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FS1 Announces Record Viewership for Three Shows — ‘Undisputed’ Not Among Them

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FS1 Announces Record Viewership for Three Shows — ‘Undisputed’ Not Among Them

Not to be outdone by ESPN, FS1 announced that three of its shows — The Herd with Colin Cowherd, First Things First, and Speak, all hit record levels of viewership. Shockingly, the station’s flagship show, Undisputed, wasn’t mentioned at all.

In a post on X, FOX Sports PR announced that The Herd and First Things First both compiled their most watched years ever, up 19 percent and 82 percent from last year, respectively. Both also posted their most-watched months ever in December 2023, up 23 percent and 72 percent year-over-year, respectively. The two shows are also on impressive growth streaks, with 13 and 16 consecutive months of year-over-year viewership growth. Lastly, 49 of FTF’s 50 most-watched telecasts aired in 2023.

Speak had an equally impressive run, with December 2023 being its most-watched December ever and second-most-watched month ever. The show’s viewership grew 56 percent YOY from last year. Speak posted its second most-watched year ever, up 29 percent from last year, while also amid 14 straight months of YOY growth.

While the graphic does mention “afternoon block” specifically, it’s peculiar that Undisputed, the longtime flagship show of FS1, has not had a ratings report so far. In fact, it’s been almost two years since ratings info on Undisputed was disseminated by FOX Sports.

Back in January 2022, FOX Sports reported that Undisputed was the most-watched FS1 program of all time, which it then surpassed in November 2022. The only three posts on @FOXSportsPR about Undisputed since November 2022 were a goodbye message to longtime co-host Shannon Sharpe, news of its return at the end of August 2023, and news that it would report live from the University of Colorado’s campus at the end of September.

This post interestingly came hours after ESPN boasted that three of its shows — First Take, Get Up, and NBA Today — also hit record highs throughout 2023.

RG3 Remembers Stuart Scott with Rich Eisen

BSM Staff
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Robert Griffin III and Rich Eisen remembered Stuart Scott on a recent episode of ‘RG3 and The Ones.’ Scott, the legendary ESPN sportscaster, passed away exactly nine years ago on this date.

Scott was diagnosed with cancer in 2007 and became a major advocate for research before he passed away in 2014 at the age of 49.

Eisen teamed up with Scott as one of the most memorable SportsCenter anchor teams in history and told RG3, “I will always talk about Stuart. Keeping his memory and spirit alive, is something I’m up for doing.” He then told Griffin, “He would love to see what you’re doing right now.”

Eisen would go on to say, “What you saw on TV was the guy, that was it. That was him. There was no filter, it was not an act. It literally was him.”

Teaming together, Eisen had the chance to see Stuart Scott’s rise to enourmous heights in both sports and pop-culture. “It was awesome to watch,” he said. “It really was. Just to see him do his thing and be himself, an authentic self and have a front row seat to it was something to behold.”

Eisen relates a funny, behind-the-scenes, bit about Scott never letting him do a Michael Jordan highlight so that he could be the one to handle those.

“He was special, he really was,” Eisen said of his former teammate.

Griffin III added: “He meant a lot to me. Just as a guy we looked up to. You inspired us, but Stuart was us. When I got an opportunity to go pro and meet him and talk with him it meant the world to me. So much so, that when he passed, I made sure that I got a portrait made of him for his daughters, Sydni and Taelor. Just to show them that even a guy like myself who was in the NFL…was still impacted by their dad.”

In a fitting conclusion to his interview with Rich Eisen, RG3 added, “He really was cooler than the other side of the pillow and I think everybody in our community, not just the media community, but also the black community, really appreciated the flair he brought to broadcast TV.”

Skyview Networks Offering AP Election Data to Radio Affiliates

BNM Staff
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Skyview Networks Offering AP Election Data to Radio Affiliates

Skyview Networks has announced its expansive list of radio affiliates will have access to election results and maps from the Associated Press after a new agreement between the companies.

Affiliates will be able to access live vote count maps, declared winners, and other critical data for every major party primary and caucus during the 2024 Presidential Race.

“Our newly extended agreement with The Associated Press lifts our network opportunities to new heights,” said Skyview Networks President of Network Partnerships and CRO Jeanne-Marie Condo. “AP’s expansive portfolio of news coverage and short-form inventory is a beacon for advertisers seeking the highest of standards in network reach.”

