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Orlando Magic move radio broadcast to 96.9 The Game in Orlando

By Philip Rossman-Reich

ORLANDO, FL - JULY 2: Jonathan Isaac #1 of the Orlando Magic talks with media after the game against the Miami Heat during the 2017 Summer League on July 2, 2017 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - JULY 2: Jonathan Isaac #1 of the Orlando Magic talks with media after the game against the Miami Heat during the 2017 Summer League on July 2, 2017 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Orlando Magic will have a new radio home this coming fall. All preseason, regular season and Playoff games will now air on 96.9 The Game in Orlando.

The Orlando Magic will have a new flagship radio station in Orlando for the first time in 27 years.

The team announced it will move its radio broadcast of preseason, regular season and Playoff games from ESPN Orlando (580 AM WDBO) to 96.9 The Game and 740 AM in Orlando. The move may seem like a relatively small one, but it could be a big benefit for the team to reach more households and air on a larger network.

Orlando Magic television and radio personality Dante Marchitelli joined Open Mike with Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi to make the announcement.

Longtime radio play-by-play host Dennis Neumann and color analyst Richie Adubato will remain in their current roles with the team on the broadcast. Brandon Kravitz will replace Scott Anez as the pregame and postgame studio host. Anez will remain in his role as the drivetime host with ESPN Orlando.

96.9 The Game and iHeart Media in Orlando has now picked up all the major sports teams in Orlando.

The radio station the official home of UCF Knights football and basketball too. Orlando City SC also airs its games on iHeart Radio sister station 104.1.  The Orlando Solar Bears also previously streamed their games via iHeart Radio. 96.9 The Game and 740 AM are also the Orlando home for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Magic already aired their daily radio show, Magic Drive Time, on 96.9 The Game. That show will move to 6 p.m. during the season every day, doubling as a lead-in on 96.9 The Game to Inside Magic, the team’s pregame show.

"“We are extremely excited to continue our relationship with iHeartMedia and expand upon it by naming FM 96.9 The Game our new flagship station for the Magic Radio Network,” Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins said in a press release. “iHeartMedia and FM 96.9 The Game will bring our product to our fans and stakeholders in a first-class manner. We thank ESPN 580 Orlando for 27 excellent years of serving as the radio home of the Magic.”"

Terms of the new deal were not disclosed. It is not particularly clear why the Magic opted to move off of ESPN Orlando.

Certainly, 96.9 The Game and 740 AM has a much larger portfolio of sports programming, including local programming to offer. That may give the Magic more coverage in the local market than ESPN Orlando could give.

Mike Bianchi anchors the drive-time morning show with longtime radio personality Marc Daniels following him. They also have longtime Orlando radio hosts Jerry O’Neill and The Shot Doctor in the afternoon. ESPN Orlando still uses a lot of national programming and less local programming, especially in the busy morning hours.

Most Magic talk in the morning on local sports radio came from 96.9 The Game already. And the Magic already had a relationship with them through the broadcast of Magic Drive Time.

96.9 The Game has long fashioned itself the “Home of the Magic fan” despite not having the rights to broadcast the games. That certainly changes now.

In the sports radio market in Orlando, it appears 96.9 FM and 740 AM have the market cornered.

The games and Magic DriveTime will also be simulcasted on both 96.9 The Game on the FM dial and 740 AM on the AM dial where there are no conflicts. It appears every Magic game will air on 96.9 The Game if there are any conflicts between the Magic and the Knights.

It is unclear at this point whether the games will also stream on the iHeart Radio app. NBA streaming rules for radio broadcasts may prevent the team from doing so.

The team has been with 580 AM WDBO and ESPN Orlando for a long time. Almost the entire length of the franchise’s history. This is a major change for the team’s media outlook. Very similar to when the team moved from WKCF to My65 on TV and then eventually to having all their games air on FOX Sports Florida.

Similar to that move to consolidate on one network, this too will help the Magic consolidate their media broadcasts on radio and give them a chance to be on a powerful local radio station.

Next. Magic Gaming finding its footing for Playoff push. dark

Eds. note: This article previously stated Orlando Solar Bears games were broadcast on iHeartRadio. Last year they broadcasted through other means with select games on ESPN Orlando.