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Why Do We Want Netflix in the Sports Business?

Demetri Ravanos
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Why Do We Want Netflix in the Sports Business?

Why is the media so invested in Netflix getting into the live sports market? No matter how often or how loudly the company insists that it isn’t what what it wants to do, financial analysts, reporters and others insist on asking the company’s co-CEOs Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos when the streaming pioneer will start pursuing game rights.

Over the weekend, I caught up on a few of the company’s sports docs that have gotten buzz lately. I am left with a question. If Netflix thinks it is good at sports documentaries and this is the shit they produce, why do we want the company involved in live sports?

Every time a new doc in the Untold series drops, there is hype on social media. My friends that know I love college football told me that I would enjoy the new documentaries about Johnny Manziel and Tim Tebow’s Florida Gators teams. I thought both of them were boring fluff pieces.

That is kind of par for the course with Netflix in my opinion. There is nothing interesting or groundbreaking on the platform anymore. Stranger Things looks beautiful, but the story is for children and children don’t care if your script makes any sense.

Sarandos’s position has been that the company is not against carrying live sports. It is just not in the business of doing anything that makes it harder to turn a profit. 

Let me translate that: Netflix knows that there is money in carrying live sports, but leagues require their television partners to show effort and make investments. Those really aren’t things that Netflix does these days. Documentaries are cheap. Reality shows are cheap. Buying shows that originally aired overseas and dubbing them into English or throwing subtitles on them is cheap. Even on the low end, live sports rights aren’t cheap. 

As Hollywood waits for a resolution that appeases studios and the striking writers and actors, many wonder what is going to happen to the fall and spring television seasons. Will we be overwhelmed by reality TV? Will there be a season of nothing but reruns? Plenty of networks will have sports to fall back on and put that programming in the spotlight. Netflix though? Netflix would rather produce nothing new of quality for a year rather than invest the money necessary to get games on its platform.

So that brings me back to the question we started with. Why are so many people so eager to see Netflix get into the sports business? 

Even if it were something like WWE or AEW where the platform had a script it could rely on to create the best looking action possible, I am not confident it would deliver something the fan base would say is demonstrably better than what they see on cable right now. 

Apple and Amazon are serious about sports. Those companies aren’t afraid to shell out big money to get marquee properties on their platform. If fans aren’t satisfied with what they see on streaming services that want to be in the sports business, what do they think they will get from one that is dragged into it kicking and screaming? 

Latency issues, strange graphics, new, unfamiliar announcers. The people at home have a long list of complaints with the streaming services trying their best. Remember, if the audience is watching a game on a streaming service, that means it is now paying for something it either used to get for free or was part of the cable bill they are already used to paying. It’s not unreasonable for them to scrutinize.

Netflix innovated when it was in position to innovate. It made movie rental more convenient than Blockbuster. Then, it made movie rental even more convenient than that! Then it created a slate of original programming that was every bit as interesting and bold as the shows that made HBO a gold standard with Emmy voters.

Conditions were favorable to the company then. Every studio didn’t have its own streaming service. If Disney wanted to make it easy to stream Marvel movies, it turned to Netflix. If Fox had a show that was a little too bloody or boob-filled for network TV or FX, it turned to Netflix. 

As the digital landscape has exploded with Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video, Peacock, Paramount+ and others, Netflix lost its stranglehold on the streaming entertainment universe. While Amazon is dropping nearly half a billion dollars on its Lord of the Rings series, Netflix is revamping its business model from trying to be “must-have” to being “yeah, I’ll guess we’ll keep it”. 

Games do not fit that model. If they were forced in there, I am not positive we, as fans, could count on Netflix not to cut corners and costs in production of the games. In a sports landscape where gambling and gamblers are more important than ever, that is a recipe for disaster.

With Interviews, Longer Can Be Better

BNM Staff
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With Interviews, Longer Can Be Better

There is constant chatter in our business. What’s better, TV or radio? Are both dinosaurs? Are podcasts another nail in radio’s coffin? We talk about this stuff all the time. There is no right answer, but one area of radio where it really remains king, regardless of where you stand on any of those questions: the interviews.

