Sports radio


Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both :wikt:host|hosts and callers. Many sports talk stations also carry play-by-play of local sports teams as part of their regular programming. Hosted by Bill Mazer, the first sports talk radio show in history launched in March 1964 on New York's WNBC.
Soon after WNBC launched its program, in 1965 Seton Hall University's radio station, WSOU, started Hall Line, a call-in sports radio talk show focusing on the team's basketball program. Having celebrated its 50th anniversary on air during the 2015–2016 season, Hall Line, which broadcasts to central and northern New Jersey as well as all five boroughs of New York, is the oldest and longest running sports talk call-in show in the NY-NJ Metropolitan area, and is believed to be the oldest in the nation.
Enterprise Radio Network became the first national all-sports network, operating out of Avon, Connecticut, from New Year's Day 1981 through late September of that year before going out of business. ER had two channels, one for talk and a second for updates and play-by-play. ER's talk lineup included current New York Yankees voice John Sterling, New York Mets radio host Ed Coleman and former big-league pitcher Bill Denehy.
Sports talk is available in local, network and syndicated forms, is available in multiple languages, and is carried in multiple forms on both major North American satellite radio networks. In the United States, most sports talk-formatted radio stations air syndicated programming from ESPN Radio, SB Nation Radio, Sports Byline USA, Fox Sports Radio, CBS Sports Radio, or NBC Sports Radio, while in the Spanish language, ESPN Deportes Radio is the largest current network. In contrast, Canadian sports talk stations may carry a national brand but carry mostly local programming, with American-based shows filling in gaps. Compared to other formats, interactive "talkback" sports radio poses difficulties for Internet radio, since as a live format it is difficult to automate; most prominent sports leagues also place their radio broadcasts behind a paywall or provide their broadcasts directly to the consumer, depriving standalone Internet stations of potential programming. Pre-recorded sports talk programs can be podcasted with relative ease, and sports teams have also launched their own online digital networks with sports talk centered around their own properties.
As with most other radio formats, sports radio uses dayparting. ESPN Radio, for instance, insists that its affiliates carry Mike and Mike in the Morning during morning drive time to provide as much national clearance as possible; in contrast, it carries less prominent programming in the afternoon drive to accommodate local sports talk, as well as in the evening to allow stations to break away for local sporting events. Somewhat unusually for radio, the late-night and overnight hosts have more prominence on a sports talk network, due to a near-complete lack of local preemption; Sports Byline USA, for instance, only operates overnights.
Sports radio stations typically depend on drawing an audience that fits advertiser-friendly key demographics, particularly young men with the disposable income to invest in sports fandom, since the format does not have the broad appeal to reach a critical mass in the general public. Prominent sports radio stations typically get their greatest listenership from live play-by-play of local major professional sports league or college sports franchises; less prominent stations may not have this option because of poorer nighttime signals and smaller budgets for rights fees.

Sports talk stations

Terrestrial

Australia

China

88.9 Brila FM: Sports Radio 88.9 Brila FM, owned by Brila Broadcasting Services, is Nigeria's first sports radio station and was launched in 2002.

Philippines

Sports Radio 918 kHz is the first and only sports radio station owned by the Philippine Broadcasting Service.

