Blue Wire
Blue Wire is a sports podcast network providing monetization, distribution, and sales support to 500+ independent creators across 219+ shows. It connects these creators with 70+ brand advertisers, reaching 20 million monthly listeners across Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Blue Wire does
Blue Wire is a sports podcast network founded in 2018/2019 by Kevin Jones and headquartered in Los Angeles, operating as a creator-centric monetization platform for independent sports podcasters. The company provides sales, marketing, distribution, and operational support to 500+ creators across 219+ shows, enabling them to monetize content through ad insertion, sponsorship matching, and revenue sharing while retaining creative control. Blue Wire connects this creator supply with 70+ brand advertisers (including Johnnie Walker, eBay, BetterHelp, DraftKings, Wendy's, PrizePicks, and Modelo), aggregating an audience of 225M+ total reach and approximately 20 million monthly listeners.
The underlying technology stack is built on third-party infrastructure: Megaphone (Spotify-owned) for podcast hosting and content delivery, Magellan AI for sales intelligence and audience indexing, and Podstock for cross-platform analytics across audio, YouTube, and social video. Distribution spans Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music, with an explicit YouTube-first video strategy that has driven strong creator growth (e.g., Dwight Howard's channel subscribers grew 375% to 223,000 under Blue Wire). The company has signaled intent to build a proprietary Technology Dashboard using capital from its 2024 Decathon Capital Partners revenue-based funding round, which would represent a shift from pure reseller to platform owner.
Blue Wire's business model is advertising-driven, generating revenue by selling direct advertising and sponsorship packages to brand partners, inserting pre-selected ad segments into creator content, and sharing the resulting revenue with podcasters. The go-to-market is community-led on the supply side (recruiting individual sports creators and influencers) and sales-led on the demand side (direct brand sales augmented by Magellan AI audience insights), with a partnership layer for analytics and distribution. The company has raised approximately $11.4 million in total funding since 2018 across multiple rounds, and is privately held by founder Kevin Jones with backing from Dot Capital, East Carolina University affiliates, and Decathlon Capital Partners.
Blue Wire firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Blue Wire
- Legal name
- Blue Wire Media, Inc.
- Website
- https://bluewirepods.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Blue Wire is a sports podcast network providing monetization, distribution, and sales support to 500+ independent creators across 219+ shows. It connects these creators with 70+ brand advertisers, reaching 20 million monthly listeners across Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Blue Wire industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sports Podcast Network
- NAICS
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)
- SIC
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sports Digital Audio Broadcasts (Live Radio, Play-by-Play, Podcasts) (MPAKAOAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE)
Keywords
Where Blue Wire is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Blue Wire business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Advertising and Sponsorship: Blue Wire generates revenue by inserting pre-selected advertisement segments from the company and third-party advertisers into creator content. The company matches advertisements with content for native placement. Revenue is shared with podcast creators.
- Creator Network Services: Blue Wire provides monetization engine services to sports creators, handling sales, marketing, and operational support. The company takes a share of advertising revenue generated through the network.
- Revenue-Based Funding: Blue Wire secured revenue-based funding from Decathlon Capital Partners, allowing conversion of noteholders into equityholders and raising non-dilutive capital.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Advertising packages for brand partners |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Blue Wire product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Blue Wire operates a sports podcast network that provides monetization, distribution, sales, marketing, and operational support to independent sports podcast creators including athletes, sports media personalities, and passionate fan creators. The company recruits creators, then connects their content with brand advertisers through native ad placement across audio and video platforms. Blue Wire also produces original content and distributes its network of 200+ shows across Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music.
Product overview
Blue Wire is a sports podcast production and distribution company operating as a network of creator-led shows. The platform provides a monetization engine for sports creators, offering sales, marketing, and operational support to independent podcasters. The core offering consists of the Blue Wire Network (creator support platform), Blue Wire Originals (exclusive content), YouTube distribution, analytics through Podstock, and sales intelligence via Magellan AI. The network hosts over 200 shows featuring athletes, influencers, and passionate fans covering sports topics including NFL, NBA, college football, MLB, soccer, combat sports, and more. Key shows include 4th & 1 (Cam Newton), Funky Friday, Straight Game, The 89 Show (Steve Smith Sr.), Game Theory, Bootleg Football, Arsenal Vision, and Above the Rim (Dwight Howard).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Blue Wire Network A sports podcast network providing monetization, sales, marketing, and operational support to independent podcast creators, connecting them with resources needed to succeed and get paid for their work. The network hosts 219+ shows from 500+ creators reaching 225M+ total audience.
- Blue Wire Originals Original podcast content produced or exclusively hosted by Blue Wire, featuring high-profile athletes and sports personalities.
- Brand Advertising Packages Advertising and sponsorship packages sold to brand advertisers seeking access to Blue Wire's network of 200+ sports podcast shows, offering native ad placement and audience indexing insights to reach 225M+ total audience and 20 million monthly listeners.
- 4th & 1 Sports show hosted by NFL MVP Cam Newton covering the hottest news and highlights across sports, with ad sales, sponsorship, and monetization handled by Blue Wire.
