An Almighty Podcast Network
How Almighty Baller Radio Turned a Passion
into Millions of Downloads
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Almighty Baller Radio is only a year old, but already has reached 12 million downloads and over 600 thousand social followers across more than 40 original NBA-driven podcasts. That’s no small feat, but for recent college grads Chris Axmann and Brian Egan, they saw an opportunity and seized it.
It’s no secret — there’s no shortage of sports-based podcasts out there. In fact, according to Nielsen’s June Audio Today report, sports ranked #4 as the most popular genre of podcasts. So what was missing from the category? While plenty of media personalities gossip about the latest LeBron rumor, fans want content tailored to their specific interests. Almighty Baller delivers on that with deep team coverage, analytics-based studies of the league, fantasy predictions, and insider analysis. On top of carefully curated content, these guys have tapped community leaders, successful bloggers, and beat writers who do it all with humor, creativity, and lots of listener interaction.
So how did they do it? We got the inside scoop from this dynamic duo and some words of wisdom too.
cabana: Let’s start from the beginning. What initially drew you to podcasting and how did the idea of Almighty Baller Radio come about?
Chris: One day as I listened to a particularly hilarious NBA podcast, I realized that no matter how I tried, I wouldn’t be as funny as that show: it wasn’t my strength. But when it comes to detailed Xs and Os and analysis of the game, I carved out my niche and I started to gain traction soon after doing so. I realized that every listener is looking for something different, whether that’s comedy, analysis, a certain topic, or a coverage of a certain team: Almighty Baller is where I started to bring the best of all of these shows together so listeners can find their favorite flavor under one roof.
cabana: The sports category is definitely a competitive field for podcasts right now, what was the reasoning behind building out a full fledged network versus focusing on one podcast, and how do you approach standing out in such a crowded space?
Brian: The reason for starting the network was two-fold for us: First, there is a mutually beneficial “strength in numbers” effect that comes with joining the network. When a show joins our network it gains immediate access to all the other hosts on our network, and so their pool of resources with regards to reach, infrastructure, and media accessibility is multiplied by those of their network cohorts.
And second, with so much unvetted content out there, it’s our understanding that it has become a bit difficult for potential new podcast listeners to sift through the noise and find the kind of shows they are looking for. To that end, by interlinking our shows under the Almighty Baller banner, the network can be seen as both a source of quality assurance and a convenient entry point that will help direct listeners to more of the kinds of podcasts we think they are looking for.
cabana: You guys showcase a ton of content from different personalities in the NBA realm. How did you start forming these partnerships? How much of it did you create yourselves?
Chris: When I wake up, I press play on my podcast app, and when I go to sleep, I press pause: I listen to shows all day because I love to. Once I started the network, I just mixed business and pleasure, scouting for shows with untapped potential waiting to be fully realized. I already knew many of the shows I wanted to be part of the network from day one, and had the existing relationships from times that I had the hosts on my show as guests. As that foundation grew, I reached out to other basketball media members with shows that would fill the niches that the network had yet to address.
cabana: Your plates are pretty full — not only are you entrepreneurs, you also host your own podcasts. How do you fit recording into your time?
Brian: Podcasting is nice because it can be pretty social in nature if you want it to be. I host my show with a close friend, and so I’ve basically replaced my social life with podcasting at this point. And that’s pretty much been my secret. If ever someone wants to hang out with me, I make them conceive of a podcast first and tell them to bring microphones.
cabana: With the ‘17–18 season about to kick off, what are the storylines you’re looking forward to reporting on the most?
Brian: What’s really been great about the NBA in recent years is that the landscape of the league has changed to allow a lot of big-name players to switch teams. Gone are the days of stars staying with their respective teams for an entire twenty-year career. Much of the drama in a given NBA season these days is derived from the off-court, managerial elements of the game. Players have spats, battles against their team’s administrations, write shady sub-tweets. It’s all very soap opera-esque at times, which, from a podcaster’s perspective, is like manna from heaven. With that in mind, the monolithic story that will cast a shadow upon all other NBA stories is not who will win a championship (it’ll be the Golden State Warriors) but instead, what Lebron James will decide to do when his contract expires at the end of the year.
cabana: Any final words of advice you want to share for those aspiring podcasters out there?
Brian: My advice would be that before you start your podcast, have a strong sense of what you want your show to be, both in content and ambition. I think with new media like this, where the barrier to entry is as low as having a laptop and a microphone, it’s easy to write off your interest in podcasting off as a hobby or pastime in the early going when your listenership is low. It was certainly that way for me. But if you come out of the gates with a professional mindset and tangible goals for your show, you’ll be surprised by how fast you can gain traction. It’s something I wish I had done when I first started.
Thanks to Chris Axmann and Brian Egan! Follow @almightyballin on Twitter and make sure to check out their full lineup of shows at almightyballer.com.
