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The Play-By-Play

Awful Announcing
ESPN
NFL
NBA
Netflix
Pat Mcafee
Stephen A. Smith
WWE
Donald Trump
College Football
Super Bowl
Caitlin Clark
NBC
Youtube
Sports Media
Molly Qerim
Bill Belichick
First Take
FS1
CBS
Lebron James

The Play-By-Play is a sports media news talk show brought to you by Awful Announcing. Join AA writers Brendon Kleen and Ben Axelrod each week as they bring you the latest news and insight from the ever-changing sports media world, including all of the happenings at ESPN, Fox, NBC, CBS, Turner, Amazon and beyond. Subscribe to The Play By Play on Apple, Spotify, and wherever podcasts are found.

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Artwork for The Play-By-Play

Latest Episodes

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The NFL keeps creating new national windows to make more money, shrinking the beloved Sunday slate little by little each year. We break down the data.

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The NCAA basketball tournament and College Football Playoff are both set to expand significantly in 2027, even though nobody seems to want it.

As media and fans collectively push back, what's behind the moves?

Plus, a look at Charles Barkley's late... more

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Recent Guests

Jacob Feldman
Sports business reporter
Sportico
Episode: Goodell's Speedy NFL Draft, WNBA Pushes Fever As America's Team & More
Ashtyn Butuso
OffBall writer
OffBall
Episode: WNBA Media Clashes Over Azzi Fudd-Paige Bueckers Coverage (w/ Ashtyn Butuso)
Brandon Perna
Creator of That's Good Sports, NFL media commentator
That's Good Sports
Episode: ESPN vs. Hurts, Orlovsky-Simpson drama, and Russini-Vrabel fallout w/ Brandon Perna
Jay Bilas
ESPN college basketball analyst
ESPN
Episode: Media turns on Geno Auriemma, Bilas vs. Cal, and Jason Kelce in the booth?
John Calipari
College basketball coach
Kentucky
Episode: Media turns on Geno Auriemma, Bilas vs. Cal, and Jason Kelce in the booth?
Annie Costabile
Front Office Sports, National Women's Sports Reporter, WNBA Cba Insider
Front Office Sports
Episode: Annie Costabile opens up on breaking the WNBA CBA news & the future of the league
Ken Rosenthal
MLB insider, journalist
The Athletic
Episode: Bruce Pearl has CBB fans FUMING as Jay Wright's replacement on CBS
Dan Katz
Big Cat, Barstool Sports personality
Barstool Sports
Episode: Bruce Pearl has CBB fans FUMING as Jay Wright's replacement on CBS
Drew Lerner
Analyst invited to share thoughts on the WBC and related topics
Unspecified in transcript
Episode: World Baseball Classic is EXACTLY what baseball needed

Hosts

Brendon Kleen
Host of The Play-By-Play; Awful Announcing
Sam Newman
Co-host of The Play By The Play; Awful Announcing

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 19 ratings
  • Excellent Content, just a few minor gripes

    First, these guys do a great job following the pulse of the sports media landscape. I like the short-form episodes that are multiple times per week. The evergreen Announcer Drafts and other list-type shows are excellent. My only gripe, are the audio issues with this podcast. I constantly have to increase or decrease my volume because none of the hosts have the same audio levels. Also, the ad insertions are maddening. The hosts will be talking and suddenly get cut off by an ad insertions. Additio... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    JasonD1976
    United States3 months ago
  • Excellent Content, just a few minor gripes

    First, these guys do a great job following the pulse of the sports media landscape. I like the short-form episodes that are multiple times per week. The evergreen Announcer Drafts and other list-type shows are excellent. My only gripe, are the audio issues with this podcast. I constantly have to increase or decrease my volume because none of the hosts have the same audio levels. Also, the ad insertions are maddening. The hosts will be talking and suddenly get cut off by an ad insertions. Overall... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    JasonD1976
    United States6 months ago
  • NBA

    About 30 minutes of talk on the NBA lagging ratings and nary 1 minute and it was dismissed about the actual gameplay on the court

    lol

    You are defending not examining

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    J triple J
    United Statesa year ago
  • Best sports pod