“We are pleased to bring AP’s gold standard election data to radio affiliates through Skyview Networks,” added Associated Press Vice President for Americas Revenue and Strategic Partnerships Sara Trohanis. “AP has counted the vote and declared winners in every U.S. presidential election since 1848, and we look forward to providing accurate, trusted results to the world once again in 2024.”

The partnership between the AP and Skyview officially expanded on Monday, January 1st, with each affiliate now being able to design its own visualization dashboard.

“As part of our renewed agreement with AP, we’ll be collaborating on additional opportunities to grow the audio segment of their diverse and global business so that more of their valuable services are available to radio broadcasters and audio consumers,” concluded Skyview Networks President and CEO Steve Jones.

Candace Owens: Media Filled With ‘People Who Will Step On Anyone’s Head to Sell You Their Take’

BNM Staff
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Candace Owens: Media Filled With ‘People Who Will Step On Anyone’s Head to Sell You Their Take’

The Daily Wire’s Candace Owens returned from maternity leave this week and said the time away gave her an opportunity to reflect on both the political and news media sphere.

In her first podcast since returning, Owens shared that in addition to giving birth, she also underwent surgery that left her unable to walk for several weeks. During her recovery, she committed to refraining from speaking on social media and said the respite was good for her.

“Let me tell you something, when you are bedridden for a couple of weeks, for a month, like I was, you get to thinking a lot about where you are, where you came from, where you’re going, and the people that are in your life,” Owens said. “I took a social media silence — a vow of silence — just for myself, and it really just provides new context to just how absolutely insane people are. When you can just sit back and see how people will try to manipulate the masses or pretend that they’ve changed or that you haven’t changed. I think we saw a lot of this at the end of last year.”

When Owens departed for maternity leave, she was locked in a high-profile spat with Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro over her encapsulation of the Israeli/Palestinean conflict, with Shapiro calling her opinions on the matter “disgraceful”, before encouraging her to leave the outlet.

Candace Owens appeared to address the issues, arguing that she was taken out of context for supporting the idea that innocent Palestinians are being persecuted in Israel.

“People took my tweets and they decided that it meant something else. And they went insane,” Owens alleged. “They suddenly said it was not okay to say that genocide is always wrong. I’m not kidding. And again, I was 40 weeks pregnant when this was taking place. And I had a bunch of my friends, ‘friends’ (arguing against me). There are no friends in politics. There are just people that are trying to generate clicks and trying to essentially sell to you their take. And they will be willing to step on anyone’s head to do that. So that’s what I was dealing with at 40 weeks pregnant and it really made me think.”

ESPN’s ‘First Take,’ & ‘Get Up’ Record Most-Viewed Years in Program History; ‘NBA Today’ Finishes Year Strong

BSM Staff
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ESPN’s ‘First Take,’ & ‘Get Up’ Record Most-Viewed Years in Program History; ‘NBA Today’ Finishes Year Strong

The wins just keep coming for ESPN programming, as three of its programs recorded their highest viewership totals ever in 2023. First Take, and Get Up, posted record highs for the year, while NBA Today finished its year with a strong December.

First Take averaged 496,000 viewers throughout 2023 and finished the year strong. In Dec., the show’s impressive streak of year-over-year viewership growth reached 17 consecutive months. First Take averaged 611,000 viewers in Dec., the show’s second most-watched month on record, up 24 percent year over year.

Get Up averaged 379,000 viewers throughout 2023, which surpasses 2022 by 5 percent. The show finished December up 11 percent vs. December 2022, making it the show’s second most-viewed month ever (449,000 average viewers) behind November 2023 (467,000 average viewers).

Lastly, NBA Today posted year-over-year growth of nine percent from its shows in December of 2023 versus 2022, according to Nielsen. The 14 editions of NBA Today on ESPN in December averaged 313,000 viewers, compared to 286,000 viewers the previous December.

NBA Today was also up year-over-year in several key demographics, including 69 percent among Hispanic viewers, 14 percent among P21-54, and 13 percent among P18-49.

This news marks yet another “most-viewed” year for ESPN programming. ESPN recently celebrated its highest-viewed Monday Night Football season since taking on the programming block in 2006.