When I worked in local television and landed a big interview, the usual response would be “Great, package it, and we’ll wrap around it.”

That means break down a few sound bytes, smatter in a few voice-over tracks, and then front that piece of tape live in one or two shows.

That’s great and all, but it basically means that no more than a minute of actual sound from the interview will be used. You have an on-camera introduction and tag, which by most standards will be 15 seconds each (though with me, I could rarely keep things that tight). Toss in the tracking to weave together the sound, and shazaam, that’s two minutes, and you’re out of time.

Two minutes.

On cable TV (mostly CNBC for me), it’s largely the same or even tighter, with the exceptions being names like Musk, Buffett, or maybe Jerome Powell (He’s still not big enough to be a one-name mention).

On the radio, I can do several things.

There’s the standard 6-10 minute interview slot. If in studio, a guest could stay for 30 minutes, an hour, or even take the whole show.

I could blow out weather and traffic here and there, but largely, we try to avoid that as our audience supposedly has an awareness of the clock expectations; since it’s the morning, there is a sense that those two elements are important (I agree on the weather side, but with traffic, only when something is actually happening).

Let’s start with the standard 6-10 minute interview block. It is still far superior than any packaged interview – if you do your job. That job isn’t just about preparation. It’s also about follow-up questions, the ability to jettison questions if another, more intriguing angle emerges, and of course, provide conversation that cannot be had anywhere else.

This is far better than a good 1:30 TV package because of context, flow, and follow-ups.

If the subject matter or guest is too compelling for 10 minutes, then let them stay! If you are the host or part of a team, you need to be able to convey to producers and co-hosts that going off the rails is what can make radio great.

I think of great morning TV shows like Morning Joe or Squawk Box because they are actually a lot like radio shows. They are at least three hours, and producers always build in extra time – both for great interview possibilities and of course, for verbose hosts.

I remember being on headset for Squawk Box one morning, and the producer wrapped the segment.

A minute later: “We gotta go”.

Two minutes later: “We really gotta go”.

Another minute: “We really really gotta go”.

Then, the anchor tossed to break. No hard feelings and it was a great block.

Radio has some hard outs, so that is not always possible, but one thing I learned at network TV was that producers don’t always need iron-gripped control. The best ones know when to be flexible – and when to flex.

As a host, you need to have some equity in decisions on time for interviews.

The biggest challenge to this sense that radio interviews can still be the best is the podcast. Put aside the episodic, highly produced ones that take months to put together. I am really referencing the interview-style ones, and what I’ve learned is that 60 minutes of Dax Shepard is too much Dax Shepard, regardless of the guest. The same goes for just about everyone, even my beloved Jason Bateman.

Cut those down to 25 minutes or so, and those talents are hard to beat. The problem is that they are not managed that much – or at all. So, sometimes, these star-driven interviews are great, but when they’re over an hour, and at least for me, that’s too much. Ok, I get that many of them are doing so well with revenue, reach, and downloads that they may not realize that condensed versions may do even better.

The lesson here is – give it what it’s worth but not more. Good producers and hosts have a great sense of that line.

My challenge is finding a way to take my best on-air interviews, put them in podcast form, and push them out effectively to the world.

I admit, my social media game is weak, and our podcasting production budget is nil. But that should not be an excuse, especially because I would put our best 10 minutes against anyone.

And so should you.

Dave Portnoy: If There Aren’t Layoffs, No One Will Have Jobs at Barstool

BSM Staff
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Layoffs have begun at Barstool Sports, a few weeks removed from founder Dave Portnoy taking back full ownership of the company.

Portnoy discussed the situation on Barstool Radio this week with KFC. He said having those hard conversations with people informing them they’re being let go is the worst.

