MLS Faces Critical Search for Next Commissioner
With Don Garber’s quarter-century-plus tenure ending next year, MLS has executive headhunters embarked on a sprawling replacement search. A few well-known names have emerged as early targets. With big-growth ambitions, they’d better get it right. https://t.co/5EQuSrXqKz
NFL Media Deals Reshaped
The Varsity * Yahoo hires a new head of sports. * Main Street Sports RSNs aren't going dark this week. * A bull case for college basketball. Guggenheim analyst Mike Morris assesses how the negotiating table has shifted for the NFL and its media...
Mike Morris Unpacks NFL’s High‑Stakes Rights Negotiations
New pod: A conversation with analyst Guggenheim analyst Mike Morris about the myriad questions swirling around the NFL’s looming, blockbuster rights negotiations. https://t.co/6VmcON2TgU
Andrew Marchand Returns: NFL Draft, Tomlin, Capitol Hill
New pod: @AndrewMarchand is back to talk NFL Draft, Tomlin to NBC and the NFL's Capitol Hill issues. https://t.co/nVdD1QcnJg
NFL Media Rights Spark Growing Regulatory Scrutiny
The NFL's push to open its media rights deals--along with its ongoing relationship with the streamers--has opened it up to a wave of regulatory inquiry. But is the scrutiny more than just a headache? @eriqgardner walks us through it all. https://t.co/93JdDEnQhd
Sports Media Turmoil: Layoffs, Deals
The Varsity * Ilan Ben-Hanan (@IBH) —an SVP of programming & content strategy, is the most senior ESPN executive to be laid off this week. * Will regulators get behind YouTube's pending deal with the NFL? * Casey Wasserman is on Capitol Hill...
Cruz Leads Senate Hearing on Boxing Industry
Ted Cruz's Senate Commerce Committee is holding a hearing on boxing next week. Nick Khan and Oscar de la Hoya are on the witness list. https://t.co/r6bCXE2fPc
Streaming Wars Threaten NFL’s Sunday Night Broadcast Future
The Varsity * Russini-gate underscores underlying tension between NYT and The Athletic. * NBA ends its season of tanking. Plus, ahead of NFL Kickoff in September, the streaming wolves are circling Sunday Night Football—so media-industry equity research analyst Michael Nathanson stopped by to...
NFL Must Secure Media Deals Before September Kickoff
New pod: MoffettNathanson's Michael Nathanson on what the NFL must do to lock in its next round of media deals ahead of September’s kickoff—and what’s at stake if it doesn’t. https://t.co/HlGcniYsuv
Apple's MLB Broadcast Impresses with Crisp Visuals, Strong Commentary
Apple is doing a nice job with its MLB production--crisp picture, cool graphics, good commentary--at least judging by tonight's Giants-Orioles game so far.
ESPN Layoffs and Masters Preview Dissected on Podcast
I always love going on @PeterHamby's great The Powers That Be podcast. This week, we hashed out ESPN's job cuts and offered a Masters preview. https://t.co/LXZeklVwQZ
NFL's Biggest Off-Field Issues Explored in New Podcast
New pod: @ProFootballTalk on the NFL's top off-the-field issues: media rights, antitrust exemptions, referee labor talks... https://t.co/ZLFDadV2Np
ESPN Faces Layoffs Amid Cord‑cutting and Spin‑off Uncertainty
The Varsity * Murdoch vs. the NFL * How UCLA's win benefits the whole Big Ten * What NBA Europe investors should know, per @jamalmashburn Plus, layoffs are coming to ESPN as the sports network deals with cord-cutting, the YouTube TV blackout, and uncertainty...
ESPN to Cut Around 30 Off‑Camera Jobs
ESPN is about to be hit with a round of layoffs. I’m told the number will land near 30, primarily in off-camera departments. My story for @PuckNews: https://t.co/GNxIfhNx3g
Sports Media Shake‑up: Robo Umpires, WSJ Critique, Upcoming ParaB
The Varsity * Robo umps are here. * Wapo hires some sports reporters. * Rupert's WSJ swipes at NFL's antitrust exemption. * Don't expect a lot of changes at NFL Network. * Passan: WBC shouldn't be more than every three years. Plus, I sat down with...
