wherever they are? ESPN has a motto that is “Serve sports fans anytime, anywhere.” I’m excited how we continue to do that and evolve with the entire industry and be the best at it.
I don’t think we’re going to back down at any given point in time. We’re just going to continue to evolve. Plus continue to put out the best experiences — not just product, but experience — for our fans.
To learn more about Point-To-Point Marketing’s Podcast and Broadcast Audience Development Marketing strategies, contact Tim Bronsil at tim@ptpmarketing.com or 513-702-5072.
With nearly three decades on the air and 87 markets nationwide, The Murphy, Sam & Jodi Morning Showhas built a legacy on authenticity, friendship, chemistry, and an uncommon ability to feel like family to the listeners who start their day with them.
This ensemble-driven morning show continues to expand its footprint while staying rooted in real life, real relationships, and real connection. For background, the program shares a long history albeit not including every member of the current group.
“The guys were together a long time before I came on board, but we just had a natural chemistry, not just on-air, but anytime we were together,” says Jodi. “I picked up on it right away while I was the producer. They asked me to sub one day, and it just worked. I’ve been in place ever since. That was 27 years ago.”
As for how the program was crafted, the concept was to have a different voice than Murphy or Sam guiding the show.
“They wanted a female lead, and it came naturally. But I truly believe our strength is the ensemble. People can feel the friendship, the family we’ve created. We ARE an ensemble, that’s where the strength is. But we all have different gifts,” insists Jodi. “Murphy is the stable voice of reason. He greets, moves things in and out, and he and Sam have a bit of a bromance. Sam is a funny cynic, kind of like the Grinch, in that we all know the heart is there.”
Every radio program needs to cater to the audience it serves, which is why the decision was made for Jodi to take the wheel of the show.
“I lead because I’m closest to the audience, the target demo: women doing all the things for their families and careers, needing a place where they’re catered to, understood, and seen, while still being entertained,” explained Jodi. “We all share our personal lives, and THAT resonates. We share the real, flawed stuff, the ups and downs of our marriage, Sam’s three divorces and dating adventures. The show feels real because it IS real.”
The goal; meeting the audience’s needs through companionship and building a lasting connection.
“First and foremost, we strive to be a friend in the community. To be there, not just with familiarity, but with comfort. Reassurance when something is unstable or going wrong. Whether it’s a hurricane, a school bus accident, or a local fundraiser. We also share anything our PDs and producers want us to, and we work closely with them to be in touch and be the voices of what’s happening,” she noted.
“Our biggest passion project is being a positive start to the day and cutting through a sea of noise and negative news,” says Murphy. “We’re advocates for Children’s Hospitals and St. Jude and lend our time to those fundraisers. I’m a Type 1 Diabetic, so I support Breakthrough T1D and the American Diabetes Association. Jodi is a huge pet lover and advocate for pet adoption.”
As far as prepping for the show, the concept is pretty simple.
“I always say, ‘Life will give it to you!’” insists Jodi. “Prep is everywhere. The best prep is living a life worth sharing and being vulnerable enough to give of yourself on-air. We all do that. News and entertainment? That’s everywhere too. In our modern world, prep is overflowing. I’m so grateful for that!”
“We’re always prepping for each other,” adds Sam. “With an eye for what might be a better fit for Jodi to share, or if something is more in Murphy’s lane, based on our arcs and roles.”
One of The Murphy, Sam & Jodi Morning Show‘s biggest strengths is the ability to adapt and deliver.
“We have the ability to deploy immediate, market-specific content if an emergency doesn’t affect all affiliate stations we’re on,” says Murphy. “That’s been a priority since we started adding stations. Having systems in place and anticipating needs makes all the difference. Many markets depend on that extra voice and support.”
After being on the air together for so long, it’s hard to believe that the road has been as smooth as it has so far.
“If nothing has turned us upside down yet, nothing will,” says Jodi. “We’ve been together so long, it’s a group mind. No matter what gets in the way; personal problems, schedules, creative differences, we focus on the audience. What are they expecting? Why do they come to us? I don’t think any of us has ever wanted to quit. I feel like I belong in this studio with these two guys, and don’t imagine much could tear us apart.”
As far as encouraging younger talent and working to keep the radio craft alive, the team feels strongly about leading by example.