    Love this sports podcast! Always updates me on the important topics & players.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    K.sardine
    United States2 years ago
  • My new favorite sports media podcast

    This is my new favorite sports media pod. These guys are well prepared, the show is organized well, and overall very entertaining! Keep up the good work!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sean Straus
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Some listeners note audio balance issues and ad pacing, which can disrupt the flow.
Listeners praise timely, industry-focused discussions and the show's elasticity across short-form and longer analysis pieces.
Audience value is high for those tracking sports media ecosystems and rights negotiations.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

WNBA Media Clashes Over Azzi Fudd-Paige Bueckers Coverage (w/ Ashtyn Butuso)
Q: What can be done to prevent sensationalism and protect players' agency?
Suggestions include letting players set boundaries, encouraging front-facing PR to support the athlete's narrative, and developing league-wide guidelines on personal life coverage.
WNBA Media Clashes Over Azzi Fudd-Paige Bueckers Coverage (w/ Ashtyn Butuso)
Q: Should reporters have asked about the relationship at the post-draft presser?
The panel argues it's a valid topic given the players' public narratives, but questions the framing and the manner in which it's pursued, emphasizing responsibility and context.
WNBA Media Clashes Over Azzi Fudd-Paige Bueckers Coverage (w/ Ashtyn Butuso)
Q: Was there behind-the-scenes pressure from ESPN not to bring up the relationship?
The guest suggests there are conversations that hint at avoidant coverage, but also notes that it wasn't universally prohibited and that some coverage did touch on it in a controlled way.
ESPN vs. Hurts, Orlovsky-Simpson drama, and Russini-Vrabel fallout w/ Brandon Perna
Q: How do independent creators view the role of criticism in sports media?
They see criticism as a necessary part of a healthy discourse, driven by genuine annoyance or curiosity, but emphasize accountability and transparency about sources and errors, rather than attacking competitors, to maintain credibility.
ESPN vs. Hurts, Orlovsky-Simpson drama, and Russini-Vrabel fallout w/ Brandon Perna
Q: Why did the Hurts feature trigger such a strong reaction across networks?
Because it framed Hurts in a broad, somewhat negative light while balancing some criticisms with responses from his camp, leading to accusations of unbalanced sourcing and the danger of single-story narratives dominating multiple major programs.

Audience Metrics

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Play-By-Play

What is The Play-By-Play about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A fast-paced, opinion-driven look at sports media and broadcasting, with frequent dives into rights deals, streaming strategies, and the business of how fans consume sports content. The show analyzes breaking industry moves across ESPN, Fox, NBC, CBS, Turner, and streaming platforms, often weighing regulatory pressures, deal dynamics, and the shifting balance between traditional TV and digital distribution. Notable strengths include timely topic coverage, indie-creator perspectives, and a habit of pairing sharp takes with industry context, though listeners sometimes note audio balance issues and ad pacing. This mix is likely to appeal to media professionals, sponsors seeking visibility in sports media dialogue, and listeners who enjoy candi... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The Play-By-Play?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Play-By-Play. 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 The Play-By-Play and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Play-By-Play get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Play-By-Play, 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 The Play-By-Play?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Play-By-Play, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Play-By-Play have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Play-By-Play 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 The Play-By-Play?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Play-By-Play:

1. The Sports Media Podcast
2. The Varsity
3. Sports Media with Richard Deitsch
4. SI Media With Jimmy Traina
5. The Press Box

How many episodes of The Play-By-Play are there?

The Play-By-Play launched 2 years ago and published 151 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 The Play-By-Play?

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 The Play-By-Play?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Play-By-Play 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.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Play-By-Play?

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What guests have appeared on The Play-By-Play?

Recent guests on The Play-By-Play include:

1. Jacob Feldman
2. Ashtyn Butuso
3. Brandon Perna
4. Jay Bilas
5. John Calipari
6. Annie Costabile
7. Ken Rosenthal
8. Dan Katz

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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