When I asked Pete Radovich, Creative Director of CBS Sports where the idea for “Morning Footy” for the CBS Sports Golazo Network came from, he shared an experience that many sports consumers can relate to. He talks about the idea of waking up in the morning, turning on his SportsCenter on ESPN and letting it loop in the background while he eats his morning cereal.
Many American sports fans grew up with that soundtrack and spend their mornings the same way as adults.
Led by Radovich, CBS Sports brings that idea to football with the launch of its 24-hour football platform, the Golazo Network, on April 11th. According to CBS, the “first of its kind” consumer-facing digital network is “dedicated to global football coverage” in the United States. Streaming free on CBSSports.com, Pluto TV and Paramount+.
Radovic and his colleagues hope that the weekday morning “morning foot” will fill a void they feel exists in American football media. Our 2-hour daily football news program gives you the flexibility to discuss current day-to-day events surrounding the sport.
Familiar American soccer players support the starring program. Susannah Collins has been doing audio and video work for MLS for years, but she will join forces with “The Cooligans” co-host Alexis Guerreros. Former New England Revolution and US Men’s National Team forward Charlie Davis shares on-air duties as an analyst, former Univision analyst and now on CBS Sports’ The Golazo Show. ‘s host Nico Cantor concludes. team. A former Mexican women’s national team player, she now plays CBS Sports reporter Jenny Chiu, along with other yet-to-be-announced rotations of her cast that will also contribute to the programming.
CBS Sports has many unique properties to discuss, including the UEFA Europa League, Serie A, NWSL and CONCACAF national team competitions, but the network believes that the Golazo Network, especially ‘Morning Footy’, is truly their media outlet. Rights aside, focus on global gaming.
“Fans of this game are underserved outside of the game,” said Radovich. “We feel there is a void there. We feel we can not only fill that void, but help the rising tide. It’s not just leagues, fans want shows that cover sports, what if it’s a league that’s not on Paramount+? Not just talking about, but previewing the game and telling people where the game is going, actually calling out competing networks, kickoff times, tune-ins, and weekends.This is all a service to the fans It’s not a service to us.”
According to CBS, the new network isn’t just focused on live broadcasts (and the pre- and post-game programming that accompanies it). According to the press release, in addition to “Morning Footy,” the Golazo Network will feature “magazine shows, films from Paramount+’s ‘Stories From the Beautiful Game’ football documentary collection, and original programming.”
Many of the talent behind the Golazo Network have produced coverage of the European Champions League for CBS Sports and are working on other global properties, including Network producer Mike Nastri and CBS Sports Executive Producer Harold Bryant. The same talent you have.
Radovic grew up in a football family. Cousin Dragan Radovich was a standout goalkeeper in his league for former North American soccer. He played soccer until college. American games are therefore a key component of the Golazo Network’s coverage. CBS Sports is the rights owner of his NWSL, but currently has no presence in his MLS, where he just sold the broadcast rights for the next decade to Apple. But looking at the talent Radovich chose for “Morning Footy,” it’s hard to imagine that the show (and the networks it appears on) wouldn’t cover American football broadly.
“When you get into the MLS discussion, you talk about it from a non-superficial perspective, with people who love the league,” Radovic said. We know there’s a million people, and we feel like they’re our core audience, they love their sport, they love their league, and now they go in the mornings and have discussions. Because I’m an American who has a place to listen.”
🚨Big news🚨
Launch the CBS Sports Golazo Network. The first 24/7 ⚽️ network of its kind!
The network offers free weekday morning shows, news, live matches, highlights and more
tune in 𝗔𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗟 𝟭𝟭 @CBSSports app, @PlutoTV & @paramount plus pic.twitter.com/TYvBYGmmLt
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 8, 2023
The history of American football is littered with failed media ventures. Most of them are paper or online outlets. Recently, however, the landscape has changed. American soccer — the MLS, the NWSL, and the sub-leagues that go with them — is still on the fringes, but world soccer is doubtless an American sport that didn’t exist a decade ago. We are building a foothold without
Having worked extensively in more mainstream American sports coverage, Radovich feels it’s the right time to create a football-only network. In the UK, any avid football consumer can simply turn on Sky Sports at any time of the day and be bombarded by the press. That element of coverage does not exist in the United States.
Radovich said: 5-6 hours behind Europe. That’s why we often wake up with news stories. We are all over those stories. Not only do we provide that news, but we have reporters to help tell those stories. First thing in the morning, you are familiar with those stories. “
(Howard Smith/ISI Photo)