South Africa

United Kingdom

In 2009, Detroit's "97.1 The Ticket" WXYT-FM, thanks to the surprising time slot dominance of shows like Valenti and Foster, in addition to holding the play-by-play rights for the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Lions and the Detroit Pistons, became the USA's only sports talk radio station to be the highest rated station in their market, according to Portable People Meter rankings. The station relocated to the FM dial in October 2007 after existing on the AM dial for seven years prior, replacing a Free FM "hot talk" station, WKRK. This ratings success has led to WXYT-FM billing itself as the country's best sports station.
WXYT-FM's recent influence has led to CBS Radio installing sports radio stations on the FM dial in Dallas, Boston, Pittsburgh, Washington, DC, Baltimore and Cleveland, in addition to simulcasting Philadelphia's heritage 610 WIP onto the former WYSP. Other non-CBS stations have also migrated to the FM dial, most notably Clear Channel's KFAN in Minneapolis, Greater Media's WPEN in Pennsylvania and Dispatch Media's WBNS-FM in Columbus, just to name a few.
More recently, a number large number of listeners have begun to make internet radio the primary medium of choice. Major market leaders such as ESPN, NBC, CBS, Yahoo, and Fox have invested in the creation of their own proprietary sports apps for streaming radio distribution on Apple, Android, and Windows devices. Other independent market leaders such as Sports Radio America choose to stream their content through non proprietary apps including Live 365 and Tune In.
Sortable lists of commercial sports talk radio stations:
K
Call signBrandingAffiliationOwnershipCityState
• KARNThe Sports Animal 920CBS Sports RadioCumulus MediaLittle RockArkansas
• KBCN-FMESPN ArkansasESPN RadioPearson Broadcasting of Marshall, Inc.MarshallArkansas
• KBGG1700 The ChampCBS Sports RadioCumulus MediaDes MoinesIowa
• KBMESportstalk 790Fox Sports RadioiHeartMediaHoustonTexas
• KBOBESPN 1170 AMESPN RadioTownsquare MediaDavenportIowa
• KCBF820 SportsESPN RadioLast Frontier MediactiveFairbanksAlaska
• KCQLFox Sports 1340Fox Sports RadioiHeartMediaAztecNew Mexico
• KCSFXtra Sports Radio 1300CBS Sports RadioCumulus MediaColorado SpringsColorado
• KCSP610 SportsFox Sports RadioEntercomKansas CityMissouri
• KDCOMile High Sports 1340 & 104.7 FMSB Nation RadioKona Coast Radio, LLCDenverColorado
• KDKA-FMSportsRadio 93.7 The FanCBS Sports RadioCBS RadioPittsburghPennsylvania
• KDKTKDKT Sports Radio 1410CBS Sports RadioDigital Syndicate Network, LLCBismarckNorth Dakota
• KEJO1240 Joe RadioFox Sports RadioiHeartMediaCorvallisOregon
• KESN-FMESPN Dallas 103.3 FMESPN Radio Disney/ABC RadioDallas/Fort WorthTexas
• KFBCKFBC AM 1240CBS Sports RadioMontgomery Broadcasting LLCCheyenneWyoming
• KFLCTUDN Radio Dallas 1270TUDN RadioUforia Audio NetworkBenbrookTexas
• KFHSports Radio 1240 & 97.5 KFHESPN RadioEntercomWichitaKansas
• KFNCESPN Houston 97.5ESPN RadioGow Communications, LLCHoustonTexas
• KFNQ1090 KJRFox Sports RadioiHeartMediaSeattleWashington
• KFNS590 The FanCBS Sports RadioMarkel Radio Group, LLCWood RiverIllinois
• KFXDSports Radio 105.5 The FanFox Sports RadioTownsquare MediaBoiseIdaho
• KFXN-FM100.3 FM KFAN: The FanFox Sports RadioiHeartMediaMinneapolis-St. PaulMinnesota
• KFXX1080 The FANESPN RadioEntercomPortlandOregon
• KGBTTUDN Radio McAllen 1530TUDN RadioUforia Audio NetworkHarlingenTexas
• KGIRESPN Radio 1220ESPN RadioMRR LICENSE LLCCape GirardeauMissouri
• KGMEFox Sports 910Fox Sports RadioiHeartMediaPhoenixArizona
• KGMZ-FM95.7 The GameFox Sports RadioEntercomSan Francisco-OaklandCalifornia
• KGRZSports Talk 1450Fox Sports RadioCherry Creek RadioMissoulaMontana
• KGSOSports Radio 93.9 FM & 1410 AM KGSOFox Sports RadioSteckline Communications Inc.WichitaKansas
• KGYM1600 The Gym,
106.3 South Gym
107.5 North Gym		ESPN RadioKZIA, Inc.Cedar Rapids/Iowa CityIowa
• KHARCBS Sports 590 & 96.7 FMCBS Sports RadioAlpha MediaAnchorageAlaska