- Funky Friday with Cam Newton Podcast hosted by Cam Newton featuring interviews with prominent guests including Grammy-winning artists and athletes.
- The 89 Show NFL-focused podcast hosted by 5x Pro Bowler Steve Smith Sr. and NFL Insider James Palmer covering NFL football, wide receiver rankings, and rookie reports.
- Above the Rim Podcast hosted by Basketball Hall of Famer Dwight Howard featuring basketball discussions, interviews, and broader media content expansion plans. Blue Wire provides revenue generation, content strategy support, and distribution while Howard retains creative control.
- Game Theory Podcast Basketball analysis podcast hosted by Sam Vecenie covering NBA, NCAA, overseas professional leagues, and high school basketball.
- Straight Game Podcast Basketball and culture podcast featuring former NBA players Mike Bibby, Eddie House, and Ty Ellis discussing hoops, life, family, and culture.
- Bootleg Football NFL analysis podcast hosted by Brett Kollmann (The Film Room) and E.J. Snyder covering league-wide content, NFL Draft, and Hall of Fame.
- Arsenal Vision Post-Match Podcast Arsenal FC post-match analysis and coverage podcast with Elliot Smith and Yankee Gunner.
- The Pat Mayo Experience Sports betting and fantasy sports analysis podcast covering best bets across major sports.
- Big Screen Sports Sports movie review podcast hosted by Kyle Bandujo discussing the best and worst in the sports movie universe.
- The Dane Moore NBA Podcast Minnesota Timberwolves and NBA news podcast featuring expert interviews from around the league.
- Sharp Football Analysis (Sharp Angles) NFL and college football analysis podcast by Warren Sharp featuring data-driven insights, projections, and betting analysis.
- Stay Hot Sports podcast hosted by TikTok megastars Matt Sponhour, Blaiden Kirk, and Theo Ash covering NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL with hot takes.
- Light Years Golden State Warriors and NBA podcast hosted by experts Saam Esfandiari, Andy Liu, and Tommy Gunn.
- The Sixth Man Show Orlando Magic basketball podcast hosted by Jonathan Osborne and Luke Sylvia with game analysis and team news.
- Chael Sonnen's You're Welcome! Combat sports podcast hosted by MMA fighter Chael Sonnen, one of the most popular shows in the combat sports world, added to Blue Wire in December 2024.
- Nice & Neat Podcast Sports podcast featuring hosts Jalon Webster, Duke Ihenacho, and Omar Bolden.
- One Star Cowboys Dallas Cowboys podcast hosted by The Athletic's Jon Machota, Saad Yousuf, and KT Turner.
- The Krueg Show Bay Area sports podcast hosted by Larry Krueger offering coverage of NFL, NBA, MLB.
- UM Hoops Podcast Twice-weekly Michigan basketball podcast.
- Fully Loaded Sports podcast featuring NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter and entrepreneur Shawn Meaike.
- Stokastic Podcast Network Network of 10 daily fantasy sports and betting podcasts covering NFL, NBA, MLB, UFC, NASCAR, NHL, and PGA, joined Blue Wire in September 2024.
- Third and Long with Arik Armstead NFL podcast hosted by Arik Armstead, added to Blue Wire as part of a slate of six new shows in September 2025.
- The Grit Code with Donte Whitner and Patrick Willis NFL podcast hosted by Donte Whitner and Patrick Willis, added to Blue Wire as part of a slate of six new shows in September 2025.
- Fightful Wrestling Professional wrestling podcast from Fightful, added to Blue Wire as part of a slate of six new shows in September 2025.
- Lenny Bros Sports podcast added to Blue Wire as part of a slate of six new shows in September 2025.
- Rams Brothers Los Angeles Rams podcast added to Blue Wire as part of a slate of six new shows in September 2025.
- Everybody Eats Sports and culture podcast added to Blue Wire as part of a slate of six new shows in September 2025.
Quantifiable outcome
- Dwight Howard's 'Above the Rim' YouTube subscribers grew 375% to 223,000 with 174% increase in watch time to 72M+ total viewers since March 2025 Blue Wire partnership
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Blue Wire
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Blue Wire technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature1 record
Blue Wire partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- PodstockcorePodcast analytics provider added Blue Wire to its sports media portfolio alongside Locked On, Wave Sports & Entertainment, and Fanatics. Provides cross-platform performance tracking across podcast, YouTube, and social video channels.
- Magellan AIcoreBlue Wire adopted Magellan AI's sales intelligence platform to sharpen advertiser pitches and track active advertisers in sports podcasting. Provides audience indexing insights used in approximately 25% of Blue Wire sales pitches.
- SimpliSafeminorHome security brand secured advertising campaign for key Blue Wire shows in late 2025.
- Michael Irvin / Sun and SkycoreMichael Irvin launched YouTube channel with partners Sun and Sky and Blue Wire to distribute shows, live streams, and interviews targeting younger digital audience.
- ModelocoreModelo beer brand partnered with Blue Wire for expansive college football campaign in 2025.
- Steve Smith Sr. / The 89 Showcore5x NFL Pro Bowler Steve Smith Sr. joined Blue Wire ahead of 2025 NFL season with co-host James Palmer. Show available on YouTube with 170,000+ subscribers.
