Streaming Music, Podcasts, & Audio The 13 Best Sports Podcasts of 2020 Need a sports fix? Listen up by Scott Orgera Writer Scott Orgera is a former writer who covering tech since 2007. He has 25+ years experience as a programmer and QA leader, and holds several Microsoft certifications. our editorial process Facebook Twitter Scott Orgera Updated on August 06, 2020 Music, Podcasts, & Audio Podcasts Music For Your Life Audio Streaming Radio CDs, MP3s, & Other Media Tweet Share Email Podcasts are a popular way for sports junkies to get their fix. With so many options to choose from, however, deciding which ones are worth listening to is a daunting task. We take the hard work out of the equation by listing some of the best sports podcasts currently available below. Best for Ice Hockey Fans: 31 Thoughts Mike Harrington/Getty Images What We Like Based north of the border, but gives attention to all relevant teams throughout the NHL. Nice banter between the hosts. Great audio quality. What We Don't Like Humor isn't prevalent on this podcast, although that could be considered a pro if you're just looking to get the facts. Has become more interview heavy in recent months, which may turn off some listeners. A Sportsnet Canada property, the 31 Thoughts podcast is highly entertaining and a great resource for hockey fanatics. Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman provide excellent insight into everything taking place on the ice and in the dressing room. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Best NFL Podcast: Around the NFL NFL What We Like Showcases personalities. Offers more than just your average, mundane rundown of the games. Previews all match-ups from around the league. What We Don't Like Hosts go off topic too frequently on some episodes. Loud sound bites and background music threaten to overwhelm the conversation at times. The signature podcast from NFL.com's catalog, Around the NFL gets you caught up on the most recent games and does a solid job of previewing all upcoming matchups from around the league. ATN is hosted by a crew of football scribes that mesh well together, creating an enjoyable dynamic. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Best Podcast for Baseball Fans: Baseball Tonight Jill King / EyeEm/Getty Images What We Like It's obvious Olney and the team put a significant level of preparation into each episode. Frequent episodes. Occasional deep dives on interesting topics. What We Don't Like Occasionally, the audio quality of several guests and sometimes even that of the host is distractingly poor. Shorter episode lengths might disappoint some listeners looking for more in-depth talks. Hosted by long-time columnist and TV reporter Buster Olney, Baseball Tonight regularly features other ESPN personalities, along with beat reporters from various cities. With frequently-released episodes (sometimes more than once per day in-season) covering the latest happenings around the game, as well as the occasional outside-the-box deep dive on an interesting topic, this is a worthwhile listen for both casual and serious baseball fans. Listen on: Apple Podcasts MLB Trades and Call-Ups: DFA Podcast Grant Faint/Getty Images What We Like In-depth analysis of what every call-up, trade, or event means for the MLB. It even focuses on minor transactions that usually get ignored by other shows. What We Don't Like A positive can also be a negative, as many of these minor transactions may only be interesting to hardcore fantasy players or fans of a particular team. Even the most successful big-league teams seem to have a revolving door policy in their clubhouse at times, as evidenced by the always-busy MLB transaction wire. This holds especially true in the summer months leading up to the non-waiver and waiver trade deadlines in July and August. Baseball Prospectus writer Bryan Grosnick and R.J. Anderson from CBS Sports break down every call-up, trade, or event on the DFA Podcast, analyzing what they really mean for the clubs and players involved. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Best for Baseball Analytics and Emerging Trends: Effectively Wild Effectively Wild What We Like Despite being hosted by Fangraphs writers, you don't have to be sabermetrically-inclined to enjoy this podcast. Great camaraderie among the hosts. Offers advanced analytics and growing trends in how the game is managed on and off the field. What We Don't Like Advanced metrics could be explained a bit more. Some episodes can be quite long. Brought to you by Fangraphs, Effectively Wild is a well-rounded baseball podcast with an expected slant towards advanced analytics and growing trends in how the game is managed both on the field and in the front office. Hosts Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan do a good job of keeping things interesting, mixing a bevy of topics in each episode alongside the occasional industry insider guest. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Behind-the-Scenes Look at MLB Front Offices: Executive Access MLB.com What We Like Longform interviews with front office baseball personnel fans don't typically get a chance to hear from as often as they'd like. Offers a behind-the-scenes perspective on baseball fans don't often get to hear. What We Don't Like Sometimes more background information on guests would benefit casual fans. Early episodes suffer from poor sound quality. A baseball podcast with a different spin, MLB.com's Executive Access gives its listeners more than just a glimpse into the front-office folks responsible for constructing their favorite club's roster. Former longtime Yankees beat writer Mark Feinsand interviews GMs, team presidents, and other key decision-makers for a behind-the-scenes perspective fans don't often get to see or hear. