Oklahoma City, August 20, 2018– The Oklahoma City Thunder and Cumulus Radio today announced they have renewed their long-standing partnership, committing to a multi-year agreement that keeps 98.1 FM WWLS The Sports Animal as the radio flagship home of the Thunder.
Matt Pinto returns for his 11th season as the Thunder’s radio voice for all preseason, regular season and playoff games. Pinto will also continue to host the weekly Thunder Full Court Press show on The Sports Animal, dedicated exclusively to Thunder basketball.
“The Sports Animal has been a tremendous and loyal partner since our inception in Oklahoma City in 2008. The station’s strong listener base and powerful reach have made it the ideal radio partner. We are excited to continue this successful relationship,” said Dan Mahoney, the Thunder’s vice president of broadcasting.
“The Thunder is a part of the Sports Animal DNA,” said Jay Davis, Cumulus vice president and market manager. “We are as excited to be a part of the Thunder’s 11th season, as we were the inaugural year.”
The Sports Animal is the flagship station in the Thunder Radio Network, a collection of radio stations statewide carrying Thunder games. Many of the stations in the network are also Sports Animal affiliates, including The Sports Animal Tulsa, 97.1 FM.
The agreement also keeps Thunder Spanish broadcasts on Cumulus station WKY 930-AM (ESPN Deportes) with Eleno Ornelas behind the microphone.