Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (L) is interviewed by talk show host Anthony Gargano (R) during media day at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia sports talk radio host Anthony Gargano is no longer with 97.5 The Fanatic due to a nasty contract dispute over his involvement with a rival sports media company.

Gargano and The Fanatic’s parent company Beasley Media Group agreed to a preliminary injunction on Tuesday that says he is no longer part of the station but also can’t begin working for AllCity Network’s Philadelphia startup PHLY Sports for six months.

Crossing Broad was the first to report the news.

Beasley Media Group filed a lawsuit against Gargano last month, accusing him of breach of contract for wanting to begin working for PHLY, a new digital outlet, while also still working for their company. AllCity CEO Brandon Spano told The Philadelphia Inquirer that PHLY wanted to put Gargano “in a position to do something that was different” while still hosting his radio show.

Gargano, who had been with the Fanatic since 2015, was pulled off the air on Sept. 12 and now he won’t be returning to the radio booth.

“Under both his Agreement and the common law duty of loyalty, Gargano is prohibited from providing services to a competing business while he is employed by Beasley,” reads the agreement.

Gargano’s contract with Beasley had initially gone through October 2024.

Per the agreement, Gargano is allowed to work for AllCity’s other sites besides PHLY during the next six months but can’t make contact with Beasley’s advertisers or employees for 18 months. AllCity, which appears to be positioning itself as sports talk radio’s version of The Athletic, currently has sites in Phoenix, Denver, and Chicago.

Crossing Broad also noted that the legal agreement ended with “The parties reserve all other rights related to their claims and defenses, including as to arguments for and against claimed damages and permanent injunctive relief,” which implies Beasley is still suing the radio host for damages and litigation continues.

[Crossing Broad, NY Post]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.