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Peter Schrager: Bill Belichick is the Next Great NFL Analyst

BSM Staff
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Could New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick do well as a TV analyst? Peter Schrager thinks so.

Schrager, who works for NFL Network, told Front Office Sports that while Belichick is often known for being tight-lipped and short with the media in press conferences, he absolutely has the personality for television.

“Belichick is super, super engaging with those he talks to,” Schrager said. “He knows the history of the game inside and out.”

Several players who played for Belichick in the Patriots dynasty era have since moved on to successful TV roles, and Schrager said the guys he’s worked with who played for Belichick agree that Bill would be great in front of the camera.

“I work with Edelman on Fox and McCourty on Good Morning Football. You look around the landscape, Brady is coming, Gronk is with FOX, Devin McCourty is on NBC,” Schrager said. “There’s a little Belichick tree of media guys. You better believe they all say, ‘If you really got to know Bill, you’d look at him in a different way. Or if you heard him in a meeting he’s hilarious. Or Bill is the smartest guy.'”

But while Bill Belichick hasn’t given any indication he wants to give up coaching the Patriots or coaching in general, Schrager believes that if Bill wanted to get into television, he would be a fan-favorite.

“If Belichick ever wanted to do this, I would be a captive audience to listen to him on one of these shows. He’d be great,” Schrager said.

How Can MLB’s Postseason Pass Thursday Night Football In The Ratings?

Andy Masur
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How Can MLB’s Postseason Pass Thursday Night Football In The Ratings?

The NFL has long been the king of the airwaves in the late summer and early fall. It’s usually no contest when the NFL goes up against the MLB Playoffs on television. The allure of the most popular sport in the United States has often led to better ratings and bigger audiences. This year could be a little bit different though. A lackluster Thursday Night Football game, combined with new teams, new rules, and a new energy around baseball, may give the NFL a run for its money and viewers.

Thursday Night Football features the 0-4 hapless Chicago Bears and the 2-2 Washington Commanders. This match-up may not even be watched in Chicago thanks to the awful season the Bears are already having. Thursday Night Football has been cursed with some of the worst games of the week in recent years, which won’t help that broadcast too much. Normally, that wouldn’t matter, but a dud game on Prime, which is still difficult for some fans to even get used to, gives baseball a shot. I’m talking about a real, legitimate shot.

This time, baseball doesn’t need to pull out fancy gimmicks to attract viewers. It certainly did in years past, with players mic’d up, umpires wearing microphones, unique camera angles, and in-game interviews. Nope, not now, baseball can stand on its own merits. The sport flourished in 2023 and captured many new and young viewers to the game. It really needed it.

The game of baseball is “watchable” again, because of all the changes that were made to it by the league this year. It’s renewed the energy in the game. Baseball is on a roll and there’s no reason to think it won’t continue, with big viewership in the playoffs. Why? If you’ll indulge me, I’ll present some numerical and factual evidence to support my thoughts.

“If they change it, they will come.”

Ok, this isn’t the field of dreams, but people were dreaming about coming to the field and in big numbers this season. In 2023, crowds were up by 9.6 percent over last year, with just over 70 million fans attending games. 17 teams went over the 2.5 million mark, matching the most in MLB history. Eight clubs registered attendance figures of over 3 million fans for the first time in 10 years. 80 percent of the league showed gains in attendance.

There was also more of a demand to watch games via MLB’s streaming platform MLB.TV. The interest level represented the most streamed season in the 21-year history of the service. 12.7 billion minutes of action were watched, up 9 percent over last year. Nine of the top 10 most-watched days, including the top five ever, were recorded this year. Since game times decreased, the total number of games watched from start to finish was up 17 percent.

This certainly bodes well for the postseason and for ESPN/ABC and TBS.

Why did all this happen? Because baseball revived itself from the sports trash heap with the new rules implemented this year. The pitch clock did what it was supposed to do, shortened game times. It’s been 38 years since games were this short. The average game time was just under 2:40. In 2023, there were only nine games that lasted 3:30 or longer. In 2021, that number was 390, the most in MLB history.

Action on the field was way up too, the larger bases led to more runs and the most successful stolen bases in baseball history. Plus, the expanded playoffs, meant that several teams were playing extremely meaningful games up until the final days of the regular season. The changes resulted in one of the more successful seasons in recent memory.

It also produced some big-time superstar players. These guys are ‘stop what you’re doing’ kind of players that keep fans in their seats when they bat, field, or get on base. Guys like Ronald Acuna Jr., Trea Turner, Freddie Freeman, and Vlad Guerrero Jr., are worth the watch. Personable and talented that do things normal humans can only dream of doing on the baseball field. They’ll just add to the intrigue and the viewership of the playoffs in baseball.

