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MLB Postseason Ratings Slide Continues with LDS Drop

BSM Staff
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MLB Postseason Ratings Slide Continues with LDS Drop

Viewership for coverage of the division series round of the MLB postseason was down this year compared to last.

Sports Business Journal reported that the games collectively averaged 3.1 million viewers, airing on FOX, FS1, TBS, and truTV. The average viewership this year was an 8% decrease compared to the 3.4 million average a year ago.

It didn’t help that the round began on a Saturday, going head-to-head with college football throughout the day and night. Both Game 2’s in the ALDS went up against the NFL.

ALDS games on FOX and FS1 averaged 2.5 million, down 21% versus 2022.

For Warner Bros. Discovery, NLDS coverage on TBS and truTV averaged 3.8 million viewers. That’s a 3% jump year over year. TBS had the most-watched game of the DS round with the Phillies 3-1 series-clinching win at home against the Braves last Thursday, drawing in 5.9 million.

MSNBC Denies Allegations of Removing Muslim Hosts During Hamas/Israel Conflict

BNM Staff
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MSNBC Denies Allegations of Removing Muslim Hosts During Hamas/Israel Conflict

In response to Hamas’s recent attack on Israel and the surge of sympathy for Israeli terror victims in the United States, MSNBC has replaced three Muslim hosts from their anchor positions. As a part of this decision, the network unexpectedly canceled Thursday night’s episode of The Mehdi Hasan Show on the Peacock streaming platform.

MSNBC has made some changes to its schedule. Ayman Mohyeldin, a seasoned NBC News correspondent and an Egyptian-American journalist, will no longer be filling in for Joy Reid as the host of her 7 PM show on Thursdays and Fridays. Mohyeldin has spent two years reporting on the conflict in Gaza and has been noted for questioning Israeli leaders regarding their strikes on the territory in 2021.

MSNBC plans for Alicia Menendez to take over for Ali Velshi this weekend, another Muslim-American host who had previously interviewed a spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority on Sunday, according to Semafor.

Certain employees at MSNBC have expressed concerns about recent changes, as they believe all three hosts deeply understand the conflict. NBC insists that the alterations are purely coincidental, and these three hosts will continue to appear on air to deliver reports and provide analysis.

A representative from the company strongly refuted any suggestion that Hasan or Mohyeldin were being marginalized in any manner. In recent days, Mohyeldin has made guest appearances on multiple MSNBC programs, including those hosted by Reid and Chris Hayes.

Although he didn’t host Reid’s show, a network spokesperson explained that the channel chose to stick with their more familiar weekday hosts rather than handing over the reins to weekend anchors. As for Hasan’s Peacock show is pre-recorded, and the network decided to prioritize keeping NBC’s streaming service content current over airing his show.

“We have and will continue to thoroughly cover the horrific terrorist attacks on innocent civilians in Israel over the past weekend and the resulting tragic war in all its aspects,” stated NBCUniversal Executive Vice President of Communications Stephen Labaton.

The recent developments at MSNBC coincide with the network’s shift towards expressing strong support for the Jewish state following the violent attacks by Hamas. This change has sparked passionate internal and external debates about maintaining solidarity, and Hasan, Mohyeldin, and Velshi have faced criticism on social media. Hasan, particularly, has been active on X (formerly Twitter), denouncing the Hamas attack and raising awareness about the suffering of civilians in Gaza.

The divisions surrounding the Middle East situation have also spilled over into the company’s internal dynamics. On a Wednesday, an NBCU engineer organized a network-wide support event for employees affected by the conflict. However, a Slack channel created for the event turned into a dispute when the engineer reprimanded a producer from Velshi’s show who questioned the absence of Palestinian representation.

The NBC event organizer explained, “I’m organizing an event for those interested in receiving updates about the situation in Israel and a space to share stories from individuals on the ground, including a rabbi.” Velshi’s producer inquired about the absence of Palestinian representation.

The organizer responded, “This event is not about Palestinians and Jews/Israelis. It focuses on terrorists and Jews/Israelis. Everyone joining this group must disavow terrorism and what occurred on Saturday. Claims of ‘freedom fighting’ or any rationalizations that don’t explicitly and unequivocally express support during this challenging time are not welcome here.”

Velshi’s producer mentioned receiving a private message from the employee containing highly offensive remarks.