“There’s still an opportunity to engage and encourage up-and-coming talent to hone their skills and build content for their portfolio, whether it’s in part-time radio positions or their own video/audio podcasts,” says Sam. “Technology has changed the business, but the core of what we do translates to all types of media consumption. We’re all in the content generation and companionship business. Mentoring with good balance and constructive and positive feedback is one of the best gifts we can give future talent.”
As for Murphy, he believes staying true to you audience is the biggest key for long term success.
“We don’t pretend to be what we’re not. Everything on the show filters through the eyes of a 30–49-year-old. Keeping current and focused on what makes today a great day — that’s our mission,” says Murphy.
As for what’s in store for the rest of the year, Jodi believes there is no shortage of content that the program could provide.
“This is my FAVORITE time of year for the show! It’s all about expectation and family time, and there’s SO much to talk about,” says Jodi. “In October, listeners share their real-life ghost stories. In November, it’s everything Thanksgiving: food, traditions, the quirky and non-traditional things families do. And December brings its own magic: ‘Make It, Take It’ gift ideas, the 12 Dips of Christmas, tons of calls about traditions… and Santa joins us every Friday. He’s jolly, heartfelt, and hilarious. Those shows are for kids!”
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.
It’s rare for me to go back and look at old columns I’ve written, or to try to answer questions I’ve posed in this space. But this one felt like it deserved a follow-up. When the Daily Wire and Westwood One ended their relationship a year ago, I wanted to see how both sides handled the fallout.
At the time, when I broke the story for Barrett Media that the shows would be leaving Westwood One, it felt like a major shift in the news/talk landscape. Westwood One wasn’t simply losing three shows. It was losing some of the core tentpoles in its conservative talk lineup.
And if we’re being honest, the company has seen its star power shrink even further in the year since. Dan Bongino’s exit only made that picture more bleak. Those are massive hits by any measure. This isn’t a knock on Guy Benson or Vince Coglianese. They host perfectly fine shows. They are reliable and professional. But there’s a difference between “solid” and “top of the food chain.” Bongino and Shapiro carry a level of weight and recognition that drives audience passion in a way few others can replicate.
But this wasn’t a one-sided stumble. The Daily Wire has had its own rough patches since parting ways with terrestrial radio. Co-founder and CEO Jeremy Boreing left the company. Rumors about a potential sale to FOX cropped up. Before that, there were rumblings about financial instability. And at various points this year, Shapiro, Knowles, and Walsh each found themselves in the middle of controversies that generated more heat.
It has been a messy twelve months for both sides of the breakup.
Still, something I wrote last November kept sticking with me: Does The Daily Wire need news/talk radio? Or is it the other way around?
12 months later, I think we have our answer.
In December of last year — the final full month Shapiro’s show aired in national syndication on Westwood One — The Ben Shapiro Show ranked 13th in Podtrac’s Top Podcasts by U.S. Unique Monthly Audience. Fast forward to October 2025, and the show sits at eighth. That is not the trajectory of a brand suffering from a lack of terrestrial presence. In fact, it suggests the opposite. The show lost zero momentum without hundreds of AM and FM affiliates. It may have even gained traction.
So here we are with what feels like a clear, if uncomfortable, conclusion. The Daily Wire has not experienced a dramatic drop in relevance since cutting ties with national radio. Yes, Tucker Carlson said recently that he believes the company will collapse within five years. Maybe he’s right, maybe he’s not.
But the numbers today don’t show a product that has shrunk because it left the airwaves. And I’ll admit, when I wrote that column last fall, I think I expected at least some loss of reach or brand strength once the radio megaphone went silent.
I was wrong.
Now the question becomes: What does this result say about the news/talk radio space?
If some of the most influential conservative media figures in the country can leave syndication and come out the other side not only intact but thriving, what does that imply about the leverage radio once had? What does it say about the value proposition that networks like Westwood One offer? And what does it mean that a digital brand — one that often courts controversy — still appears stronger outside the traditional radio ecosystem than inside it?
I’m afraid to dive into the true answer of those questions, because I’m not sure I’ll love the conclusions I reach.
Because if The Daily Wire doesn’t need news/talk radio to remain a powerhouse, but radio needed The Daily Wire, then the balance of power is shifting in ways the industry has been slow to acknowledge.
But one year later, it’s hard to avoid.
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 are the chances in a market of 18 million people with about 4,400 Nielsen PPM meters that you could have one or meters at your radio event? Actually, the chances are good.
