On this week’s edition of the Awful Announcing podcast, host Ben Heisler was joined by ESPN fantasy football analyst Matthew Berry to talk about ESPN’s 28 hour fantasy football marathon, the fantasy sports revolution, adapting his research over time, and much more.
Here’s the breakdown of Heisler and Berry’s discussion.
- 4:48 – The challenges and exciting things that come with putting out a 28 hour fantasy football marathon
- 5:33 – Keeping content fresh vs allowing newcomers to get the core information they need
- 7:53 – How he’s done all 28 hours the last three years
- 9:30 – What does he remember about the first fantasy team/league he was in?
- 12:20 – When did his first break come when he was working in show business in LA?
- 17:42 – The fleeting nature of the TV/movie industry – How unhappy he was late in his show business career
- 21:30 – When the moment came to him that he wanted to leave show business
- 26:00 – Why people have a hard time leaving an industry they think they’re supposed to be in…
- 27:00 – Did he have any idea the “fantasy sports revolution” was coming?
- 31:00 – What ultimately led him to ESPN after starting his own websites and developing a major following
- 32:30 – The transition from writing to more on-air work and if there were difficulties that came with it
- 36:00 – Learning the mechanics of TV and finding a dynamic that works
- 37:50 – How his research process has changed throughout the years
- 43:20 – How often does gambling/Vegas play a role in his fantasy research
- 44:17 – Is he a daily fantasy fan as well as the new spinoffs of traditional fantasy football etc…
- 47:40 – Stories of when he’s given great or terrible fantasy advice to high profile celebrities
Thanks for listening, and if you enjoyed the show, be sure to subscribe on iTunes and leave us a positive review.