Sometimes, the rules change in the postseason. Not the actual rules of the game, but the way teams approach games, strays from what actually got them to the playoffs. Running teams don’t run as much. Power-hitting teams don’t bash as many home runs facing only the best pitchers. The weather is cooler and there’s been a spotlight on pitching and defense. That would hurt ratings because of the perceived stogy nature of the game.

This year it’s going to be different. The exciting game that was played during the regular season looks like it will be the blueprint for the postseason as well. After all, if it’s not broken, don’t even try to fix it.

Baseball has more going for it this postseason than Thursday Night Football, or Sunday afternoon football this early in the NFL season. With new teams involved, meaning no Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, or Cardinals for the first time in a while. New clubs, equals new interest, not only in the team’s market but also in those who are sick of the status quo. Plus, this is only Week 5 of the NFL season.

Yeah, I know that there aren’t as many NFL games — especially Thursday Night Football — and each has extreme value. Still, the matchups in baseball outweigh those this early in the football season. It’s especially true with tonight’s Chicago/Washington game.

Football is becoming the old baseball too. Games are taking forever to finish. There’s no flow to the game anymore, because referees want to make sure their families get to see them on television, often.

So many flags, extended discussions, replay reviews and terrible coaching decisions, make it hard to watch at times. There isn’t a lot of parity either, several teams in the league are head and shoulders above all the others. That doesn’t do much for competitive games. It makes for some snooze-fests which really lack intrigue and interest.

Baseball play-by-play on television has gotten even better than it was before. With less time for minutia, we only see the best of what a production has to offer. The announcers seem to be enjoying the pitch clock, because they now get to focus on the action, the players, and the important numbers in the game.

The telecasts are crisp. The network baseball broadcasters are terrific and these new era games highlight their talents in a big way. America’s pastime is back in the spotlight and to me, the choice is easy, baseball over football this postseason.

Drew Carter Joining Boston Celtics Broadcast Team

BSM Staff
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Drew Carter Joining Boston Celtics Broadcast Team

NBC Sports Boston has announced its commentary team for its broadcasts of the 2023-24 Boston Celtics, a franchise with championship expectations after being defeated two seasons ago in the NBA Finals. The young core of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will pair with veteran guard Jrue Holiday and center Kristaps Porziņġis with aspirations of making a deep postseason run, and the regional sports network will be on hand to document all of the action. Play-by-play announcer Mike Gorman will be on the call for his 43rd season in the role, which he has announced will be his last, bringing fans all of the action during regular-season home games.

Gorman will be honored throughout the regular season by NBC Sports Boston, the team and its fans through special content, in-arena vignettes and a special “Mike Gorman Night” at TD Garden in April. Additionally, the network will have special promotions, social media content and specials leading up to games. These will honor his career and thankthanking him for his work on the telecasts over the last four decades-plus.

“Mike truly has made an incredible impact as the voice of the Boston Celtics during his amazing 43-year broadcast career covering the team,” Chris Wayland, president and general manager of the Boston Owned Properties and Regional Sports Networks of NBCUniversal, said in a statement. “We look forward to a season of celebrating and honoring Mike and making his ‘farewell’ as memorable as his career has been. He will certainly be missed but he will always be a part of the NBC Sports Boston and Celtics Family.”

Drew Carter, who just called the Toy Story Funday Football broadcast with ESPN, is joining the NBC Sports Boston broadcast team this year and will be added on a full-time basis starting in the 2024-25 season. For this season, he will be on the call for all Celtics preseason and regular-season road games before officially taking Gorman’s position in one year.

“Mike has been such an important part of what makes the Celtics so special to our fans,” Rich Gotham, team president of the Boston Celtics, said in a statement. “Drew is talented, energetic and well prepared for the opportunity. We very much look forward to seeing him connect with Celtics fans over the course of the season.”

“Drew is one of the industry’s rising play-by-play voices and has had the opportunity to call numerous sports across multiple platforms,” added Kevin Miller, vice president of content for NBC Sports Boston. “He has a great understanding of the role he’s stepping into and we’re excited for Celtics fans to get to know him.

Gorman is a former recipient of the Curt Gowdy Award, which is given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to outstanding contributions to the sport through media outlets. He now enters his final season on the call energized to provide a stellar and informative account of all the action, which experts believe could result in a postseason appearance and potential championship run.

“Mike’s contributions over 43 Hall-of-Fame seasons will be unmatched,” Miller said, “and we are excited to give fans multiple opportunities to see some of the best moments from his storied career.”

