Laughter, energy, camaraderie—these are just some of the elements that come to life when a podcast is recorded in front of an audience rather than in a soundproof studio. To give hosts and fans more opportunities to connect during these live recordings, Spotify’s The Ringer recently hosted its Summer Ringer Residency.
The residency took place at the famous El Rey Theater in Los Angeles and included live podcast events for six wrestling shows: The Wrestling NBA Show, Talk about the thrones, The big picture, The Ringer Verse, Wrighty’s House, And The Ringer Fantasy Football Show.
For the record obtained Geoff ChowHead of Podcast Studios and Managing Director of The Ringerto learn more about the residency and the appeal of live podcast recordings.
What did you learn from this very first wrestling residency?
It was a great demonstration of the power of the wrestling fan base and a showcase of the wide range of wrestling content from sports – basketball and both types of football – to cultural blockbusters like movies, prestige television and nerd culture. Operationally, the events team led by Elizabeth Fierman did a great job putting together an experience that both the hosts and their audiences enjoyed. We have identified ways to continue to grow our events with different markets, sponsorship partners and content that we are excited to explore further.
How do live podcasts provide a unique experience for both podcast hosts and listeners?
Listening to podcasts is often a solitary experience — with headphones on, on the commute, at the gym — but people form such a strong connection with their favorite hosts. Bringing hundreds of people together at a live event to experience their favorite shows, laugh at the same inside jokes, and feel a shared connection with others in the crowd feels like an instant community, bound together by their shared interest. Being part of that is a special experience. For hosts used to recording in the studio or even at home, hearing laughter and reactions in real time is a thrill and fosters an even deeper connection with their audience.
Why is it important for The Ringer and Spotify to host IRL events like this?
At The Ringer, we’ve always focused on creating content for consumers in the way they want to interact with it. We’re excited that audiences spend so many hours a week reading, listening and watching our content. Being able to translate that into a live experience only strengthens the relationship between creator and audience even more. Building community and creating meaningful experiences for fans leads to a deeper affinity with our brand and content. As an audience engagement tool, it takes fandom to a new level.
If you didn’t get a chance to attend one of the live recordings, you can also listen to each episode on demand. Below we’ve rounded up the podcasts and the episodes recorded over the summer.
The Wrestling NBA Show
Justin, Rob and Wos start by discussing the Celtics’ NBA Finals win and Joe Mazzulla’s status as coach. They also discuss who will be this offseason’s Jrue Holiday. Next, Chris Ryan joins for an offseason preview. With the NBA Draft approaching, the guys bring in J. Kyle Mann to talk about the perception of this year’s class, all the fuss about Bronny James and more.
Talk about the thrones
Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin and Joanna Robinson discuss the latest episodes of House of the Dragon while answering questions from fans, having in-depth chats, and playing fun games in this live show.
The big picture
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins discuss must-see movies with special guest and fellow wrestler Chris Ryan. The topic of this special live recording is summer blockbusters of the 2000s.
The Ringer Verse
The Ringer’s seasoned superfans talk about their favorite shows and movies coming this summer. Check out the episode to see all the fun of The Midnight Boys, House of R.the Bad Babies and the Midnight Mafia.
The Ringer Fantasy Football Show
The guys start with some of the biggest storylines of training camp. Next, they play a round of “20s or 40s?” to determine which veteran fantasy stars are still attractive draft picks this season, while determining how the DICAPRIO system applies to their favorite aging RBs. Finally, there’s an Oreos taste test and a special (personal) edition of emails.
Wrighty’s House
Former Arsenal FC and England striker Ian Wright talks about the latest football headlines as well as his cultural passions.
Want more live shows from The Ringer? Check out this hub on Spotify.
