SB Nation Stole Podcasts, Then Got Rid Of Them.
SB Nation removed every single podcast from their platform.
To most people, this was just another media shakeup headline in 2024. But for me — it hit deep.
I helped build the very first podcast for SB Nation. And I’ve got a lot more to say about that somewhere later on down the line
But that moment proved something I’ve been saying for a while:
You are the platform.
A Quick Backstory, If You’re New Here
SB Nation is (or was) a massive network of fan-run websites for teams across the NFL, NBA, MLB, MMA, and more. If you were obsessed with your team in the 2010s, you probably landed on one of their blogs.
But what most people didn’t realize: They ran on free labor.
Writers weren’t employees. They were “contributors.” That meant no pay — just the promise of “exposure” and maybe a press credential. Meanwhile, the company made bank off Google Ads and traffic.
In 2013, there was interest in an Eagles podcast on Bleeding Green Nation — their Eagles site. But no one had executed it. And the company didn’t see the value.
So we started BGN Radio.
They told us flat out: podcasting wasn’t profitable.
They told us, in writing, we could own our show and monetize it ourselves.
That sounded like a dream.
By 2017, we had turned that dream into nearly $100,000 in revenue. The Eagles won the Super Bowl.
Sponsors were emailing us daily.
Then they changed their tune.
When It Became Profitable, They Tried to Own It
Once we proved it worked, SB Nation wanted in — not as partners, but as owners.
They told us they owned everything.
They gave us a take-it-or-leave-it deal: give up the rights or walk away.
We had built an audience of 20,000–30,000+ listeners per episode. We laid out the blueprint they’d later use to expand podcasting across the network. And we thought we were about to get real roles and a real future.
Instead, they offered us $5,000/month in "ad share" and never sold another ad again.
Not one.
So I Left
I took the podcast to Sportsradio 94WIP in Philadelphia. That move cost me more than I can describe. It was the hardest decision I’ve made in my career — and it damaged a lot of relationships I cared deeply about.
We had our own internal issues, sure. But most of them would’ve been solved with a living wage.
No one wanted to pay us — but they sure as hell wanted to profit off us.
A Message to Creators and Business Owners
If you’re a creator:
Never do anything for “exposure.”
If someone won’t pay you — but still wants to build a business using your work — run.
If you’re a business owner:
Stop chasing vanity metrics and views. Start scouting real people — because marketing agencies are ripping you off every time they step in as the middleman.
Here’s your checklist:
Do I love the content this person is putting out?
Can I count on them for 6–12 months of consistent work?
Will they speak directly to the audience I care about?
Creators are asking the same of you. The best partnerships are mutual bets not paying tons of money to each other. That’s how businesses grow now.
