Westwood One Sports Unveils Sports Talk Lineup
Rhea-AI Summary
Cumulus Media (CMLS) announced that Westwood One Sports will debut a new Sports Talk lineup on December 29, 2025, delivering round‑the‑clock sports discussion across major platforms.
Key weekday shows: Drake C. Toll (6am–9am ET), You Better You Bet with Nick Kostos (9am–Noon ET), Bleck & Abdalla (Noon–3pm ET), The Jim Rome Show (3pm–6pm ET), BetMGM Tonight (6pm–11pm ET), and WWO Sports Tonight hosted by Lynnell Willingham and Josh Graham (11pm–3am ET).
The weekend lineup will be announced later; Westwood One Sports continues play‑by‑play coverage of the NFL, NCAA, and U.S. Soccer and is available on affiliates, WestwoodOneSports.com, and the Westwood One Sports app.
Positive
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Negative
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News Market Reaction 1 Alert
On the day this news was published, CMLS declined 17.02%, reflecting a significant negative market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
Peers show mixed moves: FHLD down 9.28%, SALM down 4.9%, while PSRU shows an extreme upside move of 4900%. Others are flat. This points to stock-specific factors rather than a broad broadcasting-sector trend.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 03 | New morning host | Positive | -1.5% | Drake C. Toll named host of new Westwood One morning sports show. |
| Nov 14 | Syndicated show host | Positive | -11.6% | McGraw Milhaven to host nationally syndicated America at Night program. |
| Nov 12 | Podcast network deal | Positive | +0.0% | Shots Podcast Network joins Cumulus Podcast Network via Westwood One. |
| Nov 06 | Podcast partnership | Positive | -12.1% | Chris Van Vliet’s INSIGHT podcast added to Cumulus Podcast Network. |
| Oct 30 | Q3 2025 earnings | Negative | -29.4% | Q3 revenue decline, net loss of $20.4M, and lower Adjusted EBITDA reported. |
Recent Westwood One and podcast expansion news has coincided with flat-to-negative price reactions, while weak Q3 earnings saw a significantly negative move.
Over the last few months, Cumulus has emphasized talent and content expansion at Westwood One, including new hosts like Drake C. Toll and McGraw Milhaven and podcast deals such as Shots Podcast Network and Chris Van Vliet. Despite these programming-focused announcements, shares often moved flat to lower in the following session. The Q3 2025 earnings on Oct 30, showing revenue decline and a net loss, drew the sharpest negative reaction, framing today’s lineup expansion against a backdrop of financial pressure.
Market Pulse Summary
The stock dropped -17.0% in the session following this news. A negative reaction despite this programming expansion fits a pattern where prior Westwood One and podcast announcements coincided with flat-to-negative moves, while weak Q3 2025 earnings drove a sharper selloff. The stock trading near $0.094, well below the $0.18 200-day MA and about 90.6% under its 52-week high, underscores ongoing concern around revenue declines and net losses, which can overshadow incremental content and talent initiatives.
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
ATLANTA and NEW YORK, Dec. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cumulus Media’s Westwood One today unveiled its new Sports Talk lineup, debuting Monday, December 29, 2025. This bold expansion delivers nonstop sports conversation, expert analysis, and fan engagement across all major platforms.
The new programming lineup features a mix of established voices and rising stars, giving listeners access to compelling content around the clock. The Jim Rome Show will remain in its prime 3 pm – 6 pm ET weekday slot, anchoring afternoons with his legendary style.
Previously announced, Drake C. Toll will lead Morning Drive from 6 am – 9 am ET, bringing energy and perspective to kick off the day. Joining the weekday roster are longtime Chicago sports radio hosts Chris Bleck & Adam Abdalla from Noon – 3 pm ET. Bleck & Abdalla’s 20-year friendship provides a natural chemistry that produces fearless takes with fun fan interaction. Westwood One Sports Night from 11 pm – 3 am ET will be hosted by Lynnell Willingham and Josh Graham. Lynnell brings undeniable energy and a tell-it-to-your-face mentality, creating spirited, opinion-packed conversations. Josh provides an intellectual point of view fueled by an insatiable curiosity that creates sports takes you won’t hear anywhere else.
As previously announced; Nick Kostos You Better You Bet will air from 9am - Noon ET and BetMGM Tonight will air live from 6 pm – 11pm ET.
“With our partners at Audacy, we’ve assembled a group of diverse and passionate sports voices committed to covering the biggest sports stories with opinions, expert analysis, and fan interaction,” said Bruce Gilbert, SVP Sports | Content & Audience. “This lineup will highlight the biggest stories and provide timely information that is fresh, fun, and fan focused.”
Westwood One Sports Programming Lineup:
| 6am - 9am: | Drake C. Toll |
| 9am – Noon: | “You Better You Bet” with Nick Kostos |
| Noon - 3pm: | Bleck & Abdalla |
| 3pm - 6pm: | The Jim Rome Show |
| 6pm - 11pm: | “BetMGM Tonight” with Brad Evans and Pat Boyle |
| 11pm - 3am: | WWO Sports Tonight: Lynnell Willingham Mon-Wed; Josh Graham Wed-Fri |
The weekend lineup will be announced soon, promising even more ways for listeners to stay connected to the sports world.
Westwood One Sports provides engaging, interactive, topical, real-time sports conversations centered on the day’s biggest stories and events. In addition to the slate of daily programming, Westwood One Sports maintains its longstanding unrivaled play-by-play coverage of the NFL, NCAA, and U.S. Soccer and can be heard on affiliated stations across the United States, as well as on WestwoodOneSports.com and via the Westwood One Sports app.
About Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media (OTCQB: CMLS) is an audio-first media company delivering premium content to a quarter billion people every month – wherever and whenever they want it. Cumulus Media engages listeners with high-quality local programming through 395 owned-and-operated radio stations across 84 markets; delivers nationally-syndicated sports, news, talk, and entertainment programming from iconic brands including the NFL, the NCAA, US Soccer, the Masters, AP News, the Academy of Country Music Awards, and many other world-class partners across more than 9,500 affiliated stations through Westwood One, the largest audio network in America; and inspires listeners through the Cumulus Podcast Network, an established and influential platform for original podcasts that are smart, entertaining, and thought-provoking. Cumulus Media provides advertisers with personal connections, local impact, and national reach through broadcast and on-demand digital, mobile, social, and voice-activated platforms, as well as integrated digital marketing services, powerful influencers, full-service audio solutions, industry-leading research and insights, and live event experiences. For more information, visit www.cumulusmedia.com.
About Westwood One Sports
Westwood One Sports is home to some of the most exciting sports broadcasts on radio. In addition to being the exclusive network radio partner to the NFL since 1987—featuring regular and post-season NFL football, including the playoffs and the Super Bowl—its other extensive properties include NCAA Basketball, including the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tournaments and the Final Four®; U.S. Soccer; The Masters; NCAA Football; and other marquee sports events. On social media, join the Westwood One Sports community on Facebook at facebook.com/westwoodonesports, on Instagram at instagram.com/westwoodonesports, and X (formerly Twitter) at x.com/westwood1sports. For more information, visit www.westwoodonesports.com or download the Westwood One Sports app in the iTunes or Google Play stores.
Contact
Lisa Dollinger, Dollinger Strategic Communication for Cumulus Media | Westwood One | lisa@dollcom.com
FAQ
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