Here’s some questions I didn’t get a chance to answer during the chat today.
Q: What’s the best way to get considered for single-game assignments, or shorter-term fill-in gigs?
A: When Learfield and IMG fill single-game assignments, they almost always hire locally. Your best bet is to see what teams are going to be visiting your local communities. Contact their broadcasters and let them know you are available in the event of scheduling conflicts. This most often happens during the cross-over between football and basketball season.
Also let your local colleges know you are available to fill-in for visiting teams. This works especially well for sports other than football and men’s basketball. When a visiting team can’t send their broadcaster, they’ll often call the home university to ask for recommendations on local fill-ins.
Q: Any idea, if you can comment, on what a typical college broadcaster (Learfield/IMG – Football/MBB for example) makes a year? (Or per game, really)?
A: It varies dramatically based upon the school. Being the voice of a team generally pays anywhere from $20,000 to $60,000 per season across the spectrum of DI universities. There are a small handful that will touch six-figures, but they are rare. Freelance play-by-play at the DI level ranges from $200 to $350 per game for football or men’s basketball. You might make a little more as a fill-in if you can engineer your own broadcast.
Q: My question is how much should you weigh searching for a gig against creating one on your own?
A: If you can sell, then creating your own gig can be much more lucrative. You might net several hundred dollars per game if you can sell advertising, and there are high schools and small colleges across the country who would love to have their games broadcast on the Internet.
Even if you can’t sell, it might be worth putting together your own Internet broadcast package just so you can have the regular reps.
Q: Any idea on what the avg. affiliated MiLB team would pay 4 play by play on per game basis at the full- season A / AA level?
A: A Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations in Class A or AA might earn between $1,000 and $1,800 per month for seasonal work. More for full-time.