ESPN 630 AM: D.C. Sports Radio Scene Getting Exactly What It Needs

The D.C. sports radio scene is getting a brand new station, ESPN 630AM, that’s uniquely different than the two current brands, The Team 980 and 106.7 The Fan.

If you don’t live and breathe the Washington Redskins, The Team 980 isn’t a station you want to listen to all the time. Their coverage (and branding) is based around the burgundy and gold, with the remainder of D.C. sports teams filling in the blanks. All the other transplants know what I’m talking about; by the time you’re listening to the fourth former Redskin talk about the team’s third-round NFL Draft pick, you’re out.

So you then head to 106.7 The Fan, which is, in my opinion, the better of the two D.C. sports radio stations.

The Fan does a great job spreading the love around to other local teams, not just the Redskins, and they also hit national topics now and then. Plus, their personalities are way more compelling than those of The Team. From The Sports Junkies (a group of legit local celebrities that have a cult following) to Grant & Danny (the best D.C. sports show by far) and beyond, you’ve gotta respect what 106.7 The Fan does and how they’ve built their brand. From top to bottom they’re unique, which is hard to do when, ultimately, they’re all covering the same news. Drive-time host Chad Dukes is a perfect example: he’s shticky and outrageous, yet, the brash style compliments mild-mannered Grant Paulsen and the TV-friendly collective that is The Sports Junkies. They do sports radio as good as I’ve seen on the regional level and they’ll continue having success as long as nothing major happens within the company.

Having said that, D.C. residents with roots in other cities get tired of hearing about every single Bradley Beal trade rumor. Podcasts and national radio are readily available to anyone with a mobile device; non-D.C. and fringe-D.C. sports fans can dial up something instantly that caters specifically to their favorite team, or, for a wider view on sports, national personalities like Colin Cowherd and Bill Simmons are just a few taps away. It’s very difficult to retain listeners that aren’t totally engaged with the content you’re churning out.

The times are a-changin, though, and now, certain fans will be able to skip using their device altogether.

A new D.C. sports radio station was announced yesterday — ESPN 630 AM — and it’s quite different than the two stations listed above. Rather than taking a local-all-the-time approach, the new Cumulus Media station will fill the gaping need for daily national sports talk on terrestrial radio.

The new sports/talk station will be the home for ESPN Radio weekday talk programming in Washington, D.C., including Golic and Wingo (6-10 a.m. ET) hosted by Mike Golic and Trey Wingo, The Stephen A. Smith Show (1-3 p.m.) and the exclusive national radio outlet for the NBA (including playoffs and Finals) and MLB (including postseason and World Series).

(via ESPN Press Room)

Those who were previously opting for national sports content instead of regular radio can just leave their car stereo on 630 AM now.

Set it and forget it.

Almost 24 hours have gone by since I first heard about The Sports Capitol and it’s crazy to think that we went so long without it. Washington, D.C. is a melting pot, with people moving into the city and its surrounding areas at a furious pace. Sports fans are already watching shows like Golic and Wingo before they get into their cars in the morning, so it’s a no-brainer to give them the same option once they sit behind the wheel for their commute. Plus, with a built-in network of advertisers and endless opportunities beyond them around town, a nationally-focused station seems to be a low-risk, high-reward venture.

“Washington D.C. is a great sports destination with a passionate and involved fan base. We can’t wait to bring the unique style of Golic and Wingo to the nation’s capital next month on the new ESPN 630.”

-Mike Golic (via ESPN Press Room)

“I’m happy we’ll be heard in our nation’s capital. My first job out of school was there and my son played football at Georgetown so I’m excited for Golic and Wingo to be part of the D.C. scene.”

-Trey Wingo (via ESPN Press Room)

While national sports talk is the selling point for ESPN 630 AM, there will be local flare as well. ESPN 630AM will carry Washington Redskins games and there are plans for some locally-focused shows, according to ESPN’s press release.

Stations like 106.7 The Fan are necessary for a city that has four major professional teams, several major D-1 collegiate programs, and a handful of other important pro teams. You need that hyper-focused coverage because the majority of fans are local first and there’s plenty to talk about. The Fan will stay put as the No. 1 option but at the same time, the niche being filled by ESPN 630 (WMAL-AM) is imperative to the overall scene.

The style of programming ESPN 630 AM is using is commonly found in big-time college towns and smaller professional cities; there’s not enough going on locally to fill an entire day so national shows fill the void. The one-off weekend shows and event broadcasts give them their local flavor. In this case, however, there’s plenty of local stuff to talk about, it’s just being done very well by others so there’s no need to flood the market. Essentially, the new station is supplemental.

ESPN 630AM will release its full programming schedule prior to their July 1st launch date.