Hometown Announcers Keep Sports Fans Tuned In.

Sports fans have more ways than ever to follow their teams, with games available through traditional television, streaming services, subscription apps and social media. But the expansion of viewing options hasn’t diminished the appeal of live audio play-by-play, according to a new Audacy Insights blog post, which says a major reason is the connection between fans and the hometown announcers who call their teams’ games.

“Fans aren’t necessarily listening because they can’t watch,” writes Audacy’s Ray Borelli, Senior Vice President of Research & Insights. “They’re listening because they want their announcer. The hometown voice remains uniquely powerful: a familiar, trusted voice that knows the team, the players, the history, the rivalries and the personalities. They don’t just describe what happens on the field; they know what it means to the people who care about the team.”

Technology has made those voices easier to access. Edison Research data cited by Audacy shows the share of sports radio listening conducted on mobile devices has increased threefold since 2022.

The change reflects broader shifts in how people consume media. Watching a game once generally meant sitting in front of a television for several hours. Fans now routinely consume media while commuting, exercising, cooking, working around the house or spending time outdoors.

Audio allows fans to follow a game without dedicating their full attention to a screen. The popularity of podcasts has further established audio as a medium that can accompany people throughout their daily routines.

Smartphones and wireless headphones have extended that behavior to live sports, allowing fans to hear every play while continuing with other activities.

“TV asks you to stop and watch the game. Audio lets you take the game with you,” Audacy says.

The two formats also increasingly are being used together rather than viewed as competing experiences. Audacy research found that 36% of MLB fans have paired play-by-play audio with live television, using a local radio broadcast to add context, personality and emotion to the visual presentation.

Apple TV+ has accommodated the trend by allowing viewers during live baseball broadcasts to select the local radio audio while continuing to watch the television feed. The combination allows fans to retain the announcers they know while benefiting from the visual elements of a television broadcast.

The same concept is expanding into stadiums. Audacy says fans at a growing number of ballparks can use smartphones and earbuds to hear a synchronized local radio call while watching the game in person.

At Citi Field, Mets fans can listen to synchronized New York Mets Radio play-by-play through a partnership between Audacy and SportsBug. During the first 50 games of the season, fans initiated more than 17,000 streams and consumed more than 3,800 hours of in-stadium content, according to Audacy.

The combination gives fans the atmosphere of being at the ballpark while retaining the perspective and personality of a familiar announcer. The relationship between announcers and listeners can extend beyond the game itself. “Our fans are passionate and loyal,” says Cubs announcer Pat Hughes, who’s heard on Audacy sports “104.3 The Score” WSCR-AM/FM Chicago (670/104.3). “They say, ‘Your voice is always with me. You’re in the car with me, on the patio when we’re having dinner or doing chores.’”

Hughes has called more than 7,000 MLB games, including nearly 5,000 Cubs games and the team's 2016 World Series championship.

Streaming also has expanded the reach of hometown broadcasts beyond their traditional geographic boundaries. Fans can listen while traveling, living in another city or simply following their favorite team from hundreds or thousands of miles away.

At the same time, finding games on television has become more complicated as cord-cutting, the disruption of regional sports networks and the movement of games to streaming platforms have fragmented the viewing landscape.

Audio provides a consistent alternative, allowing fans to find their team’s broadcast throughout the season and listen wherever they happen to be.

The result is a sports audio experience that is no longer limited by location. Fans can combine television and local radio at home, listen while traveling and use synchronized audio while attending games.

“The common thread is that audio is no longer defined by where the fan is,” Audacy says. “It is defined by how the fan wants to experience the game.”