The Right Time with Bomani Jones Joins ESPN Audio’s Podcast Lineup
The lineup of original podcasts from ESPN Audio will gain a new and distinctive voice when The Right Time with Bomani Jones debuts Tuesday, April 3. Offered two times per week (Tues./Thur.), the show will provide Jones the freedom to expand on and add to the familiar elements – including his often thought-provoking takes on the hottest issues in sports. – from his former ESPN Radio show and his frequent appearances for many years across ESPN television programs. The Thursday show will include a special guest as co-host, a personality in sports or media.
Jones has contributed to ESPN for more than a decade, often appearing on Around the Horn, SportsCenter, First Take and Outside the Lines, as well as being a daily regular on Highly Questionable from 2013-17. In addition, as previously announced, later this spring Jones will have his own television show with co-host Pablo Torre. The 60-minute show will air weekdays at noon ET. His weekday afternoon radio show ended in 2017 after nearly three years.
“I’m really looking forward to rebooting The Right Time and moving it into the future,” Jones said. “We want to do as much as we can with the flexibility of the podcast format to take what was a three-hour radio show and make it into an even better podcast. I really think the audience we served before – many of whom consumed the show digitally –will be happier with what’s next and the content will attract new listeners.”
Traug Keller, senior vice president, ESPN Audio, said, “Podcasting is changing how audio is consumed, since the listener is more in charge than ever, and offering dynamic content is a smart way to grow our business and serve our listeners. Bomani, whose trajectory continues to rise, brings a distinct voice to an audience looking for compelling discourse. His thought-provoking and entertaining opinions will translate perfectly to our on-demand platform.”
ESPN Podcasts Launching New Personality-Based Offerings, Growing in Listenership
The Right Time with Bomani Jones is the fourth personality-driven podcast ESPN Audio has recently debuted. Jalen and Jacoby launched January 8, Sports? With Katie Nolan on January 10 and Marty Smith’s America on March 19.
In addition to podcasts that serve sport-specific passions, storytelling is also a key component in the lineup. In the last year, ESPN’s critically acclaimed “30 for 30” films group branched into podcasting. Its third season will be its first serialized season: five episodes that delve deep into the complicated world of Bikram Yoga and the sexual assault allegations against its charismatic guru and founder, Bikram Choudhury. They will be released on the same day, Tuesday, May 22.
In addition, The Undefeated – ESPN’s multiplatform initiative focusing on the intersections of sports, race and culture – launched The Plug. The weekly podcast features frank discussion on sports, race and culture.
ESPN Audio launched its first podcast in 2005, and in 2017 recorded more than 288 million downloads. In December 2017, ESPN podcasts reached five million people, ranking ESPN fourth among podcast producers in America (per Podtrac).
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