The Eagles will remain on WIP-FM with a new seven-year deal signed with Entercom, whose recent merger with CBS Radio gave it 225 stations nationwide. Eagles games have been on WIP for the past 25 years. Entercom Sports President Mike Dee said that the new deal will have a bigger focus on ancillary programming and local streaming, via the Eagles’ app. With Entercom based just outside of Philadelphia, Dee said the Eagles “were kind of a must for us.’’ Dee’s previous jobs with the Padres, Red Sox and Dolphins meant that he knew both Eagles President Don Smolenski and Senior VP/Business Ari Roitman, offering “a comfort level, which helped us get things done quickly,’’ he said (Terry Lefton, Staff Writer). In Philadelphia, Rob Tornoe notes the agreement "means fan favorites" Merrill Reese and Mike Quick will continue to call the Eagles’ games for WIP "and 11 other stations that carry the Eagles Radio Network." Longtime WIP host Howard Eskin will also "continue his role as Eagles sideline reporter." Reese has been the voice of the Eagles since '77, and is the "longest-tenured play-by-play announcer in the NFL." The Eagles' new deal comes after Philadelphia-based WPEN-FM in September announced a new multiyear deal to broadcast all 76ers games, and that station "also owns the broadcast rights to Flyers games." WIP "signed a new deal with the Phillies before last season" (PHILLY.com, 11/21).
