I had read this when it first came out in 2013, however it wasn’t until my recent post on the Myths about Sports Broadcasting that it resurfaced on a popular Facebook group amongst sportscasters. Don Wadewitz is a talented multi-sport broadcaster who runs his own portfolio website and sportscasting blog. In December of 2013, he broke down a typical week for him and some of the ‘behind the scenes’ stuff that people just really don’t see. It’s a great read.
When I tell people that I do play-by-play for sporting events on the radio and Internet, they instantly think of the glamour of the role and immediately assume that it pays well. Yes, the network guys and some of the guys that work for pro and high-level college teams make good money. The vast majority of people doing sports play-by-play do it either as a part-time gig or are scraping along, eating Ramen, and living with four other guys in a seedy area of town.
The fact of the matter is that sports play-by-play at the local level doesn’t pay all that great. Working in small and mid-sized markets, I’ve made anywhere from $30 per game to $100 per game. As you read this, you’re probably thinking that $100 isn’t bad for a couple of hours on-the-air and it definitely isn’t when just taking that view. What you’re missing is what happens before I ever put on a headset to bring the game to your car, computer or living room. Instead of going with $100 per game, lets split the difference and say I’m getting $50 per game which is closer to the average.
To read the full story, click here.
Not to spoil the article, but the morale of the story is similar to my ‘myths’ piece. It’s not necessarily about the money, but the passion and the dedication to your craft that drive people in this industry.
