Contract drama engulfs massive Boston sports radio show ‘Toucher and Rich’

“Toucher and Rich,” one of the top-rated sports talk radio programs in the country, continues to be enveloped by drama.

Eagle-eyed X account Boston Radio Watch noticed Wednesday that the show’s social media accounts had migrated to become personal accounts for co-host Rich Shertenlieb.

This led to natural speculation as to whether Fred Toucher would be leaving the program.

But then there was a twist!

Kirk Minihane, the Barstool Sports personality who previously competed against “Toucher and Rich” in morning drive on rival station WEEI, wrote on X that he’d heard Toucher had signed a new contract with 98.5 The Sports Hub — but that Shertenlieb had not.

“So this is Rich’s way of proving a point,” Minihane continued.

Later Wednesday, Sports Hub parent company Beasley Media Group announced Toucher’s contract extension.

“We are thrilled that Sports Hub listeners will be able to hear Fred’s unique brand of humor each weekday morning for years to come,” Beasley executive Mary Menna said in a statement.

The Boston Globe noted that “Toucher and Rich” had a 15.3 share in the men’s 25-54 demographic — which is what sports talk radio ads are sold against — in the summer ratings book, while WEEI’s “Greg Hill Show” scored an 11.3, and that this was the closest the two stations had been in morning drive “in years.”

“Toucher and Rich” have been together on 98.5 since the station launched in 2009, and were partners at WBCN in Boston for several years prior to that.

The show now has a third co-host, Jon Wallach.

In May, Toucher slammed his co-host for not reaching out to him to see how he was doing when he was undergoing throat surgery to address a cancer scare.

“Call me a wimp. But nobody on my show has reached out to me besides [producer Mike Lockhart] I have reached out to Rich and got basically nothing back. Obviously the show is fine without me and I should start planning my future,” Toucher tweeted at the time.

Toucher eventually apologized on-air for lashing out.