Jim Rome Debuts Strong on X, But That Doesn't Tell The Full Story
On Tuesday, "The Jim Rome Show" debuted on X as the first live sports show to sign with, and air exclusively, on the social media platform.
The partnership is intriguing for a few reasons. Jim Rome is arguably the most influential sports radio host ever. He is inarguably one of the four faces on the Mount Rushmore of sports radio along with Chris Russo, Mike Francesa, and Colin Cowherd.
But Rome hasn't been, well, relevant in close to a decade. His audience is boomer-ish and not exactly the target demographic for X.
That said, part of Rome's slippage is due to lack of mainstream distribution. His radio show airs nationally on CBS Sports Radio, which lags well behind ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio in terms of reach.
CBS Sports Network had simulcasted the video portions of Rome's program since 2017. How was the viewership there? We can't tell you specifically. Nor can CBS. The viewership for CBS Sports Network is so low that it doesn't subscribe to Nielsen for official measurement.
So, it's hard to know whether this generation of sports fans doesn't like Rome or is simply unaware of him – err unaware of the platforms on which he aired.
Rome's partnership with X should answer that question.
And the numbers for his debut were strong. As of publication, the Tuesday episode of the show has 1.1 million views.
You can watch below:
Now, "views" on X are not equivalent to views on television. No, the "Jim Rome Show" did not double "First Take" in the ratings.
Television ratings are measured by the average viewership per minute of a broadcast. X "views" are measured deceptively, counting anyone who clicks on the video or scrolls past it.
X also heavily promoted Rome's debut atop its "trending" tab. The numbers are inflated. In fact, most numbers on X are misleading.
Thereby, "views" will unlikely determine whether Rome is successful on X. Engagement, monetization, and influence will.
And the sports media industry should hope Rome is successful – even if they think his takes suck. If Rome is successful, Elon Musk and X will be more interested in partnering with other talents and brands.
Perhaps X could be a player for Skip Bayless (whose contract expires this year), Colin Cowherd's The Volume, or Stephen A. Smith's expanding production company.
We are all rooting for Rome.
He called his debut on X "unbelievable," in a – you guessed it – post on X.
"Unbelievable experience streaming live here on @X for the very first time today. Let's do it again, every single weekday going forward. Noon ET/9am PT #JimRomeOnX,."