OBJECTIVE
What does it feel like to be a NFL quarterback on the last play of a big game? Listeners found out this year on Under Center with Kirk Cousins, a podcast from the Minnesota Vikings and local sports radio station KFAN featuring the quarterback himself. With podcasts continuing to dominate the audio world, the Vikings saw potential in getting behind-the-scenes access from quarterback Kirk Cousins right after he had the chance to review game film, bringing Vikings fans inside the locker room. By featuring Cousins and some of his teammates, the players were able to circumvent traditional media sessions and share their messages directly with fans.
STRATEGY
Once a week, Cousins and KFAN personality Mark Rosen recorded a podcast episode featuring game highlight coverage, interviews with other players and color commentary about specific plays and moments. The production team would work with Cousins to plan the format and guests for each episode. Cousins was an active participant in strategy and wanted to make sure that the podcast was used as a way to share stories prior to weekly media sessions. His main goal was to showcase relationships with his teammates and highlight their successes on and off the field. He was always prompt, helpful with advice and passionate about the project.
Cousins broke down the game-winning touchdown pass for his first playoff victory of his career as the Vikings upset the New Orleans Saints in the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs. The segment was run by NFL Network, Bleacher Report, ESPN and many more.
Each episode took a similar talk show-style format, but varied the guests in order to reach different audiences. Normally, teammates joined Cousins on the show, but guests also included NFL Network show hosts, former coaches and family member. No topics were off limits and Cousins often let guests drive the conversation.
After recording every Monday during the regular season, the Vikings audio team would edit the recording and work with the social media team to cut promotional clips. The final package aired on Tuesday evening on KFAN's radio station and was then posted to Vikings digital platforms - Vikings.com, mobile app, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs joined the show to discuss the deep pass connection he had with Cousins over the course of the season.
GUEST LIST
Don Cousins (father), Anthony Harris (Vikings safety), Fran Tarkenton (Vikings Hall of Fame quarterback), Gene Washington (Vikings legend and Michigan State legend), Brian O’Neill (Vikings offensive tackle), Garrett Bradbury (Vikings center), Pat Elflein (Vikings guard), Adam Thielen (Vikings wide receiver), Bisi Johnson (Vikings wide receiver), Eric Kendricks (Vikings linebacker), Anthony Barr (Vikings linebacker), Kyle Rudolph (Vikings tight end), Kyle Brandt (NFL Network host), Ameer Abdullah (Vikings running back), Sean Mannion (Vikings quarterback), Jake Browning (Vikings quarterback), Power Trip Crew (Local Radio Morning Show), Tom Izzo (Legendary Michigan State Basketball Coach), Mark Dantonio (Former Michigan State Football Coach), Dalvin Cook (Vikings Running Back), Irv Smith Jr. (Vikings tight end), Ifeadi Odenigbo (Vikings defensive end), Stefon Diggs (Vikings wide receiver)
RESULTS
A primary goal of having the Vikings and KFAN work as partners on the project was to increase overall reach. Between the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Vikings Podcast Network downloads from August-January increased from 212,000 to 512,000 or 141%. The podcast network received 60,000 downloads per week from the iHeart Radio app.
On iTunes, the Under Center podcast received approximately 107,000 downloads and 2,000 downloads per day during the season. The average listening time was 12:16.
The live radio broadcast was the highest-rated show in its time slot (Tuesdays at 6pm-7pm CT) in the Twin Cities for the station's target demographic and was the highest-rated of 5 weeknight shows produced by the Vikings Entertainment Network on KFAN.
Radio Ad Revenue: $108,000
Under Center with Kirk Cousins also performed well on social media.
- YouTube: 327,969 views
- Facebook Views: 83,000+ views
- Facebook Impressions: 1.6+ million
- Twitter Views: 384,000+
- Twitter Impressions: 2.145+ million
NATIONAL EXPOSURE
The podcast caught the national media's attention multiple times during the season. Good Morning Football host Kyle Brandt took an interest in Under Center with Kirk Cousins and called into Vikings studios for an episode. The episode was the most popular of the season with 10,688 downloads and a variety of earned social media posts that reached audiences around the country. GMFB featured the podcast on their show reaching hundreds of thousands of viewers.
Later in the season, ESPN's Monday Night Football aired a pregame segment highlighting a nickname the Vikings offensive line gave the quarterback based on his personality in the huddle.
"Kirt Dirt" became a popular social media nickname, painting the quarterback in a positive light. ESPN aired their Kirt Dirt segment prior to a late-season contest between the Vikings and Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium.