Screen grab: ‘The Schrager Hour’
By Ben Axelrod on

Earlier this year, Peter Schrager launched his new podcast, The Schrager Hour, which has become a go-to destination for some of the NFL’s most influential figures.

Suffice it to say, the ESPN and Omaha Productions project has been a hit, with the Worldwide Leader in Sports opting to also put it on its airwaves.

The Schrager Hour will make its linear debut on ESPN News on Friday, Dec. 5, at 4 p.m. ET (it will also be available on the ESPN app, with future episodes airing on ESPN2 depending on the schedule). Ahead of Friday’s episode, Schrager spoke with Awful Announcing about his show, the state of the industry and why he doesn’t listen to anyone else’s NFL podcast.

Some quotes in the Q&A have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

Awful Announcing: You’ve hosted podcasts before. As you got this fresh start with ESPN and Omaha, what was your vision for the project?

Peter Schrager: So I came to ESPN in March. And when I came to ESPN, one of the most important pieces was I was leaving Good Morning Football, I still wanted somewhere where I had my name on it and had kind of my editorial control on it. And I knew I was going to First Take and Get Up and McAfee and NFL Live, and I was going to dive in headfirst and play a role and being a panelist, but it wasn’t really the same role as it was at Good Morning Football where I can kind of help dictate the editorial side and take it to places I wanted to go in different directions than maybe the collective group was doing on those different shows.

So one of the things we baked in was the opportunity to do a podcast. And I had a podcast with NFL Network and NFL Media called The Season with Peter Schrager that did really well. Well, when I came over, I was pretty disappointed with them, but NFL Media wouldn’t let me take the name or take the feed or take anything. And I said, ‘well, you’re not going to have another show called, The Season with Peter Schrager and we got back, ‘it’s ours. We own it.’ That’s typical. OK, that’s fine.

So let’s start anew and let’s try to create our own thing with a new partner and I had worked with Jamie Horowitz many years ago at Fox Sports One. He was my boss there and we really hit it off and I think Jamie is one of the the more innovative sports media guys. So when I knew he was with Omaha, that was an immediate fit. We started talking, we’re like, ‘why don’t we blow this thing out?’ Let’s really make it a show around you and your relationships and your connections, but also your travels because I’m in the building once a week now with Monday Night Football.

So we had this awesome opportunity to start from scratch and Jamie and I sat down this summer and we kind of charted it out. All right, what would be an ideal episode? What would be an ideal rhythm of this? What’s the audience? And I got to tell you, we’re three months into doing this, and it’s exceeded all expectations and the pod is doing great on YouTube, it’s doing great among people who are in the building.

It went from starting off with, hey, ‘Sean Payton, can you do me a favor and, you know, I’m doing this big new thing with With Omaha on ESPN, I’d like to make a splash. I’d like to have you on as my first guest.’ And now I have NFL coaches, coordinators, general managers pitching me, ‘hey, can I hop on The Schrager Hour? I’d love to join you. I’d love to, I’d love to cut it up with you. I love the way you guys are having conversations in a different way than you typically get at the podium or these other podcasts where coaches will hop on.’

Awful Announcing: It reminds me a little bit of The Town with Matthew Belloni.

Peter Schrager: You nailed it. I’m a daily listener of The Town and I listen to Dylan Byers (The Grill Room) and John Kelly and Peter Hamby (The Powers That Be).Whereas Matt isn’t having on a guest to just have him on and promote a movie. He’ll push back and he’ll ask questions. And you know if he’s got James Cameron on, it’s a two-parter, they’re gonna go deep. It’s not going to be, ‘James Cameron. tell us why Avatar is so great.’ It’s James Cameron, ‘we’re going to ask you about what’s going on in Hollywood and the trends and all that.’ So that’s the ultimate compliment.

I think the work that he’s doing over there in the Hollywood space is exactly what I’m trying to do in the sports space. For example, Vance Joseph we had on last week. You’ve heard Vance Joseph’s name for 20 years as a defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. We had Vance Joseph on for one hour. I got over 1,000 texts from people around the league saying, ‘that was incredible’ and like, ‘Vance opened up in a way that we’ve never heard Vance speak,’ and it’s because I’ve got a long relationship with him.

And that’s just one of many coaches or executives or people at the league office that I’m trying to have on, that we can see a different side of, but also talk about real stuff and get stuff that you’re not getting anywhere else.

Awful Announcing: Along those lines, with a lot of podcasts, the question is ‘how do I maximize my listeners and views?’ Does it change the calculus at all when you’re also operating as a de facto audio trade publication?

Peter Schrager: That’s a great way to put it because it’s like It’s almost like you’re paying a subscriber fee to listen or something where it’s like you’re in this inner circle and you’re at the table, but that’s the goal. And eventually, and Jamie and I have talked about this like and Richelle [Markazene], who runs the audio for for Omaha and does all the podcasts, like, all right, let’s build it this first NFL season.