- Adam WittenminorDirector of Partnerships hired from Hearst Newspapers to lead partnership development efforts.
- Dwight Howard / Above the RimcoreBasketball Hall of Famer Dwight Howard's podcast partnership since March 2025. Blue Wire provides revenue generation, content strategy support, and distribution while Howard retains creative control. YouTube subscribers grew 375% to 223,000.
- Stokastic Podcast NetworkcoreStokastic podcast network including 10 DFS and betting podcasts joined Blue Wire. Features content for NFL, NBA, MLB, UFC, NASCAR, NHL, and PGA.
- Straight Game PodcastcoreBasketball and culture podcast featuring former NBA players Mike Bibby, Eddie House, and Ty Ellis joined Blue Wire network. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
- PrizePickscoreDaily fantasy sports platform partnered with Blue Wire for expansive 2024 advertising campaign.
- Cam Newton / Iconic SagaflagshipProduction company partnership for ad sales, sponsorship, and monetization on Cam Newton's podcasts (4th&1 and Funky Friday). Extended in 2025 with new Atlanta studio launch. Iconic Saga hired entertainment veteran Kristin J. Meyers as President.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Blue Wire competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- iHeartPodcasts: Largest US radio broadcaster's podcast network; broader incumbent with massive scale, sports programming, and direct sales force that competes with Blue Wire for national sports advertiser budgets.
- SiriusXM: Satellite and streaming audio broadcaster with extensive sports talk content (Mad Dog Sports Radio, SiriusXM NFL Radio); broad incumbent offering premium sports audio that competes for sports listening share and ad dollars.
- Wondery: Amazon-owned podcast network that has expanded into sports-adjacent content; broader in scope than Blue Wire but competes for the same creator signings and brand advertising dollars.
- Audacy: Major US radio operator with a sports podcast and broadcast portfolio; competes for sports advertising budgets and offers alternative distribution through owned-and-operated radio stations.
- The Ringer: Spotify-owned sports, pop-culture, and tech podcast network (Bill Simmons' brand). Larger incumbent competing for the same sports-podcast advertising budgets and creator talent, with deeper platform integration via Spotify.
- SB Nation: Sports digital media network with team-specific verticals and podcast offerings; comparable audience-base and sports-advertiser relationships, though distributed across written, video, and audio formats.
Direct peers
- Barstool Sports: Sports and pop-culture digital media company with a heavy podcast and video offering; competes for similar sports-content advertising and audiences, with a creator-driven ethos similar to Blue Wire's.
- Wave Sports & Entertainment: Sports-focused digital media company building athlete-hosted podcasts and YouTube shows; competes head-to-head for the same athlete talent and sports-advertiser dollars. Also grouped with Blue Wire in the Podstock partnership announcement.
- Locked On Podcast Network: Sports podcast network offering team-specific shows across all major leagues; the most direct comparable to Blue Wire's sports-only, athlete-and-influencer-hosted network model. Explicitly grouped with Blue Wire in Podstock's sports media portfolio.
Emerging players
- Fanatics Media: Sports commerce and media conglomerate expanding into content including sports podcasts; emerging player in the same sports-content and advertising ecosystem, explicitly grouped with Blue Wire in Podstock's portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Blue Wire social profiles
Digital presenceBlue Wire financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Blue Wire leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Blue Wire funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Blue Wire M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Blue Wire
What does Blue Wire do?
Blue Wire operates a sports podcast network that provides monetization, distribution, sales, marketing, and operational support to independent sports podcast creators including athletes, sports media personalities, and passionate fan creators. The company recruits creators, then connects their content with brand advertisers through native ad placement across audio and video platforms. Blue Wire also produces original content and distributes its network of 200+ shows across Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music.
Is Blue Wire a public or private company?
Blue Wire is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Blue Wire founded?
Blue Wire was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Blue Wire based?
Blue Wire is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Blue Wire make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Advertising and Sponsorship is the primary driver. The others are creator Network Services and revenue-Based Funding.
Who are Blue Wire's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are iHeartPodcasts, SiriusXM, Wondery, Audacy, The Ringer and SB Nation. Direct peers are Barstool Sports, Wave Sports & Entertainment and Locked On Podcast Network. Fanatics Media is listed as an emerging player.
Does Blue Wire have an API?
Yes. Blue Wire may make certain application programming interfaces (APIs), API access tokens, HTML scripts, data import tools, or other software available to users as part of the platform. The Terms of Service state that the Company grants a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license during the use of the Services to use the Company APIs solely to access and use the platform. If users collect any personally identifiable information through use of the Company APIs, they must ensure that it is collected, processed, transmitted, maintained and used in compliance with all applicable laws. However, no public API documentation, developer portal, or SDK details are provided.
What industry is Blue Wire in?
Blue Wire's product category is Sports Podcast Network. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAOAG, Sports Digital Audio Broadcasts (Live Radio, Play-by-Play, Podcasts), with a secondary code of MPAIAEAE, Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only). Its NAICS code is 516110 and its SIC code is 4832.