What You Need to Start a Sports Podcast

Podcasting continues to be one of the most popular entertainment mediums around. A New York Times article on the growth of podcasts highlights how more than 50% of Americans have listened to a podcast, with at least a third of those people listening to one podcast every month. Indeed, the podcast market has loads of potential — potential that you can tap into if you decide to start one of your own.

If you are a fan of sports, then you’ve already done half the work! Sports is a great topic for your podcast, as it quite literally provides years worth of talking points. So how exactly do you go about doing this? Well, we’ve put together a quick guide on starting a sports podcast. Read on to know more about what you’ll need to embark on your podcasting journey!

IMAGE: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-and-red-basketball-system-3189980/ Credit: Pexels, Hemanth Nirujogi

While we all likely have a hot take on Michael Jordan after seeing the Last Dance, it’ll take more than controversial opinions to attract listeners. Before jumping into making a sports podcast, be sure you at least have a working knowledge of the sport of your choice. Nothing will turn off listeners faster than someone who sounds like they don’t know what they’re talking about.

One way you can do this is by constantly checking sports publications for the latest updates on teams and the state of the game. If you want to take it even further, we recommend following local sports beat reporters, as they often get news faster than the reporters from mainstream networks. This will help you stay on top of current events in your chosen sport, giving you loads of content for your podcast.

IMAGE: https://www.pexels.com/photo/greyscale-photography-of-condenser-microphone-765139/ Credit: Pexels, Tommy Lopez

While people will tune in for what you have to say, that isn’t the only thing that’s important when running a successful podcast. Another key element is the actual quality of the recordings. This means you’ll need the proper equipment to ensure that you’re giving your listeners the best experience, thus helping yourself build a bigger following.

Mainly, you’ll want to invest in a good mic, as it will be a part of your everyday operations. With so many out there on the market today, it can be confusing to choose one – but just stick to tried and tested equipment with straightforward features. Case in point, opting for the popular Blue Yeti Pro with its rich and detailed recordings at 192 kHz is ideal for both pros and beginners. The recording is fed straight to your computer via the premium A-D converter. If you’re not sure what any of that means, the bottom line is that these features are useful for podcasting and doing voiceovers. Its higher sample and bit rates that capture everything with pitch-perfect clarity is what you should look for when choosing your mic. Another thing that you’ll be using constantly is editing software. If you have the patience to learn it, Pro Tools lets you tweak and clean the audio, add music, and apply effects to your recordings. This software will let you fix anything that gets muddled up during recording. Of course, if you can opt for something less complex and just start out with Audacity – it’s easy to use and gets the job done.

IMAGE: https://www.pexels.com/photo/adult-beautiful-blur-casual-374703/ Credit: Pexels, Burst

Lastly, you’ll have to consider where to stream your podcast. This is important, as it could make or break your show. Finding the right platform is crucial when it comes to connecting with your target audience.

Spotify is a pretty common option due to its wide reach. However, if you’re looking for a platform that’s specifically made for podcasts, then Stitcher may be what’s right for you. Stitcher allows listeners to search for specific episodes, making your content much easier to find. Both platforms are free for listeners with the option to remove ads by paying a monthly fee.