- - How 1 Radio Host's Simple Catchphrase Evolved Into a Global End-of-Year Phenomenon (Exclusive)

Zoey LyttleDecember 29, 2025 at 10:10 PM

0

Suzi Mellano

Sam Levitt. -

Sam Levitt first created his iconic TikTok audio in 2021, but it didn't go mega-viral until three years ago, when millions used remixed audio of his voice to mark the end of the year

His famed line — "And with that, the 2022 season comes to an end" — was remixed with music and became a global soundtrack, compelling Levitt to recreate the soundbite each year since

Levitt tells PEOPLE what it's been like to hear his voice featured in videos shared by an impressive roster of global brands, big-name influencers and superstar celebrities

As a professional radio host, Sam Levitt's voice has always been at the center of his career. He just never predicted the way he would eventually be heard all around the world.

Levitt's one of the lucky ones in that he's been able to build a life around his — and America's — favorite pastime: baseball. Today, he hosts the pre- and post-game radio show for the San Diego Padres, but his last sports broadcasting gig was based in Amarillo, Texas. In 2021, he was working for the Amarillo Sod Poodles, a minor league team affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

It was inside the Sod Poodles' home ballpark where Levitt, 34, first filmed the concept for the video that led to viral fame. He shared a TikTok that saw him walking out onto the field and looking around as the lights turned off around him. In a voiceover, he spoke his now iconic line: "And with that, the 2021 season comes to an end."

Levitt tells PEOPLE that he only saw a few content creators reuse the audio that year. "In 2021, I wouldn't say it went viral at all," he admits four years later. "The only thing I remember about 2021 was high school athletes would use it on TikTok for the end of their sports seasons."

It was something Levitt dismissed as simply "cool," he remembers, but that was about the full extent of his reaction. In 2022, after he moved to San Diego, he continued posting his regular social media content online, including a remake of his end-of-season wrap video.

Levitt was using the term "season" in a literal way, referring to the conclusion of the World Series after months of baseball, but it didn't matter — the audio took on a viral life of its own. Millions of social media users remixed his voice with music to soundtrack videos recapping the year. The "season comes to an end" line became a beacon of nostalgia and sentimentality.

John Nolan

Sam Levitt in the San Diego Padres broadcasting booth.

"I don't know who was the first to take it and put it on a piece of music. I don't know who was the first to make a template out of it. I really don't," Levitt, 34, tells PEOPLE. "A few of them — more than a few, a lot of them — went super viral, and people started making these compilations of their year. Next thing I know, it was December, and it's just everywhere ... You couldn't scroll TikTok or Instagram for two seconds without hearing it."

Considering the massive reception, Levitt decided to remake the video again for the same year-end content in 2023, 2024 and 2025. He's not seen any lost steam in the viral pickup; in fact, it's only reached bigger audiences, with massive brands, franchises and A-listers using his unmistakable audio.

— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"I would say the celebrities are the ones that made me realize how big it was getting," he tells PEOPLE, noting he's seen videos from the likes of Drew Barrymore, Paris Hilton, Pitbull, Reese Witherspoon, Jimmy Fallon, the Jonas Brothers, members of Coldplay and even more.

"To see big time celebrities and really famous actors use it has really been a pinch me moment, as far as how widespread the whole thing has become," he says. "That's probably the coolest part of it."

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”