“Nothing Major,” the tennis podcast hosted by former ATP players John Isner, Sam Querrey and Stevie Johnson, has signed a multiyear licensing deal to join Colin Cowherd’s podcast network, The Volume. The agreement will see The Volume take over “Nothing Major’s” sponsorship and advertising sales (which had been managed by Athletes First) and provide expertise in other areas like production, creative strategy and marketing as needed. The deal was catalyzed by a relationship between Athletes First EVP/Broadcasting & New Media Gideon Cohen, a member of SBJ’s 2019 Forty Under 40 class, and longtime media executive Jamie Horowitz, who helped Cowherd launch The Volume in 2021. The Volume’s podcast portfolio also includes sports shows featuring former NBAer Jeff Teague (“Club 520″), Fever G Sophie Cunningham (“Show Me Something”), retired NFL CB Richard Sherman (“The Richard Sherman Show”), MMA analyst Daniel Cormier (“The Daniel Cormier Show”), former MLB star Anthony Rizzo (“The Lovable Reunion”) and FS1 host Nick Wright (“What’s Wright?”).
“The Volume began with a focus on core sports -- building around voices in the NFL and NBA like Colin Cowherd, Richard Sherman and ”Club 520." Over time, it’s expanded into different categories beyond the initial vision, including music, comedy and entertainment,” Horowitz told SBJ, citing Cunningham’s show and the hip-hop focused “Joe and Jada” and “New Rory and Mal” podcasts. “When you look at the portfolio, it was clear tennis was missing. With ‘Nothing Major,’ that gap is filled while staying true to The Volume’s core focus: working with digital creators who combine personality and authority. John, Sam and Steve are a perfect fit for that.”
“Nothing Major” launched in 2024 and, according to its executive producer, Charlie Fox (whose agency Sift Creative manages the show’s production and social media channels), has averaged 6M monthly views and downloads this year. The show has also attracted sponsors like Tennis Warehouse, IBM and NordVPN.
“It’s been a steady growth,” Fox said. “There is still room to grow organically, but what was attractive about [The Volume] was we want to speak to non-tennis fans as well who may be a casual fan.
“The gasoline [on the fire] is having what we’ve already built but being able to be seen by more people. Once somebody ingests what we’re making and gets a taste of it, it turns into just a fun hang with the guys where you’re also learning a bit about tennis and the ecosystem of the sport.”
“Nothing Major” is one of a handful of tennis podcasts to come onto the scene in the past three years, along with Andy Roddick’s “Served” -- the market leader, by public indicators -- and, more recently, Tennis Channel’s “The Big T” featuring Brad Gilbert and a rotating cast of co-hosts. (“Served” briefly signed with Vox for ad sales but has since gone back to operating independently under Roddick’s media company, Served Media.) There is also “The Tennis Podcast,” which started in 2012 and was licensed by The Athletic last year.
