The MFL Podcaster Division and Mini-Show Leagues, Explained

Get ready to take your parasocial relationships to the next level! Last year’s Movies Fantasy League podcast division was such a success that we once again welcomed an exciting lineup of entertainment and culture podcasters, including our returning champion, Fighting in the War RoomKatey Rich, Head of Programming, said: “This time around, the stakes are real, for both hosts and listeners. Here’s what you need to know about the Podcaster Division, Podcast Listener Mini Leagues, and how you can get involved.”

➼ The Podcasters Division: Dozens of our favorite cultural podcast hosts and producers compete in a subset of the MFL to prove who has the best awards season expertise, box office insight, and writing savvy. When the leaderboard goes live, you’ll be able to filter to see how different podcasters stack up against each other. At the end of the season, the winner will be awarded an ostentatious championship belt, because why not.

➼ Podcast listener mini-leagues: This is where you can play. Most shows in the Podcaster Division will host mini-leagues, meaning listeners of a given show will be able to compete against each other — and against other mini-leagues. There’s more than just bragging rights on the line: the winning mini-league (see scoring system below) will land a TV for the top finisher and MoviePass subscriptions for everyone in the top 10.

Read on to find out which podcasts are competing this year, and make a note of the mini-league name so you can enter it when you fill out your registration. (Be sure to check out the full MFL Draft Guide first for tips and information.)

Important Note:You can only belong to one mini-league, so you may have to choose between your favorite podcasts and/or friend groups. We regret putting you in this situation.

➼ Who plays: Jonathan Braylock (@jonbraylock)
➼ Where to find them: @blackmenpodcast
➼ Name of the mini-league: The awakening of the BMCJ

➼ Who plays: Griffin Newman (@GriffLightning), David Sims (@davidlsims)
➼ Where to find them: @BlankCheckPod
➼ Name of the mini-league: Covers

➼ Who plays: Justin Khoo (@juskhoo)
➼ Where to find them: @cowspod

➼ Who plays: Sarah D. Bunting (@sarahdbunting), Tara Ariano (@TaraAriano)
➼ Where to find them: @ExtraHotPodcast
➼ Name of the mini-league: Extraordinarily hot minds

➼ Who plays: Dominick Nero (@dominicknero), Adam Volerich (@AdamVole)
➼ Where to find them: @eyeoftheduckpod
➼ Name of the mini-league: Duck League

➼ Who plays: Katey Rich (@kateyrich), Dave Gonzales (@da7e), Matthew Patches (@misterpatches), David Ehrlich (@davidehrlich)
➼ Where to find them: @FITWR
➼ Name of the mini-league: FIT Warriors

➼ Who plays: Bob Book, Brad Gee
➼ Where to find them: @FilmWhiskey
➼ Name of the mini-league: The Viscosity League

➼ Who plays: Adam Kempenaar (@filmspotting), Sam Van Hallgren (@samvanhallgren)
➼ Where to find them: @filmspotting
➼ Name of the mini-league: I don’t have friends, I have family

➼ Who plays: Jesse David Fox (@JesseDavidFox)
➼ Where to find them: @GoodOnepodcast

➼ Who plays: Hayes Davenport (@HayesDavenport), Sean Clements (@seanclements), Kevin Bartlet
➼ Where to find them: @HandbookBoys
➼ Name of the mini-league: Scoop Troop

➼ Who plays: Ira Madison III (@iramadisonthree), Louis Virtel (@louisvirtel)
➼ Where to find them: @keepitshow
➼ Name of the mini-league: Stay the course

➼ Who plays: Charles Hood (@charlesh00d), Drew Taylor (@DrewTailored)
➼ Where to find them: @LightTheFusePod
➼ Name of the mini-league: The rabbit’s legs

➼ Who plays: David Canfield (@davidcanfield97), Richard Lawson (@rilaws), Rebecca Ford (@Beccamford) for The little golden men; Richard Lawson (@rilaws), Hillary Busis (@hillibusterr) and Chris Murphy (@christress) for Still watching
➼ Where to find them: @littlegoldmen
➼ Name of the mini-league: Flair of vanity

➼ Who plays: Katie Walsh (@katiewalshstx), Blake Howard (@OneBlakeMinute)
➼ Where to find them: @OHMPods
➼ Name of the mini-league: Mann-iacs

➼ Who plays: Alison Leiby (@AlisonLeiby), Halle Kiefer (@HalleKiefer)
➼ Where to find them: @ruinedpodcast
➼ Name of the mini-league: Ruin

➼ Who plays: Scott Aukerman (@ScottAukerman), Shaun Diston (@shaundiston)
➼ Where to find them: @ComedyBangBang
➼ Name of the mini-league: Scott has no Seeners

➼ Who plays: Clay Keller (@claykeller), Ryan Marker (@MarkerRyan625), Darren Franich (@DarrenFranich)
➼ Where to find them: @ScreenDrafts
➼ Name of the mini-league: Screen Drafts

➼ Who plays: Dan Mecca (@djmecca), Conor O’Donnell (@scruffyl00kin)
➼ Where to find them: @TFSBSide
➼ Name of the mini-league: The B-Siders

➼ Who plays: Chris Feil (@chrisvfeil)
➼ Where to find them: @Had_Oscar_Buzz
➼ Name of the mini-league: Garanters

➼ Who plays: Paul Scheer (@PaulScheer), Amy Nicholson (@theAmyNicholson), Matt Apodaca, Codi Fischer, Jess Cisneros
➼ Where to find them: @unspooled
➼ Name of the mini-league: Unfolded

➼ Who plays: Bobby Finger (@bobbyfinger), Lindsey Weber (@lindseyweber)
➼ Where to find them: @whoweekly
➼ Name of the mini-league: The Wholigans

The Podcast Listeners Mini-League competition will be scored as follows: The total score for a Mini-League will be the sum of the scores of the top ten players/teams in that Mini-League. At the end of the season, the Mini-League with the highest cumulative score among its top ten will be declared the winner, and those ten players will be generously rewarded.

➼ The top team in the winning mini-league will receive a 50-inch Westinghouse Roku 4K Ultra HD TV.

➼ Each top ten team in the winning mini-league will receive a one-year MoviePass subscription, valid for up to four movies per month in theaters.

Want to participate in a podcast mini-league? Just enter the name of your podcast mini-league of choice in the “League Name” field when you’re casting your ballot. (Already cast your ballot? Email [email protected] with your team name and desired mini-league, and we’ll help you set it up.)