How Sports Radio Can Revive Appointment Listening This NFL Season

The most valuable thing we all have is time. Every second of every day has value. People often reflect on how they’re spending their time. Others look for shortcuts to create more of it. In sports radio, everything is based on time. That’s why I was tickled pink when WFAN’s Boomer Esiason contemplated the value of his time live on the air, determining how much it would cost SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio to secure his services on a weekly basis.

Every football season, programmers and talent debate who can best fill airtime to maximize appointment listening. Local beat reporters, columnists and national pundits all put a price on their time. Time is rarely free anymore, just as tickets to attend NFL training camps are no longer complimentary in many markets.

The concept of appointment listening—does it still exist? If it does, are weekly football guest spots still the best way to create it? Using Esiason’s example, would subscribers spend their valuable time listening to Esiason join Chris “Mad Dog” Russo to discuss the latest NFL storylines?

And is it worth SiriusXM paying for that appointment?

There are plenty of ways to draw attention to your program or station during the NFL season. Weekly contests, hot topics, unique promotions, live events and specialty programming are just a few. For as long as I can remember, the weekly paid guest spot has always been a challenge. Especially with budgets consistently shrinking, it has become more difficult each year to identify who is truly worth the investment.

Many times, it’s a giant swing and a miss. Rarely does the fee produce metrics that satisfy programmers, management, and executives. Want to book newsmakers? Think again. Why would someone who breaks news for another company save it for your paid radio appearance in a local market? It’s just not happening.

Instead, sports radio stations need to think differently about who they target for weekly appointment listening this football season.

Using Chris “Mad Dog” Russo’s situation as an example, will the majority of the WFAN audience Esiason attracts switch to SiriusXM instead of tuning in for live and local conversation with Craig Carton and Chris McMonigle? Is that 20 minutes worth the six-figure investment Esiason floated for the NFL season?

Do I honestly think Esiason would demand that amount? No. Would he generate a significant number of new SiriusXM subscribers willing to pay for access to hear the content live or on demand? Not likely.

So, is the juice worth the squeeze? That’s the question many programmers ask when deciding whether to pay for weekly football guests.

Instead, here are three things every smart programmer should consider before spending budget on paid weekly guests.

The first consideration is return on investment. Time is money, and if it doesn’t make money, it doesn’t make sense. If you’re going to invest in paid talent, there needs to be a sales strategy behind it. The goal is to generate a return on that investment, just as you would with any business decision. If you’re not bringing in at least four to five times what you’re paying for the appointment for the season, it’s not worth the expense.

The second is investing in the relationship with the talent. Every guest has a following. There’s a reason they were interested in appearing on your station, and it isn’t just the paycheck. It’s also the audience they’ll reach.

AM/FM radio continues to be the most widely consumed audio medium in the country. Yes, even in 2026, especially for sports fans during football season. The goal should also be to grow your own audience through social media and on-air promotion. If a guest is appearing, stations should require that paid talent to promote the appearance to their own following on any platform they own. It’s a two-way street. The station provides access to its audience to expand the reach for the paid talent, while the guest expands the station’s reach.

If sharing is caring, make sure the talent knows your brand cares—and that the feeling is mutual.

The third, and perhaps most important, is making the segment worth the listener’s time. Far too often, talent fall into a routine and deliver the same Q&A every week. That’s lazy, boring, and not worth the listeners time.

These should be conversations that create opportunities for listeners to lean in while also involving the audience. Appointment listening only exists if listeners believe the time they invest is worthwhile. It can’t be the same song and dance every week. There needs to be proper teasing, social promotion, planning, execution and a payoff that leaves listeners wanting more.

Then, after the segment airs, remind the audience of the experience that was had and why they should come back. Use on-air promos, social clips and natural conversations between talent throughout the week to reinforce the value of the appointment.

If appointment listening still exists, there needs to be a steady build toward a crescendo. It isn’t easy, and it’s a challenge every programmer faces.

In an era where listeners have endless options and every second competes with podcasts, streaming, social media and live sports, time has become radio’s greatest currency. The stations that treat it that way—by creating compelling conversations instead of predictable interviews and memorable moments instead of routine segments—will continue to create appointment listening.

Because the truth is simple. It doesn’t matter the guest or the amount of money you pay them, listeners will always invest their time when broadcasters prove it’s worth the investment.

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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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