Aside from the addition of Carter and impending departure of Gorman, the rest of the Celtics’ broadcast team will remain the same. Analyst Brian Scalabrine enters his ninth season in the role and is joined by sideline reporter Abby Chin, who will be present for every game. Amina Smith, Eddie House and Chris Forsberg form the team on Celtics Pregame Live and Celtics Postgame Live on game nights, bringing fans news, analysis and opinion about each matchup and the season at large.

92.9 The Game Enjoys Ratings Growth in Atlanta Summer Book

BSM Staff
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The summer ratings book is out in Atlanta, and 92.9 The Game once again turned in a strong quarterly performance with Men 25-54.

In weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p), the station finished 2nd overall with a 6.8 share for the book. For the full week (M-SU 6a-Mid), the station remained 2nd with a 5.6 share.

Looking at the weekday shows, in mornings, the summer book represented the second ratings period for the station’s show helmed by Tiffany Blackmon, Mike Johnson, and Beau Morgan. The Morning Shift saw a slight drop from its first book, finishing with a 7.1 share for the quarter. That figure was an 8.4 share in the spring book. Nonetheless, the program remained in a strong position, 2nd overall in the market.

In middays, the station had a pair of shows finish 2nd, with The Steakhouse — featuring Steak Shapiro and Sandra Golden –enjoying an uptick from a 6.9 in the spring to an 8.1 in the summer. Shapiro and Golden are heard weekdays on the station from 9a-11a.

Additionally, middays with Andy Bunker and Randy McMichael generated a 7.1 share, which was one tenth of a point off from its spring book. Similar to The Morning Shift and The Steakhouse, Bunker and McMichael secured 2nd place in their time slow.

The venerable 92.9 The Game afternoon duo of Carl Dukes and Mike Bell, which airs from 2p-7p, saw a slight dip this quarter to finish with a 6.6 share, good for 3rd in the market. In the spring book, Dukes & Bell were 2nd with a 6.9 share.

Ratings information for 680 The Fan was not made available for the summer book.

Jon Ritchie: Joe DeCamara Deserves Credit from ESPN For Idea That Turned Phillies Season Around

BSM Staff
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Jon Ritchie: Joe DeCamara Deserves Credit from ESPN For Idea That Turned Phillies Season Around

Earlier this year, 94 WIP producer Jack Fritz received acclaim for sharing an idea that Philadelphia fans should give struggling shortstop Trea Turner a standing ovation. Morning host Jon Ritchie believes his partner, Joe DeCamara isn’t getting the credit he deserves.

During DeCamara and Ritchie Wednesday morning, the former NFL star argued that ESPN’s Karl Ravech got the story wrong in its retelling during the Phillies National League Wild Card Game Tuesday.

“This is good stuff. Last night during the during the broadcast, I started getting texts and tweets about this, but didn’t hear it live because I was at the game,” DeCamara said. “But during the broadcast, Karl Ravech and David Cone talked about what Fritz did and the Trea Turner thing.”

The show then played the clip of Ravech and Cone talking about Fritz’s idea of giving the standing ovation and how it helped turn Turner’s season around. Ritchie jokingly took issue with the fact that it was actually DeCamara’s idea.

“I guess (Fritz) did do the organizing, that is true, but the idea was hatched by Joe DeCamara on our show,” said Ritchie. “This was Joe’s idea. He hatched it. Let’s give him some credit here, and if Jack Fritz is gonna get a ring, why doesn’t Joe DeCamara?”

DeCarama joked Jon Ritchie just “wants to cause trouble”, before his co-host pushed him to say it was his idea.

“If I say yes, I seem like a bad guy. If I say no, I’m lying. So I will say no,” DeCamara said slyly.

Last week, during an appearance on the station, Turner thanked afternoon hosts Jon Marks and Ike Reese for helping turn around his year.

“Obviously, the whole thing happened and the rest is kind of history. Started playing a lot better and it was thanks to you guys and the crowd,” the Phillies star said.

Jimmy Pitaro Receives Prestigious Stanton Award

BSM Staff
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ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro was honored in a ceremony last night in New York City by the Center for Communication, a nonprofit organization that seeks to educate and inspire the next generation of media professionals. Pitaro was on hand to accept the Frank Stanton Award for Excellence in Communication, which recognized his achievements in media and demonstrated the changing state of the industry.

The gathering was emceed by First Take commentator Stephen A. Smith and host Molly Qerim, who recognized the outstanding ongoing career of the chairman.

Pitaro has been an innovator throughout his time with ESPN, helping catalyze media rights agreements with various professional sports leagues, new programming, and cutting-edge technologies. The Worldwide Leader has transformed the way it produces and disseminates content over the last several years and looks to remain a beacon for other companies to follow in the years to come.