During the years that I programmed WCBS-FM and WNEW I was fortunate enough to have Media Monitors. It allowed me to see the exact moment meters come and go to any station in the market. Throughout my time programming those stations, we did various concert events. I always played the radio station before the bands went on stage. I’d make a very careful note of the exact time we shut the station off and live stage announcements began.
Then Sunday morning when the meter data was available on Media Monitors I’d look at that exact time we shut the station off and went live to the stage. As crazy as it sounds, more than half the time, I would see meter loss at that exact moment. They did not switch to another station, they simply stopped using radio. On one occasion, at a WNEW concert in a New York City venue, I saw the station lose 4 meters. I assumed a family of four was in attendance.
You may ask, how could this be?
If a household agrees to carrying meters, move them for 8 hours a day (less for children) and dock them every night there has to be a reason. Some research tells us it’s the Nielsen incentive. Others say its people who want their opinions known. Then there are some who believe it’s because that family is a fan of radio.
Who would come to a radio station event? That’s easy, a fan of that specific station or radio in general. Yes, we have the power to move our P1’s to come to our events. There may very well be people at that event who affect audience measurement.
The lesson in this is that the entire staff of your station needs to be listener obsessed at every event you participate in. You need to go out of your way to make sure that audience expectations are exceeded. Whether it’s a concert with thousands or a talent appearance at a mobile phone store on a Saturday afternoon. In the era of budget cuts and less station visibility, it’s no less important to be out in your market to increase the bond with your audience. It’s not only the right thing to do in building your brand, but it could also pay off in positive rating gains.
Every single listener you meet or speak with on the phone, should be treated like they are special. In the same way that a sales person would never hang up on an advertising client, talent or promotions should never be rude to a listener. While I’ll never deny the effectiveness of radio promotion, the best advertising may be word of mouth. Let your P1’s spread the word of how you went out of your way for them.
You don’t necessarily have to play your station live to get Nielsen credit. If your appearance is at a car dealer and you don’t want to play commercials of competing sponsors simply take an encoded broadcast from the past 24 hours and edit out the commercials. Play that through the speakers at the event. And if your station is TLR, take the audio of the encoded stream getting you even more credit.
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.
Who doesn’t like a good list at the end of the year? One of the items I always look forward to is how networks curate their top ten (insert category here) lists near the end of the calendar year. Every content company does it from Apple to YouTube. A personal favorite is Spotify’s annual user-generated report. Showing what I listened to most over the past 365 days.
On Wednesday, Apple Podcasts released its Top Charts of 2025, listing the best of the best in podcasting. Apple said the comprehensive year-end charts—albeit released in mid-November—highlight shows and creators that captivated listeners worldwide.
While lists across platforms are open to debate. Apple is the gold standard. CNN Business calls Apple’s influence in podcasting “outsized.” Yet one aspect of the rankings stood out: no sports-focused podcasts made any of the top charts.
Consumers are always searching for content on their terms—on their schedule, on the platform they choose. Exclusivity rarely works in the podcast space. Creators chasing it are usually disappointed.
Live vs On-Demand Dichotomy
When it comes to live television, sports reign supreme. Last week, nine of the top ten U.S. shows across broadcast, cable, syndication, and live streaming were sports broadcasts. That’s not a trend; it’s a fact.
Yet that hunger of the masses for sports content doesn’t translate to the podcast space like it does in the traditional television model. It’s interesting, yet confusing.
Sports podcasts rank among the top five most popular genres of podcasts, with an estimated 186 million Americans who listen to them. Podcasts that have celebrity, are all-inclusive, and connect fans with personalities with content that relates to their fandom. A safe space with no time constraints where opinions are more formal and conversational.
Time Magazine released its ‘100 Best Podcasts of All Time’ list earlier this year, with six sports podcasts making the list. As Netflix aims to claim a slice of the podcast pie, it made a partnership with The Ringer, bringing nine of the brand’s best over to the video streaming platform in early 2026.
Sports podcasts drive audience, gaining more revenue with new stars being created every day.
But no sports on Apple’s Top Charts of 2025?
The Bill Simmons Podcast not as popular with podcast listeners as Dateline NBC?
Pardon My Take taking a back seat to Huberman Lab?
The Dan Le Batard Show playing second fiddle to This American Life?
Is sports content truly not as popular as we think it is for the on-demand audience? Not one sports-focused show was featured in the top ten for 2025. Every category including ‘Top New Show,’ ‘Top Shows,’ ‘Most Shared Shows,’ or ‘Most Shared Episodes.’