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Best for Fantasy Football: Fantasy Focus Football ESPN What We Like Frequent episodes help ensure you aren't digesting stale information. Daily strategy, previews, and injury reports from ESPN experts. What We Don't Like Much of the show's structure seems geared towards novice fantasy owners, which can test the patience of advanced players. Sporadic schedule. Fantasy Focus Football stands out among a sea of options for those virtual GMs watching their players in action from a bar stool or a recliner. Hosted by ESPN fantasy gurus Matthew Berry and Field Yates, alongside reputable injury analyst Stephania Bell, the show breaks down draft and waiver wire strategies, as well as the coming week's matchups. This podcast helps provide an edge in today's ultra-competitive fantasy football landscape, one of the main reasons it consistently ranks near the top of the iTunes podcast rankings throughout the season. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Soccer Fans Need This Podcast: Men in Blazers Men in Blazers What We Like Fun hosts. A deep-rooted interest in growing the game in the United States. Entertaining even for soccer newbies. What We Don't Like Some popular leagues don't get attention on this podcast. Some longtime jokes will fly over newcomers' heads. Hosts Michael Davies and Roger Bennett are all about soccer, and the steady growth in their podcast's popularity is no fluke. Men in Blazers does their part to promote the sport to newer fans in the States by focusing on the passion and excitement of the English Premier League, looked upon by some as the golden standard of soccer fandom. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Stitcher SoundCloud Best Hidden Gem: R2C2 is UNINTERRUPTED R2C2 What We Like You don't have to be a New Yorker or a fan of the Yankees to enjoy this podcast. They cover a fairly wide range of topics. Good chemistry between the hosts. What We Don't Like The show ended in June 2020, but back episodes are still available. Co-hosted by former Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia and sportscaster Ryan Ruocco, R2C2 is a bit of a hidden gem in the sports podcast arena. With a who's who of Big Apple baseball on the guest list and an upbeat and humorous approach, the affable left-hander and Ruocco combine for a very enjoyable listen. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Best for Hardcore Fantasy Football Fans: Rotoworld Football NBC Sports What We Like The podcast's direct approach when providing important information is refreshing and avoids a lot of unnecessary chatter. Well-paced analysis that offers multiple opinions. Excellent recaps and previews. What We Don't Like Not much. This is what a true fantasy football player should want in a podcast. An authoritative resource for fantasy football news and advice, Rotoworld's NFL podcast broadcasts tried-and-true knowledge many daily and season-long players rely on. Don't put in those waiver claims or submit those lineups until you've listened to the latest episode first. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Best for Learning More About NFL Players: The Adam Schefter Podcast ESPN What We Like The interviews are some of the best found on football podcasts. Schefter knows when to get out of the way and let his guests talk. What We Don't Like Episodes aren't released frequently enough during the season. Audio quality of recent episodes has suffered. When it comes to the NFL, ESPN's Adam Schefter has been one of the main go-to sources for years thanks to an impressive network of insider contacts and his penchant for breaking news first. Although his podcast incorporates some of what he's well known for, Schefter does much more than just recap the games and look forward to next week's slate. If you like shows that dissect the personalities under the helmets and shoulder pads, we suggest giving this one a try. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Best Casual Sports Podcast: The Bill Simmons Podcast The Ringer What We Like Simmons covers the NBA better than a lot of other multi-sport podcasts. Great chemistry and humor. Features many celebrities from the sports and entertainment industries. What We Don't Like The podcast can occasionally seem a little Boston-heavy. Irregular schedule. Known for establishing Grantland and later The Ringer, Simmons is a force in the sports podcast world. His show does a nice job of casually mixing sports with music, movies, and other celebrity chatter without getting too far away from the subject at hand. This podcast often has an impressive guest list, including many prominent athletes. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Stitcher SoundCloud Best for Casual NFL Fans: The Rich Eisen Show The Rich Eisen Show (via Twitter) What We Like Eisen's easy-going and dry sense of humor really shines during interviews. Mixes analysis with pop culture, humor, and interviews. Consistent schedule. What We Don't Like It's technically not a podcast. Dominated by football content. A one-time fixture on SportsCenter dating back to the mid-'90s, Eisen is now an oft-seen face on the NFL Network. The podcast is basically just a rebroadcast of his radio show, which is unsurprisingly dominated by football but isn't exclusively pigskin talk. Listen on: Apple Podcasts