A new sports radio station is coming to Philadelphia. This one though will offer a local program that focuses on sports betting related content.
The new station which is being billed as ‘FOX Sports Radio – The Gambler’ will air on 102.5 FM and 1480 AM and feature a mixture of nationally syndicated programming and local coverage led by Philadelphia sports media personality, Sean Brace. Brace is the founder of Philly Influencer, a sports and culture website. He spent over nine years at 97.5 The Fanatic including hosting alongside current WIP afternoon host Jon Marks. His new program The Daily Ticket is expected to air weekdays from 3pm to 6pm RET.
“I’m not picking winners, I’m not telling you who to take. My goal is to give you as much information as I can and try to be entertaining at the same time,” Brace told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I’m not taking calls. No calls. Just straight information about the games that matter and talking about the odds, the prop bets, the futures. All of that.”
iHeartMedia’s move into into the market with a different type of content spin makes sense given the legalization of sports betting in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. FOX Sports also announced plans to launch FOX Bet in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, so there should be some natural synergies for the two companies to explore.
“Whether you’re heading to Atlantic City or one of our four local sports books, we’ll have what you need to keep you informed,” Senior VP of Sales Jeff Moore, said in a release. “It’ll be a great mix of national sports talk icons with the local edge to inform and entertain the gambling audience in a groundbreaking way.”
In addition to installing Brace in afternoons, the station’s remaining lineup to start off will feature Fox Sports Radio’s national shows. Here’s the full schedule.
- 6 a.m. – Outkick The Coverage with Clay Travis
- 9 a.m. – The Dan Patrick Show
- 12 p.m. – The Herd with Colin Cowherd
- 3 p.m. – The Daily Ticket with Sean Brace
- 6 p.m. – Straight Outta Vegas with RJ Bell
- 7 p.m. – The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard & Rob Parker
- 10 p.m. – The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon
- 2 a.m. – The Ben Maller Show
An interesting nugget provided by Brace’s website mentioned that ‘The Gambler’ plans to air 97.5 The Fanatic midday host Anthony Gargano’s weekly syndicated Fox Sports Radio show The Fellas, which he hosts with former Pro Bowler Lincoln Kennedy. Given the increase in local sports radio competition, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see The Fanatic or Gargano re-evaluate that situation in the near future.
Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here.