Five Years of KC Sports Network

A thank you note from BJ Kissel

I started thinking about the five-year mark for KCSN about three years ago.

When we launched on May 4, 2021, we knew the idea was good. We had great people, a solid grasp on the digital media space and where it’s going, and a Chiefs dynasty to cover.

I spent a lot of time back then thinking over that “95% of small businesses fail in the first five years” line. I heard it constantly. People close to me echoed that doubt in posts, texts, DMs, and some pretty awkward phone calls. It was actually pretty crushing to learn that the “95% stat” is bullshit and isn’t real. The number is actually closer to like 65%, but I digress.

Kent Swanson originally said the plan was just to “do cool things with friends.” That’s still the best way to describe why we started this.

I’ll be joining the guys on a special episode of the KC Laboratory tonight to share some stories from the last five years of building this thing. But looking back, the goal was never just to build a “company.” We just wanted to earn KCSN a seat at the table in the Kansas City sports scene—to be one of the names people think of, and to use that platform to give back to the city.

I’ve never viewed sports media as a zero-sum game. Everyone has their favorite personalities, and you can like multiple people on multiple platforms. My bet was always that if we were good at what we did, there would be a big enough audience for us to keep doing it.

Last year, we hit over 210 million impressions across our platforms. That’s a lot of people watching, listening, and downloading what we put out.

Thanks to everyone who has been part of this. We’re (still) just getting started.

See you tonight to share some stories you’ve never heard.