97.5 host Mike Missanelli's new NBC Sports Philadelphia show gets a premiere date

Get ready to see a lot more Mike Missanelli.

The popular afternoon host on 97.5 The Fanatic will launch the new simulcast of The Mike Missanelli Show on NBC Sports Philadelphia on April 16.

The simulcast, filmed out of Missanelli's existing studio at The Fanatic's offices in Bala Cynwyd, will air on weekdays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m, replacing a mix of content ranging from informercials to a simulcast of Dan Patrick's nationally syndicated sports radio show. The simulcast will also be available to stream on NBC Sports Philadelphia's website and on the NBC Sports app.

Eric Johnson, the Fanatic's program director, said he saw the partnership with NBC Sports Philadelphia as a "brand extension," an easy way for Missanelli to attract new fans who might not be listening to him on the radio.

"The Fanatic brand is not just radio; it's digital, it's streaming, it's social media and now a component of that is television," Johnson said. "Now people can go into a sports bar or some other establishment where TVs are playing and catch Mike's show."

According to Johnson, it's a pretty light operation. Cameras have been installed in Missanelli's studio, and the show will be produced live at NBC Sports Philadelphia's offices in the Wells Fargo Center.

While Missanelli doesn't tend to be a controversial host, NBC has had issues in the past simulcasting radio content on its regional sports networks. Last November, NBC Sports Boston suspended 98.5 The Sports Hub's Michael Felger after Felger called former Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay a "moron" following his death in a plane crash.

Felger & Mazz, which Felger co-hosts with Tony Massarotti, is simulcast daily on NBC Sports Boston in a similar situation to what NBC Sports Philly has set up with Missanelli.

"There's been no discussion regarding Mike's content," Johnson said. "Mike, [update anchor] Natalie Egenolf and [producer] Tyrone Johnson will continue to do what they've always done, and we're not altering the show in anyway."

The partnership certainly opens up more opportunities for NBC Sports Philadelphia and The Fanatic to share talent. But the arrangement doesn't mean rival WIP is entirely out of the picture.

"It's something I've been talking about with both radio stations, WIP and The Fanatic, for a couple of years now," Brian Monihan, president of NBC Sports Philadelphia, said in December when the simulcast was first announced. "We could do something with 94.1 in the morning, you never know… But I think this makes it easier for us to do stuff with Beasley and look for other ways to work more closely with [Missanelli] on other things here." Beasley Media Group owns 97.5 The Fanatic and five other radio stations in Philadelphia.