“I’ve been very clear. Anybody that’s paid attention, we are going to have layoffs and cuts, and they’ve started and it sucks,” Portnoy said. “And people who know me from the beginning I hate firing people. You can be incompetent, not work and I generally don’t fire because I hate it so much. It’s the worst thing to f–king do.”

“Having said that, we’re in a position it’s a no-brainer,” he added. “It’s not like I have that moral – well you can’t do it because nobody will have jobs. We’ll all not have jobs. So we have to get back to a break even thing. We’re losing a lot and it sucks.”

Dave said given the nature of layoffs, those that remain have no choice but to work just as hard to fill any gaps and move the company forward.

“People have to step the f–k up,” he said, adding that folks need to take on a do more, not less attitude even when problems arise.

“We’re gonna have issues. I get it,” Portnoy said. “There will be issues because people have been let go, and things will break. It’s like, ‘Oh we actually need that person.’ I get that, but we’re gonna have to figure it out.”

Dan Joseph Transitioned From Stage Actor to Radio Host at WBAL

BNM Staff
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Dan Joseph Transitioned From Stage Actor to Radio Host at WBAL

WBAL Radio host Dan Joseph expresses his gratitude for the opportunities he has earned at the station. His perception of the news industry and opinion journalism has changed for the better after moving to Baltimore five years ago. Joseph enjoys his current work environment and acknowledges the hard work it took to get where he is now.

At one point, Dan Joseph worked as an actor in Southern California’s film and theatre industry. However, realizing his potential, he set a five-year goal for success. When it was evident that he wouldn’t be hired for a significant role, he learned from his life experience and moved on.  

Dan Joseph had hosted nights at WBAL for several years. Former PD Scott Masteller, who hired him, was well-known for mentoring and coaching specific talents. Joseph was one of Masteller’s proteges, and he learned valuable lessons from him that helped him succeed. Initially, Joseph struggled with his tendency to write everything down, a habit he had picked up when he first started hosting his show.

However, he worked hard to overcome this challenge. By the time he was paired with his current co-host, Torrey Snow, he had become a vastly improved broadcaster. Hearst (WBAL Radio’s parent company) recognized his growth and promoted him and Snow to host Torrey and Dan. Despite having different personalities and unique abilities, they entertain and inform their audience. 

During an interview with Barrett News, Dan Joseph discussed his path to WBAL, the moment he realized that acting wasn’t the right career for him, the challenges of working in a city that often makes negative headlines, the positive impact of the Baltimore Orioles’ success on the city, and the strong rapport that he and Torrey Snow have built on their show. 

Ryan Hedrick: This is your fifth year at WBAL Radio. Prior to Baltimore, where were you working?   

Dan Joseph: I was unemployed when I got to WBAL. I was originally an actor in Hollywood for about eight years. That didn’t work out very well. I went to journalism school in the early 2000s. I returned to Washington, D.C., wrote a book on politics, and got the book published.

After that, I wound up at CNS News and MRC (a division of the Media Research Center), a conservative-leaning media watchdog group. I was their man of the street reporter. I would do interviews with people who were visiting Washington or who lived in Washington, and I would ask them basic questions about civics. The videos were funny because a lot of the people couldn’t answer the basic questions.   

We did this on college campuses, and they got pretty popular. They became fodder on Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, and Fox News. After the Trump years, I kind of left conservative politics, once the Trump years started and once he became president, and I wanted to figure out what else I wanted to do.

I was very interested in radio then, so I texted my friend Bryan Nehman (co-host C4 and Bryan Nehman) and asked him if anything was available at WBAL. He said there wasn’t but that he would let me know if something became available.   

RH: When did you realize that your acting career wasn’t going to work out? 

DJ: It took about five years. That was the amount of time that I gave myself. When you go out to Hollywood to be an actor, it’s like a woodchipper. Some people succeed at it, but it’s very difficult. It requires great luck and unique circumstances, and it just wasn’t for me. I realized that if I kept acting, I was going to have trouble with money for most of my life, even if I was a working actor or someone who got commercials or small parts in television shows.  

