Ben Koo Found A Winning Formula With Awful Announcing, And It Continues To Pay Off

Major sports networks rarely mention one another. Ben Koo built a business on criticizing them.

“We’re one of the few places who might see something on TV and go, ‘God, that sucks,’” said Koo, the owner of the website Awful Announcing.

Since taking over the site in 2010, Koo has used his business background to turn Awful Announcing into one of the most recognizable voices covering sports media and culture.

At a time when news networks remain constrained by corporate pressure and league relationships, independent outlets like Awful Announcing are filling a void in sports media. Koo has found success by developing a platform that comments on and critiques the very industry it operates in, a business model made possible by the broader shift toward independent journalism.

“Being a little bit of outsiders to the industry and being kind of candid and for mostly fans, is a big part of that success,” Koo said.

Koo graduated from the business school at Ohio State and worked for technology startups early in his career. A sports fan with an entrepreneurial perspective, he took over Awful Announcing when founder Brian Powell stepped away after four years, capitalizing on its unconventional approach to journalism and assembling a team around it.

“I would say that most of us are not traditional journalists,” said Sam Neumann, a lead editor and staff writer at Awful Announcing. “I wouldn’t say Ben is traditional in any sense of the word.”

Neumann is classically trained in AP Style with a journalism degree from Temple University. Koo, and the majority of his 10-member team, are not. While other newspapers might see this as a disadvantage when hiring writers, Koo views it as a competitive strength. 

Without being tied to standard newsroom norms and practices, Koo and his team can push the creative boundaries.

“[We] write about things you might not be able to write about elsewhere,” Neumann said.

Awful Announcing’s success reached a milestone when Koo announced a partnership with Yahoo Sports on April 30, achieving his long-sought goal. After 20 years, Awful Announcing made its largest step to expand its audience, contributing to a platform that reaches more than 100 million readers a month.

Koo views Yahoo as a natural fit for his company, calling it a “scrappy” player among giants that have major league broadcast deals. 

“We're trying to keep doing the same types of things and trying to add unique content and quality content,” Koo said. “But just trying to make sure it's on all the platforms that give us the audience we need to be successful and relevant.”

‍