Congratulations to the Buffalo Bills, Good Karma Brands, and ESPN New York. With the announcement that ESPN New York will now be a Buffalo Bills Radio Network affiliate, I couldn’t be happier as a former sports radio programmer. For the first time, another NFL team is entering another NFL team’s home market. The walls of exclusivity have finally been broken. More importantly, a radio company has recognized that the listener should be the priority.

It goes without question that sports media rights are the most valuable property in media today. They drive viewership and advertising revenue on television. For radio, they generate additional cume, strengthen branding, and create new advertising opportunities. Teams want to own as much real estate as they can, but controlling the conversation is even more important. They don’t just want to be heard on Sundays. They want fans talking about them throughout the week.

Now, there’s been a long-standing rule in the NFL when it comes to radio networks. According to Article X of the NFL bylaws, no NFL team was permitted to broadcast a game into the home territory of another team, specifically within a 75-mile radius of that team’s stadium. If you search the distance between Buffalo and New York City, though, the gap is more than 350 miles.

The two markets aren’t exactly next-door neighbors, but the teams, in essence, are.

It’s no secret that sports fandom is no longer as localized as it once was. For generations, people grew up, lived, and rarely left the markets they called home. Today, people are far more mobile, moving from one state to another for work, family, or new opportunities. With that comes greater demand for access to the teams fans still call their own. While people may leave their hometowns, their sports allegiances rarely leave them.

While television continues to make fans jump through more hoops to watch their favorite teams, radio has an opportunity to become more accessible than ever.

That’s why you see New York Yankees radio affiliates in New Mexico. You see the Dallas Cowboys Radio Network partnering with Compass Media Networks to place affiliates in several other NFL markets. Want to listen to Lakers games in Hawaii? There’s a local radio option for that.

People are more on the go than ever before, and the demand for access has never been greater. NFL football remains America’s most popular sport, with fan loyalty running deep and rarely changing.

That’s why the Buffalo Bills, Good Karma Brands, and ESPN New York becoming partners is a change that has been needed for a long time.

Adding Value To Radio

We talk all the time about how sports radio stations need to think outside the box. They need to find more ways to attract listeners to both the radio and their streaming platforms. Roughly nine million people live in New York City. Not all of them are Giants or Jets fans. They’re also not all part of Bills Mafia.

What this move does provide is access and choice, two things sports radio stations around the country should be striving to deliver. Sports radio is no longer confined to the radio dial. Consumers expect brands to be available online, on demand, through video, podcasts, apps, and social media.

What better way to provide access than by offering more choices? That adds value to your brand, invites more cume to the station, and offers something your competitors don’t.

The era of exclusivity has steadily eroded for years. Sports media personalities are a perfect example. How often do you see talent working for networks, hosting radio shows, while also owning media companies that distribute their content elsewhere? Success today isn’t about doing one thing. It’s about being everywhere people want to consume your content.

The Buffalo Bills are no different. They want a share of the audience in New York City because there are fans there. Of course, their NFL counterparts, the Giants and Jets, may not love it, but this is exactly how teams should rethink the value of their radio properties. There’s no good reason any franchise should be prevented from offering its product to sports radio brands willing to invest in carrying it.

The Listener First

Sports media spends a lot of time talking about serving the audience, but too often the industry’s business decisions make it harder for fans to access the teams they love. Television rights continue to splinter games across broadcast networks, cable channels, streaming services, and subscription platforms, asking consumers to pay more while receiving less convenience. Radio has an opportunity to move in the opposite direction. That’s what happened here.

That’s why Good Karma Brands, the Buffalo Bills, and ESPN New York deserve credit. Instead of protecting outdated territorial boundaries, they recognized a simple reality: the listener comes first.

Fans don’t stop supporting their favorite teams because they move 300 miles away, and they shouldn’t lose easy access because of rules written for a different era. If sports radio wants to remain relevant while other platforms become increasingly fragmented, the answer isn’t creating more barriers. It’s creating more opportunities for people to listen.

This deal does exactly that, and hopefully it’s the first of many that put the fan—not market exclusivity—at the center of the conversation.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

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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Tony Reali was a fixture at ESPN for more than a quarter century. Wherever he went, classic shows followed. For a decade, he was the statistician known as Stat Boy on the long-running and still-running Pardon the Interruption (PTI) with Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon. From there, he branched off to host ESPN’s version of a sports game show, Around the Horn. Reali brought a vibrant, fun and pleasantly wisecracking style to that program and launched the ESPN careers of many commentators. A native New Yorker, Reali brought a Big Apple sensibility to everything he did.

Around the Horn ended its 23-year run in May 2025 after nearly 5,000 episodes. This week, Reali boldly returned to the airwaves with Real Deal with Tony Reali, his own podcast on iHeartRadio Podcasts.

