espn 1000

What espn 1000 does

ESPN 1000 (legal name: Good Karma Sports; DBA: ESPN Chicago, ESPN 1000 AM, WMVP-AM) is a sports radio station broadcasting on 1000 AM from Chicago, Illinois, and is owned and operated by Good Karma Brands under an ESPN Local brand licensing agreement. The station serves as the official radio home of the Chicago White Sox (MLB) and Chicago Bears (NFL) and delivers a full weekday programming lineup running from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., combining locally-produced shows (Unsportsmanlike with Evan, Canty and Michelle; Kap & J.Hood; Carmen & Jurko; Waddle & Silvy) with nationally syndicated content (The Rich Eisen Show). Beyond the over-the-air AM broadcast, the station distributes content via the Amperwave live-streaming player on its website and an extensive portfolio of approximately 20 branded podcasts covering the Bears, White Sox, Cubs, fantasy football, golf, MMA, hockey, college sports, sports betting, and outdoor lifestyle, available across Amazon Music, Spotify, TuneIn, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

The company serves the Chicago metropolitan area, the 3rd largest US radio market, targeting sports fans seeking local team coverage, daily sports talk, fantasy content, and college sports programming. Its core technology stack is the Amperwave platform, which handles live radio streaming and podcast hosting/delivery; no proprietary AI, ML, or data-asset layer is disclosed. The corporate parent (Good Karma Brands) is a privately held broadcaster headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (301 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 200), that operates nine ESPN Local radio brands and additional properties (WTMJ, 95.3 WBEV, Daily Dodge), with centralized sales infrastructure under GKB Brandworks.

ESPN 1000 generates revenue exclusively through on-air advertising spots and sponsorship integrations across its radio programs and digital streaming content — a model typical of terrestrial sports radio. No consumer subscription pricing is disclosed; the station is fully advertising-supported. The station's competitive positioning rests on its FCC broadcast license for 1000 AM in Chicago, exclusive flagship broadcast rights for two major professional franchises, the ESPN brand affiliation, locally-recognized on-air talent, and a multi-platform digital distribution footprint that extends its reach beyond the Chicago DMA into national podcast consumption.

Name

espn 1000

Legal name

Good Karma Sports

Website

https://espn1000.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ESPN 1000 is a Chicago sports radio station (1000 AM) operated by Good Karma Brands under ESPN Local licensing, serving as the official radio home of the Chicago White Sox and Bears, delivering weekday sports talk and distributing 20+ podcasts across major streaming platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Radio Networks & Talk Stations (MPABAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Sports Broadcast Stations (Regional Local Rights, High School/College) (MPABACAK), Talk/News/Sports Radio Networks & Syndication (MPAIAEAG), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE)

Keywords

• Sports radio broadcasting
• Sports talk programming
• Podcast distribution
• Local sports coverage
• Sports media network

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Sponsorship: ESPN Chicago generates revenue through sale of on-air advertising spots and sponsorship integrations across its radio programs and digital streaming content, typical for a terrestrial radio station operating within the Good Karma Brands network.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ESPN 1000 (ESPN Chicago, WMVP-AM) is a Chicago-area sports radio station that broadcasts live local and national sports talk programming, play-by-play game coverage of the Chicago Bears and Chicago White Sox, and a portfolio of branded sports podcasts. The station operates under an ESPN Radio brand license held by Good Karma Brands, delivering content via AM 1000 terrestrial radio, live streaming through the Amperwave player, and podcast distribution on major audio platforms.

Product overview

ESPN Chicago 1000 AM is a sports radio station operating as part of Good Karma Brands, serving as Chicago's Home For Sports and the official radio home of the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bears. The station operates on a radio-plus-podcasts architecture, featuring live radio programming Monday-Friday (5a-6p) including Unsportsmanlike (5-6a), Kap & J.Hood (6-9a), Carmen & Jurko (9a-12p), The Rich Eisen Show (12p-2p), and Waddle & Silvy (2-6p), supplemented by an extensive portfolio of over 20 branded podcasts covering Chicago Bears, White Sox, Cubs, fantasy football, golf, MMA, wrestling, hockey, and other sports topics. Content is distributed through the station's live radio stream via Amperwave and through podcast platforms including Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and TuneIn.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Unsportsmanlike with Evan, Canty and Michelle: Weekday morning show (5a-6a) on ESPN Chicago
• Kap & J.Hood
• Carmen & Jurko
• Waddle & Silvy
• The Chicago Bears Podcast
• White Sox Weekly
• Fantasy Football Show
• Good Karma Wrestling
• The Rich Eisen Show