An NBC HR representative intervened at this point, urging everyone to “maintain a respectful tone.” They shared the company’s employee conduct guidelines and recommended attending a diversity, equity, and inclusion meeting.

ESPN Has a Pat McAfee Problem, But It’s Not What You Think It Is

Demetri Ravanos
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ESPN Has a Pat McAfee Problem, But It’s Not What You Think It Is

A lot was written last week about ESPN’s relationship with Pat McAfee. In the wake of Aaron Rodgers once again turning the show into a forum for his “guess what Joe Rogan retweeted today” brand of independent thought, many an internet scribe pontificated on the corner ESPN has painted itself into by getting into business with someone it never should have in the first place.

Those pieces all missed the mark entirely. ESPN does have a Pat McAfee problem, but it isn’t the one they think. The problem is that rather than bringing McAfee in and letting him coexist inside of the ESPN ecosystem, the ESPN ecosystem is trying to be more like McAfee. It makes McAfee feel less unique, and it cheapens the appeal and reputation of those established talents and shows. 

No one at ESPN could have been caught off-guard by Aaron Rodgers saying something stupid about the Covid-19 vaccine to keep his name in the news. For the last two years, the guy has been going through the lamest midlife crisis we have ever seen and he has done it all in public on McAfee’s show. ESPN not only knew it would be part of the deal of bringing McAfee aboard, it being part of the deal is likely a big reason Jimmy Pitaro, Bob Iger and others judged The Pat McAfee Show to be a good investment.

Andrew Marchand’s story about Rodgers receiving around $1 million for his weekly appearances is not a problem. The dollar amount is absurd, but the practice of paying for regular interviews is pretty common in our business. Radio stations do it all the time as Jason Barrett thoroughly outlined on Friday. McAfee’s segments with Rodgers routinely produce clicks and headlines. ESPN could rightfully argue that McAfee is making a wiser version of the same kind of investments that Barrett did in his days as a programmer. 

ESPN could let these things happen and still be ESPN. McAfee’s show is a licensed product. The network’s biggest problem with the interview and Aaron Rodgers proposing a debate about public health between one doctor and three normal, uneducated dudes had nothing to do with McAfee. It was Adam Schefter tweeting the video out with the headline “the potential next great American debate.”

Schefter gets paid a lot of money by ESPN to have credibility. His value is in the trust the audience has that if Schefter is reporting it or saying it, it must be true. That tweet damages Schefter’s credibility.

Anything tweeted by Schefter, Adrian Wojnarowski, Jeff Passan and other insiders is loaded. Participating in or promoting this stunt makes Schefter look foolish. A debate about the Covid vaccine featuring two NFL players and occurring long after most of America has made up its mind one way or the other is not going to happen and if it did, would likely attract next to no attention. The whole concept is goofy. Schefter looks goofy for playing along and makes ESPN look goofy by extension.

Ian Rapaport spent years proving there is a way to go on McAfee’s show, be a regular contributor and not do damage to yourself or your reputation with the audience. The show is fun and has a lot of wacky morning zoo elements to it, but McAfee and his crew regularly do serious football talk. Rapaport would go on to have serious football conversations with the understanding that things likely would get derailed. He let himself enjoy the circus. He never volunteered to swing on the trapeze. 

McAfee’s constant barrage of cuss words isn’t a problem for ESPN either. Is it shocking to hear words like “shit” and “asshole” on the network? Absolutely! It’s a major policy shift for ESPN and Disney. But the network addressed this head on, putting the show on a delay and establishing that its only request to McAfee about his language was to dial back the F bombs.

Going into business with Pat McAfee means you want Pat McAfee to be Pat McAfee, and guess what? Pat McAfee likes to cuss. The problem for ESPN is it has other stars trying to be Pat McAfee.

Maybe some people found Mike Greenberg going on the show and saying “let’s f***ing go” to the news that Aaron Rodgers is thinking about possibly trying to see if he can potentially play again this season charming. I go back to the same word I used for Schefter. It was goofy, a transparent attempt to create a “moment” for social media. Moreover, it damages the brand Greenberg has built for himself and that ESPN has more than doubled-down on. 

Greenberg is seen more as a host than a personality. Going back to the Mike & Mike days, it was Golic that was the goofball living his life on the air. Greenberg was the straight man. You got details of his life, but it was to set up the story from Golic that would get the big laugh.

