One month after consolidating its podcast division, Audacy is now doing the same with its sports content offerings under a new Audacy Sports banner. The new division is designed to consolidate and amplify the broadcaster’s over-the-air, digital, and podcast inventory.
Audacy Sports will encompass the company’s 40 owned-and-operated all-sports stations, 160 sports streaming channels on the Audacy app, and its top-ranked sports podcast network with over 600 titles and live events.
This new division will also manage partnerships with 150 professional and collegiate teams for play-by-play broadcasts and host two national multiplatform sports networks in collaboration with Westwood One: Infinity Sports Network and BetQL Network. The new division will also offer monetization opportunities by giving advertisers unique access to the company’s 43 million monthly sports listeners.
Per its existing contract and relationship, Audacy is the official audio and podcast partner of Major League Baseball, offering exclusive streaming and podcast content.
The rollout of Audacy Sports is timed with the NFL Draft in Detroit, with extensive coverage, including expert analysis, behind-the-scenes insights, and a range of special events planned.
Audacy Senior Vice President of Sports Monetization Lee Davis said, “We’re thrilled to bring together our unrivaled sports portfolio under Audacy Sports. Consolidating our cross-platform sellable assets under one name creates a compelling opportunity for brands to connect with listeners at scale – through our digital and broadcast network platforms or locally, through our owned sports stations – wherever and whenever they tune into Audacy content.”
In March, Audacy streamlined its operations by merging two of its podcasting entities, Cadence13 and 2400Sports, into a new unit named Audacy Podcasts. This rebranding aims to unify the company’s podcasting efforts without impacting operational capabilities or leading to layoffs.
The broadcaster continues to make forward-facing moves as it awaits FCC approval to exit restructuring on its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. This approval would reduce its debt from $1.9 billion to $350 million.
Audacy reported a 1% revenue increase in January, driven by gains in both Radio and Digital segments. The company is also experiencing a revenue acceleration, with first-quarter revenue pacing up by 1% and expected mid-single-digit growth in the second quarter.
