Exclusive: SB Nation launches local NFL podcasts
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Dallas Cowboys. Photo: Ronald Martinez via Getty Images
SB Nation, the sports network from Vox Media, is launching 32 new podcasts, one dedicated to each NFL team. It’s also working to create localized podcasts for all teams within big sports markets around the country.
Why it matters: Vox Media is investing heavily in its podcast and television studio businesses to grow its revenue and audiences. The company is slated to triple its podcast revenue this year from 2017, according to Marty Moe, President of Vox Media, Inc.
- “In 2019, we see the podcast business going well into the nine figure numbers," Moe said.
Details: SB Nation began testing the local push in Philadelphia in September, launching podcasts dedicated to each major Philly sports team.
- The goal is to create a local podcast network that will service fans whose only alternative to local sports coverage in audio right now is local radio.
- “Over time, SB Nation will become as much of an audio experience as it is a text and video written experience,” says Moe.
Between the lines: If successful, SB Nation’s local podcast push could help Vox Media lay a framework for a larger, more localized podcast network that it could use to drive revenue and market other products and services.
- Moe believes that SB Nation’s audience of roughly 40 million unique visitors per month, per Comscore, gives the brand enough scale to experiment with localized audio content.
The big picture: Vox Media has reportedly struggled to drive revenue amid a digital advertising drought that's plaguing the entire online publishing industry. In September, The Wall Street Journal reported that the media holding group was on pace to miss its revenue target this year by roughly 15%.