ESPN values Greenberg as the steady ship in the storm. He is the anchor that the chaos of the NFL Draft, Get Up and NBA Countdown can unfold around. His talent is providing the nuanced point that sets Rex Ryan off or asking the question that allows Stephen A. Smith to make a bombastic statement.

It doesn’t mean Greenberg isn’t allowed to have fun. It means that there is value in being the stick in the mud to make the fun guys seem more fun.

If McAfee has presented any problem for ESPN, it’s on College GameDay. The words “Pat” and “McAfee” do not appear anywhere in the title, and yet his weird fight with Washington State has completely changed what the show is and does well. Honestly, it is the thing that at 42 and a good 30 years into College GameDay being a part of my Saturday routine, made me decide that I wasn’t missing anything important by skipping the show each week.

I’m not a pro wrestling fan, but that is only because I am not a fan of the sport itself. I think the show around the action is entertaining at the least and exhilarating at its best. McAfee brings that energy to College GameDay and it is great for a live show. Giving the crowd someone to cheer or boo just for their mere presence plays really well for the people that have stood around for hours to watch people talk into a microphone in person. On TV though, that energy has turned a show that was built on celebrating every aspect of college football into an entity that seems to genuinely resent that it has to cover the entire sport. 

Awful Announcing’s Sean Keely wrote a great column about this earlier this month declaring McAfee punching down on a team without a conference after this season as a prime example of how College GameDay can be “college football’s biggest cheerleader and biggest bully”. Washington State, a fanbase whose participation and reverence for the show has been one of College GameDay’s great constants virtually since it started going on the road, has been turned into persona non grata by the new guy. What audience is that for and what does it accomplish?

This all reads like I hate Pat McAfee and think ESPN made a mistake. Nothing could be further from the truth. I think McAfee is a tremendous talent and I understand the value he brings to ESPN. 

Aaron Rodgers is a deeply unserious person. It isn’t Pat McAfee’s job to scold him for that. If McAfee is going to have him on, it is McAfee’s job to turn Aaron Rodgers into content that keeps people interested in his show.

ESPN hired Pat McAfee to be Pat McAfee and to do what Pat McAfee does. It was an element the network did not have that had an appeal to a different audience in multiple spaces. It did not hire McAfee to serve as a model for a full makeover of the network and its top personalities. If the network has not communicated that clearly to Schefter, Greenberg and the College GameDay cast, then that is ESPN’s real Pat McAfee problem.

Scott Kaplan is Thriving at ESPN LA 710

Peter Schwartz
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Scott Kaplan is Thriving at ESPN LA 710

In April of 2019, Scott Kaplan was looking for a new radio home after a 19-year run at the Mighty 1090 in San Diego ended when the station shut down.

A little over a year later and a couple of hours away from home, a new opportunity came about when he had the chance to team up with Jorge Sedano at ESPN 710 in Los Angeles in August of 2020. It was a reunion of sorts as both Kaplan and Sedano broke into the business at the same a quarter century earlier in South Florida.

“He was from Miami,” said Kaplan. “I was from Fort Lauderdale. I was a few years older than him, and I was just getting my feet wet. We were together when we were little kids. He’s gone on to have great success as a TV face and a radio voice. He really advocated for me when the time was right when I was available.”

Kaplan and Sedano enjoy a great rapport and it really is a team effort with producers Lindsay “Baseball” Foltin and Laura “The Queen” Romo, as well as Chris Morales who handles all of the bits behind the show.  

It is a sports talk show, but the show covers a lot more than just sports.  

“The show is really known for the stupidity of it all,” said Kaplan. “Back in the old days, it was about how much you know or how much you could tell people you know. Now, it is an entertainment outlet.”

Scott Kaplan, who still lives in San Diego and commutes back and forth to ESPN LA 710, has really taken to the LA sports market and feels there have been unfair stereotypes attached to Los Angeles sports fans.

“They arrive to games late, leave games early, and they’re not real sports fans.”

Kaplan is out to put an end to those myths.

“We have got an incredible audience and I say that because we are close to our audience.  Lakers fans are nuts about their team. Kings fans may be more cult like but they’re nuts about their team. The Dodgers have a huge stadium to fill and they have more attendance than anybody else in the country in Major League Baseball.”