His approach has not changed. Reali brings the same verve and nerve that marked his ESPN work. He opened his first episode with an enthusiastic walking selfie through the halls of iHeartMedia and into his studio, stopping at the entrance to gleefully greet the receptionist, Nora.

Real Deal with Tony Reali reflects on some of the greatest sports events and athletes. Analyzing them in a way that recalls the emotion and feel of the moment. In fact, that’s what the show is all about — the moments and people who make sports so special.

You can actually sense and see Reali’s deep love of sports. This is not a show about current statistics or political stances. It is about one dude sharing his joy and passion for the games and those who play them.

Come Out Swimming

It is vintage Reali, jovial and personable with everyone he meets. During his walk to the studio, he sets up the show’s topic. His first episode looked back at the 4×100 freestyle relay team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. That team worked together to pull off a huge upset of the French squad. It was the springboard for Michael Phelps and his record eight gold medals in Beijing.

Leave it to Reali to be ballsy enough to open a new show with swimming instead of one of the more mainstream sports. Moreover, this is his program, and he is going to put his stamp on it. During his work on PTI and Around the Horn, Reali made other personalities look good, but Real Deal with Tony Reali is his time to shine.

I like the show’s studio setup. Behind him is a glass window overlooking the iHeart offices. You can see people working at their desks and walking through the area. It’s pretty cool.

In this opening episode, Reali called the Beijing 4×100 relay win one of the greatest team moments in sports history. He then counted down his top sports teammate moments ever, including the Reggie Bush Push in USC’s game against Notre Dame, the Titans’ Music City Miracle featuring the lateral from Frank Wycheck to Kevin Dyson, Chris Bosh’s offensive rebound and pass to Ray Allen for his incredible shot against the Spurs in the NBA Finals, the Red Sox’s Game 4 win against the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS featuring Kevin Millar, Bill Mueller, David Ortiz and Dave Roberts, and Grant Hill’s pass to Christian Laettner for the memorable game-winning shot against Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament.

Reali’s number one moment was the Beijing relay team in the 2008 Olympics.

Fittingly, the first guest on Real Deal with Tony Reali was Rowdy Gaines, a U.S. swimming icon and the man who served as NBC’s color analyst for the 2008 Olympics. During the interview, Reali told Gaines that he loves sports announcers who bring their heart and spirit outside their bodies for viewers to see. In truth, this is a perfect description of Reali himself. Real Deal with Tony Reali is aptly named because Reali is as real as it gets.

Gaines brought similar emotion back in 2008 while calling that 4×100 freestyle Olympic relay race. It was where teammates Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones and Jason Lezak collaborated to beat the heavily favored French team with a world-record time of 3:08.24. Gaines explained that the 4×100 relay was going to be the toughest race for Phelps to complete his gold-medal sweep at those Olympics. Thanks to his teammates, he did just that.

Gaines backed up Reali’s assertions, saying the relay team consisted of four guys who came together and did not want to disappoint Phelps, each other, their fans or their country.

Reflecting On Moments Together

Podcasts like Real Deal with Tony Reali are host-driven. It is pretty much a one-shot of Reali followed by a two-shot of him and his guest. You need a special kind of host to make this work. Additionally, that’s why Reali is that guy.

I was impressed with how he handled the spotlight alone for the first time in his career as we know it. He asked Gaines some terrific questions, bringing out the same emotion he brings to the podcast. Although Gaines and Reali had never met before, by the end of the show it seemed like they had known each other for decades. It felt more like a conversation than a Q&A, and you could tell Gaines was amused by Reali’s personality.

I learned a lot from this show. Moreover, that gives me a really good feeling about Real Deal with Tony Reali. It is not going to be a run-of-the-mill podcast. To demonstrate the depth of its commitment to the subject, the production team displayed a graphic featuring the actual transcript of Gaines’ and play-by-play announcer Dan Hicks’ NBC call of that 2008 relay race. Reali recited part of the transcript with a gigantic smile and matching emotion.

Reali’s passion was contagious as Gaines sentimentally talked about how true amateur Olympic athletes capture the imagination of the American public and why we love rooting for a group of kids who reach amazing milestones and accomplish unforgettable feats. In addition, the host and guest truly bonded on the show. So much so that Reali stood up, turned to the office staff behind him and joyfully yelled that he had just made friends with Rowdy Gaines. How can you not love that?

