Finebaum to ESPN

http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2013/05/paul-finebaum-joins-the-sec-network-and-espn-audio/

A little surprised this hadn't happened already.

 

Will he play outside of Alabama?

 

He gets crazy ratings all across the South...

 

Paul Finebaum has regular callers from across the country. The B1G folks like to call a lot because the SEC fans are always trashing them. He's been on XM for long enough that he has a regular nationwide fan base. Like him or not, he found his niche and he's milked it for a lot of money. If we could all do the same, I'm sure we would.

 

Isn't this like the third thread to "break" this news?

 

That's what I wonder. A lot of stuff that has strong regional following doesn't always play well so great in other places. When I was living outside the south, I couldn't care less about the SEC.

 

I will be very curious how they use him. If you syndicate him across the south, he's going to get amazing ratings in all of those markets year round, but he's already done that. You can justify hiring him solely based on that.

But most other regions of this country don't want to talk college football year round.

 

He has been on XM radio for 3-4 years and has a Nationwide caller base. One of his regular callers that many know is "Robert from Iowa"

I listen from CT during football season. It's a great show for hardcore college
football fans from anywhere.

I'm sure ESPN has the metrics from XM to get a read on nationwide fan base.

Hopefully he stays on XM through one of the ESPN stations they broadcast.

 

Congrats to the baum. I don't think his act will go over well in places such as the northeast but as others have noted, he does have a strong base nationally.

 

What won't go over well is if ESPN tries to change Finebaum's game to a more national
feel. Too much of what we get now is too nationalized. I'm from the Northeast and
enjoy the local flavor that Finebaum brought to his broadcast.

I don't enjoy NASCAR near as much as when it was really just a "Southern" event
that happened to be televised on a national level.

 

The baum? So you guys are such good friends you don't feel the need to say what pals you are?

 

Explain your post. It is confusing.