MIKE’S ON!
Mike’s FAN return multi-platform
Francesa 2.0 starts on Tuesday and now you can catch the Sports Pope on his very own app
The Sports Pope’s new app better have an alarm function.
Mike Francesa’s return to WFAN was made official on Friday when a joint, multi-platform partnership between Entercom (owners of WFAN), Francesa and CAA Sports was announced via a press release.
Confirming the reporting of the Daily News’ Bob Raissman, Francesa’s new deal will have the Sports Pope back on the air during the prime afternoon drive-time slot (3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday). “Mike’s On” debuts Tuesday. Francesa wasted little time in bashing the current WFAN voices as he promoted his return Friday morning on 1010 Wins.
“I have nothing to say about the rest of the lineup,” Francesa said. “Do I make the lineup better? Yes I do. I don’t think anyone is going to dispute that.”
Francesa’s return is shifting the struggling Chris Carlin, Maggie Gray and Bart Scott (CMB) show to the 1 p.m.-3 p.m. time slot.
“It’s like a baseball team,” Francesa said, “they tried to improve the FAN and let’s just say the FAN has been in a little bit of a slump. I hope to be able to break that.”
Francesa won’t just be yakking on WFAN as he’ll also be adding a mobile app and a website so his Mongo Nation can have access to His Holiness 24 hours a day.
“After exploring several options, this partnership with CAA Sports and Entercom was the perfect fit,” Francesa said in a press release. “This partnership allows me the chance to return to WFAN and all of our loyal listeners, as well as significant opportunities, including the app and live events, that are completely new.
“I look forward to working with both companies on making this a very successful venture.”
The “Mike’s On” app and website will be the exclusive home of Francesa’s Sunday football show and will also feature archived content from his 30year career as the biggest voice in New York sports radio.
The video of Francesa snoozing at the mic will probably not make the cut for the new site.
“The best way to promote (the “Mike’s On” app) and really coordinate the different platforms of media was to come back and do a regular show,” Francesa told 1010 Wins. “When that got into the conversation that’s when Entercom, which is a partner, said you have to come back to the FAN. We talked about it, I was leery at first and then we agreed that was the only thing that made sense once we were going to do a daily show.”
Francesa walked away from WFAN in December after a “farewell” tour that lasted much longer than WFAN gave Carlin, Gray and Scott to succeed in the coveted time slot.
The Pope said he understood why the other talent at WFAN would not be welcoming him back with open arms, but said “management across the board urged me (to come back).”
Francesa’s return has irked many of the hosts at WFAN, who recently engaged in a back-and-forth with Mike and the Mad Dog following comments the iconic pair made about the state of the station. On an MLB appearance a month ago, Francesa and Chris Russo took shots at “CMB” and WFAN.
WFAN morning show co-host Boomer Esiason said the two were “classless,” and the hosts of CMB called Russo a “fraud” this week, all of which creates an awkward and likely uncomfortable atmosphere at the station that Francesa will walk into. Of course, he’s responsible for a lot of that tension.
Francesa said he is also making his return for his Mongos.
“I love my relationship with the fans,” he said, “I think I have as good a relationship with the audience as anyone’s ever had. I missed them greatly.”