There is a lot of interaction between the radio station and its audience, especially when it comes to listeners of Sedano and Kap.  That connection was lost for a bit during COVID when hosts were broadcasting from home, fans couldn’t go to games and radio stations couldn’t have remote events including listeners.

But once the pandemic subsided, the live events returned and so did the fire and passion from the Los Angeles sports fans.

“We were so separated from our audience,” Scott Kaplan said. “Now getting back to doing grassroots hand to hand events, I can look at people in the eye, I can shake their hands, I can hug them.  They can tell me the things they like and don’t like about the show.”

That live interaction led to the formation of the “Mandy Awards”, named, at the suggestion of a caller, after ESPN LA 710’s former Program Director Amanda Brown.  With help from Chris Morales, the Grammys and Oscars-like event with awards centered around the radio station has become a huge hit with the fans.

“It was really just a funny way to celebrate this radio station,” said Kaplan. “It’s kind of like a pro wrestling event where we’re the wrestlers but the audience is critical to the show.”

Speaking of Pro Wrestling, Kaplan was in the middle of a real-life storyline when he was working the sidelines for a Chargers game on CBS when the team was still playing in San Diego and trying to secure a new stadium.  

Kaplan had been pushing hard for the Chargers to stay in San Diego but a stadium vote didn’t go the team’s way. Owner Dean Spanos came over to Kaplan on the field, thanked him for his efforts and suggested that the decision was already made to move. Kaplan reported what Spanos told him on the air and the story blew up.  

That Monday, a special assistant of Spanos called him to say “we gave you a real favor, didn’t we?”

“These freaking guys set me up,” said Kaplan. “I am the President and the Founder of the card-carrying members of the Charger Hater Club. I went from being the guy trying to keep the Chargers in San Diego and leading that charge to a guy who said they just turned their back on San Diego and I can’t be associated with them ever again.”

Kaplan obviously has to talk about the Chargers on the air, but he no longer will be their “cheerleader” and they will never be his lead story. His style is one that features “hyper overly exaggerating criticism.”

They are no longer the “Super-Chargers” to him.

“I talk about their head coach (Brandon Staley) and how over his head he is and how unqualified he is and all the stupid decisions he make,” said Kaplan who is still on the air in San Diego hosting the Kaplan and Crew show from 3pm to 6pm.  

“I talk about how the team hires guys like him because their so cheap. They were terrible owners in San Diego but we loved the team…we didn’t love them. They were terrible owners in San Diego and they’re still terrible owners and that’s why they don’t make a dent in the LA marketplace.”

It’s been quite a career for Scott Kaplan, a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. From his start at WQAM in Miami to hosting with Sid Rosenberg on The Sports Guys at WNEW in New York to his work with CBS Sports and Westwood One to his current life in Southern California, Kaplan has accomplished a lot.

“It’s been an amazing ride,” said Scott Kaplan. “Sports and radio and fun and travel and interesting people and great events. The people who I’ve met and things I’ve gotten to do…I always think to myself a kid from a small town in Upstate New York doesn’t get to do stuff like this. It’s been amazing so I love it. I still love it to this day.”

Scott Kaplan loves working in LA, living in San Diego and has no love lost with the Chargers!

Money is No Longer the Driving Force for Marketers

Dr. Ed Cohen
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Money is No Longer the Driving Force for Marketers

I subscribe to probably too many publications, but if I had to cut back to just a couple, The Wall Street Journal would be one of the winners. A WSJ article on October 8, “The US Economy’s Secret Weapon: Seniors With Money to Spend”, caught my attention and lends more credence to the question “What is wrong with marketers?”

Some statistics from the article: According to the Census Bureau, 17.7 percent of the US population is now 65 or older, the highest percentage since records began in 1920. That group accounted for 22 percent of spending last year, the highest since records began in 1972 and up 15 percent since 2010.  

Want another eye-opening stat? The Federal Reserve says that the 70+ age group holds almost 26 percent of all the household wealth in the country, the highest since the Fed started tracking that figure in 1989. Put it this way: over one of every four dollars of wealth in this country belongs to people who are 70 or older. According to the article, one noted forecaster, Ed Yardeni, thinks the US won’t have a recession because boomers have over $77 trillion in wealth. That’s trillion with a “t”.  

