Ever since he signed with ESPN, there’s been a lot of speculation about how the company will use Pat McAfee and his daily program. While putting his weekday show on TV was obvious, there have been questions over whether or not it would also get some play on their radio affiliates around the country.
Last week, Andrew Marchand and Ryan Glasspiegel of The New York Post reported that ESPN hoped to offer its radio affiliates across the country the opportunity to simulcast McAfee’s daily noon – 3 p.m. show.
However, Marchand now says that won’t happen, at least not for now.
“Sources said that is not happening, at least not when McAfee begins in the fall,” said Marchand on Monday. “ESPN could revisit the plan a year from now.”
While ESPN Radio could surely use the boost that McAfee would give to their daily lineup, it’s unlikely that the host would appreciate FCC rules that could have an impact on what he says, something he’s already going to have to think about a little bit with his new ESPN platform.
“We quickly realized we’re almost doing a disservice to the people that only listen,” McAfee told Jimmy Traina when asked about the possibility of putting his show on ESPN Radio. “We want people to know that we’re like an optic show, a video show, because I think a lot of that has to feed into what we’re talking about. Now, if ESPN decides, and we have a conversation, ‘You want to go on ESPN Radio or SiriusXM?’ Or anything like that, I think I’d be open to that, I’d be thankful to get back in…but it wasn’t a focal point of the conversation because it’s not really our first thought. If that makes sense.”
