Since the 1920s, sports broadcasters have been sharing news with audiences, from pre-game and post-game analysis to play-by-plays and in-action color.
“Anything that revolves around sports, we are talking about it, we are describing it,” says Bryant’s Professional in Residence Christian Fauria, a two-time Super Bowl champ and former New England Patriot who’s been involved in sports broadcasting since 1996.
Today, Fauria is passing his knowledge and skills to students in the university’s Sports Industries, Media, and Promotion program. Those taking his “Advanced Sports Broadcasting: Road to ‘Radio Row’” course have an added bonus as they have been fine-tuning these skills since the fall and are currently putting them to use at this year’s Radio Row, a gathering of broadcasters assembled for the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California.
Below, Fauria shares the essential elements for a creating successful sports broadcast show:
1. Leading with authenticity
Be yourself.
It’s easier said than done but leading with authenticity will gain other people’s respect and highlight your uniqueness.
He adds that you can't really be yourself if you're shy, uncomfortable in your own skin, have reservations about your opinion, or are intimidated by somebody who you may think is smarter than you.
“You have to get out of your comfort zone, be willing to be judged, to be criticized, and you’ve got to be okay with it,” he says, adding that sports broadcasting folks must be a tad extroverted, opinionated, and enjoy debating.
One common pitfall people often make early on is mimicking other broadcasters through how they speak and approach their show.
“This only creates cookie-cutter broadcasting,” Fauria says.
2. Using prep time to find your edge
Being a sports broadcaster is a 24-hour, seven days a week job, explains Fauria.
“I'm constantly hunting for content and opinions and something that gives me an edge,” he says, noting broadcasters want to avoid providing surface-level analysis, which is only filler and doesn’t give audiences any real insights or information to care about.
When planning what to talk about on a given show, you need to do the research. If you don't have that knowledge, you'll be exposed in a second; it takes time and work ethic to be successful at this.
RELATED ARTICLE: Game on: How Bryant undergrads prepped for Radio Row ahead of Super Bowl LX
To find his edge, Fauria prefers watching content.
“I don't like listening to somebody else give his opinion or her opinion on something. I want to watch the game clean and then write down what stands out to me,” Fauria says.
3. Embracing the ‘here’s why’ technique
In sports broadcasting for radio, you need a clear philosophy on how you're going to express yourself, so people understand you. For Fauria, this calls for the ‘here's why’ technique, which comprises three aspects.
First, make a bold, declarative statement.
“That's me hinting that something really cool is about to happen,” Fauria explains.
Next, is to follow-up the statement with “here’s why” or “let me tell you why.” From there, you can either share two points or share one point but say it three different ways.
4. Leaning on ‘media math’
In class, Fauria teaches students what he calls media math:
Knowledge + Personality = Performance
“When you're doing a radio show, the key element is finding the right mix of people and personalities that mesh together; that’s the magic pill of success,” Fauria says. “If you have the wrong pairings, it's just not going to work.”
He adds that sports broadcasters have to be comfortable calling each other out.
“You can disagree with somebody and still be friends with them but, just like any team, that person needs to trust you. They need to understand that you have their best interests at heart, and that ultimately is the most important thing,” he says.
5. Moving beyond words
Once you’ve mastered the ‘here’s why’ technique and ‘media math,’ the next thing to reflect on is your tone, pacing, and voice inflection. In radio and TV, people are paying attention to all three of these things. Additionally, if you’re broadcasting for TV, the audience is looking at how visually passionate you are: Are you using your hands as illustrators? Are you looking at the camera?
Confidence is crucial to how you present yourself.
“People are judging you right when you walk into a room. When you do your interview, are you making yourself small? Are you timid or are you engaging and present?” he says. “If you're just not confident, it shows up as soon as the red light goes on.”
He notes that, ultimately, success comes with time and constant practice.
“It takes at least a thousand reps to be good at this and more than that to be an expert at this type of stuff,” Fauria says. “You can't come close to accomplishing that if you don't do it every single day.”