The regionally syndicated Sports Talk with Bo Mattingly, currently heard on eight stations across Arkansas, will end its on-air run on February 28.
The move comes as Sport&Story, the sports content production agency which produces the show, is moving its focus to film production and podcasting. Mattingly will continue to host a weekly podcast upon the end of the program.
The program, which focuses on University of Arkansas sports content, airs from 2-7pm on “ESPN 99.5” KAKS Goshen/1290 KUOA Siloam Springs-Fayetteville, Cumulus Media’s “920 The Sports Animal” KARN Little Rock and six other stations in Arkansas.
Sport&Story, the sports content production agency responsible for Sports Talk with Bo Mattingly and the online video series Spirit 52, is newly committed to developing a worldwide reach through podcasting and film production. With this shift in focus comes the end of the long-running radio show Sports Talk with Bo Mattingly. The final edition of the show will air on February 28, 2019.
Sports Talk with Bo Mattingly began its run in 2007, and the combination of great interviews, a strong rapport with callers and sports analysis has made it a favorite among Arkansas Razorback fans. One of the early projects being developed in the new business model is a weekly podcast for Razorback fans worldwide that is scheduled to debut in March. The podcast will be produced by Bart Pohlman and Sawyer Radler, who have been integral parts of the Sports Talk team for the better part of a decade.
“Our plans include producing premier content for sports fans all over the world, starting right here in Arkansas,” Mattingly said. “As part of our expansion, it has become obvious that Razorback fans want more. This format will allow us to give Arkansas fans content in a way they’ve never had it before.
“It’s time to take the next step. We are investing all of our access, interviews and resources into giving Hog fans a whole new experience, filled with insights, stories they can tell and so much more.”
Sport&Story recently expanded the film production side of the business with numerous projects for ESPN, Facebook and YouTube—including the BEINGTV series and Training Days: Rolling With The Tide—and is currently in the process of creating future projects for Netflix, Amazon Prime and several other distribution platforms.
“As a company, we’ve always been interested in producing creative content beyond radio,” Mattingly said. “I look forward to the new stories we are going to be able to tell on these wide-reaching platforms, but our listeners and Razorback fans will always be important to us, and we remain committed to developing local content for them in exciting new ways.
“We want to thank our loyal listeners and radio partners who have been with us through the years, as well as the personalities who have played significant roles in making Sports Talk the show of record for Razorback fans—Clay Henry, Dudley Dawson, Mike Irwin, Jimmy Dykes, Chris Low and countless others who have contributed along the way, many of whom will continue to play a role in our future content endeavors. The show would not have been the same without all of them, and we’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have served Razorback fans on the radio for more than a decade.”
