If you’ve spent the last decade tuning your car radio to 98.7 FM to hear Dave Rothenberg lose his mind over a Giants offensive line holding penalty, you probably noticed a pretty jarring silence recently. The signal is gone. Well, the signal is there, but the sports talk isn't. It’s weird. For years, the ESPN NY radio schedule was the backbone of the New York commute, a steady stream of Rick DiPietro’s hockey insights and Michael Kay’s legendary rants about the Yankees' lack of fundamentals.
But things shifted. Hard.
In late 2024, Good Karma Brands—the folks who actually run the station—decided to drop the 98.7 FM signal. It was a massive business move that basically signaled the end of an era for traditional terrestrial radio in the city. Now, if you want the ESPN NY radio schedule, you’re looking at 1050 AM or, more likely, an app on your phone. It’s a digital-first world now, and honestly, it’s about time we stopped pretending everyone carries a transistor radio to the beach.
The Current Daily Grind: Who is on and When?
The lineup is actually pretty tight right now, assuming you know where to find it.
Mornings start with DiPietro & Rothenberg. This is arguably the best show on the station. You’ve got Rick DiPietro, a guy who lived the high-pressure life of a first-overall NHL pick, and Dave Rothenberg, who is basically every frustrated fan from Long Island distilled into one human being. They run from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM. It’s fast. It’s loud. They spend an inordinate amount of time talking about the Rangers and the Giants, which, let’s be real, is exactly what we want in the morning.
After they wrap up, the national feed usually kicks in, or they pivot to some of the local heavy hitters. But the anchor of the whole operation remains The Michael Kay Show.
Kay, Don La Greca, and Peter Rosenberg take over the afternoon drive. They start at 3:00 PM and go until 6:30 PM or 7:00 PM depending on the season. This show is the "prestige" block of the ESPN NY radio schedule. Whether you love Kay’s "See ya!" home run calls or find his defense of the Yankees' front office annoying, you can’t deny the chemistry. Don La Greca’s periodic meltdowns—usually about the Rangers or someone disrespecting the "Blue Seats"—are legitimately the stuff of radio legend.
Why the FM Signal Disappeared (And Why It Matters)
Money. It’s always money.
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Maintaining an FM signal in a market like New York City costs a literal fortune. We’re talking millions of dollars a year in leasing fees. Good Karma Brands looked at the data and realized people weren't "tuning in" via the dial as much as they were streaming via the ESPN New York app, Twitch, or YouTube. By dropping the 98.7 FM lease, they saved a massive amount of overhead while betting on the fact that loyal listeners would just follow them to the digital side.
It was a gamble.
Some older listeners—the guys who still use the seek button on their dashboard—definitely got left behind. But for the younger demographic, nothing changed. You just tap a different icon on your CarPlay screen. The 1050 AM signal still exists, but honestly, have you listened to AM radio lately? It sounds like it’s being broadcast from the bottom of a well during a lightning storm.
The Weekend Warrior Problem
Weekends on the ESPN NY radio schedule are a bit of a crapshoot. If there’s a big game, the local guys get bumped for national ESPN Radio coverage or live play-by-play. This is where it gets confusing. Between the Knicks, Rangers, and Jets, the station is often juggling live broadcasts.
- The Knicks and Rangers Factor: Since ESPN NY carries these games, the evening schedule is constantly in flux. If the Knicks are playing at 7:30 PM, Michael Kay might get cut short.
- The Jets Sunday: During the NFL season, Sunday mornings are all about the Green and White.
- National Overlays: Sometimes you’ll tune in expecting local talk and get a guy in Bristol, Connecticut, talking about the Dallas Cowboys. It’s frustrating, I know.
The reality is that local sports radio thrives on "the pain." When the Jets lose a heartbreaker or the Mets collapse in September, that’s when the ESPN NY radio schedule becomes essential. We don't want to hear a national host's "balanced take" on why the Mets failed. We want to hear a local guy who spent three hours in traffic to get to the studio yell about it for four hours.
Does Anyone Still Care About 1050 AM?
Actually, yes. While the 98.7 FM era is over, 1050 AM remains the "official" home for the signal. It’s one of those weird quirks of New York media history. 1050 used to be the main home, then it moved to FM to compete with WFAN (who eventually moved to FM themselves), and now it’s back to the "sticks."
If you’re driving through the Lincoln Tunnel, good luck getting 1050 AM to come in clear. You’re better off using the data on your phone.
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How to Actually Listen Without Losing Your Mind
If you are trying to keep up with the ESPN NY radio schedule in 2026, you need to ditch the old-school mentality.
- Download the App: The ESPN New York app is the most direct way. It doesn't drop out when you go under a bridge.
- YouTube is Key: Most of the big shows, especially Michael Kay, are now simulcast on YouTube. Seeing Peter Rosenberg’s facial expressions while Don La Greca rants adds a whole new layer to the experience.
- Podcasts: If you miss the 6:00 AM start for DiPietro & Rothenberg (because you're a sane human who sleeps), they upload the hours as podcasts almost immediately.
The move away from FM was a "watershed moment," as the corporate suits like to say. But for the fan, it just means the way we consume the ESPN NY radio schedule has evolved. The voices stay the same, the arguments stay the same, and the passion—or the insanity—of New York sports fans remains the constant.
Actionable Steps for the Modern Listener
To ensure you never miss a segment or a breaking news update, stop relying on the radio dial and do these three things:
- Set "Smart" Alerts: Open your preferred streaming app and favorite the ESPN NY channel. This usually triggers notifications when the big shows go live or when a local game broadcast is starting.
- Check the Daily Digital Grid: Every morning, the station's Twitter (X) account usually posts the "Daily Lineup." This is crucial because it accounts for "joined in progress" games or special guests that might shift the usual times.
- Invest in Unlimited Data: If you're streaming the 1050 AM feed or the digital stream in your car, it eats data. Make sure your mobile plan can handle 40+ hours of sports talk a month so you don't get throttled right when the trade deadline hits.
The ESPN NY radio schedule isn't just a list of times; it's the rhythm of the city's sports soul. Even without the FM signal, the conversation hasn't stopped. It just moved to the cloud.