Having always enjoyed the news industry and political commentary, I went back to journalism school at Cal State Northridge and went from there. I really liked California and I miss it. I miss the culture there, and I miss the weather. These days, it seems like LA and San Francisco, and some of the places I loved, have fallen on hard times.  

There were times when I felt things were looking up, but overall, I did mostly theatre. I wasn’t really that successful in terms of getting a lot of film or television auditions. I did a lot of live theatre, and there’s not that much money in live theatre in Los Angeles. You have to go to New York to do that. It just wasn’t right for me at the right time, but I was in my early 20s, so it was early enough that I could make that switch in my career without struggling.  

RH: What was the biggest challenge for you transitioning from live acting to hosting a radio show?  

Dan Joseph: The biggest thing I had to learn was that you don’t get to use a script. Originally, I was writing a lot of stuff down. I was making copious notes for each show and sometimes writing full-out monologues for shows. I was afraid that I wasn’t going to know what to say and that there would be dead air. It took me a couple of years before I was able to do a show without a lot of notes and just do it off the top of my head.

This is the most important thing that I’ve learned how to do since I got here. I couldn’t have done it without Scott Masteller. He taught me everything that he knows about this business.  

RH: Jeff Wade has taken over as WBAL’s Program Director. How has the station changed? 

DJ: It’s slightly different because Jeff is more of a hard news guy than a talk radio host. Jeff has been doing a great job of making that transition. He talks to us every day, we get his input, he gives us ideas for stories, and I think he’s doing a great job so far.  

RH: Much of WBAL’s programming seems to focus on covering political corruption and violence in Baltimore. Can you explain how the station approaches news coverage? 

Dan Joseph: As a talk/opinion host, it’s slightly different. In terms of hard news, we have one of the best newsrooms in the country. We get a lot of information about the stories we talk about from the WBAL Radio and TV newsrooms.

(City violence) is always a topic of conversation on almost every show we do because it’s so ubiquitous. We now have a problem with juveniles running wild in the city. There are car thefts all the time. It is our number one topic of conversation. Of course, we hit other things like the education system in Baltimore City, which is particularly bad.  

You’re talking about lives. You’re talking about people dying in the streets, and even though we don’t know any of them personally, it hurts once you adopt the city as your own. It hurts when you have this kind of issue. When other people from around the country, you know, ask, ‘What’s going on in Baltimore City?’

I think the city has a lot of potential, but they have to control things first. I wish there were more conservative voices like Torrey Snow, myself, Brian Nehman, and C4 to change the attitude of some of the lawmakers here and not to change them ideologically, but to provide some new ideas because they’ve been going with the same ideas for the last 60 years in Baltimore City and it simply hasn’t worked.  

RH: Can you tell me about your on-air dialogue with Torrey Snow, your co-host?  

DJ: We agree about 60 percent of the time, maybe even about 70 percent. We have vehement disagreements about things, and that’s when the show is at its best when we have an actual debate about things. We’re getting a lot better at not talking over each other, which has to do with timing and getting to know your co-host and their cadence.  

Torrey and I come from different backgrounds. He comes from a religious family, a military family, in rural Idaho. I come from the Washington D.C. area, from a more secular point of view.

We’re both conservatives, but we are different kinds of conservatives. I’m more of the Reagan-style conservative (fiscal responsibility, low taxes, strong military), and Torrey is more of the populist conservative that you’re seeing rising in the Republican party right now. So, there are real differences there, but that’s what makes the show good.  

RH: WBAL is the flagship station for the Orioles; what impact has the team had on the station and the city? 

Dan Joseph: I can’t really talk about the ratings, but I can tell you that the Baltimore Orioles have breathed life into the city like I haven’t seen since I got here. The Orioles were terrible. I mean, they’ve just been so bad for so long, for roughly 9-10 years, and it was getting bad two years ago when they only won 50 games.

