Who doesn't love hearing the great Al McCoy document every "Shazam" on 98.7 Arizona Sports, as the Phoenix Suns try to make a magical run to their first championship?

Besides those in Kansas City, who didn't love hearing the legendary Gene Deckerhoff's calls of Tom Brady's touchdown passes in Super Bowl LV a few months back on the Bucs' flagship station, 98 Rock?

Live play-by-play on the radio is a thing of beauty, especially if you have outstanding broadcasters, a winning team and a clear-as-day signal. Think about it. Before your very ears, wherever you may be, the broadcast brings you inside the stadium, and you can visualize exactly what's happening.

But in the technology-filled world we live in these days, with people's attention being stretched in so many directions, is there a true value to live play-by-play for radio stations in 2021...and beyond? As Scott Sutherland, market manager for Bonneville's Phoenix cluster (which includes Arizona Sports 98.7, Sports 620 KTAR and KTAR News 92.3 FM), told Barrett Sports Media during a recent exclusive interview, "Who has the big Yamaha (radio) receiver" at their home these days? "No one."

That's why a recurring theme echoed by the radio leaders BSM interviewed about this topic was that radio stations must be able to stream their live play-by-play games online in their respective markets, in addition to the traditional terrestrial signal.

Sutherland, whose Phoenix stations carry the Suns, Cardinals and Diamondbacks over-the-air (The Phoenix Rising soccer team is online-only), said a big question market managers better ask when negotiating play-by-play rights with teams is, "Are streaming rights included? If they aren't, it's to the point now where it's probably a deal-killer...where stations are moving people to apps...I think the deals are turning to where streaming rights are included. We're paying for the audio rights in our DMA (Designated Market Area). If the streaming isn't included, all we're paying for is in-car listening...and even in the car, if they listen to an app, those rights would not be available. Streaming rights play a huge role."

In Tampa Bay, where they're still bragging about being Kings of the NFL and are in the Stanley Cup Final (once again), WDAE and WFLA Program Director John Mamola is big on stations having streaming rights, too. "MLB.com and the At-Bat app are great, but you gotta pay for it," he told BSM. "There's no reason (people) shouldn't be able to consume Tampa Bay Rays content" in the DMA via the WDAE channel on the free IHeartRadio app. "Not everyone listens on a radio anymore. It's vital that radio stations continue in that path to find ways to integrate those play-by-play rights on their internet stream. If you're not thinking of different ways to work with your partnership to get it to more people in any way, any shape possible, then you're just taking the play-by-play rights for granted."

From IHeart stations, to Audacy, Cumulus, Beasley and everyone in between, some stations have been able to air the live play-by-play broadcasts on its online stream in the market. For this article, Barrett Sports Media isn't naming which stations can air the broadcasts on its stream, as it's a fluid conversation/negotiation that's occurring between stations and teams throughout the country. What is clear, though, is that for live play-by-play to be viable for some radio properties, teams and leagues (and Satellite Radio) won't be able to have exclusivity in the streaming space.

If you're Dan Bennett, the longtime leader of Cumulus' Sports Radio 96.7 FM/1310 AM "The Ticket," you don't necessarily need live play-by-play to be a powerhouse. The Ticket built its bulletproof brand on the backs of its iconic, one-of-a-kind sports talk hosts. Sure, The Ticket is the home of the Dallas Stars, but there won't be any financial losses on Bennett's watch to have the Stars' play-by-play rights. "If you can't make them make financial sense, then it's really difficult to justify it," he told BSM. "...We bill good money with the Stars and we really don't have any expenses."

Overall, Bennett said the "value is still there" for radio stations to have live play-by-play. In 2020, "when the Dallas Stars made their Stanley Cup run, our ratings were number one in the market with men," he said.

Bennett did mention that Westwood One, a Cumulus entity, produces the popular NFL Sunday Night, Monday Night and Thursday Night Football radio broadcasts nationwide, which The Ticket carries. "It absolutely gets ratings and we sell that and generate revenue...it's one of the most valuable (play-by-play rights) out there."

The Ticket's main competition, Audacy's 105.3 The Fan, is the home to two Dallas big-four pro teams, the Cowboys and Rangers. The Fan is more reliant on ratings boosts from its live play-by-play programming than The Ticket. But you can say that about a number of radio stations across the country. In Columbus, no one can argue that being the "Home of the Buckeyes" boosts ratings on 97.1 The Fan. In Pittsburgh, Audacy's 93.7 The Fan dominates the sports talk conversation on the Steel City's airwaves, in ratings and revenue, in the critical 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekday arena, in addition to having the rights to the Pirates and Pitt Panthers. But IHeart Pittsburgh has two Mike Tyson-like punches in its stable -- play-by-play rights to the Steelers and Penguins. Fans of those two teams who may not care for Classic/Album Oriented Rock or Alternative Rock have been hypnotized to turn on legendary station WDVE (102.5) for Steelers games, and 105.9 The X for the Penguins, constantly introducing new audiences to those stations.

Pete Ciccone, Program Director for ESPN Radio, is certain that the network's play-by-play rights to Major League Baseball and the NBA plays a role in whether some stations decide to become an ESPN Radio affiliate, as opposed to, say, Fox Sports Radio.

"It's a big part of the package. I don't want to say it's the only element, but I still believe after all these years, it's a significant part of the package," Ciccone told BSM about ESPN Radio's play-by-play rights. "When you combine that with the personalities we have on our talk lineup...whether it's the hosts themselves or the number of diverse ESPN contributors who frequent our airwaves, when you take all of that combined, that's what builds up the value of ESPN Radio. But there's no doubt that the play-by-play card we can play...that helps."

Even in this fragmented world we live in these days, Ciccone said ESPN Radio is committed to live play-by-play (the network also airs college football). "There's been no discussion whatsoever of change," he told BSM. "We've been longtime partners with the NBA going back to '95-'96, partners with MLB since 1998, been a large part of the college football playoffs in conjunction with our TV brethren...there's no question, from our standpoint, we see the value in play-by-play and I tend to think our affiliates still do, too."