The lone survivor was Taylor Swift’s appearance on the New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce podcast, which ranked as the third-best episode of 2025, according to Apple’s rankings. We all know why that happened. Over 24 million views on YouTube alone since it’s debut three months ago, yet since then not a single video of New Heights cracked over a million views since. Most are averaging under 300,000 views.
A Need For Change?
It highlights an interesting paradox. Consumers love live sports and appointment viewing, but content about the games’ outcomes often falls short. Did I ever think a podcast discussing how our brain connects with other organs in our body would be more popular with the consumer than interviews with the biggest names in sports?
No. But it underscores a reality about how sports podcasts are packaged.
Sports podcasts often deliver nothing more unique than sports radio has for decades: results, commentary, and the occasional interview. This format, once revolutionary, has been adapted for on-demand consumption. Longform, commercial-free, easily downloadable. The model is now one of the fastest-growing revenue streams for traditional broadcasters, though many were late to the party.
When you look at the top ten shows, many of them involve information and learning. True crime, in-depth Hollywood interviews, or evergreen content dominate charts because consumers can enjoy it anytime, not just when it’s timely. Sports podcasts, in contrast, often discuss results, box scores, and timely interviews, leaving little evergreen appeal.
That common characteristic may be why sports podcasts do not crack the top ten in these rankings. It’s not a knock on the content that creators push out, but sports podcasts discuss results and tie in an interview or two. That’s not unique, or even close, to evergreen content.
Sports podcasts rarely tell narratives. They lean on current events and celebrity interviews, offering entertainment value that doesn’t match the mass on-demand appetite for evergreen content. Passion and niche audiences are not enough to break into Apple’s top charts consistently.
A Reality Check
What can sports podcast creators do then? Just accept the rankings for what they are? What’s the takeaway?
A smart creator is always on the search for how to improve the product. The challenges are there in an oversaturated marketplace, with very few podcasts able to break through to success. It’s a cheap model to talk to an audience as a form of entertainment, with no promise of any growth as algorithms continue to dominate our content search.
Sports podcasts aren’t flopping—far from it—but the Apple charts are a reality check. The audience for on-demand sports just isn’t as massive or consistent as it is for live games. People tune in for the action, but once it’s over, they move on.
Sports podcasts are left fighting for attention in a crowded space. With little evergreen appeal and even less viral traction. Passion will get you an audience, yes, but it won’t guarantee top-of-the-charts popularity.
Maybe that’s the lesson the industry has been ignoring: sports podcasting may not be the juggernaut we’ve been imagining—at least, not yet. For those willing to take risks and rethink the approach, the opportunity is still there.
The challenge is cracking the Apple.
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.
With fantasy football rambling toward the playoff season, there are a number of shows to choose from to get data and direction. One of those shows that really stands out is Fantasy Focus Football on ESPN. All-around football dude Field Yates is joined by a varied pack of fantasy football experts for a discussion on rankings, injuries, and game previews.
The participants also debate how the biggest NFL stories, on and off the field, impact fantasy football rosters. On this particular episode, Yates was joined by Daniel Dopp and Stephania Bell.
Dopp opened the show as the de facto host after a video barrage of numbers, graphs, and numerical equations filled the opening montage. This particular edition of Fantasy Focus Football featured three of the best fantasy commentators in the business right now.
A Roster That Plays to All Fields
Dopp is deep into fantasy numbers, on track and on point with his selections and thoughts. I really like his style. It’s relaxed and laid-back, but also enthusiastic and charming. He is charismatic and a superior addition to a number of ESPN fantasy programs.
Bell has emerged as the medical/injury expert on ESPN fantasy platforms. She is extremely knowledgeable, with insight on the types of injuries. How long a player might be out of service, and how each injury and player is incredibly different. She is to ESPN fantasy football injuries what Cynthia Frelund is to NFL Network numbers and trends.
And then there’s Yates.
There is a chemistry being Davis Mills and Nico Collins that has really shown up the past 3 weeks. pic.twitter.com/QxmjDtdueB
The former NFL personnel staffer is not only a regular talking about fantasy football on ESPN, but has taken a lead role on NFL Live and other programs. He has taken his nerdy, numbers-crunching persona and brought it to another level.
The mix of Dopp, Bell, and Yates is a great one on Fantasy Focus Football. They are equal parts intellect, personality, and style. This particular program offered a recap of the Monday Night Football game between Dallas and the Raiders. Also Week 12 waiver wire options for fantasy football owners and GMs.