I went to the game the other day, and the stadium was full, the fans were going crazy, and you got the “Bird Bath Splash Zone,” where they spray you with water whenever the Orioles get an extra-base hit, which they do a lot.

It’s great to have a winning baseball team here. Also, we have the Baltimore Ravens, one of the jewels of Baltimore City. We are very lucky to be the flagship radio home to both the Ravens and the Orioles.  

RH: WBAL is on both AM and FM. What are your thoughts about the importance and relevance of the AM band? 

Dan Joseph: AM Radio is vitally important for people to get their news and for emergency situations. Eventually, I think there may be a move away from AM Radio, but I don’t think the time has come for that. WBAL, of course, has an FM signal of 101.5, which is good. We’re also streaming, so we can get our news and information out to the people in multiple ways.  

Fox News Leads Coverage of Hunter Biden Saga

BNM Staff
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Whenever a vital news story about Donald Trump breaks, such as his recent indictments and arraignments, the news stations almost always receive a sudden ratings bounce as a result. But what about a news event concerning the President’s son Hunter Biden — a frequent talking point on conservative media? How would such an occurrence affect viewership on all the cable news networks, especially Fox News?

That was tested on the afternoon of Friday, Aug. 11 when Attorney General Merrick Garland granted special counsel status to David Weiss, the Trump-appointed prosecution investigating Hunter Biden on tax and gun charges. Plea talks between the Justice Department and the president’s son had just fallen apart.

Garland’s announcement came within the noon-1 p.m. ET hour on Aug. 11. As expected, Fox News Channel led the hour with 1.4 million viewers including 154,000 within the key 25-54 demographic, according to Nielsen Media Research. MSNBC (915,000 viewers / 106,000 adults 25-54) and CNN (729,000 viewers / 117,000 adults 25-54) trailed behind.

In a more comprehensive context, here are the hour-to-hour retention rates to see what percentage changes had occurred on Aug. 11:

Fox News Channel 

  • 11 a.m.-noon: 1.191 million viewers; 127,000 adults 25-54
  • noon-1 p.m.: 1.404 million viewers (+18 percent from previous hour); 154,000 adults 25-54 (+21 percent from previous hour)
  • 1-2 p.m.: 1.348 million viewers (-4 percent from previous hour); 140,000 adults 25-54 (-9  percent from previous hour)

MSNBC 

  • 11 a.m.-noon: 0.825 million viewers; 117,000 adults 25-54
  • noon-1 p.m.: 0.915 million viewers (+11 percent from previous hour); 106,000 adults 25-54 (-9 percent from previous hour)
  • 1-2 p.m.: 0.838 million viewers (-8 percent from previous hour); 85,000 adults 25-54 (-20  percent from previous hour)

CNN 

  • 11 a.m.-noon: 0.715 million viewers; 143,000 adults 25-54
  • noon-1 p.m.: 0.729 million viewers (+2 percent from previous hour); 117,000 adults 25-54 (-18 percent from previous hour)
  • 1-2 p.m.: 0.676 million viewers (-7 percent from previous hour); 107,000 adults 25-54 (-8  percent from previous hour)

The uptick on FNC was most pronounced for both total viewers and the key 25-54 demographic. MSNBC also grew by double-digits in viewers but fell slightly in demo.

But did that breaking news actually provide these increases? Let’s take a look at the same hours on the previous Friday (Aug. 4):

Fox News Channel 

  • 11 a.m.-noon: 1.363 million viewers; 148,000 adults 25-54
  • noon-1 p.m.: 1.420 million viewers (+3 percent from previous hour); 156,000 adults 25-54 (+5 percent from previous hour)
  • 1-2 p.m.: 1.234 million viewers (-13 percent from previous hour); 129,000 adults 25-54 (-17  percent from previous hour)

MSNBC 

  • 11 a.m.-noon: 0.709 million viewers; 97,000 adults 25-54
  • noon-1 p.m.: 0.763 million viewers (+8 percent from previous hour); 78,000 adults 25-54 (-20 percent from previous hour)
  • 1-2 p.m.: 0.801 million viewers  (+5 percent from previous hour); 96,000 adults 25-54 (+23  percent from previous hour)

