TITLE: Jazz broadcaster David Locke recounts growth of Locked On Podcast Network
SLUG: jazz-broadcaster-david-locke-locked-on-podcast-network-growth
CONTENT:
Utah Jazz radio play-by-play announcer David Locke says a simple focus on team-centric coverage turned his side project into one of the largest sports podcast operations in the United States.
In an interview with Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune, Locke described how the idea of giving fans daily podcasts devoted to a single franchise led to the creation of the Locked On Podcast Network. The group now produces more than 200 shows spanning the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL and major college programs.
“The idea was right,” Locke told the newspaper. “It’s been great. It’s been amazing.”
Concept born from radio experience
Locke, longtime voice of the Jazz, said years behind a microphone taught him that supporters follow specific teams more closely than they track entire leagues. That observation became the backbone of Locked On’s format of localized, five-day-a-week episodes.
Former radio executive Kevin Graham called the approach forward-thinking. “David had a great idea before anyone figured out how to implement it,” Graham said. “He found a way to build and implement shows on specific sports teams, and then he sold it like a network.”
Sale to Tegna and continued role
The podcast network attracted private investment and was acquired by media company Tegna in 2021. Locke kept an active role with the brand while remaining the Jazz’s radio broadcaster and host of “Locked On Jazz,” the program that launched the venture.
Locke acknowledged early uncertainty about the company’s future. “There were a lot of days when I didn’t know if we’d get through it,” he said. “I didn’t know how to run a company. But I believed in the idea.”
Locked On has since expanded into one of the country’s biggest sports podcast networks, and Locke continues to juggle his duties on Jazz broadcasts with overseeing the platform he started.
Source: Hoops Wire
