Where Will Sports Radio Be In Five Years?

I’ve been a sports radio host for over 24 years. Now, the question is where will sports radio be in the next five years? Where will sports be in the next five years? There are hundreds of sports talk shows across this country. Some good, bad and ugly. Some national hosts are paid great sums of money for their talent and some aren’t. Some hosts are young and some older. Some are very good at their craft and some aren’t.

Sports is heading into a wild direction. Will professional ballplayers be paid as much as they are now? Will major college coaches also be paid as much as they are now? Money is the root of all evil, especially in big time sports.

But anyway, back to sports radio. In major markets like New York, LA and Dallas, will hosts be paid big time money for 3-4 hour shows? That depends on how much revenue their shows can generate. I work in Lansing, Michigan and have a very good following and could generate more revenue, but I’m in market 129 with New York being number one.

I have a theory that if a host cannot adapt to changes in sports, the times, likes and dislikes they won’t be a sports radio host any longer. Talking sports for that long of a time period isn’t an easy task. So, my point is you have to be an entertainer first and foremost. I believe in the R and R rule. This is my own formula for ratings and revenue. With revenue generated being first and ratings being a close second.

Don’t kid yourself, I love being a host in Lansing for this long of a time period. I listen to shows all over the country: New York, Boston, Miami and LA. Yeah, I could play ball in these cities, but I love my home town too much. I have solid roots here in Lansing, but sports is sports locally and nationally.

So, you have to ask yourself, where in the world will sports be in five years? Will the NCAA still be in business? How many sports will be eliminated in the college ranks? There are many other question marks in sports too. My advice to young people interested in making sports radio a career is to be diversified with sports, politics, music, movies and current affairs. Anything you can entertain with. It’s not just games, box scores, players and coaches. It’s what’s outside the lines, too!

I don't have answers to any of the questions I posed above. We'll all just have to wait and see where sports, and sports radio, will be in five years.