• Loading stock data...
Thursday, November 21, 2024

Inside CBS Sports’ Innovative Podcast Strategy

CBS Sports - Podcast

Part of being a good sports media brand in 2018 is having an effective strategy beyond just pushing out articles.

CBS Sports is embracing this mentality with content in a variety of formats on a number of platforms. Notably, the brand has been hard at work expanding its offerings and has seen triple-digit audience growth across all of its podcasts this year. Fans who haven’t been subscribing to some of the bigger projects may want to consider jumping on the bandwagon now.

For instance, this season marks the 10th anniversary of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2008 championship run. Bryant McFadden was a cornerback on that Pittsburgh team and now spends his days as an analyst for CBS Sports HQ. In early November, CBS Sports launched “The Season: 2008 Steelers,” a serialized podcast where McFadden details that magical season week by week (starting at Week 11) with the help of players and coaches who were by his side that year.

Jeff Gerttula, executive vice president and general manager of CBS Sports Digital, explained how this idea came to fruition.

“The idea was a collaboration,” he said. “Our content team was looking for a good anniversary hook heading into this Super Bowl season for CBS. We realized we had an analyst in Bryant McFadden, who played on the Steelers 2008 Super Bowl team. We ran the idea of revisiting the season by him, and he was very interested, so we decided to run with it and start recording. He still has relationships with many of the coaches and players on that team, and he’s had a lot of great conversations on the episodes we’ve recorded.”

Guests on released episodes of the show include Hines Ward, Ike Taylor, and Lamar Woodley, with coaching legends Dick LaBeau and Bruce Arians (along with other players) slated to appear later this season. The show already has a perfect five-star rating on iTunes.

With the impending success of “The Season” and the serialized aspect still being an easy sell for podcast fans at large, Gerttula believes that the format is something that CBS Sports will explore further down the line, provided that it can offer fans the same peek under the hood they will get with the 2008 Steelers team this season.

READ MORE: CBS Sports Turns to Voice to Help Fantasy Football Players

“‘The Season’ falls into a category of podcasts that we will look to do more of in the future — they’re event-driven, around CBS Sports tentpoles, and serialized. With podcasts like ‘The Season,’ we can put a stake in the ground and bring new users into our ecosystem by offering access to these tentpole events.

“We know there’s an enormous audience of Steelers fans, and we’re able to deliver something cool to them with the insider access that we have to this team and their path to the Super Bowl. We’re able to talk to the audience on a more personal level with this kind of podcast.”

In addition to “The Season,” CBS Sports also offers what Gerttula calls their core sports vertical podcasts. This includes shows like “Fantasy Football Today,” “Eye on College Basketball,” and “Pick Six” (an NFL podcast). The brand is also moving some of these shows in new directions in order to better serve fans. “Pick Six,” for example, now offers daily episodes during football season as well as expanding the social content offerings on the @picksixpod social channels.

“One of the goals with the ‘Pick Six’ podcast is to build a brand that’s more than just an audio product,” Gerttula explained. “We have original content on the podcast every morning that’s waiting for you when you wake up, but we also have ‘Pick Six’ social channels, where we can be with you during real-time coverage of games. We give you everything you need to know about what’s happening in the NFL in your inbox each day with our ‘Pick Six’ newsletter; it’s a good template for what we’re trying do with all of our shows.”

READ MORE: CBS Sports HQ Places Its Bets on Sports Betting Show

After a podcast succeeds at the daily episodes strategy, live streaming episodes like a traditional radio show as opposed to the usual podcasting route of recording, editing, then releasing is a logical next step. Notably, the brand is going this route with “Off The Bench,” featuring Danny Kanell and Raja Bell, which made its debut in November.

“We launched ‘Off The Bench’ as a podcast last November, and Danny Kanell and Raja Bell really developed a strong chemistry and rapport. They’re able to offer unique insight into the top stories in sports every day as former pro athletes, and we thought it would be a natural fit as a morning show on our new 24/7 streaming network CBS Sports HQ, which launched in February. We first expanded the podcast from three days a week to every weekday before we started streaming it live on HQ in August.”

[mc4wp_form id=”8260″]

The lesson here for media brands is to be constantly looking for new ways to highlight the unique voices within the organization. With shows like “The Season” and “Off The Bench,” CBS Sports is continuing to innovate and set itself apart from others in the space competing for the same audience.

“This has been a good year for us to really develop some of our key voices in that space,” Gerttula said. “Our podcasts give us a more personal touch on the news and game coverage, as well as data-driven discussions we have on CBSSports.com and CBS Sports HQ. The podcasts give us the ability to do more of something that CBS Sports is known for — storytelling.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Sep 29, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis acknowledges a fan before the start of a game between the Raiders and the Cleveland Browns at Allegiant Stadium.

Mark Davis to Unload More of the Raiders

He’s agreed to give 15% to new owners, shortly after the Brady sale.
Nov 18, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Williams Racing driver Logan Sargeant of the United States (2) during the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.

F1 Grand Prix Upended Vegas Last Year. Stakes Are High for Its..

Stakes are high as F1 gears up for a successful second act.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

Who Can Actually Afford Juan Soto?

0:00

Featured Today

Classic Football Shirts New York Pop-Up

Vintage Soccer Jerseys Have Found a Sweet Spot in the Lucrative U.S...

The money-making shirts are at the prime intersection of memorabilia and fashion.
Nov 13, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts after fouling Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (not pictured) during the second half at Madison Square Garden.
opinion
November 16, 2024

NBA Ratings Rorschach Test: Buy the Dip

Was it the election? Too many threes? Lack of storylines?
November 15, 2024

Executive Decision: When Richard Nixon Named a College Football Champion

In 1969, the 37th president unilaterally named the winner of the season.
November 15, 2024

How Women’s Sports Could Change in the Next Trump Era

Under the president-elect, Title IX could change drastically.

NBA Legend Hubie Brown Stepping Away From ESPN at 91

Brown has been associated with the league for over 50 years.
November 20, 2024

NFL Ratings Hold Strong Through Election Season, Chiefs Lead TV Pack

In 2016, NFL ratings fell 8% from the prior year.
Nov 19, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; The Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers play during the second half at TD Garden.
November 20, 2024

Cavs vs. Celtics Draws Big TV Numbers in NBA Cup Showdown

The game averaged 1.94 million viewers and peaked at 2.7 million.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
November 20, 2024

Comcast’s SpinCo: New Home for USA Network, Golf Channel, Sports Rights

The move by NBC Sports’ parent company reflects how dramatically the linear television business has changed.
Nov 18, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on against the Miami Heat during the third quarter at Kaseya Center.
November 19, 2024

Will NBA Flex Last-Place Sixers From National TV Games?

Philadelphia is 2–11, tied for last in the NBA.
November 19, 2024

Bills’ Dethroning of Chiefs Draws Highest TV Ratings of NFL Season

The massive rating continues Kansas City’s dominance as the NFL’s No. 1 TV team.
November 19, 2024

Netflix Stock Rises Again As Tyson-Paul Fight Sets Streaming Record

The streamer says it generated 108 million global viewers for the bout.