ESPN Radio shakes up lineup, adds shows hosted by Will Cain, Sarah Spain

With Mike & Mike” ending” and Bomani Jones asking out of his radio show, we knew a shakeup was coming on ESPN Radio. On Friday, ESPN announced its 2018 lineup, with Will Cain and Sarah Spain among the personalities to gain new shows and Stephen A. Smith gaining national distribution.

Here is what ESPN Radio will sound like beginning January 2 (all times Eastern):

4-6 a.m.  — “First and Last” with Mike Golic Jr., which remains in its current slot.

6-10 a.m. — “Golic and Wingo” with Mike Golic and Trey Wingo, replacing “Mike & Mike,” in the same time slot.

10 a.m.-1 p.m. — “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz,” also remaining in its current slot

1-3 p.m. — “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” which was not previously distributed nationally

3-6 p.m. — “Russillo and Cain” with Ryen Russillo and Will Cain. Russillo has been hosting alone since Danny Kanell was laid off in April, while Cain has emerged as a frequent contributor on ESPN Radio and on ESPN’s “First Take.”

6-9 p.m. — “Spain and Fitz” with espnW’s Sarah Spain and SEC Network’s Jason Fitz, who previously hosted a weekend ESPN Radio show with Jordan Rodgers.

9 p.m.-1 a.m. — “Freddie and Fitzsimmons” with Freddie Coleman and Ian Fitzsimmons. This show previously aired from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. but is now getting an extra hour.

1 a.m.-4 a.m. — “SportsCenter All Night,” which currently airs from 2-4 a.m.

Here is how Jones and ESPN senior VP of audio Traug Keller explained the decision.

“Podcasting is changing how audio is consumed, since the listener is more in charge than ever, and offering dynamic content is a smart way to grow our business and serve our listeners,” said Keller. “Bomani, whose trajectory continues to rise, brings a distinct voice to an audience looking for compelling discourse.  He asked to move his show from radio to a podcast and we readily agreed. His thought-provoking and entertaining opinions will translate perfectly to our on-demand platform.”

Jones stated, “I couldn’t be more excited about moving exclusively to a podcast. As someone whose career began in the digital space, I can’t wait to fully explore what can be done there with an audio program. This podcast will be insightful, and I hope it will be as much fun to listen to as we’ll have putting it together.

The Nolan podcast was first announced last week. That show will air weekly, while “Jalen & Jacoby’s” new show will be produced four or five times a week, ESPN said.

[ESPN]