Hello and Welcome
Two veteran Toronto Raptors commentators and their producer break down team news, trade rumors, and league happenings with deep analysis and fan nostalgia.
This is a personality-driven show for serious Raptors fans, hosted by two of the most familiar voices in the team's media ecosystem. The hosts' long history together allows them to move seamlessly between granular basketball analysis, nostalgic callbacks to franchise history, and inside jokes. While the core is Raptors talk, the show also features creative sponsored segments and audio from official team press conferences.
“The hosts' well-established chemistry and deep, shared history covering the team is the show's standout feature. Unlike more formal sports analysis, they blend high-level commentary with the long-term memory and passion of diehard fans, reviving old bits like "Kawhi Watch" for new rumors.”
Who hosts this show
Hosted by longtime Raptors commentators Will Lou and Alex Wong with producer Jerome Cheng, "Hello and Welcome" is a daily podcast focused on the Toronto Raptors. Previously the hosts of "The Raptors Show" on Sportsnet, Lou and Wong bring their established chemistry and deep knowledge to The Nation Network. They cover everything from trade rumors and game analysis to cultural topics, often blending serious commentary with the familiar rapport of seasoned fans.
Credentials & credits
- Will Lou: Former host of 'The Raptors Show' on Sportsnet 590 The FAN.
- Will Lou: Former writer/podcaster at Yahoo Sports Canada, TheScore, Raptors Republic.
- Alex Wong: Author of 'Prehistoric: The Audacious and Improbable Origin Story of the Toronto Raptors'.
- Alex Wong: Freelance writer with bylines in The New York Times, ESPN, GQ, and SLAM.
- Alex Wong: Former producer and co-host of 'The Raptors Show' at Sportsnet.
- Alex Wong: University of Toronto alumnus (BBA 2007).
Other ventures
- The Nation Network (Parent Network).
- The Raptors Show (Previous show hosted by Lou and Wong at Sportsnet).
- Raptors Reaction Podcast (Solo post-game show hosted by Will Lou).
- Author: 'We The Champs' (Alex Wong).
- Author: 'Cover Story' (Alex Wong).
- Producer: Serge Ibaka's 'How Hungry Are You' series (Alex Wong).
What kind of podcast
When new episodes drop
- 01Making our own Taco Bell Triple Double CrunchwrapJun 28, 2026 · 13 min
- 02How real are the Kawhi Leonard rumors? And do the Raptors need to make a splash?Jun 26, 2026 · 1h 06m
- 03"I'm ready for the challenge" | Raptors rookie Jaden Bradley unveiled in TorontoJun 25, 2026 · 7 min
- 04"I can compete with the best of them" Allen Graves first interview in TorontoJun 25, 2026 · 14 min
- 05"Really tough, winning player" Raptors AGM on 50th pick Jaden BradleyJun 25, 2026 · 8 min
- 06Raptors take Jaden Bradley with 50th pick | 2026 NBA Draft round 2 reaction (14:20)Jun 25, 2026 · 27 min
- 07
- 08
Notable episodes
- 01How real are the Kawhi Leonard rumors? And do the Raptors need to make a splash?
Demonstrates the hosts' core chemistry, their blend of news analysis with fan nostalgia, and the revival of their signature "Kawhi Watch" bit.
- 02Making our own Taco Bell Triple Double Crunchwrap
Highlights the show's format flexibility and willingness to create unique, personality-driven sponsored content that goes beyond simple ad reads.
- 03"I'm ready for the challenge" | Raptors rookie Jaden Bradley unveiled in Toronto
Shows how the podcast provides direct access to the team by broadcasting full, unedited press conferences with new players.
What you'll be asked on this show
This is not a traditional interview show. The primary format is a co-hosted discussion between Will Lou and Alex Wong. When guests appear, it is typically in a non-standard format, such as a press conference with multiple reporters or a comedic, activity-based segment. Therefore, there is no recurring, signature interview style attributable to the hosts.
The show is primarily a conversational co-host format, with Will Lou and Alex Wong discussing the latest Raptors news. The tone is informal and often humorous. The format is flexible, occasionally featuring non-basketball segments like a sponsored cooking challenge or broadcasting full-length audio from official team press conferences.
Signature segments
- · Kawhi Watch (Revived segment for trade rumors)
- · Countdown Timers (Used for dramatic effect, e.g., for Kawhi Watch)
- · Creative Sponsored Segments
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are infrequent and typically fall into two categories: subject-matter experts for one-off lifestyle segments (like a professional chef) or NBA players and personnel featured via official press conference audio.
- Craig Wongon Making our own Taco Bell Triple Double Crunchwrap
- Jaden Bradleyon "I'm ready for the challenge" | Raptors rookie Jaden Bradley unveiled in Toronto
- Allen Graveson "I can compete with the best of them" Allen Graves first interview in Toronto
- Bobby Websteron Bobby Webster on Raptors picking Allen Graves: "We got one of the better 2-way players in the draft"
- Dan Tolzmanon "Really tough, winning player" Raptors AGM on 50th pick Jaden Bradley
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The show integrates sponsors like Taco Bell and ToonieBet directly into its content. Based on the evidence, some sponsorships are standard ad reads, while others, like Taco Bell, are elaborate, dedicated segments that the hosts build an entire episode around.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts of Hello and Welcome?
- The show is hosted by longtime Toronto Raptors commentators Will Lou and Alex Wong, along with producer Jerome Cheng.
- What is the show's format?
- It is primarily a co-hosted discussion about the Toronto Raptors and the NBA. They also incorporate other formats, like creative sponsored segments and audio from official team press conferences.
- Is this the same as 'The Raptors Show'?
- No, but it features the same hosts. Will Lou and Alex Wong previously hosted 'The Raptors Show' on Sportsnet before starting 'Hello and Welcome' as a new, independent project.
- Is the podcast still running?
- Yes, new episodes are released on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube and likely on major podcast platforms, as it is produced by The Nation Network.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Hello and Welcome Show - Official Sitehellowelcome.show
- [02]Will Lou Bio - Hello and Welcomehellowelcome.show
- [03]Alex Wong Bio - Hello and Welcomehellowelcome.show
- [04]Alex Wong Personal Websitealexwong.co
- [05]The Raptors Show with Will Lou | Podcast on Podbaypodbay.fm
- [06]Sportsnet's William Lou announces departure from "The Raptors Show" - Daily Hivedailyhive.com
- [07]The Nation Network - Podcaststhenation.com
- [08]Prehistoric: U of T alum Alex Wong explores the Toronto Raptors' origin storykpe.utoronto.ca
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