iHeartMedia has added daily sportscasts to many of its stations.
The new hourly :30 second sportscasts will air predominantly on the company’s Country, Rock, Classic Hits, Hip Hop and spoken word stations utilizing talent from both local stations, Total Traffic and Weather, and national personalities such as Cris Collinsworth, Colin Cowherd, Dan Patrick and Joy Taylor.
iHeartMedia says the reasoning behind the new sports updates is that 83% of sports fans want daily updates according to a Scarborough research study, while Nielsen research states 89% of sports fans listen to the radio every week.
iHeartMedia, the number one audio company in the U.S., announced today the launch of the iHeartSports Network (IHSN), servicing more than 500 broadcast stations and their digital streams throughout the country, across multiple formats beginning September 28. The new network, with a monthly reach of 75 million listeners, will feature some of the biggest names in sports including Cris Collinsworth, Colin Cowherd, Dan Patrick, Joy Taylor and more.
IHSN will deliver short-form national, regional local sports reports to listeners on formats that index high against sports interest, including rock, country, hip hop, classic hits, news, talk and sports.
Scarborough found that 83 percent of sports fans want a daily update. Nielsen confirms that 89 percent of sports fans listen to radio each week and radio listeners typically tune in multiple times day. Research also indicates that almost two-thirds of sports fans do not have the time to seek out additional desired information, so the iHeartSports Network will deliver sports reports to listeners conveniently and timely wherever they are.
“This is a product driven network responding to the interests of our listeners,” said Greg Ashlock, President of iHeartMedia Markets Group. “People are passionate about sports and this will deliver the timely regional and local coverage they care most about along with the biggest national stories.”