An icon of New Zealand sports television, SportsCafe, has returned with a podcast rendition, aptly titled Sportscafe-ish on New Zealand Media and Entertainment‘s iHeartRadio podcast network.
Hosted by three of the original crew, journalist, television presenter, and producer Ric Salizzo, former All Black and Warriors player Marc Ellis, and comedian Leigh Hart, the podcast delivers the same irreverent humour and sports commentary that made the TV show a household name in the 1990s. Listeners can expect discussions on current sporting issues, surprise guest appearances, and nostalgic reflections on moments from the original SportsCafe show.
Salizzo said:
“I’ve always been fascinated by the changing habits of how audiences consume content. When we started SportsCafe, Sky Sport only had 70,000 subscribers so it was a risk trying to start a show there. I love how in 2024 creators can go directly to their audience through podcasts, social media, and YouTube. It’s an exciting time to make content, so I thought, why not get back into it? And I knew a couple of people……
I’ve been really impressed with the way NZME has embraced the changing digital space. I did my work experience at the NZ Herald in 1981, and it’s come a long way from sending stories and multiple carbon copies to the subs by pneumatic tubes. With the work NZME has done developing great podcasts like Between Two Beers, I thought they would be great to partner with to make sure we had a chance to build a strong audience with Sportscafe-ish,”
Sarah Catran, NZME Head of Digital Audio, says:
“NZME is dedicated to creating content that Kiwis love. I couldn’t think of more quintessential Kiwi content than SportsCafe, which we’re thrilled to bring into the digital age through our podcast network as Sportscafe-ish. We’re pumped to team up with broadcasting legends Ric, Marc, and Leigh to deliver this podcast that I know fans have been waiting for.”
New episodes of Sportscafe-ish are available every Wednesday on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.