“Jimmy is a forward-thinking leader and is always focused on innovation, which has kept ESPN at the top of its game,” David J. Barrett, Center for Communication chairman emeritus, said in a statement. “He is also deeply committed to creating an ESPN where everyone feels they belong, making diversity, equity, and inclusion a core business priority. We are thrilled to honor Jimmy for his success and his shared passion for opening doors for the next generation of media leaders.”

The Center for Communication appointed Shane Peros, managing director of global partnerships for broadcast, entertainment and telecommunication at Google, as its new chair. Additionally, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Google Vice President Sean Downey, and Endeavor President Mark Shapiro are among the list of co-chairs. The Walt Disney Company’s president for advertising sales, Rita Ferro, served as co-chair of the Stanton Award event, in addition to Barrett, who assumes the role of chairman emeritus.

“The Center for Communication plays an important role in creating the future of our industry,” Jimmy Pitaro said. “I am proud to represent the people of ESPN in receiving this recognition.”

Diamond Sports Group Requests Extension in Ch. 11 Reorganization

BSM Staff
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Diamond Sports Group is in the midst of waiting to discover whether or not its request for an extension to file a restructuring plan under Chapter 11 bankruptcy will be approved by a U.S. bankruptcy court, a decision that could prove pivotal in the survival of the Sinclair subsidiary. The entity previously declared bankruptcy in March 2023 after it threatened the proposition to Major League Baseball as it implored the league to grant it expanded direct-to-consumer (DTC) broadcast rights. MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. refused to acquiesce to Diamond’s demands and instituted a local media department, headed by Billy Chambers, set to take over regional broadcast responsibilities if Diamond decided to selectively reject existing rights contracts.

Diamond previously received an extension to file a restructuring plan on Sept. 30 and enlisted the help of a mediator leading up to that time. The company now hopes to be able to file that plan on Nov. 29, which would give the entity an additional two months to compile and receive feedback on a potential resolution. At the moment, creditors are deliberating the best path forward to reorganize itself amid over $8 billion in debt, largely due to its acquisition of regional sports networks from The Walt Disney Company in an antitrust-related divestiture outlined by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2019.

“The debtors’ Chapter 11 cases are tremendously complex and are occurring while the cable industry is rapidly changing due to subscribers’ persistent ‘cord cutting’ as they move away from traditional cable and satellite multichannel video distributors,” the company said in a court filing. “Navigating these choppy waters requires discussions with, and cooperation from, many parties, including multiple creditor groups, sports leagues, teams and MVPDs.”

As the MLB season continued, Diamond terminated its agreements with the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks, leading MLB to assume control over those media rights. With seasons for both the National Hockey League and National Basketball Association quickly approaching, both leagues are reportedly in discussions with the outlet. While there were reports about the leagues agreeing to a deal that would result in less remuneration doled out to its teams, no such compromise has been reached. John Ourand of Sports Business Journal reports that if Diamond is able to emerge from its bankruptcy, both leagues would expect those rights fees to be slashed on a team-by-team basis.

Diamond recently came to terms on a one-year rights renewal with DIRECTV, ensuring that the Bally Sports-branded regional sports networks stay on the air for the next 12 months. DIRECTV had a provision in its existing contract that would have allowed it to renegotiate the RSN deal, but it decided to neglect the use of that so it would not have to renegotiate Sinclair local broadcast channels as well.

The subsidiary’s deal with Charter Communications expires on Feb. 29, which could end up being a monumental negotiation based on how the next several months go for the company. Diamond is reportedly in active negotiations with Comcast to renew that carriage agreement, which comes shortly after a public strife between Charter and The Walt Disney Company that resulted in somewhat of a stalemate.

Through it all, Diamond is suing Sinclair, its parent company, alleging that it received more than $1.5 billion due to misconduct. Some of the claims brought forth by Diamond relate to the fraudulent transfer of assets, breach of contract and unjust enrichment, practices that it believes have harmed its creditors. In response, Sinclair denied these allegations and stated that it believes that Diamond will not emerge from its ongoing bankruptcy.

Dan Bongino: I’m the Only Person Who Doesn’t Want a TV Show

BNM Staff
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Dan Bongino: I’m the Only Person Who Doesn’t Want a TV Show

Many conservative media pundits work in multiple mediums. Radio, TV, digital video shows, and podcasts are all options these days. Dan Bongino believes he’s the only person who isn’t angling for a television show.

During The Dan Bongino Show, the syndicated radio host shared that having a TV show doesn’t interest him.