CNN 

  • 11 a.m.-noon: 0.653 million viewers; 140,000 adults 25-54
  • noon-1 p.m.: 0.714 million viewers (+9 percent from previous hour); 133,000 adults 25-54 (-5 percent from previous hour)
  • 1-2 p.m.: 0.648 million viewers (-9 percent from previous hour); 103,000 adults 25-54 (-23  percent from previous hour)

As noted, the raw figures look similar to Aug. 11. In fact, FNC posted slightly more viewers in that noon hour on Aug. 4, when there was no immediate breaking news. That particular Aug. 4 date was no slouch for content either, though — it was the day following Trump’s third arraignment.

Cable news averages for August 7-13, 2023:

Total Day (Aug. 7-13 @ 6 a.m.-5:59 a.m.)

  • Fox News Channel: 1.139 million viewers; 128,000 adults 25-54
  • MSNBC: 0.887 million viewers; 97,000 adults 25-54
  • CNN: 0.487 million viewers; 98,000 adults 25-54
  • Newsmax: 0.165 million viewers; 14,000 adults 25-54
  • HLN: 0.147 million viewers; 40,000 adults 25-54
  • Fox Business Network: 0.126 million viewers; 18,000 adults 25-54
  • CNBC: 0.121 million viewers; 26,000 adults 25-54
  • The Weather Channel: 0.088 million viewers; 19,000 adults 25-54
  • NewsNation: 0.052 million viewers; 10,000 adults 25-54

Prime Time (Aug. 6-12 @ 8-11 p.m.; Aug. 13 @ 7-11 p.m.)

  • Fox News Channel: 1.799 million viewers; 184,000 adults 25-54
  • MSNBC: 1.453 million viewers; 143,000 adults 25-54
  • CNN: 0.583 million viewers; 127,000 adults 25-54
  • Newsmax: 0.263 million viewers; 27,000 adults 25-54
  • NewsNation: 0.086 million viewers; 14,000 adults 25-54

Top 10 most-watched cable news programs (and the top programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) in total viewers:

1. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 8/8/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.897 million viewers

2. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 8/10/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.820 million viewers

3. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 8/9/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.762 million viewers

4. The Five (FOXNC, Mon. 8/7/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.755 million viewers

5. Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC, Mon. 8/7/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.749 million viewers

6. The Five (FOXNC, Fri. 8/11/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.620 million viewers

7. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Tue. 8/8/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.527 million viewers

8. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Mon. 8/7/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.450 million viewers

9. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Thu. 8/10/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.429 million viewers

10. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Wed. 8/9/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.325 million viewers

156. Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN, Mon. 8/7/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.890 million viewers

414. Forensic Files (HLN, late Sun. 8/13/2023 12:30 AM, 30 min.) 0.304 million viewers

422. Kudlow (FBN, Thu. 8/10/2023 4:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.291 million viewers

438. The Exchange (CNBC, Mon. 8/7/2023 1:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.274 million viewers

502. Deep Water Salvage “(307) Clean Up Kings” (TWC, Sun. 8/13/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.229 million viewers

712. Cuomo (NWSN, Wed. 8/9/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.142 million viewers

Top 10 cable news programs (and the top  programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) among adults 25-54:

1. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 8/10/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.328 million adults 25-54

2. Gutfeld! (FOXNC, Mon. 8/7/2023 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.306 million adults 25-54

3. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 8/8/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.305 million adults 25-54

4. Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC, Mon. 8/7/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.288 million adults 25-54

5. Gutfeld! (FOXNC, Tue. 8/8/2023 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.276 million adults 25-54

6. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 8/9/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.269 million adults 25-54

