WHY START A SPORTS PODCAST?
There’s never been a better time to start your own sports podcast. Podcasting around the globe continues to grow. Over 23 million UK adults have listened to a podcast in the last 12 months and 30% are monthly listeners according to Edison Research. Whilst the US and the UK were early adopters, many other countries are following suit with 20.8 million adults in Germany on average consuming 2.6 hours of podcast content every week according to Bitkom.
In a number of markets, sports now take up a large percentage of that listening with 30% of Brits keen to hear the latest news, interviews and opinions about their favourite sports and teams.
The potential prize for success is considerable. In the UK the estimated value of the UK podcast market is £83 million and a large part of this space is dominated by independent producers who have created their own content and built considerable audiences. For many, what was once a hobby has grown into a career.
In this market, fan-created sports shows (or fancasts) have grown because of two key elements:
- Authenticity: Fans can be truly authentic in their views when talking about their favourite teams, clubs and sports personalities. They don’t have sponsors or board members to please so can be 100% unfiltered in their comments. This truly authentic fans-eye perspective has proved a huge hit with audiences who are keen to hear from other fans who both share and challenge their views.
- Passion: One thing that truly unites all sports fans is passion! Be it the ecstasy of victory or the pain of defeat, podcasts have proved to be a great way for sports fans to feel as a united community during these collective moments. Passion goes hand in hand with authenticity, audiences can tell if passion is genuine and when it is it can create a strong bond with listeners.
Podcasting isn’t all about generating revenue, however. The medium has emerged as an increasingly popular medium for engaging audiences, sharing information and entertainment. They help to bring fan bases together whilst also giving these groups a voice within the media. 88% of podcast listeners currently claim that ‘Sports podcasts are more likely to give me a funny anecdote or story to discuss with friends and/ or family’, according to Global Radio.
Whilst mediums like television and radio are a closed shop, podcasting is an open door. The barrier for entry is low with creators able to start producing their podcasts with very little financial investment.
According to Sport Social Podcast Network’s analysis in the UK, Premier League “Fancasts” are downloaded 9.2 million times a month with each of those downloads a different fan hungry for insightful analysis, lively discussion, and a close connection to the beautiful game. This passion and interest are replicated across many other sports too.
Fancasts have the ability to unite fandom, entertain, engage and grow audiences. In the ever-changing world of podcasting, there is always space for another sports podcast.