The group with the lowest share of spending? It’s the 25-34 group, of course, and it’s not even close. Try less than 15 percent of consumer spending.  

The data don’t lie and as a member of the boomer generation, I can vouch for the spending part. In 2023, I’ve purchased a home, moved, furnished the new house along with the requisite money pit expenditures that every house seems to require, and my girlfriend and I are getting ready for a major (and expensive) vacation. As the WSJ article noted, my generation has less consumer debt, our student debt was paid off long ago, and higher interest rates are less likely to concern us.

Meanwhile, radio is forced to sell the 25-54 demo and much of television focuses on 18-49.  Maybe that works for some marketers, for example, quick serve restaurants. I doubt Taco Bell’s marketers think their future lies with the 65+ crowd, but do you really believe most of my generation follows social media influencers? Or at least influencers under 50?  

I also have too many streaming subscriptions, but still watch some cable and broadcast television. It’s easy to see one category still after my demo and that’s the pharma.  Apparently, we boomers have all sorts of maladies that we didn’t know we had, but we should ask our doctors about starting on each of these new wonder drugs.

Of course, we have to be careful because, according to the spots, we shouldn’t take the new drug if we’re allergic to it (how would anyone know you’re allergic to a drug if you’ve never taken it before?), which seems about as useful as the warning on a ladder that you could fall off it and hurt yourself. I’ve also seen spots for Viking River Cruises, which are apparently popular in my demo.  

I see plenty of spots for high end vehicle lines with young people driving who probably can’t make the payments, unless they’re professional athletes, artists, or of course, successful social media influencers. It was impressive to see a spot for the Genesis electric SUVs recently that had no people in it…the visuals just focused on the vehicles. And yes, they’re in the $60-$80K range.  

My point is the same one that’s been harped on for 40 years or more which is the older generation has the money and can spend it. Meanwhile, marketers go after younger people in the fervent (and probably misguided) hope that if you can get a customer early, you might have one for life. And when was the last time you ran into a 65+ media buyer or planner? We’re retired and out spending our money.

This disconnect is analogous to a recent trade press article citing an iHeart/Pushkin study suggesting that marketers are out of touch with the general population. The country is more South and West, more inward-looking, and not as likely to head to the gym or order an Aperol spritz (full disclosure: I have ordered an Aperol spritz in Bowling Green and have a gym membership).

What else do we know about the 65+ demo? We use more traditional media, especially broadcast radio. Yes, we stream and listen to podcasts as well, but the balance between traditional and digital is different. Marketers should be aware of the data; don’t expect the numbers and percentages to change any time soon. It’s an old adage: Follow the money!

Let’s meet again next week.

The Ticket Signs Extension with Dallas Stars

BSM Staff
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The Ticket Signs Extension with Dallas Stars

1310/96.7 The Ticket has served as the flagship home of the Dallas Stars since 2009. That isn’t changing anytime soon.

The station and NHL franchise have come to an agreement that will keep the team on the Cumulus-owned outlet through the 2028-2029 season.

“Entering the final year of our current five-year agreement, it was imperative for us to continue our partnership with The Ticket,” said Dallas Stars President and CEO Brad Alberts. “For the past 14 years, The Ticket has provided listeners in the Metroplex with a unique platform to follow their favorite hockey team with exclusive interviews with Dallas Stars coaches, players and personalities in addition to wall-to-wall coverage on game days. We’re thrilled to continue this longstanding partnership with our flagship station.”

“The Ticket’s partnership with the Dallas Stars goes back to 2009, and we are extremely excited that this partnership will extend to 2029 making it a 20-year run with one of the NHL’s premier franchises,” added Cumulus Dallas/Fort Worth President and Market Manager Dan Bennett.

Play-by-play voice Josh Bogorad and color analyst Daryl “Razor” Reaugh will remain the club’s radio broadcast crew.

Colin Cowherd: Like It Or Not, Football is Driven by TV Networks

BSM Staff
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Colin Cowherd: Like It Or Not, Football is Driven by TV Networks

Much has been made about FOX Sports planning to add nine Big Ten football games to its Friday primetime schedule next year as a replacement for WWE SmackDown. Colin Cowherd believes you can be angry about the decision, but nothing you can do will change it.

