NASHVILLE (February 13, 2018) – WPRT-FM ESPN 102.5 The Game and the Nashville Predators have signed a three-year extension through 2021, securing 102.5 The Game as the official flagship station and broadcast partner of the Nashville Predators Radio Network.
“Our partnership will cap a decade of the Predators and The Game working together. We could not be happier and we’re thrilled with the success of the Preds and Bridgestone Arena,” Cromwell Group, Inc. owner Bud Walters said. “We are proud of being ESPN’s No. 1 franchise in all of sports. Working alongside Nashville’s best sports talk radio station we feel we can continue to grow our dedicated Smashville fan base,” said Chris Junghans, Nashville Predators Executive Vice President and CRO.
The voice of the Nashville Predators Radio Network is the legendary Pete Weber, who has been behind the mic for the Predators since Day One. Former Predators defenseman Hal Gill is in his first season with the network as the color analyst. Darren McFarland hosts the pre- and post-game shows.
ESPN 102.5 The Game is currently in its seventh season as the official flagship station of the Nashville Predators, dating back to the 2011-12 NHL season. In the midst of the first seven seasons, The Game became the first radio station in Nashville to clear all pre-season, regular-season and post-season games on one frequency. The Game also expanded its pregame coverage from 30 minutes to a full hour for every game.
102.5 The Game moved to an all-day, live-and-local weekday lineup from 6 am to 6 pm in September of 2016 in an effort to provide additional coverage of the Predators for the ever-growing fan base. Regular guests include Predators President and CEO Sean Henry, General Manager David Poile, Head Coach Peter Laviolette, plus various players, team broadcasters and national NHL experts.
Cromwell Market Manager Jana Hampton said, “The Predators are so important to our community and being a locally-owned radio group, we pride ourselves on making a difference where we live. This partnership extension is truly a win-win for all involved. We look forward to a bright future together, broadcasting the games and continuing our coverage for the fans as the Preds pursue their ultimate goal, winning the Stanley Cup.”
About 102.5 The Game
WPRT-FM, ESPN 102.5 THE GAME is locally owned by Bayard “Bud” Walters and is sister station to: ESPN 94.9 GAME-2; heritage rock station, 102.9 THE BUZZ; 93.3 CLASSIC HITS and 102.1 THE VILLE, the soul of Music City. Cromwell Group, Inc. operates 31 stations: 5 in Nashville, 8 in Kentucky and 18 in Illinois. All stations can be heard nationwide on the app, “iGoRadio”. ESPN 102.5 THE GAME can be streamed worldwide on its app so that the Preds players’ families can listen.
About the Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators became the National Hockey League’s 27th team on May 4, 1998 and have evolved from a young expansion franchise into a staple of the Middle Tennessee community in the 19 years since. The team strives each season to reach its One Goal: becoming a Stanley Cup Champion hockey team while making Bridgestone Arena number one sports and entertainment venue in the United States. With One Goal in mind, the team saw its greatest success in team history when they made it to Game 6 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final.