Throughout this debut edition of Real Deal, Reali said the 2008 Olympic relay team and Gaines’ call of the victory brought about “instant tears.” I can paraphrase something similar about the first episode of Real Deal with Tony Reali. It made me an instant fan. Moreover, I am looking forward to watching the show grow and develop.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

John Molori

John Molori is a weekly columnist for Barrett Sports Media. He has previously contributed to ESPNW, Patriots Football Weekly, Golf Content Network, Methuen Life Magazine, and wrote a syndicated Media Blitz column in the New England region, which was published by numerous outlets including The Boston Metro, Providence Journal, Lowell Sun, and the Eagle-Tribune. His career also includes fourteen years in television as a News and Sports Reporter, Host, Producer working for Continental Cablevision, MediaOne, and AT&T. He can be reached on Twitter @MoloriMedia.

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Netflix has more than 325 million subscribers worldwide. The streaming giant has also made no secret of its ambition to become a player in the live events space, especially when it comes to sports. In recent years, the company has invested heavily, securing deals with MLB, the NFL and FIFA. It has also become the home of MVP boxing promotions and WWE’s flagship program, Monday Night Raw.

However, the strategy behind Netflix’s entry into live sports is still evolving. During an appearance this past April, Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria explained that the goal is to make everything on the platform great, including live events. She also acknowledged the challenge of shifting viewers from an on-demand mindset to appointment viewing. That may prove to be the company’s biggest obstacle and could ultimately determine whether sports remain a long-term priority.

Habits are hard to change.

For much of my childhood, television revolved around appointment viewing, just as sports do today. I remember gathering with my family to watch ABC’s T.G.I.F. lineup or tuning in for Tom Brokaw and NBC Nightly News.

Today, we live in a much different media environment. Audiences have traded appointment viewing for the convenience of watching on their own schedule. Millions continue to cut the cord because they can find their favorite programming whenever they want. That’s the experience platforms like Netflix were built to deliver: premium programming available whenever and however the viewer chooses.

What Matters Most

Sports remain television’s last true appointment-viewing experience. That’s why networks continue to pay enormous rights fees for live sports. They aren’t just buying games. They’re buying one of the few forms of programming that still compels audiences to show up at a specific time.

Peter Kafka, chief correspondent at Business Insider, recently remarked that CBS and FOX primarily exist today to broadcast football.

He’s not wrong.

During the 2023 season, 93 of the 100 most-watched broadcast telecasts were NFL games. That number dipped to 72 in 2024 because of the presidential election, but the NFL still dominated the rankings. Last season, the league climbed back to approximately 83 of the 100 most-watched telecasts.

That reality helps explain why broadcasters continue investing billions in sports rights. But for Netflix, which has chosen a more selective approach, is the investment accomplishing what the company hopes?

Juice Worth The Squeeze

Take, for example, the agreement it signed with MLB last winter. Netflix reportedly paid $60 million for Opening Day, Monday night’s Home Run Derby and the upcoming Field of Dreams game. That’s roughly 25% of what NBC pays annually for MLB rights while receiving only a fraction of the inventory.

Of course, that’s by design. Netflix isn’t trying to become a full-time sports network. For now. But if sports are meant to drive subscriber growth or increase engagement, the early returns raise legitimate questions.

Viewership wasn’t overwhelming for Netflix’s MLB debut. Approximately 3 million viewers watched the New York Yankees face the San Francisco Giants on Opening Day. Considering Netflix has more than 325 million subscribers, that represents less than 1% of its global audience. If each of those three events carries an approximate value of $20 million, is that level of engagement enough to justify the investment?

That’s the challenge Netflix is trying to solve.

Sports become outdated faster than any sitcom, feature film or documentary Netflix produces. If the objective is to change consumer behavior, the company may eventually need to become far more aggressive in creating an environment where sports fans naturally turn to Netflix first rather than simply sampling a handful of marquee events each year.

So far, year one of Netflix’s MLB agreement is two-thirds complete. While the presentation of the Home Run Derby improved noticeably from Opening Day, it’s fair to ask whether it actually moved the needle. Did it convince the average consumer to subscribe? Did it generate enough interest to make a glorified exhibition feel like must-watch television? And did Netflix do enough to promote the event on its own platform?

Can Netflix Win The Habit Battle?

We’ll find out over time. But the real battle isn’t how much Netflix is willing to spend on live sports. It’s whether the company can persuade millions of subscribers to change habits it spent nearly two decades creating.

Netflix can always write a bigger check. It has the resources to compete for almost any sports property it wants. What money can’t buy, however, is decades of consumer behavior. Convincing millions of subscribers to abandon the on-demand habits that made Netflix the world’s biggest streaming service may prove far more expensive than any rights agreement it ever signs.

Sooner rather than later, Netflix will have to decide whether becoming a true sports destination is the mission. If it is, dabbling in a few marquee events each year probably won’t be enough to change viewing habits. And if it isn’t, the company risks spending millions on sports rights while chasing an audience that never changes its routine.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

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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