Get to Know Metro: Matt Burke
Many of the region’s most talented publishers, marketing directors, writers and editors work for Metro. Here is just one of the many members of the Metro family: Matt Burke, National Sports Editor.
Matt Burke is the National Sports Editor at Metro and has been at the company for over four years. He has covered sports in and around New England for over a decade. He currently resides in Groveland, Massachusetts with his wife and 2-year-old son.
How has sports coverage changed over the years?
Gone are the days of the game story, where writers would simply illustrate who had the big hit and who pitched well in the Red Sox game the night before. Today, the sports fan consumes sports opinion, and sports features, and always wants to know, “what’s next?” for his or her team. Metro offers great sports opinion with tremendous columnists in all three of our Metro cities, and because we now live in a “preview over review” sports culture – where everyone is looking ahead to better days and better results for the teams they follow – we give the people what they crave. Only one team/fan base can win the championship each year, so the fans of all the other teams are interested in how their favorite team can get back to that championship level. We try to outline how that can happen on a daily basis and we look to feed into fans’ excitement for the future.
What works well in print and what works well on the web when it comes to sports coverage?
People across the country – and globe, for that matter – gobble up our NFL and NBA mock drafts on the web. I envision fans sitting on their couches watching the game and when their team is playing poorly, they start fantasizing about that next big prospect. That’s where we come in. We put names and faces to those dreams of a better tomorrow for their respective teams.
In print, people love to see opinion and sports gossip. They want to read about trade rumors instead of who scored the touchdown in this past Sunday’s game. Most sports fans already know who scored the touchdown on Sunday, but they might not know who the Patriots are in pursuit of.
What sports are on the rise in the U.S.?
You’ve heard it before, but soccer’s popularity is definitely on the rise in the States. Our Copa America previews did very well on the web and people in our coverage areas (New York, Boston and Philly) are interested in not only MLS but also in what’s going on in the Premier League. People are interested in both local and international soccer.
Also, lacrosse is growing in popularity. College sports are growing in popularity. ESports is growing in popularity, and fantasy sports are more popular than ever.
Why should people come to Metro for sports coverage?
We give people wall-to-wall coverage of the sports and sports stories that matter most. We have a tremendous grasp on the exact kind of information sports fans crave in 2016 and we give them that information.
Fans also love to react to strong sports opinion and we try to engage the reader. One of our top stories in 2016 was a “reader reaction” story where we simply printed the opinions of Metro readers in response to our Top 10 NFL players of all-time opinion piece.
The reader loves to have his or her opinion heard and we love to give them the chance in the spotlight. Sports fans are absurdly passionate – especially in sports-crazed cities like New York, Boston and Philly – and they deserve a forum like the one we present at Metro.
Contact Matt Burke
617.338.6723
