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Artwork for Sporting Witness

Sporting Witness

BBC World Service
Women's World Cup
Manchester United
Alex Higgins
Liverpool FC
Ayrton Senna
Football
Mexico City
Mixed Martial Arts
Ian Rush
Geoff Twentyman
Formula One
Sports History
Italy
Soviet Union
Snooker
Kevin Keegan
Bill Shankly
Football History
Alice Annum
Commonwealth Games

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes657Founded14 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistorySports

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Sporting Witness

Latest Episodes

In November 1993, James Miller interrupted the highly anticipated world heavyweight championship rematch between Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe.

He crashed onto the boxing ring ropes after parachuting into the outdoor arena in Las Vegas.

The m... more

On 5 August 1970, a pre-season match between second division Hull City and European giants Manchester United changed football forever.

With the game drawn, it became the first professional competitive fixture in the world to be decided by a penalty... more

In 1996, the Czech Republic played in their first major football tournament since the country's formation three years earlier. The unfancied team went on an unexpected run in the competition. One of the stars of the team, Patrik Berger, tells Guy Kil... more

Nathalie Amiel was a star of French rugby for more than fifteen years, from when she started playing internationally aged 15.

She was part of the team which won the Five Nations, as well as the European Championship four times.

In 2002 Nathalie c... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
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 Inquiry
The InquiryBBC World Service
Last Word
Last WordBBC Radio 4
Profile
ProfileBBC Radio 4

Recent Guests

Frankie Banks
Hull City player on 5 August 1970
Hull City
Episode: First official penalty shootout
Patrik Berger
Czech footballer who starred for the Czech Republic in Euro 96, later at Liverpool
Liverpool FC (later)
Episode: The Czech Republic at Euro 96
Nathalie Amiel
French rugby player, long-time contributor to the national team
France Rugby
Episode: The first Women’s Six Nations Rugby Championship
Naomi Thomas
Welsh player featured in the episode
Welsh Rugby
Episode: The first Women’s Six Nations Rugby Championship
Michael Jay
English participant in Soma wild horse chase
Independent participant, UK
Episode: The English samurai
Jay Miron
Canadian BMX rider known for winning gold in the BMX dirt competition at the first Xtreme Games
X Games
Episode: The X Games
Balbir Singh
A legendary Indian hockey player and key member of the 1948 Olympic team
Indian Hockey Team
Episode: India’s 1948 hockey gold medal
Valerie Sinclair
Former Scottish Women's Hockey player and participant in the 1961 match
Episode: A Cold War hockey match
Ron Artest
NBA player known for his physical style of play and involvement in the Malice at the Palace brawl.
Formerly Indiana Pacers, currently retired
Episode: Malice at the Palace

Hosts

Tim O'Callaghan
Host of Sporting Witness; BBC World Service
Simon Watts
Host of Sporting Witness; BBC
Guy Kilty
Host of Sporting Witness
Marta Medvešek
Presenter of the Sporting Witness podcast

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 160 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 Kingdom24 days 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 Kingdom2 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 Kingdom3 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Short episodes are perfect for commutes and quick research.
High-quality archival storytelling with credible voices.
Consistently strong for fans of sports history and human-interest angles.
Some listeners wish for longer episodes or deeper dives into topics.
Useful, well-researched history in accessible soundbites.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#67
Ukraine/Sports
Apple Podcasts
#158
Singapore/Sports
Apple Podcasts
#222
New Zealand/Sports

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

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.
When Greg Louganis hit his head on a diving board
Q: What sort of scenarios were going through your mind? Were you thinking of the potential that other divers could be infected? What people would say?
I was concerned about that, but you're not going to get HIV through in a chlorinated pool.
When Greg Louganis hit his head on a diving board
Q: How quickly did you then think HIV?
It was pretty quick, when I realized that I was bleeding, I was terrified.
Bula Choudhury – India's record breaking swimmer
Q: How did it feel to be representing your country and winning at such a young age?
Bula expressed immense pride and joy, comparing the experience to being on cloud nine.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Sporting Witness

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

This show curates eyewitness accounts and archival material to bring historic sports moments to life in short, narrative-led episodes. Listeners get vivid backstage moments from events ranging from Olympic debuts and groundbreaking women's competitions to pivotal coaching breakthroughs and cultural milestones in sport. The format tends to spotlight personal journeys, rivalries, and the broader impact of sports on society, often through first-person recollections and archive-driven storytelling. Notable strengths include concise, vivid storytelling, access to rare perspectives, and a track record of high-profile historic moments spanning multiple disciplines. Potential listeners who enjoy immersive history, archival interviews, and concise, ... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Sporting Witness?

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How many listeners does Sporting Witness get?

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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 Inquiry
3. From Our Own Correspondent
4. Last Word
5. Profile

How many episodes of Sporting Witness are there?

Sporting Witness launched 14 years ago and published 657 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.

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What guests have appeared on Sporting Witness?

Recent guests on Sporting Witness include:

1. Frankie Banks
2. Patrik Berger
3. Nathalie Amiel
4. Naomi Thomas
5. Michael Jay
6. Jay Miron
7. Balbir Singh
8. Valerie Sinclair

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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