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ESPN Introduces ‘Where to Watch’ Feature on App, Website

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ESPN Introduces ‘Where to Watch’ Feature on App, Website

ESPN has revealed a new “Where to Watch” feature that has been implemented within both its mobile application and official website. The guide will allow sports fans to discover where they can watch sporting events both on ESPN platforms and beyond, including broadcast, cable and regional sports networks and streaming services. Access to the feature is available from all screens on both platforms, providing one-click access to contests taking place across various sports leagues. Fans will also be able to search for events and customize the guide to follow their favorite teams and leagues, enabling an efficient and effective means to determine how to consume their favorite sports teams.

Fans will be able to view all of the sports events taking place throughout the entire day, in addition to the network or service where they can be found. All games taking place on ESPN platforms will also have this functionality built into the search result for pay TV authenticated users and ESPN+ subscribers. Moreover, certain feeds for games being carried by regional sports networks will also be available with one click, which currently includes NESN and Monumental Sports Network. The event database created and managed by the ESPN Stats and Information Group powers the interface by aggregating ESPN and partner data feeds, along with originally sourced information and programming details from over 250 media sources.

“Simplifying discovery of sporting events and where a fan can watch has become increasingly important as sports viewing has become fragmented across networks and platforms,” Brian Marshall, vice president, sports product & technology at Disney Entertainment and ESPN Technology, said in a statement. “ESPN has always been the first stop for sports fans, and as we continue our evolution as the preeminent digital sports platform, we are proud to meet the needs of fans with new features to improve the discoverability of live sports and simplify their consumption journeys.”

ESPN is planning to launch a proprietary direct-to-consumer streaming service next year that will allow users to subscribe directly to the network to watch programming and live sporting events. The network was planning an additional move into the space this year with Venu Sports, a joint streaming venture with FOX Corporation and Warner Bros. Discovery, but that timeline has presumably been altered due to a preliminary injunction being issued by a federal judge at the request of Fubo in an antitrust lawsuit. The three companies aim to expedite an appeal for the decision and are reportedly aiming to resume the launch of Venu Sports before the NFL Playoffs and College Football Playoff in January, according to Matthew Belloni of Puck News.

“We believe that Venu is a pro competitive service,” Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN, said at the company’s Media Day event on Wednesday. “It is pro consumer, pro sports fan, and we believe it’s giving the sports fan another option, and it’s primarily directed at sports fans that are on the sidelines today, whether they’re on the sidelines because they’ve cut the cord or they’ve never subscribed to the traditional ecosystem.”

Salem Media Group Continues Little Rock Divestiture.

BMM Staff
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Salem Media Group Continues Little Rock Divestiture.

Salem Media Group is divesting its Gospel radio stations in the Little Rock market, including 1380 KZTS/ North Little Rock, 103.3/Little Rock, and 105.5/Little Rock, operated under the “Rejoice” brand.

As part of a $700,000 acquisition, JCS Media LLC will obtain the signals and provide Salem with a $50,000 advertising credit valid from the closing date through December 31, 2026. JCS will begin operating the properties on September 22 under an LMA.

The company’s website promotes “We are Building a New Radio Station in Little Rock, Arkansas.”

Earlier this month, Salem sold the Christian AC KKSP (93.3 The Fish)/Bryant to Encouragement Media Group for $1.55 million, with an LMA beginning on September 1. Salem continues to own and operate Christian preaching station KDIS-FM (Faith Talk 99.5)/Little Rock and the Conservative Talk KDXE (101.1 The Answer)/Cammack Village.

Joe Rogan: I’m Not Suing MSNBC for ‘Deceptively Editing’ Clips of Me

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As one of the most popular podcasters in the world, Joe Rogan has an audience that knows what he thinks and believes. He believes MSNBC tried to manipulate their audience by using him.

During The Joe Rogan Experience, the comedian shared that rumors he plans to sue MSNBC are untrue. However, he did share his extreme displeasure with the cable news network.

“I’m not suing MSNBC, but this is what MSNBC did,” Rogan began. “They took a clip of me talking about Tulsi Gabbard and they edited it up and made it look like I was saying great things about Kamala Harris.”

Earlier this month, Tulsi Gabbard showcased how MSNBC edited a clip of Rogan’s podcast where he was praising her to appear as if the host was applauding Vice President Kamala Harris.

“They just deceptively edited the things I was saying. They took it completely out of context what I was talking about,” said Rogan. “They don’t care about the truth, they just want a narrative to get out there amongst enough people because most people are just surface readers.”

