ESPN Will Launch Morning Podcast With Mina Kimes

By Brian Steinberg

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Add ESPN to the growing list of news outlets trying to catch consumers ear in the A.M.

The Disney-owned sports-media giant said Thursday it would launch “ Daily,” a weekday morning podcast that will “take a deep dive into a specific story in sports,” all the while using the company’s wide roster of reporters, analysts and producers.  Mina Kimes, a senior writer with ESPN since 2014 and a former reporter for Bloomberg News and Fortune, will host the new show, which is sponsored by Indeed and Dell. She has signed a new multi-year agreement with ESPN, which includes her new duties.

The show’s “narrative-driven approach will go beyond headlines and scores, allowing fans to gain a deeper understanding of the biggest sports story of the moment,” said Connor Schell, ESPN executive vice president, content, in a prepared statement  “Mina Kimes’ ability to connect with audiences along with her insight, curiosity and wit make her the perfect voice to take listeners on this journey each and every day.”

Many big media outlets are launching morning podcasts in a bid to command more attention from the rise-and-shine crowd. The New York Times’ “The Daily” has proven to be a durable program, and The Wall Street Journal, ABC News and others have also launched salvos on to the field.

Kimes has appeared on multiple ESPN TV programs, including the TV simulcast of radio’s “Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz,” “Highly Questionable,” “Around the Horn,” “SportsCenter” and “Outside the Lines.”  Kimes also has co-hosted a weekly ESPN Radio show and an NFL podcast.  In August Kimes served as a color analyst on the Los Angeles Rams’ television broadcasts of preseason games.