New York sports fans are a different breed. We're loud, we're impatient, and we usually have an opinion on the backup quarterback by week three. For years, ESPN New York 98.7 FM was the primary megaphone for that chaos. It was the station where you’d hear Michael Kay get into a heated argument with a caller from Staten Island about a pitching change that happened three nights ago. But things changed recently. The radio landscape in the city shifted in a way that honestly confused a lot of people who just wanted to hear their favorite shows while stuck in traffic on the LIE.
Radio is a tough business right now. It’s no secret.
The 98.7 FM Frequency Shift You Might Have Missed
If you’ve tried to tune into 98.7 FM lately and wondered why the signal feels different or why the branding changed, there is a very specific reason for that. Back in late 2023 and early 2024, Good Karma Brands—the company that operates the station—made a massive announcement. They decided to let go of the 98.7 FM frequency. Why? Money. It’s always money. The lease on that FM signal was reportedly costing them somewhere in the neighborhood of $12.5 million a year. That is a staggering amount of cash just to keep a signal on the air when everyone has a smartphone in their pocket.
By August 2024, the "98.7" part of the name basically became a legacy tag. The station moved its primary focus to the 1050 AM signal and, more importantly, to digital streaming and smart speakers. It’s a gamble. Most people in the industry think the "FM transition" is the death knell for traditional broadcasting, but ESPN is betting that New Yorkers will follow the content regardless of where it lives on the dial.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a bummer. There was something special about hitting that FM button and hearing the crystal-clear audio of a Knicks game or a Rangers playoff run. AM radio just doesn’t have that same punch. It sounds thin. It crackles under bridges. But in the world of corporate balancing sheets, the $12 million savings outweighed the audiophile concerns of a guy driving a Honda Civic through the Midtown Tunnel.
The Michael Kay Era and the War with WFAN
You can’t talk about ESPN New York 98.7 FM without talking about The Michael Kay Show. For decades, the "Fan" (WFAN) was the undisputed king of New York sports talk. Mike and the Mad Dog were the gods of the airwaves. When ESPN launched 1050 AM in 2001 and eventually moved to 98.7 FM in 2012, they were the scrappy underdogs trying to take down a titan.
Michael Kay, alongside Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg, eventually did the unthinkable: they actually beat WFAN in the ratings during certain periods. It was a legitimate war. You’d have Kay on one side and Mike Francesa on the other, both checking their watches and arguing about who had the better "book" (the industry term for ratings periods).
👉 See also: Why the Marlins Won World Series Titles Twice and Then Disappeared
- The Content: Kay brings the "Voice of the Yankees" authority.
- The Dynamic: Don La Greca is the resident "angry everyman" whose rants about the Giants or Rangers often go viral.
- The Pivot: Peter Rosenberg brings a hip-hop and pop-culture sensibility that tried to bridge the gap between old-school sports talk and a younger demographic.
This trio became the backbone of the station. Even as the frequency changed, these guys remained the faces of the brand. It’s weird because, in a way, they aren't just radio hosts anymore; they are a multi-platform content machine. You see them on YES Network, you hear them on the app, and you see the clips on X (formerly Twitter).
Why the FM Signal Actually Mattered
People ask all the time: "Does anyone even listen to FM radio anymore?" The answer is yes, specifically for sports. Sports is live. It’s one of the few things left that people don't want to "on-demand" three hours later. If the Rangers are in a Game 7, you want to hear that goal in real-time.
When ESPN New York 98.7 FM was on the FM dial, it had a massive geographical reach that AM signals just can't match, especially at night when AM signals are required by the FCC to power down or change their directional pattern to avoid interfering with other stations. This "power down" often meant fans in the suburbs lost the signal just as the game was getting good. Moving away from 98.7 FM was a logistical headache for the casual listener, even if the hardcore fans just downloaded the app.
The Local vs. National Tug-of-War
One thing that has always plagued the station is the balance between local New York talk and the national ESPN feed. For a long time, the mornings were dominated by national shows like Mike & Mike or whatever iteration followed them. New Yorkers, being New Yorkers, usually hated this. They didn't want to hear about the Dallas Cowboys or LeBron James for four hours when the Mets just blew a save at Citi Field.
