ESPN has recently concentrated on expanding their podcast division. In fact, ESPN announced they would be shutting down ESPN Deportes Radio this fall to focus on podcasts as well as the TV side of ESPN Deportes.
While ESPN has a bevy of podcasts, most are simulcasts of radio or TV news and debate shows put in a podcast format for people to access episodes whenever they want. But they have some original podcasts created for that medium, and now they’ve announced another one; a daily morning podcast.
Titled The ESPN Daily, it’ll be a morning podcast that’s posted Monday through Friday and “will feature ESPN’s award-winning team of journalists and storytellers,” according to ESPN PR. Modeled after E:60 and Outside The Lines, The ESPN Daily will have a focus on one specific current sports event or issue and go in-depth on that topic.
According to Ben Strauss of The Washington Post, the show is going to be a bit similar in format (and name) to The Daily from The New York Times. Based on descriptions from ESPN executive senior vice president of studio and event production Norby Williamson, the show will range from 18 to 25 minutes per day. And while there are “three to five internal candidates under consideration” according to Williamson, he didn’t say who and hasn’t decided whether or not to have one permanent host or multiple hosts that rotate duties. But Strauss wrote that as per his sources, Mina Kimes (who currently hosts a weekly NFL podcast for ESPN in addition to her work on their other shows and platforms) “is one person under consideration” to host.
This could be a great move for ESPN to expand their podcast presence. The length is perfect for people to be able to listen on their work commute and for people who may not have time to watch or listen to their other shows, and the focus on one particular event or issue might appeal to some. The ESPN Daily is set to launch in October.
