“It’s an opportunity for us to have a bigger reach, to get our message out as to who we’re trying to become,” Commanders Coach Ron Rivera said Tuesday morning on BIG 100′s The Don Geronimo Show, alongside team president Jason Wright and senior vice president of media and content Julie Donaldson. “We’re trying to establish a new culture and get this football team going in the right direction. It’s been a while, we need to get back on top, and just knowing we can reach so many more fans, I’m excited about it, I really, truly am.”
The Commanders are the second pro sports team to partner with iHeartMedia D.C. Major League Soccer’s D.C. United announced in February that it will simulcast its games on 104.7 WONK-FM, as well as iHeart’s website and app.
In announcing their new partnership, the Commanders emphasized iHeartMedia’s expansive network of stations and platforms. The company owns more than 850 broadcast stations in more than 160 markets, including seven stations in D.C. alone: BIG 100, 97.1 WASH-FM, HOT 99.5, DC101, 98.7 WMZQ, DMV’s Black Information Network 1120 and 104.7 WONK-FM.
iHeartMedia also has partnerships with 17 other NFL teams. The Commanders are hoping their deal pushes a broader identity shift, along with its new name and uniforms.