Eventually, the station leaned harder into local programming. Getting Chris Canty—a former Giant—into the mix was a smart move. Having Rick DiPietro and Dave Rothenberg in the mornings gave the station a local identity from sunup to sundown.
Breaking Down the Current Lineup
If you're looking for the station now, you're mostly finding it on 1050 AM, the ESPN New York App, or via "TuneIn."
✨ Don't miss: Why Funny Fantasy Football Names Actually Win Leagues
- DiPietro & Rothenberg: This is the high-energy morning show. Rick DiPietro, the former Islanders goalie, brings the athlete's perspective, while Rothenberg is the quintessential tortured fan.
- Greeny: Mike Greenberg still holds a slot because, well, he’s Mike Greenberg. It’s national, but he’s a New York guy at heart.
- The Michael Kay Show: The afternoon drive flagship. This is where the heavy lifting happens. It’s the show that defines the station’s voice.
It’s a solid lineup, but it’s fighting against a massive tide of podcasts. Why listen to a commercial break every ten minutes on the radio when you can listen to a hyper-specific Jets podcast with no interruptions? That’s the question Good Karma Brands is trying to answer by making the station more "available" digitally.
The Reality of Sports Media in 2026
We have to be honest: the era of "tuning the dial" is dying. The move away from the 98.7 FM frequency wasn't an isolated incident. It was a symptom of a larger shift. Advertisers aren't paying what they used to for traditional spots. They want data. They want to know exactly who is listening, how old they are, and where they live. You get that from an app. You don't get that from a terrestrial radio tower.
The station has had to reinvent itself as a "digital-first" entity. This means if you want to support ESPN New York 98.7 FM, you’re probably doing it through a stream. The irony is that the name still carries the "98.7" branding in many people's minds because of the decade-plus they spent at that spot on the dial. It’s a legacy brand now.
What Users Actually Want to Know
Most people searching for the station just want to know how to find the game. Here is the reality: if you are looking for the New York Knicks or the New York Rangers, you need to check the specific broadcast schedule. While they were the home for these teams for years, broadcast rights are a moving target.
- Knicks/Rangers: Usually found on the ESPN New York platforms, but always check the local listings because blackouts and conflict games (where both teams play at once) can push one team to a secondary overflow station.
- The App: This is honestly the most reliable way to listen now. The signal doesn't drop, and you don't have to worry about AM static.
Actionable Steps for the Modern Listener
If you're a fan of the "98.7" vibe but are frustrated by the frequency changes, here is how you actually stay connected without losing your mind.
1. Stop relying on the car's "Seek" button. If you’re still trying to find the station at 98.7 on your dial in certain parts of the tri-state area, you’re going to get a different station or static. Program 1050 AM into your presets, but realize it won't sound as good.
🔗 Read more: Heisman Trophy Nominees 2024: The Year the System Almost Broke
2. Use the "Smart Speaker" hack. If you have an Alexa or Google Home, just say "Play ESPN New York." It defaults to the digital stream, which is higher quality than the AM broadcast. This is the easiest way to get the Michael Kay show in your kitchen without dealing with a radio antenna.
3. Download the specific ESPN New York App. Don't just use the general ESPN app. The local New York app has specific localized clips and "on-demand" segments of the shows. If you missed Don La Greca’s rant about the Yankees' lack of bunting at 4:30 PM, it’ll be uploaded as a standalone clip by 5:15 PM.
4. Follow the hosts on social media for live updates. Because the station is in a state of flux regarding its physical frequency, the hosts often post direct links to streams when games are on. This is especially helpful during the playoffs when scheduling gets weird.
The truth is that ESPN New York 98.7 FM isn't really a "place" on the radio dial anymore. It’s a brand. It’s a collection of voices that New Yorkers have grown to trust (or love to hate) over the last twenty years. Whether those voices are coming through a crystal-clear FM signal or a compressed digital stream doesn't change the fact that when the Mets collapse in September, we all want to hear Michael Kay explain why.
The move away from the FM signal was a business necessity, but the "soul" of the station remains in the local arguments, the bad takes from callers, and the undeniable passion of New York sports fans. If you want to keep listening, you just have to be a little more tech-savvy than you used to be. The days of the "analog fan" are over.