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Artwork for Sporting Witness

Sporting Witness

BBC World Service
Football
Manchester United
Boxing
World Cup
Ayrton Senna
Nelli Cooman
Winter Olympics
Women's Rugby World Cup
Colonel Gaddafi
Athletics
FIFA
West Germany
Women's World Cup
Muhammad Ali
NBA
European Indoor Athletics Championships
Alpine Skiing
1990 World Cup
Hockey
Prozone

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear f... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes675Founded14 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
SportsHistory

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Artwork for Sporting Witness

Latest Episodes

In 1983, Maini Schildt competed in the first Ultimate Frisbee World Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden. Maini was a teenager when, as part of the Finnish women's national team, she reached the final against the USA.

Ultimate Frisbee was developed i... more

In 1976, women's basketball made its Olympic debut.

Men's basketball had been part of the Olympic programme since 1936, yet it took another 40 years before women were given the opportunity to compete.

The first women's Olympic basketball game was p... more

In 1986, Edinburgh football club Heart of Midlothian, known as Hearts, came within touching distance of glory.

Just a few years earlier, the club had been in serious trouble, both on and off the pitch. But under manager Alex MacDonald, Hearts mount... more

In 1991, the NFL decided to create an international league of American football teams.

Six new teams were formed in the USA, one in Canada and three in Europe. This eventually became an entirely European league in 1995, with teams in Germany, Spain... more

Key Facts

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Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Witness History
Witness HistoryBBC World Service
The History Hour
The History HourBBC World Service
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Great LivesBBC Radio 4
Last Word
Last WordBBC Radio 4

Recent Guests

Juliene Brazinski Simpson
Co-captain of the U.S. women's basketball team at the 1976 Olympics
U.S. Olympic team
Episode: The first time women played basketball at the Olympics
Gary Mackay
Former Hearts player, key interviewee
Heart of Midlothian
Episode: When Hearts’ dream season turned sour
John Robertson
Former Hearts player, key interviewee
Heart of Midlothian
Episode: When Hearts’ dream season turned sour
Oliver Luck
Former NFL quarterback for the Houston Oilers and NFL Europe president
NFL Europe/NFL
Episode: When the NFL came to Europe
Krazy George Henderson
Oakland A's cheerleader
Oakland Athletics
Episode: The start of the Mexican Wave
Nilton Petroni Villar de Junior
Physiotherapist who treated Ronaldo Nazario
Fluminense Football Club (Brazil)
Episode: Rebuilding Ronaldo’s knee
Thomas Müller
German footballer, Bayern Munich forward, World Cup winner
Germany National Team; Bayern Munich
Episode: Brazil 1-7 Germany: Brazil's heaviest defeat
Alan Rothenberg
Executive in charge of organizing the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States
US Soccer/World Cup Organizing Committee
Episode: When Diana Ross missed a penalty at the World Cup
Antonio Moreno
Sports journalist and president of the International Football Hall of Fame in Mexico
International Football Hall of Fame (Mexico)
Episode: Mexico’s Cachirules scandal

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 165 ratings
  • Fantastic

    I love this podcast, so many inspirational stories and interesting facts, I often find myself delving deeper into the subject matter after listening. If they ever run out of ideas, doing slightly longer podcasts to revisit some of the most popular ones would be great!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    PoppyKey
    United Kingdom5 months ago
  • These are fabulous glimpses of history

    I love these these 10 minute glimpses into history speaking to people there at the time. A fantastic taster to sometimes research certain subjects further and evidence of what the BBC are really good at educating us in an informed way !

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jazz Puppy
    United Kingdom7 months ago
  • Amazon Swimmer

    Loved the interview with the man who swam the Amazon. Great story will listen to more of these.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ItunesDon
    United Kingdom2 years ago
  • Good but too short

    Plenty of scope for this series, but really, 9 minutes is far too short to cover any topic except in the most rudimentary detail. Half an hour would have been better.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Charlie1745
    United Kingdom2 years ago
  • PM

    Love this podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    PMcFlegal
    United Kingdom4 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate firsthand recollections that bring moments to life without unnecessary fluff.
Audience feedback highlights concise history bites that feel immersive and well-researched.
Some critiques mention the episodes could benefit from longer runtime for deeper exploration.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#63
Ukraine/Sports
Apple Podcasts
#220
Ireland/Sports

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Mexico’s Cachirules scandal
Q: Did you have any indication that it was going to be such a big scandal when you discovered it?
I did not expect the scale because I assumed the directorate would deny it, but once we had solid evidence and external verification, the case could not be dismissed, and FIFA decided to take it seriously.
The Juventus match-fixing scandal
Q: As a reporter who'd worked in Italy for decades, were you surprised by the scandal?
I was surprised by the resilience of Italian football and the country's long-standing history of corruption, but the simultaneous rise in footballing brilliance and national pride during the World Cup years made the scandal feel even more jarring.
The Fabiola Rule
Q: But what exactly is vert skating?
Vert skating is performed on a large U-shaped ramp, typically four meters high, where skaters perform aerial tricks and combinations judged by complexity, height, and execution.
The English samurai
Q: How did you feel after the three days of racing and training?
Michael describes being totally exhausted yet filled with a sense of accomplishment and relief, recognizing the extreme physical and mental demands of participating in such a perilous, ceremonial event.
Mira Rai: Child soldier to sky runner
Q: Were you scared?
No, I wasn't scared really. I learned a lot with my friends and our leaders.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
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Age Range
Household Income
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Frequently Asked Questions About Sporting Witness

What is Sporting Witness about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show offers concise, archive-driven storytelling around memorable moments in sport, guided by witnesses and historians. Episodes blend first-hand recollections with investigative or historical context, often highlighting underreported angles, cultural impact, and the people behind iconic moments. A standout trait is the breadth of subjects—from doping disclosures and scandals to triumphs, transformations in women's sport, and pivotal matches—delivered through intimate, time-anchored narratives that make history feel immediate. The format typically runs around nine minutes, giving sharp, focused portraits that are easy to sample and share with audiences who crave vivid, credible storytelling in sports history.

Where can I find podcast stats for Sporting Witness?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Sporting Witness. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Sporting Witness and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Sporting Witness get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Sporting Witness, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Sporting Witness?

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How many subscribers and views does Sporting Witness have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Sporting Witness has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Sporting Witness?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Sporting Witness:

1. Witness History
2. The History Hour
3. Great Lives
4. From Our Own Correspondent
5. Last Word

How many episodes of Sporting Witness are there?

Sporting Witness launched 14 years ago and published 675 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Sporting Witness?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Sporting Witness?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Sporting Witness from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

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What guests have appeared on Sporting Witness?

Recent guests on Sporting Witness include:

1. Juliene Brazinski Simpson
2. Gary Mackay
3. John Robertson
4. Oliver Luck
5. Krazy George Henderson
6. Nilton Petroni Villar de Junior
7. Thomas Müller
8. Alan Rothenberg

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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