During The Herd with Colin Cowherd Friday, the FOX Sports Radio host argued against comments from Colorado head coach Deion Sanders. Sanders shared his disappointment with the Buffaloes game time and date against Stanford. Cowherd rebutted by saying the only reason the program is a television draw is because of Sanders and the success the team is having.

He continued by noting that it is an obvious business decision for the networks that have ponied up millions for the rights to broadcast the games.

“Football is now America’s number one TV show. And frankly, it’s not even close. College football ratings are up 12%. They’re going to be up another 12-to-15% next year because USC Washington, Oregon, and UCLA are in the conference with Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State Iowa, and Nebraska. They’re going up, up, up,” said Cowherd. “So you think football dominates TV now? Just wait. It’s the world we live in. And I’ve accepted it.

“I’m not an idealist. I’d love a Chick-fil-A sandwich every Sunday. It’s not available. I’d love to never spend another second in the DMV. I will. I see people all the time on the interweb, Twitter, yelling screaming miserable complaining about the world. You can spend your life complaining. I’m not an idealist…They’ve got their reasons. It’s their reasons. Stop fighting stuff you have no chance to change,” continued Cowherd. “Take a deep breath. Football has changed. It is now driven by networks. Don’t have to love it. It’s our reality”

John Kincade: MLB Postseason Comments from Mike Greenberg ‘A Joke’

BSM Staff
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The Philadelphia Phillies ended the season for the Atlanta Braves last night. 97.5 The Fanatic morning host John Kincade took issue with some statements about the series from ESPN’s Mike Greenberg.

Early Friday morning, Kincade shared before his program that he heard comments from Greenberg on ESPN Radio, and couldn’t disagree more with the sentiments he heard.

Greenberg was “describing teams upsetting the ‘better’ teams that couldn’t prove it as ‘illegitimate’,” according to Kincade.

“Such a joke. Completely ignoring the Astros somehow succeeding,” wrote Kincade. “Some teams handle pressure, others don’t. So weak.”

Kincade’s comments came after a week of jokingly sparring with 680 The Fan’s Matt Chernoff on social media. Kincade spent a large portion of his career in both Atlanta and Philadelphia, leading to charges of “pandering” to the Philadelphia sports fan for his comments that the atmosphere in Philadelphia is better than Atlanta.

ESPN to Announce Expanded Talent Lineup for Gambling Products and Shows

BSM Staff
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The Walt Disney Company and Penn Entertainment recently came to terms on a partnership to launch an ESPN-branded sportsbook – ESPN BET – which is expected to be released sometime in this year’s fiscal fourth quarter. The 10-year, $1.5 billion deal contains various performance incentives with a goal of yielding a 20% share of the total addressable domestic online sports betting marketplace. Furthermore, Disney will receive warrants worth nearly $500 million that will allow them to purchase shares in the gambling company. Disney chief executive officer Bob Iger was originally against the idea of expanding into sports betting, but as time passed, he realized that its growing influence on the marketplace was simply too powerful to ignore.

Disney engages in cross-platform integration and promotion across its various brands, and ESPN has recently started various alternate-style broadcasts. Jimmy Kimmel, for example, recently appeared on Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli, while Stephen A. Smith will occasionally welcome celebrities on First Take and the secondary game presentation, NBA in Stephen A’s World. ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro was cognizant of the implications a betting partnership could have in the marketplace and does not take the responsibility of serving the sports fan lightly.

“My job is to protect the brand at all costs,” Pitaro told The Wall Street Journal in an interview. “I am the custodian of the ESPN brand, and we needed to make sure that whoever we went with on this journey was someone that we could trust.”

The in-depth report, which is authored by Robbie Whelan, Katherine Sayre and Jessica Toonkel, shared that Disney began thinking about immersion into the sports betting space upon its $71.3 billion acquisition of Twenty-First Century Fox and other segments of the company. The transaction included a 6% stake in DraftKings, which it sold within the third financial quarter. 

Previous Disney CEO Bob Chapek explored a partnership with DraftKings, which has a 27.3% share of gross gaming revenue in the marketplace. The companies, however, were reportedly far apart as it pertained to financials, complicating the negotiating process. In the end, DraftKings reportedly offered approximately $100 million annually for ESPN to use the sportsbook, but a provision of the deal indicated that DraftKings wanted its branding on the app and marketing materials. The Wall Street Journal reports that Pitaro felt it was “nonstarter” and wanted solo ESPN branding across the endeavor. Later on, Rush Street Interactive is said to have offered Disney more than $100 million per year, but no deal ever materialized.

