Can Jim Rome Reinvent His Career With New X Show, Elon Musk Assist?

X, formerly known as Twitter, announced three partnership deals with media hosts last month in Don Lemon, Tulsi Gabbard, and Jim Rome.

We discussed what the deal with Lemon, a liberal pundit, signals regarding Elon Musk's dedication to providing a robust political discourse on social media here.

Today, we focus on Jim Rome.

This week, Rome detailed his role with X, saying he would move his radio simulcast from CBS Sports Network to the social media service.

"This radio show that I have done, The Jungle, in its current format has been around for about three decades as a simulcast and TV show, it’s been around now for seven years on CBS Sports Network. We have had this amazing run with CBS Sports Network. It’s been an amazing company to work with, we have had an amazing staff," Rome said.

"I did hint at something recently when I made an announcement and said I was going to start something new with the X platform. What I am talking about is this. This is officially going to be our last week on CBS Sports Network as a simulcasted radio program. The radio program continues in its normal format."

X making Rome its first partner in the sports media industry is a curious decision. 

Jim Rome has a spot reserved on the Mount Rushmore of Sports Talk Radio. He is responsible for the boom period national sports radio experienced between 2005 and 2015, as the voice of the medium. 

His legacy is established.

Yet Rome hasn't been relevant in nearly a decade, if not longer. He has not, thus far, resonated with younger sports fans who consume content primarily online.

He lags well behind the likes of Stephen A. Smith, Colin Cowherd, Skip Bayless, Pat McAfee, Dave Portnoy, and Big Cat in terms of popularity on X.

Now, one could argue Rome's decline is due to the lack of a mainstream platform. 

CBS Sports Network is a non-factor in cable television. How many people watch the channel? We can't say for certain because the network does not even care to subscribe to Nielsen, the service that measures television viewership. 

Rome's radio partner, CBS Sports Radio, also trails its competitors, Fox Sports Radio and ESPN Radio in reach, relevancy, and influence.

If nothing else, X provides Rome with the potential to return to the conversation zeitgeist, where bloggers and athletes are more likely to amplify his content. 

And we don't rule out Jim Rome experiencing a career resurgence, even at 59. 

Look no further than fellow sports radio legend Chris "Mad Dog" Russo who returned to relevancy two years ago at the age of 62 with a weekly appearance on ESPN with Stephen A. Smith.

While Rome isn't as cartoonish and meme-able as Mad Dog, he's a bold personality who can stir the pot. It was he who made the "hot take" a profitable business.

Ultimately, if Rome can make waves and find an audience on X, his partnership could lead to other sports moving their programming to the social media service.

That's what Musk and X hope.

For Rome, the move is a way to try and reinvent himself with a more responsible and impressionable audience.