Liberty Ballers is partnering up with Sportsradio 94.1 WIP

Some of you may know that before I made the transition to full-time writing, I worked behind-the-scenes at Sportsradio 94.1 WIP. It’s no secret that our site has always had a close relationship with Spike Eskin, who deserves an insane amount of credit for helping foster passion in the Sixers community over the last several years.

That’s why I’m proud to announce that Liberty Ballers and Sportsradio WIP will be teaming up starting this season, in order to continue giving you the best possible Sixers coverage we can. What does this mean for you and the site? Bigger and better things, mostly.

Starting this fall, we’ll have an online and on-air partnership with WIP, the biggest addition of which will be a one-hour, “Liberty Ballers Live” radio show every week on WIP’s airwaves, which I’ll co-host with Jon Marks. Jon and I (and the production team behind the boards at WIP) know each other well, and while he and I don’t always see eye-to-eye, he is a sharp, funny guy, and I am really excited to work alongside someone I know and respect greatly, while also bringing the sensibilities of the Process diehards to the WIP airwaves.

You’ll also be hearing a lot more of me (and some of our other staffers) during WIP’s programming slate throughout the year, as they’ll exclusively feature us as guests during their shows throughout the season. This should start around training camp, when I’ll be down at the practice facility tracking the ins-and-outs and the early returns of the new Sixers roster.

And we’re not the only ones teaming up with WIP. Here’s an excerpt from the press release on what’s all going down.

The voices, writers, and outlets that got people through the last four years of “The Process” will take fans through this year’s season with the addition of Derek Bodner as an on-air contributor, a new content partnership with Liberty Ballers, and the new show “Rights to Ricky Sanchez” Radio featuring the hosts of the popular podcast. *See disclaimer below. 94WIP will not broadcast 76ers games.

94WIP Program Director Spike Eskin said, “With the Sixers ready to take the next step on the court, we’re proud that WIP is taking the next step in covering the team. With Jon Marks, Derek Bodner of The Athletic, Liberty Ballers, and Rights To Ricky Sanchez Radio as a compliment to our airstaff, we’re offering Philly fans a new and exciting outlet to engage around one of their favorite teams.”

WIP’s coverage of the team starts with “The Process Pregame Show,” led by Jon Marks, prior to the start of every game (when not preempted by Eagles or NFL Football). The show will take a fun, detailed and unbiased look at the team and the night’s game.

Marks will then interact with audiences throughout the live game during “GameTime React,” responding to calls, texts, tweets and Facebook reaction. When Marks is preempted by NFL Football, he’ll host the show on SportsRadio 94WIP’s Facebook Page via Facebook Live.

WIP will then air “The Process Halftime Show” and “The Process Postgame Show” at halftime and the conclusion of every game, respectively.

Derek Bodner, the premier basketball beat-writer in Philadelphia, and a local favorite, will lend his expertise exclusively to 94WIP as an on-air contributor. Bodner has led the way for basketball coverage in Philadelphia from his time at Liberty Ballers, to Philly Mag, to his own subscription site, and now at The Athletic, a subscription site that dubs itself ‘The new sports page for smarter Philly fans.’

WIP is also excited to announce an on-air and online partnership with Liberty Ballers, the premier Sixers blog which has launched many careers, and the most trusted site for team coverage. WIP and Liberty Ballers will share an online content partnership through Facebook live shows and link sharing. Additional coverage includes the launch of “Liberty Ballers Live,” a one-hour radio show (time & day TBD) with Jon Marks and Liberty Ballers editor-in-chief, Kyle Neubeck.

Finally, WIP will bring together the hosts of the only podcast dedicated to the team, “Rights to Ricky Sanchez,” for a new radio show covering all things Sixers. “Rights To Ricky Sanchez” Radio will launch on Wednesday, September 20 at 6:00 PM led by podcast hosts Spike Eskin and Michael Levin and featuring Jon Marks. This new, weekly, one-hour show is inspired by the dedicated team podcast which has grown exponentially in popularity over the last four years, highlighted by the yearly “Lottery Party” attended by thousands of dedicated basketball fans in the Delaware Valley, and covered extensively nationwide.

Disclaimer: 94WIP is not a radio partner of the Philadelphia 76ers and will not broadcast games. All coverage, commentary and reporting will occur outside of actual games and is intended solely as supplemental content.

Working with Spike and the crew at WIP was an easy call given our history, and especially given the excellent partnership they’ve already formed with Bleeding Green Nation. The trust factor is everything here, and the ability to help drive the conversation forward from another massive platform is really exciting. Combining all our resources and points of view will bring the best out of everyone.

I’m pumped to see where this goes, and I hope you all will be too. And of course, I expect you to badger me with calls about my #bias when this gets up and running. Now let’s get this season started already.

Editor’s Note: If anyone out there is interested in potentially buying ad space on a sports radio show, you’re more than welcome to reach out to me personally.