Audacy recently hosted a panel during Advertising Week New York. Audacy’s Michael Biemolt, President of Digital Sales, sat down with John-Paul “J.P.” Flaim and John “Cakes” Auville of The Sports Junkies to talk about something that sports fans have understood for years: the game is only part of the story.

The final whistle might end the action, but it doesn’t end the debate over a questionable call, the group chat about a team’s chances, or the latest injury reports. Fans carry their passion into the next day and the next conversation. And increasingly, they’re finding those conversations through radio, podcasts, and the personalities they’ve come to know and trust. For advertisers, that creates an opportunity to connect with fans well beyond game day.

“Sports fans want more than just the in-game analysis,” J.P. said. “Whether it’s interviews, coaches and GMs on the show, different angles and predictions — the conversation goes way beyond the final whistle.” 

Biemolt made a point that should land hard with media buyers still fixated on live broadcast: the live game is limited, and inventory is expensive. The surrounding content: the daily breakdown shows, the podcast replays, the fantasy and betting conversations, the debates that stretch a Sunday game into a full week of content, that’s where the audience is actually spending their time. 

The Sports Junkies have spent 30 years building a relationship with Washington-area sports fans. What started as friends having fun on a show has grown into a daily connection that reaches well beyond the local market.

Flaim shared that the hosts regularly hear from people who moved away from the Washington, D.C., area years ago but still listen. They met a listener at the conference who had been listening to their show daily for years while living in New York. They had dinner with him the night before the panel. 

That kind of loyalty says something important about the relationship between sports fans and the voices they follow. It’s not just about getting the score or hearing a recap. It’s about feeling connected to a community, even when you’re no longer in the same place.

“Something that our program director told us many years ago was, ‘You guys are basically a content company. You’re content creators,’” Auville said.

That mindset has only become more relevant as listening habits have changed. Fans can tune in live, or catch up on demand through a podcast. The content travels with them, rather than requiring them to be in a particular place at a particular time. 

The panel got specific about what authentic brand integration actually looks like. Surfside came up as a standout case.  

Flaim described how Surfside partnered with The Sports Junkies when the brand was still building distribution in the D.C. area. The hosts talked about the product in the context of their own lives, including having it at parties. Listeners started trying it, then sharing their experiences with the show on social media. “They’ll send us pictures, they tweet us, they Instagram us from all across the country,” J.P. said. “A listener in San Diego: ‘I had to check it out because you guys are talking about it.’ That’s the power of influence.” 

For Flaim, that’s a real example of the influence talent can have when listeners trust them. The recommendation doesn’t feel like a message from a distant brand. It comes from people the audience already knows.

The panel also made a strong case for moving beyond a traditional, scripted endorsement. The best partnerships give talent room to bring a brand into the conversation in a way that feels natural to both the host and the audience. That doesn’t mean ignoring the advertiser’s objectives. It means finding a way to communicate them in a way that sounds like the person delivering the message.

Auville’s relationship with MGM National Harbor is a good example of what can happen when a partnership grows out of a genuine interest. A poker player himself, he approached the casino about working together. Nearly 10 years later, he continues to host the monthly Cakes Classic poker tournament, which typically draws additional players on a night when the property is looking to drive business.

It’s a partnership built around something the host genuinely enjoys, with a recurring experience that brings people together.

For brands, these activations open the door to more than a one-off sponsorship. It creates room for ongoing collaborations, custom events, and content that connects with fans in ways that make sense for the brand and the audience.

Sports fans are often reduced to a familiar stereotype, but the panel offered a broader view. These are consumers with careers, families, financial goals and interests that extend well beyond sports. As Biemolt noted, sports audio can also reach affluent audiences and business decision-makers, creating potential connections for categories such as financial services, insurance and automotive. The opportunity is to understand the audience, find the right fit and build a partnership around something that genuinely resonates.

Flaim put it simply when he talked about the importance of relationships. Ratings and revenue matter, but relationships are what keep people coming back. The same thinking applies to advertisers: a message that fits the show, the host and the audience has a better chance of becoming part of the conversation. That’s the larger lesson from The Sports Junkies. Fandom isn’t a moment on a schedule. It’s an ongoing relationship, built through shared experiences, trusted voices and conversations that continue long after the game ends.