Chris “Mad Dog” Russo Signs 3-Year Deal with SiriusXM & Joins MLB Network | Bob's Blitz

Chris “Mad Dog” Russo Signs 3-Year Deal with SiriusXM & Joins MLB Network

New York, NY -- Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) today announced that it has signed renowned sports talk personality Chris “Mad Dog” Russo to a new three-year contract that will keep his daily all-sports radio show exclusively on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio channel. Russo’s on-air role will be expanded to include a significant presence on the MLB Network Radio channel on SiriusXM.

Russo will continue to host his daily show, Mad Dog Unleashed, weekday afternoons on Mad Dog Sports Radio, SiriusXM channel 86. Starting in September, with the beginning of NFL season, the show will air daily from 3:00-6:00pm ET/12:00-3:00pm PT. The show is also available to subscribers through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App and online at SiriusXM.com.

MLB Network today also announced that Russo will join its roster of on-air talent to host a new weekday baseball show launching in the spring of 2014, in addition to appearing across its studio programming. The show will be produced by MLB Network and simulcast on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM. MLB Network’s Emmy Award-winning studio show “MLB Tonight” is currently simulcast on MLB Network Radio on weekdays at 6:00 p.m. ET.

In addition to hosting Mad Dog Unleashed daily, Russo will take on an expanded role that will feature him prominently on the MLB Network Radio channel on SiriusXM (channel 89 on XM, channel 209 on Sirius Premier and on the SiriusXM App). He will serve as SiriusXM’s “baseball ambassador,” hosting shows and specials and appearing regularly on the channel to comment on MLB news and issues.

“I’ve always loved the on-air freedom that comes with being on SiriusXM,” said Russo. “I can do the kind of show here that I wouldn’t be able to do anywhere else and I’m fortunate to be able to continue to give my listeners my kind of sports talk radio each and every day on Mad Dog Unleashed. I’ll also get to emphasize my passion for baseball with my new role on MLB Network Radio and MLB Network, where I’ll be talking to dyed-in-the-wool baseball fans like me throughout the year. This is a terrific opportunity that allows me to do what I do best, while also reaching new audiences.”

“Chris is a one-of-a-kind sports radio talent, one of the best in the history of the medium, and we’re very pleased to keep him on SiriusXM for years to come,” said Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM’s President and Chief Content Officer. “Our listeners will continue to get his unique style of sports talk – the biting commentary, the high profile interviews, the great rants – on a daily basis. And by expanding his role to the MLB Network Radio channel, we can better showcase his passion for baseball and his extraordinary knowledge of the sport. This will enhance our overall sports programming and increase his reach, and will be a benefit to both Chris and our listeners.”

“Chris Russo is one of the top sports voices in the country and he will be a terrific addition to our unparalleled roster of on-air talent,” said Tony Petitti, President and CEO of MLB Network. “Expanding MLB Network’s live programming has been a continued goal since our launch in 2009, and we look forward to bringing his refreshing take on baseball to MLB Network’s weekday lineup in 2014.”

Russo is widely credited for having helped popularize the sports talk format across the country and is known to sports fans everywhere for his feisty, unflinchingly candid approach to talking sports and unrestrained, rapid-fire delivery that earned him the nickname “Mad Dog.” He joined SiriusXM in 2008 after nearly 20 years in New York hosting the popular Mike and the Mad Dog show.

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