As Disney engaged in laying off 3% of its global workforce to slash $5.5 billion in costs, Pitaro was reportedly informed by Iger that he could continue efforts of trying to find the company an operating partner. Following a 90-minute meeting with PENN Entertainment chief executive officer Jay Snowden, he directed ESPN employees to converse with the entity to discover the specifics of a potential partnership.

Once PENN sold Barstool Sports back to founder Dave Portnoy for $1, along with a bevy of provisions, the company was able to finalize its deal with Disney and forge ahead. The partnership can be severed after three years, which Snowden indicated was around 10%, as the companies attempt to leverage the ESPN brand and react to growing consumption trends in sports media.

“There’s only one ESPN,” Snowden said. “If we were going to make a pivot, there was really one option to do that, and that was with what is the only name that is truly anonymous with sports in the United States.”

Pitaro shared that ESPN will soon announce an expanded talent lineup to host and promote gambling-related products and content. The company recently exited its Las Vegas studios, launched a new afternoon radio show with betting personality Joe Fortenbaugh and is frequently featuring betting intel from analyst Erin Dolan within its football programming. As it pertains to alternate broadcasts, the network is reportedly considering alternate broadcasts focused on the practice and will also look to promote ESPN BET through its daily programming and fantasy sports users.

Eulogy on WFAN Prompts Discussion About Sports Radio Callers

BSM Staff
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Eulogy on WFAN Prompts Discussion About Sports Radio Callers

The communal aspect of sports talk radio renders local outlets invaluable and enjoyable parts of everyday life for various factions of consumers. WFAN has had a variety of interesting and entertaining characters call its talk shows during its 36 years on the air. On Thursday’s edition of The Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata Show, one caller dialed in to express grief over the loss of his grandmother, which occurred a day earlier.

Since she was an avid fan of the New York Jets and listener of the radio station, her grandson felt it would be fitting to give her a proper sendoff through the outlet. Jerry Recco replayed the clip on Friday’s installment of Boomer & Gio, which prompted co-host Boomer Esiason to express how radio hosts should handle these types of situations.

“You’ve got to act appropriately,” Esiason said, “and you’ve got to give the person a chance to get it off their chest and wish them the very best.”

The midday caller, however, extensively eulogized his grandmother on the air, conveying how she was the greatest grandmother they could ask for, adding that that she was now in heaven with her relatives. While he felt the need to say everything he wanted to, listeners can infer the situation as being unnecessarily verbose and palaverous. After some time passed, Licata had to step in and address the caller.

“Rest in peace to your grandmother; it’s horrible to hear that,” Licata interjected on WFAN. “Now please get to your point.”

Listening to the playback elicited laughter from the WFAN studio, as they understood the situation. Without the proper context, some people may deduce the situation as presumptuous or flippant; however, the staff recognized that Licata had to keep the show on track.

“You can’t blame Sal,” Recco said. “This guy was going on and on about, ‘You’re up there with nanny and poppa,’ and everything and, ‘You’re up there in heaven.’ Just say, ‘Hey, my grandmother passed away. She liked the station; she liked the Jets. Thanks guys.’”

The show then decided to relive what it deemed “the greatest WFAN death call of time,” which took place when a listener called host Marc Malusis to discuss the cremation of her mother. When she said that the ashes would be thrown into the ocean, Malusis began to laugh in the background, causing the caller to ask what was going on.

Shortly thereafter, she stated that she would be with her husband by saying, “They’ll be together in the water,” causing him to try to suppress his laughing fit. While the program never explicitly ranked the call, they took the time to discuss it and the theory behind how long callers should be handled.

“What would you cut it off at?,” Esiason asked producer Al Dukes. “Ten seconds of commentary and then get into it?”

Dukes explained that Licata could have cut off the call sooner, while Recco countered by saying that 30 seconds would be apropos for the situation. If Esiason had been placed in the situation, he feels that 10 seconds are justified to give the necessary remarks and then move on.

“Listen – we understand; we’ve all been through it, but to go on and on and on,” Esiason said. “….I could just see Sal’s face.”

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