Joe Rogan continued by noting he found the situation to be a great offense due to the believability of the editing and how easily people are swayed by his opinion.

“We’re in a very weird time with media and I think truth is super important. I think someone that’s willing to do something like that, that’s a real offense. It’s a real offense!” he reiterated. “It’s not a small thing. It’s a real lie and it’s a lie that changes other people’s opinions.”

CNN Sees Best Month of 2024 During August, With Highest Audience in Two Years

BNM Staff
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CNN Sees Best Month of 2024 During August, With Highest Audience in Two Years

As the month of August concludes, CNN has reason to celebrate as it was their best month to date in 2024.

During the month, the network saw its highest total day audience in more than two years as it averaged 620,000 viewers. It is the first time since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in March 2022 that the network has risen to that level.

For the 15th consecutive month, CNN was a top-five network in all of cable television. The network finished August as the third most-watched cable network.

During the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the network took virtually its entire daytime and primetime lineups to the convention. As a result, it featured an average of 893,000 viewers in the Persons 25-54 demographic in primetime. That performance was its strongest since the week of President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021.

Finally, CNN saw the youngest total day median age of cable news viewers. It’s average was 67 years old, compared to 70 for MSNBC and 69 for Fox News.

‘Dingo’ Brent Crank Adds PM Drive At 100.3 The Wolf, Knoxville

BMM Staff
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‘Dingo’ Brent Crank Adds PM Drive At 100.3 The Wolf, Knoxville

“Dingo” Brent Crank has added PM Drive duties at SummitMedia’s WCYQ (100.3 The Wolf)/Knoxville to his workday. He will continue to host afternoons at co-owned WZZK/Birmingham.

Announcing on his Facebook page, he wrote, “Starting Monday (8/27), you can find me in two places: 100.3 The Wolf Knoxville and 104.7 WZZK Birmingham! I will be on 3-7 pm and can’t wait to invite East TN into our radio family! Thank you so much for the support and hope to see you soon! Love Y’all!”

Crank joined WZZK last month (BMM 7/22) from iHeartMedia’s Country WDRM/Huntsville, AL, where he also hosted PM Drive on Country WAMZ/Louisville.

Prior stops included WQNU/Louisville, KSWG/Wickenburg, AZ, KFIN Jonesboro, AR, and WGTR/Myrtle Beach.

Jesse Watters Clarifies Comments Made About Kamala Harris: ‘I Wasn’t Suggesting Anything Sexual’

BNM Staff
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Jesse Watters Clarifies Comments Made About Kamala Harris: ‘I Wasn’t Suggesting Anything Sexual’

Earlier this week, Fox News host Jesse Watters received criticism for comments he made about Kamala Harris. He clarified them on The Five Tuesday.

During a discussion on the program, Watters shared concerns about Vice President Harris and her foreign policy acumen, saying that she has not clearly defined what her policies would look like. He then made a comment that could be taken as sexual in nature.

“(Foreign policy) is where the president has his most impact. You have a lot of room to maneuver there as commander-in-chief. We don’t know who she is. We don’t know what she believes. She’s gonna get paralyzed in the situation room while the generals have their way with her.”

The female co-hosts on The Five — Dana Perino and Jeanine Pirro — both immediately chastised Jesse Watters before he recanted by saying “Control her! Not in a sexual way!”

Despite his quick backtrack, many still took issue with his comments about Kamala Harris, leading to the Fox News host to address the situation on Tuesday.

“There’s been some attention to comments I made on the show yesterday about VP Harris. People are misconstruing my comments to mean something inappropriate. I wasn’t suggesting anything of a sexual nature. I was expressing my opinion that Vice President Harris’s current leadership style could be an issue if elected.”

Trey Wingo Joins DraftKings Network Ahead of NFL Season

BSM Staff
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Trey Wingo Joins DraftKings Network Ahead of NFL Season

As the new National Football League season approaches, DraftKings Network has announced its fall programming lineup that features an expanded portfolio of football-related content, including a brand-new show. Trey Wingo, a former NFL analyst at ESPN, is joining the free ad-supported television outlet to host Pregame PowerUp, a new program that will lead the vertical’s NFL gameday lineup airing before Monday and Thursday night football matchups from 6 to 7 p.m. EST.

