Gow Media is rebranding its Sports radio network as “SportsMap Radio” on July 27.
The change will mark the first time under Gow’s ownership the network has not licensed out its name. Gow purchased then “Sporting News Radio” in 2010 and rebranded it as “Yahoo! Sports Radio” in 2011 and “SB Nation Radio” in 2016. Earlier in its history the network was known as “One On One Sports“. The SportsMap name comes from the Houston sports blog operated by the company.
CEO David Gow stated, “We have benefitted from brand partnerships with great companies such as Yahoo and SB Nation but have ultimately concluded that we no longer want to be subject to the fate of another brand. Strategically, it is important to build our own brand.”
The change comes as the network has begun partnering with other providers for programming including SportsGrid’s Scott Ferrall and Jakib Media’s Eytan Shander and Tony Bruno.
Gow Media, owner of one of the country’s largest sports radio networks, announced it will now operate the network under its own brand, SportsMap Radio. Gow has owned the network for over ten years, when it acquired the assets of Sporting News Radio. Shortly thereafter Gow rebranded the network through partnerships to become Yahoo Sports Radio for five years and then SB Nation Radio for four years. Effective July 27, 2020, Gow will continue to provide the same shows and sports updates to affiliates across the country but will now do so with its own name.
“We have benefitted from brand partnerships with great companies such as Yahoo and SB Nation but have ultimately concluded that we no longer want to be subject to the fate of another brand. Strategically, it is important to build our own brand,” said David Gow, CEO of Gow Media.
“For our sponsors, we maintain our large audiences, with a network of over 500 affiliate stations. For our affiliates, our strong lineup remains. What is different, though, is that by operating as SportsMap, we can partner with multiple entities (vs. a single brand partner) in the development of new content and the expansion to digital platforms,” added Gow.
In the past 90 days, Gow has already tapped into partnerships that have enhanced its 24/7 lineup. The company added top industry talent such as Scott Ferrall through Sportsgrid and Tony Bruno and Eytan Shander through Jakib Media. “Top to bottom our lineup has never been stronger. We have gotten great feedback from our affiliates,” said Craig Larson, Program Director of the SportsMap Radio Network.
“We have recognized that we don’t need to create every show ourselves. Through partnerships, such as Sportsgrid and Jakib Media and others soon to come, we can assemble a lineup that is best-of-breed,” said Gow.
