Youth Sports Coverage is Fueling Big Revenue and Audience Growth

LaGrange, Georgia, is a big sports town.

“Whether it’s T-ball, high school football…that’s where you can see the unity in the community,” said BeeTV owner April Ross.

So when The Pivot Fund decided to invest in BeeTV, Ross knew she wanted to use some of that funding to make sports a big part of the station’s brand.

Four months ago, BeeTV hired longtime LaGrange Daily News sports writer Kevin Eckleberry, who has been covering community sports in the region for more than 20 years. Since then, BeeTV has launched a new sports Facebook page, BeeTVSports, and gained over 4,600 followers.

Eckleberry reports youth and collegiate sports events live on Facebook, publishes stories to the social media platform, and will launch a new show, Kevin’s Corner, that will be available on Youtube, Roku and broadcast to the station’s Spectrum cable channel available to 600,000 households across 11 counties. BeeTVSports is also developing an email newsletter.

“(People) have been contacting me to thank me for hiring (Kevin),” said Ross, who often receives messages from parents, student-athletes, and school officials. “A lady stopped me and said, ‘he was at the girl’s softball game – no one covers the female athletes.’”

Beyond a strong community response, Ross said several local businesses have proactively contacted about sponsorships for Kevin’s Corner and other coverage. BeeTV already sees $4,500 in new monthly income, and Ross expects the sports coverage to generate at least $120,000 in new annual revenue. She recently secured a premier sponsor for the organization’s first-ever sports banquet this May.

She’s also interviewing candidates for a new position, a digital sales director, who can take over management of ads and sponsorships and free her up to do other work.

Eventually, Ross wants to expand BeeTVSports to all 11 counties in their coverage area.

I’m so excited to see how BeeTV’s sports coverage is connecting with the broader LaGrange community. It’s a great example of how hyperlocal coverage can draw in new audiences and build sustainable news organizations.

I’ve shared stories in the past about how BeeTV helped address the community’s devastation and outrage after three young men were killed in a vehicle collision, and other media outlets covered the deaths of the two white men who were involved while ignoring the death of the Black man who was with them.

BeeTV is hosting gift drives through the winter holiday season, giving away Christmas trees and covering community Christmas parades across the region.

With its expanded sports coverage, the station is finding yet another way to elevate and spotlight an important part of life in LaGrange.

As Ross puts it: “We are more than a news source. We are here to keep the gel of the community together too.”