The Next Round Joins Clay Travis' Sport & State

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, August 19, 2026 | 10:46am CT

The Next Round

The Next Round, the Birmingham-based digital sports platform hosted by veteran broadcasters Jim Dunaway, Ryan Brown and Lance Taylor, will join Clay Travis' Sport & State national digital media network beginning August 24.

DBL Down Media announced the partnership as a three-year, multimillion-dollar agreement that will give The Next Round additional national distribution while allowing the program to continue operating from its Birmingham studios.

Dunaway, Brown and Taylor launched The Next Round in 2021 after leaving traditional radio. The trio previously worked together at Birmingham sports outlet WJOX, where their relationship with Travis dates back nearly two decades.

Under the new agreement, The Next Round will expand to four hours of live weekday programming from 9am-1pm CT across its existing platforms. Sport & State will distribute the first two hours, from 9-11am CT, providing the show with an additional national outlet.

The Next Round has built a sizable digital audience since becoming independent. According to DBL Down Media, the platform generated more than 240,000 YouTube views and 60,000 hours watched over the past 30 days, along with nearly 80,000 podcast downloads and millions of additional video views across social platforms.

"The Next Round has proven that a great live sports show doesn't have to be confined by a radio signal or a geographic market," said Bo O'Neal, President and General Manager of The Next Round. "What Jim, Ryan and Lance have built is pretty remarkable."

O'Neal said the partnership will not change the show's format or personality but will provide a larger platform for its content and advertising partners.

Travis, who has remained a regular guest on The Next Round, said the addition fits the network he is building around digital sports programming. "The Next Round Live is now going to be doing a new two-hour daily show for my new media company, Sport & State," said Travis, who recalled first appearing with Taylor on WJOX about 20 years ago.

The Next Round will continue to originate from Birmingham with Dunaway, Brown and Taylor maintaining the show's existing format and personality.