DETROIT – Michigan Sports Network’s The HUGE Show has been among the state’s most popular sports talk destinations for radio listeners by presenting the latest and greatest in Detroit sports opinions for almost two decades.
And now Detroit is going HUGE.
The popular Grand Rapids-based show, heard on 21 MSN affiliate Michigan stations, has added WXYT-AM 1270 of Detroit.
The 50,000-watt station opens up MSN-targeted markets by covering most of the east side of Michigan into parts of Northwest Ohio, and with its popular sister FM station, 97.1 The Ticket, provides sports fans an unprecedented selection of sports content.
“We’ve been doing state of Michigan sports and Detroit sports for almost 19 years, and now the people of Detroit finally get to hear it,” said Bill Simonson, also known as HUGE, the show’s host and creator.
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“I think the combination of opinions from me, the audience and my guests has made the show thrive and helped it grow. The Detroit market has been a target since day one and we’ve been talking about the pro sports teams in Detroit and the teams of Michigan and Michigan State daily for all those years. The HUGE Show growing from a local show to statewide and now into Detroit is the natural progression. It says something about what we do – having that kind of growth – and the early feedback from Detroit has been fantastic.”
The HUGE Show, which can be heard daily from 3-6 p.m. across the state, debuted on WXYT last Thursday, and Simonson said the new members of the Detroit audience will realize quickly it is all about their favorite teams and sports.
“We wouldn’t have grown and moved into Detroit if we were not delivering Detroit pro sports, Michigan and Michigan State sports and opinions on a daily basis,” he said. “They will realize I have great on-air relationships with people like Tom Izzo, Ben Wallace, Jeff Blashill and other key figures, coaches and athletes in Michigan sports, and that we provide the complete package. We are and have been what they want to hear on sports talk radio.”
Simonson said adding WXYT is also HUGE for the show’s advertising partners.
“Growing our audience from the 6 million people we’ll now reach in the Motor City is big, and this truly makes us a statewide show on the Michigan Sports Network (MSN),” he said.
Marty Booher of MSN, which purchased The HUGE Show in January of 2019, said taking the show to every corner of the state, has been the network’s primary goal.
“The HUGE Show was already a great sports talk radio show about Detroit and Michigan sports, and now more people in Detroit and Michigan have a way to listen in,” he said. “It’s a great day for Bill, the show, the network, our advertising partners, our sponsors and sports fans.”
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Simonson, 58 and a West Michigan native, grew up a passionate fan of the teams he talks about each show, and is a veteran of sports radio with 28 years of experience in places like Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Austin, Chicago and for the last 19 years back home in Michigan.
The father of five is known for his support of law enforcement, the military, charities that help children and he has hosted and worked on various platforms, including ESPN and CBS Sports Radio, been a play-by-play voice in the XFL, voiced the NFL Blitz video games and was the voice in the Kurt Russell movie, Touchback.
“I grew up in Michigan and was a Tigers, Lions, Pistons and Wings fan,” he said. “My emotions for the teams are based on being a life-long fan,” he said. “Listeners connect to that. They know we have something in common.”
The Huge Show is heard Statewide in Michigan Weekday afternoons 3-6pm.