NFL Media Rights Threaten the Film and TV Industry
. @MattBelloni writes about the NFL media rights negotiations from a Hollywood perspective. "One of the biggest threats to the film and TV industry maybe isn’t A.I. or YouTube or whatever studio Larry Ellison is consolidating today. It’s football." https://t.co/d0FHLVav0X
ESPN Seeks to Retain NFL Insider Ian Rapoport
Marchand: "ESPN is interested in retaining NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, whose contract is up at the end of the month." https://t.co/eixYomd1T7
Personalized Pitches Referencing a Journalist’s Beat Win
My favorite type of pitch email: "Given your coverage of [relevant beat], I thought this could be of interest,..."
Jeff Passan on Robot Umpires, MLB Momentum, WBC Future
New pod: @JeffPassan on the wonders of the robot umps, MLB's momentum and the future of the World Baseball Classic. https://t.co/rOfROjqUgt
Netflix Experiments With
Netflix invested in a lightweight MLB package to see whether it could fully eventize the industry’s most tonnage-friendly sport. So far, the jury’s out. https://t.co/bK2iTNXxhY
NAB President Discusses Sports Media Policy Shifts
From retooling the Sports Broadcasting Act to the migration of NFL games to streaming—a ton of sports media stories are winding their way through D.C. these days. Which is why I asked NAB president Curtis LeGeyt to join the pod...
Mike Foss Reveals ESPN Studio’s Future Direction
New pod: Mike Foss (@foss) - the guy who oversees all of ESPN's studio shows - dishes on McAfee, Stephen A., SVP and where everything is headed. https://t.co/qYyCGcWxrY
Berman Defends H.I.P. Rule, Outlines Expansion, Media Talks
New pod: NWSL commish Jessica Berman defends the league's "High Impact Player" rule, sheds light on expansion plans and dives into coming media rights negotiations. https://t.co/JC3OmIxnfx
Michael Jordan Revives NASCAR Like He Did NBA
The Varsity * NFL media rights update. * That time the NCAA was about to expand to 96 teams. * Fallout from a Disney antitrust lawsuit. Plus, during the ’90s, Michael Jordan helped the NBA ascend to new heights of global popularity and profitability....
David Levy on Streaming Wars, Paramount‑WBD Impact, Women’s Sports Rise
New pod: Former Turner chief David Levy gives his view of the sports media business--from the streaming rights arms race to the sports implications of the Paramount –WBD deal to the continued growth of women's sports. https://t.co/tMMRVrLN2f
Bettman Discusses Olympics, Local Media, NHL TV Deals
New pod: Gary Bettman on the Olympics, local media, and the NHL's ESPN and TNT deals. https://t.co/6z46IxChiO
Wall Street View: NFL Media Deals Unpacked by Guggenheim
New pod: Guggenheim's Michael Morris breaks down the NFL's upcoming media deals from a Wall St. perspective. https://t.co/0ipMqZmiL8
Zuffa Boxing Near Sky Sports UK Media Rights Deal
TKO’s Zuffa Boxing is on the precipice of a media rights deal with Sky Sports for the U.K. market. The latest news in The Varsity: https://t.co/whUqSmkk1E
Andrew Marchand Analyzes MLB Rights, ESPN Sunday, NBC Olympics
New pod: @AndrewMarchand returns to gab about MLB media rights, ESPN's Sunday night strategy and NBC's Olympic performance. https://t.co/unMXYcxV6h
Olympic Gold Won’t Lift NHL Ratings or Attendance
The U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team’s exhilarating gold medal victory may be dampened by an inconvenient truth for the NHL: Olympic success hasn’t usually translated into ratings and attendance gains. https://t.co/23TyqQfz6Q
Sports Leagues Confront Lockouts, Layoffs, and TV Uncertainty
The Varsity * New MLBPA interim head is prepared for a lockout. * Monumental Sports Network lays off five digital edit staffers. * NASCAR chief Steve O'Donnell: "Is there a number of races that makes more sense? Could it be 30—or even more?...
Postseason Now Drives Media Value Over Regular Seasons
The Varsity * The NFL will start its season on a Wednesday this year, either in Melbourne or Seattle. * Disney is opening its Super Bowl ad sales pitch to the entire market on Monday. * @benjstrauss tells us what it was like...