Taking part in the show with Wingo will include data analyst Claudia Bellofatto, fantasy sports and fan voice host Emerson Lotzia and other personalities. The program will include Wingo and the rest of the Pregame PowerUp broadcast team discussing prime-time game data and NFL Next Gen Stats, in addition to bringing their expertise regarding fantasy transactions and trends in sports betting ahead of kickoff.

“I am excited to join DraftKings’ talented lineup and to talk football with this highly engaged audience of NFL fans,” Wingo said in a statement. “DraftKings has impressed me with their unwavering commitment to enhance the fan experience – it’s a perfect platform for Pregame PowerUp.”

The new pregame show joins a lineup containing a variety of eminent personalities in the sports media space, some of whom include Mike Golic Sr., Michael Lombardi, Mike Golic Jr., Ross Tucker and Jon “Stugotz” Weiner. These commentators will take part in anchoring new editions of The Handoff focused on the NFL and college football, along with members of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz and All the Smoke.

The NFL version of the show will air on Fridays at 8 p.m. EST and Sundays at 11 a.m., while the college football iteration will be on the air Fridays at 9 p.m. and Saturdays at 11 a.m.. Preceding these shows on Friday nights at 7 p.m. will be the God Bless Football podcast featuring Weiner, Billy Gil and a rotation of co-hosts, which will also air on Monday at the same time.

Lombardi will return with The GM Shuffle where he will analyze the latest topics pertaining to the front office and other occurrences around the NFL, which airs Monday and Thursday at 5 p.m. Golic Sr., Golic Jr. and Jessie Coffield will take part in GoJo and Golic on weekdays from 8 to 10 a.m. where they synthesize the storylines of the day and interview some of the biggest names within the industry. Additionally, Ross Tucker will bring his football podcast to the air on weekday afternoons at 4 p.m. where he gives fans all the latest news and information that they need to know from around the NFL.

“Since launching DraftKings Network in 2023, we have seen notable increases in audience engagement across our platforms by providing fans more ways to get access to our original, free 24/7 programming from some of the biggest names in sports,” Stacie McCollum, vice president of content for DraftKings, said in a statement. “As we look ahead to our busiest time on the sports calendar, we are thrilled to offer a deeper fan experience with new content connected to data with expert insight from football, sports betting and fantasy sports analysts.”

DraftKings Network will begin its NFL coverage on Thursday, Sept. 5 from Kansas City, Mo. with three hours of pregame coverage anchored by Mike Golic Sr. and Mike Golic Jr. starting at 4 p.m. The father-son duo will be joined by Weiner, Wingo and NFL players from both the Baltimore Ravens and defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Fans can tune into the shows across the DraftKings Network fall lineup for free on a variety of smart televisions or by visiting the network’s official website.

Erick Erickson: I Refuse to Say Things I Don’t Believe But My Listeners Expect to Hear

BNM Staff
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Erick Erickson: I Refuse to Say Things I Don’t Believe But My Listeners Expect to Hear

Erick Erickson has never really been a fan of former President and current Republican nominee Donald Trump. And he’s not going to change his tune simply because that’s what his listeners expect of him.

During The Erick Erickson Show Monday, the nationally syndicated radio host took issue with pushback he’s received for his opinions on the Republican candidate.

“There are people who I can spend three straight days praising the things Donald Trump has done, and then say one critical thing and they email ‘I can’t believe you hate Donald Trump. You should be taken off the radio station. Your wife should die of cancer and it should all be your fault.’ Screw you people! I don’t like him, I’m not going to tell you otherwise,” said Erickson.

“I’ve given him more money than probably nine out of ten of the people who email me angrily that I don’t like Donald Trump and so I should shut up and be taken off the radio because I’m not willing to hump his leg like you are. You’ve decided everybody else must hump his leg or it’s insufficient because you embarrass yourself, you know you’ve embarrassed yourself, and so as long as you can bully everyone else into humping his leg too, then you can say, ‘Well, we’re all doing it. We’re all in this together.’”

Erick Erickson then shared that the word “grifter” is often thrown around against conservatives, but believes that his convictions that he won’t simply say things to become popular makes him the exact opposite.

“People on the right have been played. This comes up time and time again. People on the right are so willing to be played by the people who tell you what you want to hear. You look at Candace Owens. She is an antisemitic nut, but she did Blexit. ‘Oh my gosh, a young black lady. She must be on our side, because she doesn’t want to be a Democrat anymore!’ Turns out she wants to be a Nazi! Guess what? She doesn’t fit in. I wonder why. The hicks, the rubes, the idiots, the willfully abused on both sides of this situation disgust me.

