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Feinstein’s podcast series shows platform’s evolving business model

The business of podcasts is changing so quickly that Bob Snyder, the founder of Hometown Podcasts, doesn’t quite know how to describe his newest product with well-known sports journalist John Feinstein.

 

Feinstein’s “The Friends I’ve Made” is a cross between an audiobook and a podcast. It is set up like a podcast — the author has hourlong conversations with five well-known names in sports with whom he has developed relationships: Mary Carillo, David Feherty, Tom Izzo, Steve Kerr and Mike Krzyzewski.

But the conversations, along with a prologue and an epilogue from Feinstein, will be available as an audiobook via Amazon’s Audible when it is released this month. Its transcript is available for $7.99 via Amazon. 

“I find myself in the on-demand audio business,” Snyder said. “Podcasting is morphing already. It feels brand new, but it’s all under the on-demand audio. Some is paid, some is free, some is irregular, some is regular.” 

Snyder sees this format of a podcast-style audiobook as a way to make money from a podcasting market that has become more crowded than ever. When it is available on Audible later this month, Snyder expects it to be priced at around $15.

“It is an effort to try to distribute really good exclusive content in a way that people are comfortable accessing it and in this case comfortable paying for it,” he said.

Snyder started with an idea of developing a podcast that capitalized on Feinstein’s name.

“We kind of worked backwards,” Snyder said. “Most authors write a book, and then they go and record the audio. We created an audio book. Then we made a transcript, which will be available on Kindle.”

Snyder launched his Hometown Podcasts business three years ago with Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan. The longtime radio veteran wanted to recreate the popularity of local sports radio in a podcasting format, and eventually added a couple more Boston personalities — Bob Lobel and Gerry Callahan.

Snyder expanded his podcasts into the Washington, D.C., market, where he spoke frequently with Feinstein, a longtime D.C. area resident, about producing one. Feinstein demurred, telling Snyder that he’s viewed as more of a national commentator rather than one associated with the city.

“He was right. He doesn’t have a rabid following in the marketing circles that some of the other folks do,” Snyder said. “But John brought a certain credibility that I recognized right away. When we talked about what kind of entertainment he wanted to provide, I asked him to think like an author. He said, ‘I really want to talk about my friendships.’ I thought about it. I thought that was pretty good.”

Feinstein came back with nine names, and the two whittled it down to five.

“As time went on, it became clear that this was a series of short stories about genuine friendship that emerged from the unlikely setting of a journalist covering an athlete,” Snyder said. “We let the storyline develop. It is a story of John Feinstein’s life in sports but as told through other interactions. Those five people happen to be some of the smartest people in sports.”

John Ourand can be reached at jourand@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @Ourand_SBJ and read his twice-weekly newsletter.

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