Rich Zeoli: I’m So Proud of Career Jimmy Failla Has Built

BNM Staff
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Rich Zeoli: I’m So Proud of Career Jimmy Failla Has Built

Jimmy Failla saw another career milestone Wednesday after it was announced he would host Fox News Saturday Night, beginning January 13th. 1210 WPHT host Rich Zeoli couldn’t be happier for the development.

During The Rich Zeoli Show, the Philadelphia-based host shared his admiration for the Fox News television and radio star.

“I’m so proud of him. He’s officially been named the host of Fox News Saturday Night with Jimmy Failla,” said Zeoli. “I’m super excited for Jimmy, for that great work by him and he’s great. As you know, he’s a terrific friend of mine. So we’ll have him back on the show very soon to congratulate him.

“He’s such a down-to-earth guy. A cab driver turned comedian, and cab driver turned writer for Fox News, and then ultimately a radio show host for Fox Across America,” Zeoli continued. “Good for Jimmy. I’m so proud of him.”

The new program helmed by Failla is being billed as a comedy show, with the host claiming “Fox News Saturday Night is a show for everyone who realizes that our country doesn’t need more Republicans or more Democrats; it needs more comedy.” 

ESPN, NCAA Agree to Massive Eight-Year Media Rights Deal

BSM Staff
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ESPN, NCAA Agree to Massive Eight-Year Media Rights Deal

ESPN and the NCAA have reached a monumental rights deal that will see popular sports like football, soccer, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, and more remain on the Worldwide Leader’s airwaves.

According to Sportico’s Eben Novy-Williams, the deal is for eight years and $920 million, at $115 million per year, for 40 NCAA events. The deal maintains some fan favorites including FCS football, ice hockey, lacrosse, volleyball, gymnastics, and more, but adds coverage of the Division I men’s and women’s tennis team championships and the national collegiate men’s gymnastics championship.

Surprisingly, the women’s college basketball tournament was included in the greater rights deal and was not separated like the men’s college basketball tournament and men’s college football.

“ESPN and the NCAA have enjoyed a strong and collaborative relationship for more than four decades, and we are thrilled that it will continue as part of this new, long-term agreement,” said ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro. “The ESPN networks and platforms will exclusively present a record number of championships, including all rounds of several marquee events that, together with the NCAA, we have grown over time. This unprecedented deal also further strengthens The Walt Disney Company’s industry-leading commitment to women’s sports and will help fuel our continued growth, including in the critical streaming space.”

The full list of events are listed below:

Men’s Events to Air on ESPN Properties

  • Men’s NIT Basketball Tournament
  • Soccer
  • FCS, DII, and DIII Football
  • Ice hockey
  • Cross country
  • Water polo
  • Indoor and outdoor track & field
  • Swimming and diving
  • Wrestling
  • Gymnastics
  • Fencing
  • Volleyball
  • Lacrosse
  • Tennis
  • Baseball and Basketball (including DII semifinals and DIII semifinals and finals)
  • International rights to the NCAA DI Men’s Basketball Championship (March Madness)

Women’s Events to Air on ESPN Properties

  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Basketball (includes the WBIT, DII, and DIII)
  • Ice hockey
  • Field hockey
  • Volleyball and Beach volleyball
  • Indoor and outdoor track & field
  • Cross country
  • Swimming & diving
  • Bowling
  • Gymnastics
  • Fencing
  • Lacrosse
  • Tennis
  • Water polo

Sid Rosenberg: Reconciling With Mark Levin ‘One of the Best Things I Did in 2023’

BNM Staff
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Sid Rosenberg: Reconciling With Mark Levin ‘One of the Best Things I Did in 2023’

Last year, Sid Rosenberg revealed he was in a “silly feud” with conservative pundit Mark Levin, to the point the pair had publicly shared barbs with one another. However, they reconciled after the October 7th attacks from Hamas in Israel, and Rosenberg is thankful he did.

During Sid and Friends in the Morning Wednesday, Rosenberg welcomed Levin to the show, and called him “one of the biggest voices in the country”. He continued by noting how thankful he is he squashed the feud with the syndicated radio and Fox News host.

“One of the best things I did in 2023 was restore that friendship,” admitted Rosenberg. “Because I have to tell you the last couple of months, especially since the October 7 attacks, on and off the air — mostly off the air — Mark Levin has helped keep me sane. He texts me quite a bit. I text him and we have great conversations.”

“My brother, you know we end each text with ‘I love you’? People are gonna start to talk,” Levin joked.

