Fox Sports Expands Original Digital Offerings With New WWE And MLB Podcasts

Fox Sports adds to its growing lineup of original digital franchises with two new podcasts launching this week: Out of Character with Ryan Satin and Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander. Out of Character, featuring special guest Edge, debuts Monday, March 29, and Flippin’ Bats, highlighted by a conversation with Tampa Bay Rays Opening Day starter Tyler Glasnow, premieres Tuesday, March 30.

“We are excited to expand our original digital programming lineup and bring fans closer to WWE and MLB,” said David Katz, executive vice president and head of digital, Fox Sports. “Ryan and Ben have a special ability to create communities around their engaging content, which our fans will enjoy across our social channels and our all-new app and website.”

Out of Character with Ryan Satin is Fox Sports’ first original podcast dedicated to WWE. Each week, Satin sits down with a different Superstar to learn more about the person behind the made-for-TV alter-ego. In the podcast’s first episode, Satin is joined by Adam Copeland — better known as Edge to wrestling fans — for a discussion on how Copeland returned from injury to win the Royal Rumble at 47 years old, earning the opportunity to headline next month’s WrestleMania and more.

Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander is a long-form conversation between the former pro and some of today’s top active players. In Tuesday’s edition, Verlander chats with Glasnow about the pitcher’s first World Series appearance and the new slider/cutter combo pitch he’s developing for 2021. Additional guests include Twins shortstop Royce Lewis and Orioles first baseman Trey Mancini, who returns to the diamond this season as a Stage 3 colon cancer survivor.

“Verlander and Satin are exactly the type of people we love having on our roster — big, engaging personalities with strong communities that interact across a variety of platforms,” said Michael Bucklin, vice president, digital, Fox Sports. “Both have unique backgrounds, have an enormous upside and are completely dialed into their sports and fan bases. They’re also both genuine and dependable teammates who we love working with.”

Out Of Character and Flippin’ Bats are the newest additions to Fox Sports’ growing lineup of original digital series, which also includes The People’s Sports Podcast With Mark Titus And Charlotte Wilder and Club Shay Shay, hosted by FS1 host and Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe. Since launching in August, Club Shay Shay has racked up nearly half a billion public interactions, 75 million lifetime views and 380,000 YouTube subscribers and is a finalist for the 13th annual Shorty Awards.

Fox Sports podcasts are available on Apple and Spotify as well as across the network’s digital and social platforms, including the new Fox Sports app and FoxSports.com.