There is no statistic that accurately states the number of sportscasters in the United States, but one thing is certain: it’s a highly competitive business (as is the public relations business).
Another thing that is certain is that relatively few sports announcers will become network radio and television stars, but many college students will aspire to become the next broadcast voices of those networks or one of the major college or professional team jobs out there.
Sportscasting in the Digital Age: More than the Game is a new textbook that can help college students and novice broadcasters reach that level. The book is published by Rowman & Littlefield and is available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble and in ebook format.
The author is Professor John McGuire, who after a 16-year career of covering news and sports, and calling more than 300 sporting events, put down the mic to begin a career as an educator at Oklahoma State University, where he is now the Welch-Bridgewater Sports Media Chair.
In addition to going into the nitty gritty of the sports broadcasting business, the book provides valuable information that prepares the next generation of sports announcers for success. It also features breakout sections with expert insight from leaders in the field—including Cubs announcer Pat Hughes and ESPN/ABC’s Dusty Dvoracek—and profiles of great interviewers such as the late Jack Buck and ESPN host and reporter Marty Smith.
While the entire book contains information that every wannabee announcer should remember, a chapter titled “THE ‘FACE’ OF THE TEAM” was a revelation to me.
It begins by saying what I already know—that the most powerful figures in the sports announcing business are not the big-name announcers, but the little-known executives who make the multi-million dollars decisions on sports rights deals and decide who should be the face of the broadcasts
My Opinion: In the book, Professor McGuire writes about the power of the boardroom executives. That’s not news to those in the PR business, but it is to most sports enthusiasts. It was the boardroom executives who demoted Greg Olsen, arguably the best football analyst on television, to the Fox B team because Tom Brady, an unknown broadcast talent whose analysis was criticized throughout the season, nevertheless was allowed to remain on the 2025 TV Super Bowl broadcast team.
And in the distant past, arguably the two best known baseball broadcasters were victims of boardroom decisions: One of the reasons Red Barber was fired as the Brooklyn Dodgers announcer, some people believe, was because management thought he wasn’t supportive enough of the Dodgers during his broadcasts. Then when Barber crossed the bridge to join the New York Yankees broadcasting team, he was fired again. One of the reasons many in the business believe was because he highlighted that few fans (413) attended a meaningless September game during a rainstorm, which upset Yankee brass. Yankee announcer Mel Allen was fired at the apex of his career without being given a reason for his dismissal, despite arguably being the most prominent sport broadcaster in the country.
Unlike print sports writers, who have stopped covering up the blemishes of the sports scenes, many sportscasters act as PR people, I believe, playing down the seamy side of the sports world. A prime example is how the NBCUniversal Olympic broadcasters hardly ever talk about the controversies that happen before and during an Olympics. But not all sports announcers are afraid to act as reporters and express opinions that upset the boardroom suits. In my opinion Bob Costas, who The Hollywood Reporter years ago called The Conscience of NBC Sports, is the gold standard for announcers who are not fearful of telling it as it is.)
I knew about the power of the suits, but what I didn’t know was how important the proper use of social media can help novice broadcasters become known. Professor McGuire clearly explains why young sportscasters should use social media to their advantage and tells them how to do it.
In the chapter on the use of social media, Professor McGuire writes, in part, that the proper use of social media can help a novice broadcaster to begin building a brand that can advance a career. He says profiles on sites like LinkedIn and YouTube provide places for a demo reel of their work. Also, social media provides platforms for networking and building relationships on which someone can provide commentary about sports happenings that can position the person as an expert.
Novice PR People Could Also Use Social Media To Become Noticed
The use of social media is a staple that experienced people in the public relations business use in disseminating a message but is often overlooked as a tool that every novice practitioner could use to become known to potential employers. Posting on social media on how you would approach a PR crisis situation that is in the news or drafting a program around a current topic can catch the attention of prospective employers and separate you from the pack.
Novice announcers are restricted to announcing high school football games, “minor league” college football, baseball and basketball games and lesser-known sports on local radio and television stations.
“Sportscasting in the Digital Age: More than the Game” provides a road map showing how student wannabe announcers can prepare for a career
in sports broadcasting and how novice announcers can advance from the minor leagues of announcing to the big leagues.
This is a book that everyone who aspires to be a sportscaster should read as well as anyone who tunes in to a sports broadcast and is interested in the business of sports broadcasting.
Because public relations plays such an important role in all facets of the business of sports—teams, leagues, players, sponsors and the televising of events—by using the book as a resource novice sports PR people and sports marketing wannabees can gain an understanding of the most important aspect of the sports business—broadcasting—that often is not emphasized enough in sports PR agency classes.
