For 14 seasons, radio coverage of the only National Football League franchise that plays its home games in the state of New York aired its game-day play-by-play on a 5kw Class B Audacy Inc. AM.
As 2026 began, word surfaced that the station, WGR, would no longer serve as the team’s radio flagship. As Audacy planned for the future minus the Buffalo Bills, a new audio broadcast home was sought. Now, a deal is in place.
And, it sees a shift to a station with nearly identical call letters but a very rock ‘n’ roll vibe: WGRF “97 Rock,” the Cumulus Media-owned Classic Rocker home to Shredd & Ragan in morning drive that remains one of the most-listened-to stations in the format against heavy competition from Townsquare Media and several Canadian FMs audible in Western New York.
The agreement between the Bills and Cumulus marks a return of the team to FM radio and to 97 Rock, which was the flagship station for the NFL franchise home to Quarterback Josh Allen from 1998-2011.
This time around, Cumulus is airing the games in partnership with the Buffalo Bills Radio Network, which earlier this year was first tipped as an entity involving Good Karma Brands, the Craig Karmazin-led entity that owns ESPN Radio outlets in a host of other markets but not in Buffalo-Niagara Falls.
The arrangement sees the Bills agreeing to produce and manage all of the team’s radio broadcasts, including pre-game and post-game coverage.
Cumulus-owned WSKO-AM “The Score 1260” in Syracuse will serve as that market’s affiliate. Stations in Rochester, N.Y., and in Southern Ontario will be signing on to the Bills network soon.
“As we move into Highmark Stadium, we look forward to bringing Bills games back to 97 Rock and expanding our reach to even more fans across New York, as well as Southern Ontario,” said Pete Guelli, Bills President of Business Operations. “This new partnership ensures Bills fans will enjoy a best-in-class broadcast experience each and every game day.”
Chris Brown returns for his fourth season as play-by-play announcer, and is joined by color analyst and former Bills Pro Bowl center Eric Wood for his seventh season. Bills icon Steve Tasker will join the game-day coverage team as the sideline reporter.
“This is a proud moment for our company and for Buffalo,” said Cumulus Media Regional Vice President Beth Coughlin. “After 14 years, reuniting with the Bills as they move into a new stadium allows us to deliver a unique, elevated game day experience — bringing together two premier teams committed to excellence, community, and fans.”