“I don’t want to get on TV. How many times do people ask us to be on TV? How many would you say per day? On average? Six times a day?” Bongino asked. “I had a show on TV once right? What happened to it? I don’t do it anymore, right? I think I’m the only one that doesn’t want to be on TV.”

Bongino previously hosted a weekend program on Fox News. However, the show ended in April when the two parties couldn’t agree to a contract extension.

“I want you to know it’s not some big conspiracy. I promise you. There’s no acrimony. This wasn’t some WWE brawl that happened. We just couldn’t come to terms on an extension,” Bongino said of his departure at the time.

His exit from Fox News came mere days before the network ousted Tucker Carlson, who has continually alleged his firing was part of the network’s settlement with Dominion Voting Systems. Fox News has denied both Carlson and Bongino’s exits were tied to the settlement.

The Pat McAfee Show Sees Strong First Month Viewership on ESPN

BSM Staff
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The Pat McAfee Show Sees Strong First Month Viewership on ESPN

ESPN has revealed a strong first month across its linear and digital platforms for The Pat McAfee Show, garnering a cumulative viewership of 242 million, an average of 1.4 million views per show.

Featuring interviews with guests such as New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, WWE superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders, viewers have tuned in to the program. Pat McAfee, a former NFL punter, is joined by former NFL linebacker and co-host A.J. Hawk in addition to various contributors.

The 18-44 demographic primarily consumes the program through digital platforms, including YouTube, social media channels, and the ESPN app, with 82% of the audience falling into that niche. Digital platforms, overall, accounted for 213 million cumulative views throughout September. Additionally, viewers have tuned in to the program for an average of 44.5 minutes every day across all platforms, a testament to the show’s ability to retain the interest of its audience.

“To be rather transparent, I’m not sure any of us had any certainty of how this particular report was gonna be when this all started a month ago,” McAfee said in a statement. “We had hopes that a massive new audience provided by ESPN would give our show a chance, and ESPN had hopes of us helping with the transition into the new multiplatform generation of daily sports entertainment.

“I’m proud of my guys for their work and very thankful for ESPN’s belief in us because I do believe these numbers are telling us all that we’re off to a rather good start. We appreciate everything and everybody. We’re pumped about the continued possibilities on ESPN’s phenomenal platform. Cheers.”

Over the course of the football season, the show has weekly interviews lined up with recurring guests, including The NFL Today studio analyst and former defensive end J.J. Watt, Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban, and the aforementioned Rodgers. The show has also gone on the road to different college campuses on Friday, which leads to McAfee’s responsibilities on College GameDay on Saturday. Two of the five most-watched episodes from the last month took place on Friday afternoons, with the visit to Boulder, Colo. accounting for 1.9 million views.

“Pat and his team have established a strong, loyal following and we’re happy to see these fans embrace the show on our platforms while also expanding ESPN’s overall reach,” Mike Foss, senior vice president of studio and digital production at ESPN, said in a statement. “The Pat McAfee Show has been an incredible addition to our strong weekday lineup, and we’re looking forward to seeing how fans continue to tune in across our multiple viewing platforms.”

ESPN has licensed 235 episodes of The Pat McAfee Show as part of a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal and simulcasts the program from noon to 2 p.m. EST on ESPN, ESPN+, and ESPN’s YouTube channel. The final hour of the program – 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST – airs on ESPN+ and McAfee’s individual show channel on YouTube.

Greg Kelly: Hard to Top What Bill O’Reilly Has Accomplished

BNM Staff
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Greg Kelly: Hard to Top What Bill O’Reilly Has Accomplished

Bill O’Reilly has accomplished plenty during his long media career. 77 WABC host Greg Kelly marveled at what the former cable news host had done before a recent interview.

Kelly welcomed O’Reilly to The Greg Kelly Show earlier this week to promote his latest book Killing the Witches: The Horrors of Salem, Massachusetts. Kelly noted that O’Reilly has seen wide success in nearly everything he has attempted.

“Bill O’Reilly is an amazing broadcaster, all media, all mediums, including literature,” Kelly said. “The best-selling nonfiction author, I believe of all time.”

O’Reilly rose to cable news prominence as a featured host on Fox News before launching a book series that has been wildly successful. He also hosts a series of radio vignettes, and one-hour programs heard on the same New York news/talk station as Kelly.

Kelly is on a similar career path to O’Reilly. In addition to his radio show on 77 WABC, Kelly hosts a primetime cable news program — Greg Kelly Reports — on Newsmax. Additionally, Kelly wrote the book Justice For All: How the Left is Wrong which was released earlier this year.

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