Katie Nolan is making her latest return to sports media.
According to Axios, Nolan is launching a SiriusXM podcast, Casuals, which will cover sports and culture and cater to casual sports fans.
“I’ve always said sports are for everybody, but I do think that sometimes the way that sports shows tend to talk about sports is not a way that’s accessible to everybody,” Nolan told Axios. “Casuals is basically a sports podcast for people who didn’t think they would like a sports podcast or a sports podcast for people that just want to be entertained by sports.”
After a period of relative silence, Nolan returns to the space on her own terms.
While she’s appeared on Meadowlark Media properties, Nolan has largely avoided sports media. Appearing on Dan Le Batard’s South Beach Sessions podcast, she revealed that her four-year tenure at ESPN was marred by a vague contract and unclear expectations, eventually leading to a disconnect.
The network seemingly stifled Nolan’s creativity, and she struggled to replicate the success of what made her so good at FS1, where her unique style on Garbage Time resonated with fans in ways ESPN never fully embraced.
Following her departure from ESPN in 2021, Nolan joined Apple TV+’s MLB coverage, initially thinking they had mistakenly approached her. However, her time in the Apple TV+ MLB booth was met with intense criticism from baseball fans. The backlash she faced was so harsh that she was taken aback by the vitriol, leaving her surprised at the level of animosity directed toward her.
But Casuals feels more aligned with Nolan’s strengths.
The podcast, which starts on January 21 and will be released twice weekly, will hopefully be able to recapture what made her a defining voice and a “breath of fresh air” at FS1.
[Axios]