Analyisis Rooted in Detail
Yates’ first words were apologies to Raider fans for their team’s dismal performance vs. Dallas this past Monday. Bell emphasized that this has been a really tough week for NFL injuries. Stressing that this is what separates good teams from great teams. Meaning: Is a team relevant and stacked enough to withstand injuries and make a playoff run?
This trio really possesses a nice mélange, offering different skill sets and angles without talking over each other. The show is fun and upbeat without being overbearing.
As Dopp, Yates, and Bell analyzed the Monday Night Football game from a fantasy standpoint, lower-third graphics showed individual player stats from that game. Yates and Bell talked about the super performance by Dallas wide receiver George Pickens. Who had 11 targets, 9 receptions, 144 yards, and a touchdown for a total of 29.4 fantasy points.
Dallas’s performance spurred Yates to say that the team now has his attention. He said that their next game against the Eagles will be a lot tougher. But if they play defense the way they did in the MNF game, it could be interesting.
A subsequent graphic showed the in-house fantasy league for Fantasy Focus Football staffers. Showcasing each team’s performance from this past week. Dopp, Yates, and Bell had a lot of fun with this, with some barbs and good-natured ribbing.
Metrics That Matter
One of the best parts of Fantasy Focus Football is the advice they hand out regarding players who might be available on the waiver wire to help in the fantasy playoffs. Dopp selected San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who just returned from injury. He has Pearsall as a good playoff stash, rostered in 67% of leagues and averaging 10.7 fantasy points per game.
Dopp always has solid intel and statistics to go along with his assertions. He’s definitely one of my favorite fantasy football broadcasters on TV. He also stated that with Brock Purdy back at quarterback, Pearsall becomes an even more interesting add.
Yates went with the Vikings’ quarterback J.J. McCarthy as a playoff stash, while Bell gave some injury updates for the Steelers and picked Pittsburgh RB Kenneth Gainwell as her playoff stash selection. The trio also talked about Week 12 bye teams. The Broncos, Chargers, Dolphins, and Commanders — and how the remaining bye weeks will factor into fantasy football.
I like the priority pickup segment of the show, where Dopp talked about a couple of quarterbacks: Arizona’s Jacoby Brissett and Seattle’s Sam Darnold. He provided some really good insight on why to stick with Darnold despite his horrible game this past week against the Rams.
Dopp and Bell had a nice back-and-forth about the Packers’ running back situation with the injury to Josh Jacobs this past week. Dopp mentioned Green Bay running back Emanuel Wilson as a possible priority pickup if Jacobs cannot play. Some of the deeper fantasy targets discussed by Dopp, Yates, and Bell were running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. of the Commanders and Sean Tucker of the Bucs, who had a monster game this past week in a loss against the Bills.
The discussion of Tucker put Bell front and center to talk about the lingering injuries of Tampa Bay running back Bucky Irving, who has been out since Week 4 with both foot and shoulder injuries.
Bell, the ultimate injury insider, spoke with people in the Tampa Bay organization, who told her that Irving is at practice every day, but just not able to play in the games. They do not have any definitive timetable for his return, she related. Bell also questioned how many carries Irving would get even if he did come back. It’s a question that fantasy owners have to ask themselves if he is activated and able to play in Week 12. Bell stressed that even with all of his rehab, rest, and time at practice, Irving is not being tackled, which, of course, will happen in a game.
Dopp mentioned Falcons’ WR Darnell Mooney as another deeper league target. A dubious Yates immediately retorted that he actually started Mooney on his own fantasy team back in Week 8. Mooney had 1 catch for 11 yards in that game against the Dolphins.
Bell chimed in, reminding everyone that Mooney hurt his shoulder on the first day of training camp. This exchange was a great example of the tremendous synergy between Dopp, Yates, and Bell.
Fantasy Focus Football is a wide-ranging and varied program, covering all of the aspects, variables, and fun minutia of fantasy football. As the show neared its end, the panelists revealed their playoff “trash picks” — players whom you should not trust as the fantasy playoffs approach.
Players mentioned were Chargers WR Quentin Johnson, Cleveland RB Quinshon Judkins, Eagles wideout A.J. Brown, and Kansas City RB Isiah Pacheco.
From picks to pans to percentages, Fantasy Focus Football gives you all of the stats, scoops, and storylines to make the right adds and drops that could bring your team to a coveted fantasy football championship.
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.