Products and services

• ESPN Chicago 1000 AM (WMVP-AM) Chicago's sports talk radio station on AM 1000 featuring live local and national sports talk shows, play-by-play broadcasts of Chicago Bears and Chicago White Sox games, and live streaming via the Amperwave player. Targets adult sports fans in the Chicago metropolitan area.
• Fantasy Focus Football ESPN fantasy football podcast providing player news, start/sit advice, rankings, and analysis for fantasy football players and NFL fans.
• The Hoge & Jahns Show Chicago Bears analysis podcast providing commentary, game recaps, and insider discussion on the team for Bears fans.
• Moon & Maddie Show Sports-focused podcast hosted on ESPN Chicago covering trending sports topics and commentary.
• Sports & Stories Sports storytelling podcast featuring long-form narratives and features on athletes, teams, and sports culture moments.
• The Golf Podcast Golf news, tournament coverage, and analysis podcast for golf fans tracking PGA Tour and major championship storylines.
• Fantasy Baseball with Eric Karabell Fantasy baseball podcast hosted by Eric Karabell providing player rankings, start/sit advice, and analysis for fantasy baseball players and MLB fans.
• Max & Brian on the Mound Baseball-focused podcast providing analysis, commentary, and discussion of MLB storylines for baseball fans.
• The Hush Sports commentary podcast offering takes and discussion on trending sports topics.
• The Cheap Seats Casual sports talk podcast providing fan-perspective commentary on sports stories and events.
• Blue Chip Prospects Sports prospects and draft analysis podcast covering emerging players and draft storylines.
• We Are Live Live sports reaction podcast delivering real-time commentary and reactions to ongoing sports events and games.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Good Karma BrandscoreOthersESPN Chicago is owned and operated by Good Karma Brands under an ESPN Local brand licensing agreement. Good Karma Brands manages all operational aspects including sales, programming, and digital content distribution. The station is one of nine ESPN Local brands in the Good Karma Brands portfolio, which also includes ESPN radio stations in Cleveland, New York, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Madison, Beaver Dam, and West Palm Beach.

Scale indicators1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• WSCR 670 AM (The Score): Chicago's primary competing sports radio station, owned by Audacy. Directly competes with ESPN 1000 for Chicago sports fans, local team broadcast rights, and Chicago-market sports advertising spend.
• ESPN New York (WEPN-FM 98.7): Sister ESPN Local radio station operated by Good Karma Brands in New York. Shares programming, brand licensing, and operational infrastructure with ESPN Chicago, making it the closest operational and structural peer.
• ESPN Los Angeles (KSPN710 AM): Another Good Karma Brands-operated ESPN Local station serving a top US sports market with a comparable mix of local hosts, national ESPN content, and team rights-driven programming.
• ESPN Cleveland (WKNR 850 AM): Good Karma Brands sister ESPN Local station in Cleveland. Operates with the same brand license, parent company infrastructure, and sports-talk format targeting Cleveland pro teams.
• WFAN 660 AM / 101.9 FM (New York): Long-established major-market sports talk radio station owned by Audacy. Comparable format, team-rights-driven programming model, and national sports-talk positioning to ESPN 1000.

Emerging players

• Barstool Sports: Digital-first sports media company producing sports talk podcasts, video, and written content covering major teams including Chicago franchises. Competes for the same Chicago sports fan attention and podcast advertising dollars.
• The Athletic: Subscription sports media company with deep team-specific coverage including the Bears, White Sox, Bulls, Cubs, and Blackhawks. Competes for Chicago sports audience share through written/audio content rather than broadcast radio.

Broad incumbents

• Audacy (formerly Entercom): Major US radio broadcasting operator owning multiple sports-formatted stations including WSCR 670 in Chicago and WFAN in New York. Competes broadly with Good Karma Brands/ESPN 1000 across major sports markets and sports audio inventory.
• iHeartMedia: Largest US radio broadcaster with sports stations (e.g., Fox Sports Radio affiliations) and a major podcast platform (iHeartPodcasts) that competes for sports audio advertising and distribution.
• SiriusXM: Satellite radio and streaming platform operating multiple dedicated sports channels (ESPN Radio, Mad Dog Sports, SiriusXM NFL/Tuesday Night Baseball). Competes for sports audio listening hours and is the parent of additional ESPN audio distribution rights.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ESPN1000

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about espn 1000