Ed Goren has produced some of the world’s biggest sports events — Super Bowls, World Series, Daytona 500s, BCS Championships, Stanley Cup Finals.
What on earth was he doing at the World Armwrestling League championships in Atlanta last week?
“I’m 74 years old, and I am having the time of my life,” the former Fox Sports president said last week. Goren is the executive producer and senior adviser for the league, which has a three-year deal with Turner’s B/R Live streaming service. “When people ask me what my favorite sport is to produce, I say, ‘Whatever I’m doing this week.’”
Goren said he joined up with the league about six months ago to offer counsel on the best way to produce the matches, which involve some of the biggest personalities that Goren said he has ever encountered.
“There’s more need for sports content today than ever before,” Goren said. “With all these platforms offering sports content, like B/R Live, it’s opened the door for all these niche sports. If Stephen Ross can launch the Drone Racing League, I can get excited about all the personalities in arm wrestling.”
Goren recalled having dinner with “Sunday Night Football” announcer Al Michaels last month when he started talking about the league. Michaels interrupted Goren, saying that he used to call arm wrestling in the late 1970s for ABC’s “Wide World of Sports.” Michaels jokingly referred to it as his “breakthrough event,” Goren said.
Goren had Michaels tape a spot about his time calling arm wrestling, which ran before a July tournament. Turner executives say they are happy with the league’s performance so far, citing stats that show the average viewer watches more than 50 minutes of continuous coverage per event on B/R Live.
