Former ESPN SportsCenter anchor Linda Cohn is bringing her eponymous show to the Bleav podcast network, Front Office Sports has learned.
As an ESPN anchor for 34 years, Cohn was tasked with delivering the “what” of the news. When she launched her independent show on YouTube in July, she pivoted into opining on the sports topics of the day, including the WNBA and ESPN layoffs.
“When I decided to start this show, I wanted a platform where I could be me. And that’s why my hashtag was total freedom. That’s something I did not have at ESPN. Nobody has that when you work for a big company like that. It doesn’t matter what you do for a living,” Cohn told FOS.
“People didn’t know the real Linda Cohn. I’ve always been someone that wanted to speak out but wasn’t able to. Here’s the thing. I mean, this is why I wanted the show. And it’s been a boon because basically the show is about me asking questions and using common sense. And it has resonated with the subscribers.”
In just over two months, Cohn has amassed over 36,000 subscribers on YouTube. Her partnership with Bleav will expand the show to audio formats like Apple and Spotify. Cohn said she was “won over” by the company’s leaders, including Bron Heussenstamm, Eric Weinberger, and Lindsay Kugler. Other Bleav hosts include Phil and Matt Simms, Greg Papa, Carl Banks, Rob Havenstein, Bucky Brooks, Mike and Leigh Mayock, and Rob Havenstein.
“With a network like that, I’m able to grow with leaps and bounds, and I plan to because I am all in on this because I’m just so excited about it. If I wasn’t getting the feedback that I have been from the people that have subscribed to my channel and from people on social media, [who are commenting], ‘This is great what you’re saying…’ then I would have thought twice about it,” Cohn said. “But everyone’s saying, ‘Keep doing this. Have no fear. Don’t worry about the haters. Keep speaking from your heart. Go with your gut.’ My favorite is ‘You are saying what we are thinking.’ I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen that written in the comments.”
