E159: How One Publisher Turned Local Sports Into a Revenue Engine

In this episode, Kevin talks with Sam Dixon, publisher of Sports Weekly+, about how a one-person effort covering high school sports grew into a thriving local media brand. Sam shares how he identified a gap in coverage during the pandemic and built a publication that blends print, digital, and social media to serve his community.

They discuss the realities of running a modern local news operation—from monetizing Facebook and building a subscriber model to balancing print with digital growth. Sam also explains how his work doubles as a training ground for student journalists, why community-focused content still drives engagement, and how looking to the past can help shape the future of local media.