Could FOX Sports Radio Be Headed For a Post-Colin Cowherd Era As Early As 2028?

2028 seems so far away, doesn’t it? Make no mistake, the year 2028 will be huge for a myriad of reasons. The Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles. World Cup fever will return as the women’s event will be held in China, Brazil, Morocco, England, and the United States. There’s also a presidential election that will take place. However, one of the biggest sports media stories of 2028 may be what happens with FOX Sports Radio.

Sure, FOX Sports Radio may not generate the same level of interest nationally as a Summer Olympics held in the United States. However, 2028 will be a pivotal year for the brand and how it shapes its future within the industry. What we do know is that Dan Patrick will retire in February of that year at Super Bowl LXII in Atlanta. What we don’t know is whether Colin Cowherd will also be making an exit from the brand.

Just yesterday, Cowherd shared that he’s beginning to think about retirement. At 62 years old and nearing four decades of success at the highest level, can you blame him? He’s not the average nationally syndicated sports talk show host. In fact, Cowherd has dominated the format while simultaneously building one of sports media’s most successful podcast companies.

Cowherd sat down for an exclusive interview with OutKick. He shared that he has two years remaining on his current deal with FOX Sports Radio. Cowherd also revealed that he has begun discussing ways to reduce the length of his daily program, The Herd w/Colin Cowherd. While he doesn’t consider what he’s currently doing a “big lift,” he said downsizing from a three-hour program to two hours would be “reasonable.”

The thing I’ve always admired about Colin is that he doesn’t beat around the bush. He’s a straight shooter but always open to changing his mind on issues. Remember when he asked attendees at the 2019 Barrett Media Sports Summit to find him the man in America who had gotten rich through podcasting? Cowherd officially launched The Volume just two years later. Today, The Volume is one of the most successful brands in the sports podcasting space.

With time comes evolution and the ability to think differently about a subject.

In the same interview with OutKick, Cowherd said that people have inquired about buying The Volume. He has also reached out to trusted contacts in the finance world to discuss selling the company or portions of it.

Within a six-minute span during his conversation with OutKick, Cowherd was sending signals like any top tier talent. He says that he has thought about retirement, and discussed reducing his daily show to two hours. Plus, he’s explored the possibility of selling The Volume.

For Cowherd, that’s a blessed position to be in, and his efforts have earned him the right to have those choices.

But just as he evolved his thinking about getting rich through podcasting, could we see a similar shift before 2028 regarding whether Colin Cowherd needs FOX Sports Radio anymore?

By no means has Cowherd lost his fastball. Scott Shapiro, who oversees FOX Sports Radio, told me as much in January. When I spoke with Shapiro earlier this year, he said there had been no discussions about an exit plan and that retirement had never come up between them.

Six months later, some evolution is happening. Cowherd revealed to OutKick that he has thought about retirement and has discussed paring down his program as part of a potential new deal. Again, Cowherd continues to evolve his thinking.

So, if Cowherd changes his stance and decides to leave FOX Sports Radio in the same year as Dan Patrick, where does that leave FOX Sports Radio in 2028 and beyond?

For more than a decade, FOX Sports Radio has been the dominant player in the syndicated sports radio battle. Heavy hitters mixed with FOX branding. The ability to remain live on affiliates during play-by-play broadcasts when competitors are carrying games have provided a proven advantage. Being operated by Premiere Radio Networks under the iHeartRadio umbrella doesn’t hurt either.

When Doug Gottlieb left the network to continue his college basketball coaching career, the answer was Jon “Stugotz” Weiner. Shapiro explained that even he didn’t expect “Stugotz” to be interested. It turned out Stugotz was all in on the idea, and returned to syndicated sports radio for the first time since 2020.

Moreover, Dan Patrick’s departure is approaching, and the answer to replacing him remains unknown. If you add Cowherd to the departures list in the same year, where do you go from there? FOX Sports Radio built and marketed its brand around the strong presence of Patrick, Cowherd, and Gottlieb for years. All three were former ESPN Radio talents who made the jump to join the competition.

Without them, many questions remain. There is also legitimate skepticism about whether FOX Sports Radio can maintain its audience long term with diminished star power. Any brand that loses the value of Patrick and Cowherd would be in the same quandry.

Replacing talent on syndicated sports radio outlets is not an easy process. Just look at FOX Sports Radio’s competition. ESPN Radio still has not officially named a replacement for Clinton Yates, who departed the company nearly three months ago. A great deal of planning, budgeting, and execution goes into the process. Ask anyone who’s been in the situation, it takes time.

Not to mention the hundreds of affiliates around the country and their concerns. FOX Sports Radio must of course assure those affiliates that the network will continue providing top-tier talent. Those capable of delivering content while maintaining listener interest in local markets.

Maybe Colin Cowherd ultimately decides he still loves the daily grind and signs another deal. Maybe he scales back his workload but remains part of the FOX Sports Radio lineup. Or maybe 2028 becomes the year he follows Dan Patrick out the door and focuses exclusively on The Volume and whatever comes next.

That’s why FOX Sports Radio can’t afford to wait until a decision is made to start thinking about the future. Developing the next generation of marquee talent takes years, not months. It requires identifying personalities, investing in them, and giving affiliates confidence that the network will continue to deliver compelling content long after today’s stars move on.

FOX Sports Radio has already begun that process with several talents. Hopefully more will emerge in the months and years ahead.

However, the sports audio landscape is more competitive than ever. Listeners have an endless supply of podcasts, streaming shows, YouTube channels, and social media content competing for their attention. Local sports radio stations still need strong national programming partners to help fill their schedules and remain relevant destinations in their markets.

If FOX Sports Radio wants to maintain its position atop the syndicated sports radio space, it must have a succession plan ready long before 2028 arrives. Not just for Dan Patrick, but based on his recent comments, Colin Cowherd as well.

Because while 2028 sounds far away today, anyone who has spent time in this business knows it will be here before FOX Sports Radio realizes it.

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John Mamola

John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.

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