“I’ve spent 12 years on the radio telling you exactly what I think, and I don’t intend to change,” Erickson concluded.

Anaheim Ducks to Offer Free Local Telecasts Through New Broadcast Partnership with FOX 11 Plus, Victory+

BSM Staff
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The Anaheim Ducks organization announced that it will offer all of its local broadcasts to the entirety of the Los Angeles-Orange County area for free through a new partnership with A Parent Media Co. Inc. and FOX 11 Plus. Ducks regional broadcasts can be viewed on over-the-air television network KCOP Channel 13 and streamed live on the direct-to-consumer service Victory+ free of charge.

The Ducks previously aired games on Bally Sports SoCal, but its deal with the company expired following the 2023-24 NHL season. As a result, the team will now join the Dallas Stars in airing local games free of charge through the forthcoming Victory+ streaming service. Pertaining to the broadcast television arrangement, Ducks fans will be able to view 65 of the team’s games in the region, thus rendering about 13 contests exclusive to the streaming service.

KCOP and Victory+ have the capability to reach all 8 million people in the region, comprising one of the largest media markets in the United States. Although terms of the deals were not disclosed, Alex Silverman of Sports Business Journal reports that both agreements are for more than two years in length. A Parent Media Co. is reportedly responsible for the costs pertaining to the production infrastructure, while the Ducks retain control over the broadcasters on the air and editorial direction of the broadcasts. The team has not confirmed its commentator lineup for next season; however, play-by-play announcer John Ahlers and analyst Brian Hayward are expected to return.

“We are so pleased to announce that fans in our entire television market, via stream or traditional television (cable or over-the-air) will see locally broadcast games free of charge,” Aaron Teats, president of the Anaheim Ducks, said in a statement. “It is a significant organizational priority to connect with Ducks fans with our entire market and for every fan in our region to have the opportunity to watch Ducks games without cost across multiple, accessible platforms. We want to thank Diamond Sports Group and Bally Sports, and the personnel who have been incredible partners over the last 25 years who brought Ducks hockey to our region and fans.”

Victory+ will be available for download this September across smart televisions, tablets and smartphones, granting fans within the team’s regional television territory access to games free of charge. Fans who are outside of the range will still be able to enjoy additional content that is provided by the team through the free ad-supported streaming service. Within the service is advertising technology that will permit direct and programmatic ads to ensure advertisers can reach their engaged audience base.

“Welcoming the Anaheim Ducks to Victory+ signifies our ongoing commitment to providing accessible and high-quality sports content to our viewers,” Neil Gruninger, president and chief executive officer of A Parent Media Co. Inc., said in a statement. “The Anaheim Ducks have a forward-thinking approach to bringing new viewers into the fanbase and will make an excellent addition to the Victory+ lineup.”

Fans within the regional television territory will also be able to access the Ducks games through KCOP Channel 13 through the agreement with FOX 11 Plus. The contract removes the impediments of both cost and distribution to fans amid hastened cord cutting and a declining pay TV penetration rate in recent years. The Ducks are expected to have approximately four games allocated to NHL national rights partners ESPN and TNT for telecasts.

Furthermore, Diamond Sports Group reached a deal with the NBA and NHL last week that retains media rights through at least the upcoming season. The Ducks join a growing list of teams abandoning the regional sports network model and offering games via new avenues of distribution, a cadre that includes the Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights.

“We are proud to be the home of the Anaheim Ducks by offering a free over-the-air option for their fans,” Steve Carlston, senior vice president and general manager of KTTV FOX 11 and KCOP Channel 13, said in a statement. “Broadcasting the Ducks on FOX 11 Plus is a natural [addition] to our station’s lineup of robust sports coverage, and we look forward to using this partnership as an opportunity to expand their visibility in our region.”

Nina Brown Exits “Frank Ski Show”

BMM Staff
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Nina Brown Exits “Frank Ski Show”

Nina Brown has left the nationally syndicated “Frank Ski Show” after many years as its producer and co-host.

A statement from Ski read, “I want to thank Nina Brown for her extremely valuable contributions.” 

The show is syndicated through a partnership between Compass Media Networks and Oceanic Tradewinds and is carried on over 20 affiliates.

It was dropped in January at Howard University’s Urban AC station WHUR-FM/Washington, D.C., and Cox Media Group’s Adult R&B station WALR (Kiss 104.1)/Atlanta.

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