Wondery, the largest independent podcast publisher in the world, is partnering with The Athletic, home to the best storytelling in sports, to create the first ever in-depth daily sports news podcast. The series, titled The Lead, will make its debut on September 16th, 2019.
Every weekday morning, The Lead co-hosts Kavitha Davidson and Anders Kelto will take listeners beyond the box score, reporting on the biggest and most fascinating sports-driven stories of the day. By bringing a refreshing, story-driven approach to major news and headlines, The Lead provides in-depth, on-the-ground coverage of the best stories in sports, straight from The Athletic’s all-star roster of sports journalist and reporters.
“We are thrilled to be co-producing The Lead with The Athletic,” said Hernan Lopez, Founder and CEO of Wondery. “Our emotionally immersive story-telling coupled with The Athletic’s in-depth reporting will differentiate The Lead and give our listeners stories that stay with them.”
Following the success of “Sports Wars” and “Gladiator,” Wondery is continuing to break down barriers to entry by giving all fans the opportunity to access The Lead. This new series aims to stand out from the noise of sports media by bringing sports up close, with deep storytelling about players, hometowns, and the teams listeners love. Topics covered on this season of The Lead include the 2018 NFC Championship, The Ice Bucket Challenge, former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck and more.
“Every day we look for new ways to leverage our incredible newsroom in order to bring more of The Athletic’s signature brand of in-depth storytelling to a wider audience,” said Alex Mather, Co-Founder and CEO of The Athletic. “Our partnership with Wondery to produce The Lead is the perfect marriage of two companies that are both fanatical about producing the most quality content possible and we can’t wait for listeners to subscribe.”
Season 1 will be available on Apple Podcasts and other free listening platforms.