• KHKACBS Sports Radio 1500AMCBS Sports RadioBlow Up, LLCHonoluluHawaii
• KHOVTUDN Radio Phoenix 105.1TUDN RadioUforia Audio NetworkWickenburgArizona
• KHTKSports 1140 KHTKCBS Sports RadioCBS RadioSacramentoCalifornia
• KIFMESPN 1320ESPN RadioEntercomSacramento-Yuba CityCalifornia
• KIKRSports Radio 1450CBS Sports RadioCumulus MediaBeaumontTexas
• KILTSports Radio 610CBS Sports RadioCBS RadioHoustonTexas
• KIRO710 ESPN SeattleESPN RadioBonneville InternationalSeattleWashington
• KJRSports Radio 950Fox Sports RadioiHeartMediaSeattleWashington
• KJTVAM 950/100.7 FMESPN RadioRamar CommunicationsLubbockTexas
• KKFNSportsradio 104.3 The FanESPN RadioBonneville InternationalDenverColorado
• KLAAAngels Radio AM 830Los Angeles Angels and ESPN RadioLos Angeles AngelsAnaheimCalifornia
• KLACAM 570 LA SportsFox Sports RadioiHeartMediaLos Angeles-FresnoCalifornia
• KLATTUDN Radio Houston 1010TUDN RadioUforia Audio NetworkHoustonTexas
• KLMSESPN 1480 KLMSESPN RadioAlpha MediaLincolnNebraska
• KLRZESPN 100.3ESPN RadioCoastal Broadcasting of LaroseLaroseLouisiana
• KLSDXtra 1360 Fox Sports San DiegoFox Sports RadioiHeartMediaSan DiegoCalifornia
• KLSQTUDN Radio Las Vegas 870TUDN RadioUforia Audio NetworkWhitneyNevada
• KMSRSports Radio 1520ESPN RadioKMSR, Inc.Grand Forks and FargoNorth Dakota
• KMTT910 ESPN PortlandESPN RadioEntercomVancouverWashington
• KNBRKNBR 680 & 104.5CBS Sports RadioCumulus MediaSan FranciscoCalifornia
• KNBR-FMKNBR 680 & 104.5CBS Sports RadioCumulus MediaSan FranciscoCalifornia
• KNML610 AM: The Sports AnimalCBS Sports RadioCumulus MediaAlbuquerqueNew Mexico
•KNMZ-FMESPN Alamogordo 103.7ESPN RadioWP Broadcasting, LLCAlamogordoNew Mexico
• KOZN1620 The ZoneFox Sports RadioNRG MediaOmahaNebraska
• KPLYFox Sports 630Fox Sports RadioDisneyRenoNevada
• KQPNSB Nation Radio 730 MemphisSB Nation RadioF.W. Robbert BroadcastingMemphisTennessee
• KQSM-FM92.1 The TicketCBS Sports RadioCumulus MediaFayettevilleArkansas
• KQTM-FMESPN Sports Radio 101-7 The TeamESPN RadioTeam BroadcastingRio RanchoNew Mexico
• KRLD-FM105.3 The FanCBS Sports RadioEntercomDallasTexas
• KRLV920 The GameSB Nation RadioLotus Broadcasting Corp.Las VegasNevada
• KRXO1270 The FranchiseSB Nation RadioTyler Media LLCClaremore/TulsaOklahoma
• KSOO-FMESPN 99.1ESPN RadioTownsquare MediaLennoxSouth Dakota
• KSPNESPN LA 710ESPN Radio DisneyLos AngelesCalifornia
• KSPZThe Sports Zone 980ESPN RadioSandhill Media Group, LLCIdaho FallsIdaho
• KSTPSKOR NorthESPN RadioHubbard BroadcastingMinneapolis-St. PaulMinnesota
• KTARESPN Phoenix 620ESPN RadioBonneville InternationalPhoenixArizona
• KTCKSportsRadio 1310 & 96.7 The TicketFox Sports RadioCumulus MediaDallasTexas
• KTCTKNBR 105ESPN RadioCumulus MediaSan MateoCalifornia
• KTMZTu Liga Radio 1220TUDN RadioLotus CommunicationsPomonaCalifornia
• KPWKFox Sports Radio 1350Fox Sports RadioiHeartMedia, Inc.San BernardinoCalifornia
• KTKRTicket 760Fox Sports RadioiHeartMediaSan AntonioTexas
• KTLTThe TicketCBS Sports RadioCumulus MediaAnsonTexas
• KTOPSportsradio 1490 KTOPCBS Sports RadioCumulus MediaTopekaKansas
• KTOQESPN Rapid CityESPN RadioHaugo Broadcasting, Inc.Rapid CitySouth Dakota
• KTTG-FMESPN Sportsradio 96.3ESPN RadioPearson BroadcastingMenaArkansas
• KTZNESPN 550 The ZoneESPN RadioiHeartMediaAnchorageAlaska
• KUJZ-FMSportsradio 95.3CBS Sports RadioCumulus MediaEugeneOregon
• KVETAM 1300 The ZoneFox Sports RadioiHeartMediaAustinTexas
• KVSFESPN Santa FeESPN RadioHutton Broadcasting, LLCSanta FeNew Mexico
• KWKWTu Liga Radio 1330TUDN RadioLotus Communications Corp.Los AngelesCalifornia
• KWSNSports Radio 1230 & 98.1 KWSNFox Sports RadioMidwest CommunicationsSioux FallsSouth Dakota
• KXSPAM 590 ESPN RadioESPN RadioE.W. Scripps CompanyOmahaNebraska
• KXTG750 The GameCBS Sports RadioAlpha MediaPortlandOregon
• KXNO1460 KXNOFox Sports RadioiHeartMediaDes MoinesIowa
• KZDCESPN San AntonioESPN RadioAlpha MediaSan AntonioTexas
• KZNS1280 The ZoneFox Sports RadioLarry H. Miller Communications CorporationSalt Lake CityUtah
W

Satellite

Sirius XM

Canada

Canada