Courtesy Boston Globe

(April 16, 2010) With approximately eight months of hard data and anecdotal evidence to consider in the sports radio showdown between heavyweight champion WEEI and upstart contender 98.5 The Sports Hub, the following conclusions, while perhaps slightly premature, are shaping up as truths:

WEEI has done a remarkable job retaining its audience. And The Sports Hub, since its mid-August debut, has done a remarkable job establishing itself as a legitimate player for listeners and advertising dollars. And listeners aren’t so much choosing sides as they are enjoying having real options.

Consider Arbitron’s most recent measurements, from the third week of March, which provide a small but telling sample in sports radio’s most desired demographics, men ages 25-54 and 18-49.

Among men 25-54, WEEI was third overall with a 6.2 share, while The Sports Hub was tied for 10th at 4.0. But in the demo of men 18-49, WEEI was seventh (4.7), with The Sports Hub tied for ninth (4.3).

In the 6-10 a.m. block, The Sports Hub’s “Toucher and Rich’’ tied for third among male listeners 18-49 with a 5.5 share, while WEEI’s “Dennis and Callahan’’ was 10th at 4.2. In the previous two weeks in March, Dennis and Callahan were fifth (5.7) and sixth (5.5) respectively, while Toucher and Rich were eighth (5.2) and seventh (5.3).

WEEI continues to beat The Sports Hub consistently in midday and at night. In the 10 a.m.-3 p.m. window, which includes all four hours of “Dale and Holley’’ on WEEI and The Sports Hub’s entire “Tanguay and Zolak’’ show (now the “Gresh and Zolak’’ show), as well as the first hour of both stations’ drive-time shows, WEEI was third (6.1) while The Sports Hub was tied for ninth (3.4) among men 25-54.

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