Former 97.5 The Fanatic host Mike Missanelli lands another gig ahead of Eagles season
“It will be me, unleased, with no holds barred,” Missanelli said of his new podcast as part of his entrance into the sports gambling world.
In the more than three months since Mike Missanelli abruptly left 97.5 The Fanatic, he certainly hasn’t had problems landing new gigs.
His latest is a jump into the sports gambling world as a brand ambassador for BetRivers, a brand of the gambling firm Rush Street Interactive, the company announced Wednesday.
As part of the new job, Missanelli will represent the casino and sports book company on shows and host two weekly podcasts, which will begin Thursday. He’ll also show up in commercials on radio, TV, and online, so you might actually see more of him than during his 15-year tenure at the Fanatic.
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Missanelli told the Inquirer his new podcast will follow a similar format to the shows he’s always hosted, retaining its focus on Philadelphia sports while branching off into national sports talk and modern culture. It will also be recorded live, with viewers able to join the show, though the details have yet to be released. There’s no firm launch date for the new podcast, but Missanelli said they’re aiming for next week.
“It will be me, unleased, with no holds barred,” Missanelli said. “Hopefully people will come along for the ride.”
BetRivers has lined up a number of media personalities in markets across the country to promote its sportsbooks, including former WFAN host Mike Francesa in New York City, Dan McNeil in Chicago, and Mark Madden in Pittsburgh. Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis is also one of the company’s ambassadors.
In addition to the new role with BetRivers, Missanelli will also co-host an Eagles postgame show each week live for JAKIB Media Partners, a YouTube sports channel that features several Philadelphia sports personalities, including 94.1 WIP host Rob Ellis and former Eagles lineman and current NBC Sports Philadelphia host Barrett Brooks.
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Joining Missanelli each week will be Devan Kaney and two former NBC Sports personalities — Seth Joyner and Derrick Gunn. The show will debut Sept. 11 following the Eagles’ season opener against the Detroit Lions, and will stream on YouTube and on 6abc.com.
“I was prepared to just watch the Eagles on TV this season like anyone else. But working with great football people like Seth and D-Gunn was a wonderful opportunity, and one I couldn’t turn down,” Missanelli told The Inquirer in July. “I think this is going to be a monster show.”
The show will go head-to-head with Eagles Postgame Live on NBC Sports Philadelphia, which is adding former Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski to help fill the void created by the departures of Joyner and Ray Didinger, who retired in May after having covered Philadelphia sports for 53 years. Jaworski will be joined by longtime host Michael Barkann and former Eagles lineman Barrett Brooks.
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