From ESPN to your local radio channel, sports are discussed, dissected, and commented on in every form of media. In recent times, there have been some engaging podcasts that discuss sportspeople, analyse games, and more. Here’s a list of the most popular ones
THE BILL SIMMONS PODCAST
Hosted by former ESPN personality[1]turned-founder of The Ringer, this popular sports podcast has each episode featuring either top-tier athletes, like Kevin Durrant, or sports[1]loving stars like Ethan Hawke. The podcast is inspiring and entertaining in equal parts, and it is mostly centered on the NBA and NFL. Streaming on Spotify, Apple.
PARDON MY TAKE
Dan “Big Cat” Katz and PFT Commenter (an alias used by Eric Sollenberger) are a duo that has the remarkable ability to get their guests to open up and show different sides of themselves. The podcast has an equal mix of comedy and analysis, and the duo effectively uses satire to talk about sports media, especially ESPN (the name of the podcast is a play on the titles of ESPN TV shows Pardon the Interruption, and First Take). As the show relies heavily on current sporting events, the pandemic compelled the hosts to change the format slightly, but interviews with popular sports figures and celebrities can still be found in each episode. Streaming on Spotify, Apple.
22 YARNS
Hosted by beloved cricket commentator Gaurav Kapur, this is a podcast that cricket fans can’t afford to miss. In this podcast, Kapur engages in conversations with a variety of cricket journalists, analysts, players, and retired cricket greats, and manages to unearth cricket’s most beautiful on and off-the-field anecdotes. The first episode features Harsha Bhogle, who gives the listeners a glimpse into never-heard-before stories, besides the usual brilliant cricket analysis that you can expect from him. The podcast will make even diehard cricket fans look at the sport from a different vantage point. Streaming on Spotify.
THE GAME FOOTBALL PODCAST
A podcast dedicated to discuss anything even remotely related to football, Hugh Woozencroft, Gregor Robertson, and leading football writers from The Times and Sunday Times provide expert analysis of the big issues of the football world every Monday and Thursday. Streaming on Spotify, Apple.
THE EDGES AND SLEDGES CRICKET PODCAST
This is the go-to podcast for anyone who claims to be an admirer of Indian cricket or cricket in general. Created and hosted by self-proclaimed cricket fans Ashwin Garg, Dhananjaya Chak, and Varun Garg, the banter of these fans always ensures authentic conversations, and a reflection of their passion for their game that they share with their fans around the globe. Streaming on Spotify, Apple.
INSIDE LINE F1 PODCAST
If you think that F1 and humour are two things that can’t work together, then you should definitely check this podcast out, and be proven wrong. Hosted by Mithila Mehta and Kunal Shah, the podcast adds humour to the otherwise serious world of F1, and offers an alternative view on the business and politics of the sport. The hosts’ knowledge and in-depth understanding of the sport is bound to blow you away. Streaming on Apple, Gaana, Spotify.
