From a business perspective, the Baltimore Ravens have been wanting to expand their brand into Washington, D.C. for quite some time.
Much like the Washington Redskins tried to do the moment the Baltimore Colts left town, the Ravens' organization would love nothing more than to have their product reach those in the D.C. area (including Northern Virginia and various southern Maryland suburbs) to gain a bigger reach.
By reaching a deal with a D.C. radio station to broadcast their games, the Ravens have certainly made a first step in joining the district football conservation.
Shortly after announcing Gary Kubiak as the team's new offensive coordinator, the Ravens announced a new partnership with D.C. radio station WBIG 100.3 to broadcast games during the 2014 season.
Ravens team president Dick Cass and receiver Torrey Smith appeared on the radio station, which plays classic rock Monday afternoon to make the announcement.
"This is a terrific partnership for the Ravens," Cass stated. "The power of WBIG’s signal, along with its digital platforms, will go a long way in bringing the Ravens’ games to D.C., many Maryland suburbs and Northern Virginia. We’re excited about this relationship."
A lot of you may not think this is a big deal. To a media nerd like me, it is. The Ravens have just signed a deal with a Washington radio station with an FM signal. The amount of potential listeners for Ravens games could potentially skyrocket, especially for those that would prefer to hear play-by-play from the Ravens' broadcast team over the television crew.
Not trying to slight the Redskins, but they tried mightily to expand into the Baltimore market for years to little or no avail. The Ravens have actually made a legitimate step into the D.C. market. Time will tell to see if it works out for both parties, but it's certainly exciting for a team that's only been in town since 1996.