That can be unique takes on a popular subject, engaging analysis that embraces forward-thinking statistics, an intense focus on an under-covered topic, or a litany of other strategies. A good sports podcast brings something different to the table. If a podcast is going to focus on the same topics the general sports media is covering and echo the same analysis, then there is little incentive to listen. Specifically, when it comes to sports podcasts, I am looking for all of this in addition to unique and smart analysis. The hosts need to be able to do both of these things while keeping their listeners engaged. What I mean by this is that there must be an opportunity for the host(s) to be flexible, whether that means spending three minutes on some nonsensical topic or taking five minutes to talk about a particularly interesting topic when only two minutes were initially allotted to discuss it.
Successful podcasts need room to breathe. What differentiates one podcast from another? For me, it begins with hosts that are engaging, funny, and loose. Pat McAfee holds moment of silence for Ian Rapoport’s career after J.K.Dobbins refutes injury report.ESPN’s Dick Vitale documentary “Dickie V” praises an American original.Gregg Doyel rips “disintegrating, right before our eyes” Dan Dakich.Big 12, Pac-12 partnership talks break down, per ESPN.Simmons launched The Ringer in 2016 with backing from HBO after he left ESPN, where he started the website Grantland. Negotiations ultimately came down to the eleventh hour heading into Spotify’s fourth quarter earnings on the morning of Feb. The companies then began talking about deepening their partnership via a sale.
The ringer podcasts series#
Daily shortform series The Ringer’s Hottest Take has been streaming on Spotify since September. The Ringer was among those making an exclusive show for Spotify. More than 16 percent of Spotify’s monthly active users now engage with podcast content. The company said podcasts were helping drive increased overall engagement and retention to its product. Podcast consumption hours were up 200 percent year-over-year during the final three months of 2019, the company also revealed Wednesday. It also has inked deals to make several podcasts, including comedy series Last Podcast on the Left, exclusive to its platform. Since then, the company, under the leadership of Ostroff, has invested in its internal podcast operations, hiring television veterans like Liz Gateley to build out a pipeline of original shows from such talent as Kevin Bacon, Jordan Peele, Paul Feig and Mark Wahlberg. The company spent around $400 million to acquire three podcast companies last year and announced, via a February 2019 letter from CEO Daniel Ek, that “audio - not just music - would be the future of Spotify.” Spotify sees podcasts as a way to expand beyond its music roots. We couldn’t be more excited to unlock Spotify’s power of scale and discovery, introduce The Ringer to a new global audience and build the world’s flagship sports audio network.” We spent the last few years building a world-class sports and pop culture multimedia digital company and believe Spotify can take us to another level. At this time, Spotify doesn’t plan to change the exclusivity of The Ringer’s podcasts and shows it makes for other podcast providers, including subscription service Luminary, will continue on those platforms.Īdded Simmons: “Spotify has the unique ability to truly supercharge both content and creator talent across genres. The Ringer also has production shingle Ringer Films through which Simmons produces documentaries like Andre the Giant for HBO.Īll 90 Ringer employees are expected to join Spotify and the website will continue to operate. The largely unscripted, chat-style shows will serve as a complement to the highly produced scripted and narrative nonfiction podcasts that Spotify already owns through its 2019 acquisitions of Gimlet and Parcast. The purchase gives Spotify, which ended 2019 with 124 million paid subscribers and 271 million total active monthly users, ownership of culture website The Ringer as well as a 30-plus podcast network that includes shows on sports (flagship The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Ringer NBA Show), food ( The Dave Chang Show, House of Carbs) and entertainment ( The Watch, Binge Mode). In a call with investors on Wednesday morning, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said, “I think we bought the next ESPN” and described The Ringer’s audience as “highly loyal.”