Emmanuel Acho and LeSean McCoy aren’t waiting around for Fox Sports to figure out what’s next.
While FS1 burns through another round of cancelled shows, two of their former stars are building something that might actually work. Acho and McCoy launched Speakeasy, a YouTube show that goes live after every NFL game, betting that sports fans are already on social media anyway.
“We got cars that can drive themselves,” Acho said via Variety. “Are we still doing the same sports shows the same way?”
It’s a fair question, especially considering what just happened to their former network. Fox cancelled The Facility, Breakfast Ball, and Speak earlier this summer, then quickly pivoted to Barstool content and expanded existing shows. That’s three shows cancelled and replaced in one cycle, adding to a graveyard that already included Undisputed after the Skip Bayless-Shannon Sharpe breakup.
FS1 seems stuck in the same cycle ESPN fell into with their NBA coverage, constantly shuffling personalities, hoping something sticks. But while ESPN eventually gave up and licensed Inside the NBA, Fox continues to try different approaches.
Acho and McCoy took a different approach, too.
Instead of waiting for another network reshuffle or competing for limited TV slots, they’re going where the audience already is.
“The beauty of this show is we know where the 30 million people are. The 30 million people are all collectively watching a game together on social media,” Acho explained. “We are doing a show on social media. So it’s not like I got to go find the viewers and say, ‘Hey, hey, hey, come here.’ No, they’re already right here.”
Networks are scrambling to figure out how to reach younger audiences who don’t watch traditional TV. ESPN is paying millions to license The Pat McAfee Show. Fox partnered with Barstool Sports. Everyone’s chasing digital personalities because that’s where the engagement is.
Instead of trying to bring digital content to traditional TV, Acho and McCoy are creating TV-quality content for digital platforms. Speakeasy streams live after every Sunday, Monday, and Thursday game, with additional studio episodes throughout the week.
“You’ve got to think like a fan,” McCoy said. “There’s a lot of fans that probably can’t catch a ball or run fast, but they all have opinions, right? And after the game, the first thing that you give us is your opinion.”
The business model makes sense, too. Acho sees “a clear path to licensing” with networks that have games but no daily content infrastructure. Amazon has Thursday Night Football but limited sports programming. Netflix is doing Christmas Day games without regular sports content.
“Hey, don’t worry about a studio. Don’t worry about talent. Don’t worry about producers. Don’t worry about hair, makeup, wardrobe. Don’t even worry about union fees. Shady and I already did all the work for you,” Acho said.
Acho and McCoy are attempting to build something that doesn’t depend on traditional TV infrastructure. They’re not trying to compete with ESPN or create appointment television. They’re just meeting fans where they already are.
“It’s a sports show built for 2025,” Acho said. “Now we’re talking with you instead of at you.”
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.