“My wife already is. I tell you I love you more than I tell her,” retorted Sid Rosenberg. “It’s true because you’ve been great. You’ve been great for me. I really took this hard, October the Seventh. And a lot of folks in the media act as if (they took it hard), you know, but I took this really hard. A lot of the things that I enjoyed immensely, October the sixth I just don’t anymore, and you do too. So this is all very, very sincere.”

Buck Sexton: CNN Made ‘Mind-Blowing’ Attempts to Defend Harvard’s Claudine Gay

BNM Staff
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Buck Sexton: CNN Made ‘Mind-Blowing’ Attempts to Defend Harvard’s Claudine Gay

Coverage of Harvard President Claudine Gay and her decision to resign after plagiarism allegations arose has continued to be a hot-button topic in conservative radio circles. Buck Sexton wasn’t as preoccupied with the scandal as much as the coverage dedicated to Gay’s defense.

Earlier this week, CNN reporter Matt Egan attempted to reclassify Gay’s errors, but virtually described the definition of “plagiarism”.

“We should note Claudine Gay has not been accused of stealing anyone’s ideas in any of her writings. She’s been accused of more like copying other people’s writings without attribution,” Egan said. “So it’s been more sloppy attribution than stealing anyone’s ideas.”

Sexton was left in disbelief after seeing the comments made by Egan.

“I have seen some crazy stuff in my time,” The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show host said, before arguing the media was “in a frenzy to really debase themselves and make a mockery of themselves to try to defend Claudine Gay in this situation.

“There’s a lot of interesting and really mind-blowing explanations of this. Not all of us are academics who got masters or PhDs, obviously, but we all basically know what plagiarism is, right? You take stuff, you pretend you wrote the stuff, but it’s somebody else’s stuff. You don’t quote it. And you don’t cite it. And clearly, you didn’t mean to do either. Here is CNN, just twisting in knots to try to explain this situation as though it’s not an obvious plagiarism scandal. It’s maybe something else.”

93.7 The Fan Enjoys Growth in Pittsburgh Fall Ratings Book

BSM Staff
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It may not get the attention of a major market such as New York, Boston or Philadelphia but make no mistake about it, Pittsburgh is a strong sports radio market. Led by 93.7 The Fan, the city has passion for local programming evidenced by the latest fall ratings book. According to the latest numbers from Nielsen Audio, 93.7 The Fan placed second overall for the quarter in weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p) with Men 25-54, pulling in an impressive 10.4 share. That represented a nearly four point jump from the summer book when the station recorded a 6.4 share and ranked fifth. Moreover, the fall shares increased by four-tenths of a point year-over-year.

The Fan underwent changes in mornings in June when Colin Dunlap and Chris Mack were reassigned to multimedia roles. Adam Crowley and Dorin Dickerson became the new faces of morning drive and the early returns are strong. The morning team generated a 9.9 share in the fall book, finishing second. That was a 1.7 share improvement over the fall of 2022. Against the summer book, the program gained a remarkable 3.9 shares to represent the station’s largest gain amid the stretch.

Joe Starkey and Ron Cook anchor the midday show (10a-2p) and secured an 11.9 share for the quarter, placing them third. That figure rises to a 12.2 share when streaming is added. Cook and Joe‘s fall number (without the stream) is up from a 6.5 in the summer, and an 11.0 year-over-year.

In afternoons, Poni and Mueller featuring Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller continued the widespread favorable returns with a 9.9 share, fourth place finish in their timeslot. The show gained 3.4 share points from the summer book but was down year-over-year from an 11.0.

Full-week metrics (M-SU, 6a-12a) for the quarter placed 93.7 The Fan in a tie for second with a 9.5 share. That number was up from a 6.3 share in the summer book, which resulted in a fifth-place finish. Last fall, the full-week rating recorded by The Fan was an 8.6 share, meaning the brand improved by nine tenths of a point.

Data for Mark Madden’s program on 105.9 The X and ESPN Pittsburgh, was not provided. The outlet, containing call letters “KBBG,” recently became a FOX Sports Radio affiliate after carrying ESPN Radio programming since 2011.

“Ratings reports and analysis are written by BSM and sponsored by Crowd React Media, a division of Harker Bos Group. Learn more about the different ways sports media research can benefit your station and cut through the noise by clicking here.

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