Kraken, KJR Extend Radio Broadcast Partnership

Kraken radio play-by-play announcer Everett Fitzhugh is thrilled to see the NHL team bucking a national sports trend by doubling down on their commitment to the region’s airwaves.

While some sports teams are cutting costs by eliminating radio platforms and simulcasting instead with televised games, the Kraken and iHeart Media Seattle’s Sports Radio 93.3 KJR FM on Thursday announced a multi-year extension of their broadcast agreement to keep the team on that station. As the Kraken’s flagship radio network since just before the team’s inaugural season five years ago, Sports Radio 93.3 KJR provides not only Fitzhugh’s play-by-play alongside analyst and former Philadelphia Flyers draft pick Al Kinisky in the booth, but also pre-and-postgame shows, interviews and podcast work by host Mike Benton and well as on-air segments throughout the week.

“Me having been here for only six years, I’ve still gotten to see a lot of trends of not only Seattle but other places within the region,” said Fitzhugh, hired by the team in August 2020 as the first full-time Black play-by-play announcer in NHL history ahead of KJR becoming the flagship station in May 2021. “And this is one of those rare cities in America where sports radio still matters. And not just daily talk radio but play-by-play. I mean, so many people listen to Rick Rizzs, and then Steve Raible on Sundays. And now, they’re going to listen to Elise Woodward on the Huskies, having previously listened to Tony (Castricone) and Don (Heinrich) and Bob (Rondeau) and the greats of U-Dub and all that.

“But this is a market that’s always embraced radio,” Fitzhugh said. “It’s always embraced play-by-play. The amount of people who’ve told me, ‘I grew up listening to Bob Rondeau, to (Dave) Niehaus, to (Rick) Rizzs, and Kevin Callabro and all those folks. It’s always been a big part of my life.’ It just means more.”

Fitzhugh likens Seattle to Boston, New York, Chicago and his hometown of Detroit as places where radio is very big and where fans “care” and “invest” in the product.

As part of the extended partnership, iHeartMedia Seattle will continue to serve as a key promotional partner for music and entertainment at Climate Pledge Arena, which is consistently ranked among the top 10 music venues in the country, bringing some of the biggest tours to the Seattle market.

"We're thrilled to continue our partnership with the Seattle Kraken and remain the radio home for Kraken fans across the Pacific Northwest," said Rich Moore, SVP of Programming for iHeartMedia Seattle. "Over the past five seasons, we’ve worked together to deliver fans incredible access to the team, from live game broadcasts to daily coverage and original content. We look forward to building on that momentum and bringing fans closer to the team across our platforms."

Kraken Chief Commercial Officer Jeff Webster said: “Connecting with our fans and making Kraken games easily accessible through radio and iHeart’s online reach is a priority for us as we continue to grow the game.

"Since the Kraken's earliest days, iHeartMedia Seattle and KJR have been there with us, and we are excited to continue working together for years to come."

Kraken host Benton, who spends his summers negotiating deals for iHeart that has seen the team grow affiliate stations from 10 in their debut season to 23 today agrees radio is a key part of “growing the game” for the team.

“I think the meaning of this is extraordinary,” Benton said. “Because while you do have teams cutting back on the operations side for some reasons I disagree with, ultimately I think it shows the commitment the Kraken, KJR and the radio network are demonstrating to really pound home the message that we’re looking to grow the game and grow a sport through a medium that’s grown exponentially.

“And the last 15 or 20 years, it’s not just a radio game,” said Benton, who also does play-by-play work of select games for the team. “It’s also a digital media game. How can you leverage this off your podcast coverage? How can you leverage social media? And that’s something we’ve really tried to lean into. And that’s the really big part for me. It’s not about cutting back. It’s how can you evolve. I find it pretty fortunate that we have all those parties involved that had really leaned in to that core value.”

Benton also feels radio still has a “texture” to it that some fans prefer, especially when they are in their car and can’t otherwise get in front of a TV screen. While the Kraken Hockey Network enjoys widespread coverage across multiple states, there are also still parts of the team’s market without the team-owned TV network that radio fills the void on.

“It’s a spoken word that can often paint a picture for a listener that brings them in and entertains them for two-and-a-half, or three hours,” Benton said. “Between myself, Everett and Al, we don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we all take our jobs extremely seriously and we take the ultimate job of trying to entertain the listener seriously each and every night.”

As for Fitzhugh, who’ll spend a fourth season in the booth alongside onetime Seattle Thunderbirds major junior hockey standout Kinisky, he relishes the chance to bring in new Kraken listeners with his word choices. It’s something he was told the Kraken needed the very first day he was hired as a pioneering voice more than five years ago.

“Our organization does care about radio,” he said. “I remember my first interview, (Kraken CEO) Tod (Leiweke) told me about growing up listening to radio and how he loves game broadcasts and listening to sports radio.”

And as the trend in radio cutbacks by some teams began last season, Fitzhugh revisited the topic with top team officials to gauge whether that commitment still held true.

“To a man, they were all like, ‘Absolutely, we’re committed. We’re going to do this the right way.’”

And now, once again for multiple years, they have.