Let’s get Sean McVay to give me 90 minutes unfiltered, which he did and was awesome. And let’s get Sean Payton to give me 90 minutes during the season, which is unheard of from these coaches. Let’s be the ones that get Cam Skattebo and no one else does, but because I had a relationship with Skattebo, his dad and his agent for, you know, going back to last year. And then let’s build it to a point where, OK, the listeners are excited to see who’s the next guest, but also the listeners are excited to hear what stories I’ve got.

But then is there a chance to maybe engage in-person. I love what Bill Simmons does when he does like a live Ringer pod or… Ryan Russillo will go to Denver and he’ll plop himself down and he’ll sellout 1,500 seats, whatever it is. That’s the ideal that eventually it becomes a community and we can build this where everyone feels included and integrated and it’s like you’re excited to be a part of, ‘oh wow, did you hear The Schrager Hour this week?’ ‘No, who did they have on?’ ‘OK, let’s tell a friend.’ Like that’s the goal.

But you’re right, as far as, am I looking to get huge numbers? I would like that. I don’t know if this is the same audience as as New Heights or Bussin’ with the Boys or one of those mainstream ones.

Awful Announcing: It feels like a big part of that is also the stories about your travel that you share, like when you ran into BravoCon during your trip to Las Vegas. Do you find yourself experiencing things and thinking “this would be great for the podcast?”

Peter Schrager: There’s a comedy podcast that’s called Tuesdays with Stories! It’s with Joe List and Mark Norman. They’re two comedians, and they go on the road each weekend. That’s their podcast. And it’s explicit, it’s kind of tawdry at times, but what essentially what their podcast is, is, OK, Joe List is a very popular comedian. He’s in Danbury, Connecticut doing shows this weekend, and Mark Norman’s popular comedian, he’s in Omaha, Nebraska. They come back on a Tuesday and they just empty the notebook about their stories that they had experiencing the road, whether it be the airport or the manager of the comedy club.

I’m doing that every week for Monday Night Football. So let me take you on the road with us. I’m going to talk to everybody in the building on both sides. Let me tell you about those conversations. There’s really not a place for that on Get Up on Wednesday morning as much, as I love that show. No one’s looking for my in the weeds talk with Todd Downing, the Patriots quarterbacks coach in my 60-second clips. On Get Up or First Take, if I’m gonna make a case about why I think the Broncos are the best team in the AFC. Probably not a place for why Davis Webb is an aspiring NFL coach and he’s such a big role in Bo Nix’s offense. So this is the place for that.

And if you know my brand from 10 years at Good Morning Football and doing Simmons and doing Pardon My Take, I think there’s an audience for it. And fortunately, there has been.

Awful Announcing: Podcasting is such an intimate format. Does the fact that it will now also be airing on TV change anything for you?

Peter Schrager: It’s funny because I’m like old school. As much as I see the trends and I’m listening to everything and I’m seeing everything and as much as I respect, IShowSpeed and Kai Cenat, linear TV still matters to me.

So when I got the call that they’re like, ‘this is doing really well, let’s put it on ESPN 2,’ I got excited and I immediately reached out to my producer Mark Grillo, and I’m like, ‘alright, so how do we have to change the podcast, which is usually very loose and very free flowing to a TV show for a TV format?’ And he’s like, ‘no, bro, you don’t get it. They want what you’re doing. They’re going to edit it down in way that’s going to make sense, but just be you, keep doing it.’ And I’m like, ‘well, that’s the ultimate dream.’

And I credit Pat McAfee for that. I really do. I think he’s opened a lot of eyes to these executives around and the way it’s just, hey, this is just him and his boys, they’re gonna have a great guest and they’re gonna talk and if it happens to be on TV, great, and if it happens to be on YouTube, great, but you’re not getting some polished different version. You’re getting the raw stuff that’s maybe the most authentic, and I hope that’s what viewers get from The Schrager Hour when it goes on linear TV.

I’m excited for it. I set the DVR. Selfishly, for me to be on TV still with my name on the TV guide really matters, and I think that’s cool. So I’m fired up to see how it does.

Awful Announcing: What podcasts do you listen to? What’s your weekly lineup?

Peter Schrager: Now mind you, I spent 10 years traveling to LA every weekend flying eight hours there and eight hours back. So my podcast library became enormous. I also am an audiobook guy. My ears are always being piped in with voices.

Mondays, Simmons and Cousin Sal. Then, The Powers That Be with John Kelly and Peter Hamby. That’s Mondays.

I listen to my guy Jimmy Traina, SI Media. I like to hear who he’s got. I like the way he interviews. I listen to [Andrew] Marchand and Jon Meterparel. I like what they do. They usually have a good guest on every week.

Fly on the Wall, Dana Carvey, David Spade, Saturday Night Live stories, stories from the road. I love it.

The Town, listen to those guys. And then I’ll pop in in with Pardon My Take and Theo Vonn and I guess Andrew Schulz, Flagrant, those guys. I listen to those guys as like comedy. The Press Box with Bryan Curtis I really like.

It’s a good rotation, but as you’ll notice, I’m not listening to any other football podcast. I’m good on that. I talk to people all day. I respect everyone’s work, but I’ll pour into my own one and I don’t want to be accused of aping anyone else’s ideas.

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.

View all posts by Ben Axelrod