If you’re in sports media (or media in general) and you aren’t in the process of launching a podcast network, it’s presumably because you’ve already done it.
For Fox’s current #2 NFL analyst Greg Olsen, it’s the former; Deadline reported that Olsen is teaming up with Vince Vaughn (yes, that Vince Vaughn) and former NFL teammate Ryan Kalil to launch podcast network Audiorama.
Via Deadline’s Peter White:
The trio have launched Audiorama, which will be backed by Powerhouse Capital, which has previously invested in companies including Wondery and The Athletic.
It will be run by Mikey Fowler, who was previously Director of Audio for Barstool Sports, who joins as VP and General Manager.
The network’s debut podcast, Youth Inc., will feature Olsen hosting and exploring the world of youth sports both from a personal perspective and through interviews with a lot of big names:
After a lifetime of sports, Olsen finds himself caught in the uncertainty and stress of balancing his personal experience as the son of a coach, as a pro athlete, the challenges, and responsibilities of being a youth coach in the current climate and culture of sports, and his primary role as a father. In each episode, he sits down with legacy sports families, coaches, psychologists, authors and more in search of guidance and tools to make the best decisions for his family. Guests include Shawn Johnson, Cooper Manning, Eric Weddle, Jerry Rice, Michael Gervais and Russell Wilson.
There are a few big-name advisors on board too:
Audiorama has also brought in a couple of names in an advisory capacity; Peter Morris, who recently served as CEO of PodcastOne, and Peter Raskin, founder of sports marketing and talent management firm Rubicon Talent.
Olsen is exactly the kind of personality that tends to attract this kind of financing and investment. Obviously Vaughn’s involvement provides plenty of inroads in the entertainment world, but Olsen could soon find himself as the #1 NFL analyst at Fox, which would give him one of the most visible platforms on American television.
It’s pretty easy to sell ad sponsorships with that kind of anchor.
[Deadline]
About Jay Rigdon
Jay is a columnist at Awful Announcing. He is not a strong swimmer. He is probably talking to a dog in a silly voice at this very moment.