PodcastOne expands sports vertical with Nick Swisher, Bobby Portis and Chris Howard

PodcastOne, a leading podcast platform and a subsidiary of LiveOne (NASDAQ: LVO), announced today that it has added to its roster podcasts from World Series Champion Nick Swisher, NBA Champion Bobby Portis and retired NFL Running Back Chris Howard, as well as the recent launch of Hammered Heroes hosted by Brendan Fitzgibbons and Sophie Santos. The quartet of shows all launch as part of the expanding PodcastOne’s sports vertical of programming for the podcast network.

Existing sports podcasts include NBA great Robert Horry with his Big Shot Bob Pod, legendary NFL champion Michael Irvin with The Michael Irvin Podcast, retired NFL Quarterback Jay Cutler and his show Uncut with Jay Cutler and famed wrestler Steve Austin’s collection of classic episodes of The Steve Austin Show. With the dynamic surge in YouTube viewership of vodcasts, sports shows such as Uncut with Jay Cutler and soon the Swisher and Portis helmed podcasts have the ability to attract new audiences via the worldwide streaming giant, while also increasing discoverability for each show. The Steve Austin Show, through the use of the post-production technology program Adori also has seen increased visibility through the insertion of unique video elements for distribution via YouTube.

“My curiosity for the world around me from baseball to books, from coaches to community and from inspirational stories of triumph to seemingly insurmountable moments of failure knows no bounds. I’m amped to be sharing stories with fans and listeners, and I’m so excited to partner with PodcastOne to bring my podcast to life,” said Swisher.

“Sports fans are loyal, they’re engaged and they’re passionate. With the growing PodcastOne sports vertical, we are producing and developing exclusive sports content shows from some of the most recognizable names in the game, adding to our diverse roster of original programming that advertisers and listeners won’t get from other networks. Our sports hosted shows offer something for everyone, from the parquet floors of the world of basketball to the spectacle of the wrestling ring,” said Kit Gray, President of PodcastOne.

Swisher, who is well known to fans throughout the world for his baseball skills and savvy, will debut The Nick Swisher Show, a podcast that shares the inner workings of his curious mind with listeners. In this podcast, Swisher, who is also a motivational speaker, will interview the greats from the worlds of sports, culture and more while quenching his thirst for knowledge on a wide range of topics taking fans along on the journey.

Milwaukee Bucks Forward Bobby Portis will delight fans by hosting a weekly podcast titled Keep It A Buck. His status as a current league standout and The People’s Champ will give listeners a real-time, courtside view of all of the action each week while also chatting with fellow players and former stars to bring the most compelling basketball talk to audiences.

Plugged In with Chris Howard comes from former Jacksonville Jaguar and University of Michigan standout Chris Howard. Each week on the podcast, Howard brings his unique perspective and vivid storytelling to sports fans everywhere addressing the most important headline-grabbing stories to uncover the “why” versus “what” happened. He also welcomes special guests from the worlds of sports and entertainment who share behind-the-scenes stories, never-before heard tales, and offer a candid look at life when the cameras and lights are no longer flashing.

Hammered Heroes takes a deep dive look at the best performances by professional athletes while they were drunk, on drugs, or horribly hungover. Each week, comedians Fitzgibbons and Santos discuss a memorable game or infamous incident that focuses on an athlete’s mind-blowing performance despite being extremely hammered. Whether it’s the Bulls’ “Traveling Cocaine Circus,” David Wells’ infamous half-drunk perfect game, Wade Boggs’ 73-beer binge on a cross-country flight, or Charles Barkley playing drunk after day drinking. Let’s raise a glass to our heroes!

PodcastOne’s full roster of programming is available on PodcastOne, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and wherever podcasts are heard. As part of the growing slate of podcasts available in Tesla cars via LiveOne’s streaming platform, Uncut with Jay Cutler, Baby Mamas No Drama, Coffee Convos, Final Days on Earth and Southern Tea have been added to the driver experience.