Good Karma Broadcasting, LLC, doing business as Good Karma Sports (formerly Good Karma Brands) is an American conglomerate. Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it has interests in sports marketing, radio broadcasting, retail, and real estate. Good Karma was founded in 1997 by Craig Karmazin, the son of former Viacom and SiriusXM executive Mel Karmazin. Craig remains the CEO of Good Karma to this day.
The company owns and/or operates radio stations in the states of California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The majority of its radio stations are ESPN Radio affiliates, including its New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago stations—which were sold by The Walt Disney Company to GKB in December 2021. In July 2023, GKB also assumed the day-to-day operations and advertising sales for ESPN Radio nationwide.
History The company was established in August 1997, and GKB would make its first acquisition of radio stations in December of that year with the purchase of stations in its home base of Beaver Dam (WBEV and WXRO) as well as in Columbus, Wisconsin (WTLX).GKB's roots - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
As time passed, GKB would also eventually purchase stations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Madison, Wisconsin; Cleveland, Ohio; and West Palm Beach, Florida, with the majority of these stations having a sports radio format with an ESPN Radio affiliation.
In 2006, GKB opened an interior design/furniture store in Milwaukee called The Home Market, and would later open a second location in Madison, Wisconsin.The Home Market - Good Karma Brands.com
In 2011, GKB began to purchase residential properties near Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The buildings were collectively branded as the "Tundra Trio", and were renovated as upscale properties that can be rented for events.
In 2013, GKB station WKNR ESPN 850 in Cleveland became the AM flagship station for the Cleveland Browns.WKNR becomes Browns AM flagship - All Access.com That year, it also partnered with ESPN Events on the Boca Raton Bowl.
In January 2014, to reflect the company's expansion beyond radio, GKB officially changed its name from Good Karma Broadcasting to its name of Good Karma Brands.
On July 17, 2014, it was reported that GKB had purchased a minority ownership stake in the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).GKB buys stake in Bucks - Fox 6 Now.com
On July 27, 2018, GKB announced it had reached a deal to acquire WTMJ and WKTI in Milwaukee from the E. W. Scripps Company. WKTI would flip to ESPN Radio.
On August 28, 2019, it was announced by ESPN Radio that day-to-day management of Chicago's WMVP would move from direct purview by ESPN to a management agreement with Good Karma Brands. The station's incumbent general manager, Jim Pastor, retired at the end of the year, with Good Karma beginning to operate the station on September 29, 2019, under a lease with Disney. The lease did not lead to any immediate changes to personnel and facilities. Two years later, on December 13, 2021, Good Karma announced it would acquire WMVP outright, as well as WEPN in New York City, and KSPN in Los Angeles. GKB also assumed Disney's local marketing agreement to operate Emmis Communications-owned WEPN-FM in New York City. GKB would pay $15 million for the stations, with $1 million paid at the deal's closing and the rest paid in quarterly installments of $500,000. The sale of WEPN was closed in March 2022.
On July 31, 2023, it was reported that ESPN had reached an agreement for Good Karma Brands to assume day-to-day operations and advertising sales for the ESPN Radio network and its podcasts under a revenue sharing agreement, which began July 28; ESPN will continue to remain responsible for the network's content and distribution. Karmazin considered it a culmination of the company's long-standing relationship with ESPN Radio, explaining that "we probably went against what anyone would recommend, but we have just gone all-in with one brand — a brand that we don't own. [...] We just believe so strongly in it. And we believe we complement what the Walt Disney Co. and ESPN does so well because we’re going to treasure their brand in the same way they do."
On August 12, 2024, GKB announced that it would enter into a local marketing agreement with Audacy, Inc. New York City station WCBS effective August 26, ending its long-standing all-news format and transitioning to the ESPN Radio programming previously heard on WEPN-FM. The agreement comes amid the conclusion of GKB's LMA with Emmis at the end of the month, which will not be renewed. Audacy retained control of its existing rights on the station (now WHSQ) for the New York Mets.
On February 3, 2026, GKB took over distribution of the Buffalo Bills Radio Network from Audacy, eventually contracting with Cumulus Media to carry the team on WGRF, along with the Sabres Hockey Network, both teams owned by Terry Pegula. A later announcement indicated that the Sabres network would not be managed by Good Karma and would remain under Audacy's oversight.
Good Karma and the Milwaukee Bucks announced on July 10, 2026, that GKB will distribute and handle ad sales and affiliate relations for its telecasts across a statewide over-the-air network and DTC service, to be led by Rincon's WVTV-DT2 in Milwaukee (channel 24 in Milwaukee, otherwise known as My 24), starting with that summer's Summer League games. The new network replaces the team's former arrangement with the now-defunct FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin dating to the 1996–97 season, with occasional over-the-air telecasts on WMLW-TV (channel 49) and a statewide network over the last two seasons. Channel 24 had last carried Bucks telecasts in the 1993–94 season. GKB also has the same arrangement with Fox's WITI (channel 6) and the Milwaukee Brewers to distribute a Tuesday home game package in the 2025 and 2026 baseball seasons in a simulcast with MLB Local Media's Brewers.tv streaming service and pay-TV channel.
In August 2026, GKB changed its trade name to "Good Karma Sports", in order to emphasize its current focus on sports marketing and broadcasting.
Assets Current stations + List of radio stations owned by Good Karma Sports Media market State Station Format Purchased Notes Los Angeles California KSPN ESPN Radio 2021 West Palm Beach Florida WEFL TUDN Radio 2005 WESP ESPN Radio 2013 Chicago Illinois WMVP ESPN Radio 2019 Cleveland Ohio WKNR ESPN Radio 2006 New York City New York WEPN ESPN Radio 2021 WHSQ ESPN Radio 2024 Beaver Dam Wisconsin WBEV ESPN Radio 1997 WBEV-FM Oldies 1997 Madison WTLX ESPN Radio 1997 Milwaukee WGKB Black talk 2004 WKTI ESPN Radio 2018 WTMJ Talk and sports 2018
Former stations + List of radio stations formerly owned by Good Karma Sports Media market State Station Purchased Sold Notes Cleveland Ohio WWGK 2006 2021 Beloit–Janesville Wisconsin WTJK 2000 2014 WWHG 2000 2014 Milwaukee WAUK 2008 2022 Watertown WTTN 1999 2023
Radio networks Buffalo Bills Radio Network Chicago Bears Radio Network Chicago White Sox Radio Network Cleveland Browns Radio Network (AM flagship) Milwaukee Brewers Radio Network (AM flagship) Milwaukee Bucks Radio Network Los Angeles Rams Radio Network (AM Flagship)
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