Hebsy On Sports 278-Sports Media with Adam Seaborn

·1 hr 10 min·5 clips

Mark Hebscher recounts pulling off a legendary 1980 April Fool's radio prank involving a fake Larry Robinson trade that fooled Montreal.

Mark Hebscher opens the episode with a humorous reflection on April Fool's Day, sharing a personal anecdote about a 1980 radio prank involving a fake Larry Robinson trade that fooled Montreal. He then transitions to Toronto sports updates, highlighting Auston Matthews reaching 50 goals, the Raptors nearing a playoff spot, and the Blue Jays' strong spring training. Hebscher introduces guest Adam Seaborn, a sports media pundit, to delve into the business side of sports. Seaborn explains his background in radio and TV sales, emphasizing that advertisers focus solely on ratings, not content. He reveals that a 30-second ad during Hockey Night in Canada costs about $50,000. The discussion covers the shrinking radio industry, with Seaborn noting that Rogers is cutting costs on Blue Jays radio broadcasts due to low listenership. They explore the differences between podcast and radio advertising, with podcasts offering better data for advertisers. Seaborn details the upcoming legalization of single-game sports betting in Ontario on April 4th, predicting a competitive market among gambling sites like BetMGM and PointsBet. He explains how these sites will spend heavily to acquire customers. The conversation touches on the challenges of terrestrial radio appealing to younger demographics and the dominance of live sports in driving media revenue. Hebscher and Seaborn also briefly discuss Tiger Woods' potential Masters appearance and its impact on viewership. The episode concludes with sports news updates and promotions for sponsors like Nate Makes Soap and Goodfoot Delivery.

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