7. The Five (FOXNC, Mon. 8/7/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.264 million adults 25-54

8. Gutfeld! (FOXNC, Wed. 8/9/2023 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.248 million adults 25-54

9. Hannity (FOXNC, Thu. 8/10/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.244 million adults 25-54

10. Gutfeld! (FOXNC, Thu. 8/10/2023 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.241 million adults 25-54

22. Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN, Tue. 8/8/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.201 million adults 25-54

222. Forensic Files (HLN, late Wed. 8/9/2023 12:30 AM, 30 min.) 0.105 million adults 25-54

374. The Exchange (CNBC, Mon. 8/7/2023 1:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.071 million adults 25-54

389. America’s Morning Headquarters (TWC, Fri. 8/11/2023 8:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.066 million adults 25-54

636. Kudlow (FBN, Thu. 8/10/2023 4:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.038 million adults 25-54

704. Cuomo (NWSN, Tue. 8/8/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.031 million adults 25-54

Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research

Howard Eskin Celebrates 37th Anniversary of First Sports Talk Show on WIP

BSM Staff
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94WIP aired its first sports talk show 37 years ago – August 29, 1986. Station legend Howard Eskin was the host that afternoon.

On Tuesday, Eskin joined 94WIP Middays with Hugh Douglas and Joe Giglio and said it was a bold move for general manager Mike Craven to go with sports talk at the time. But he remembered being hyped up for the very first broadcast.

“We didn’t know what was gonna happen, but he wanted to give it a try,” Eskin said of Craven. “And he started in the afternoon. I just remember being excited.”

“It’s a challenge to do those kinds of things,” Eskin added of Craven’s decision to venture into sports talk. “That’s the serious part of it, but it was fun for me.”

Eskin said between his TV and radio career, he had more fun on the radio. He felt like he did have more airtime on television though to discuss what he wanted. He thought part of the fun was dealing with sports talk radio callers.

“I guarantee you I have spoken to more nitwits and dopes in 37 years than anybody in America. Maybe in the world!” Eskin said.

Howard recalled a lot of good memories with WIP, and when the station promoted the anniversary on social media, he said he never realized people could be nice on Twitter given how negative the social platform can be. He was blown away by the positive comments.

Eskin said he was pleased with the direction the station has gone especially with Douglas and Giglio.

“I can’t say enough good things about what’s happened at WIP,” he said. “It’s all good, and there’s still dopes and morons and nitwits out there. And some of those are you two dopes and nitwits.”

“You paved the way,” Giglio responded jokingly. “You let us all know a dope could sit here in front of this microphone and do it. So thank you!”

Dan Orlovsky Moves From Booth to Studio for ESPN College Football Coverage

BSM Staff
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ESPN has given Dan Orlovsky a new assignment for the new college football season, bringing him into the studio from the broadcast booth.

Orlovsky has been with ESPN since 2018 and has become a regular contributor to multiple studio shows including NFL Live, Get Up, SportsCenter and First Take. During the football season, though, Dan would be a color commentator on a game broadcast each week.

For 2023, the former UConn quarterback will appear alongside Kevin Negandhi and Booger McFarland for studio coverage of primetime games on ABC.

Orlovsky isn’t leaving the broadcast booth completely, though. He will continue to be on the call for a number of NFL games on ESPN along with Chris Fowler, Louis Riddick and Laura Rutledge.

Travis Rodgers: Media Will Link Every Star To Lakers Because You Will Watch & Click

BSM Staff
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Travis Rodgers: Media Will Link Every Star To Lakers Because You Will Watch & Click

Could NBA fans see superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in a Lakers uniform in the next couple years? It’s possible. But 710 ESPN host Travis Rodgers doesn’t think there’s a good chance it’ll actually happen.

Giannis isn’t a free agent 2025. He’s entering the third year of a five-year contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, and the fifth year of the deal is a player option. Giannis said he would consider the Lakers and the Knicks as options if he thought about leaving Milwaukee.

Rodgers wondered on Travis and Sliwa on Tuesday why L.A. would be an option.

“The Lakers are the Lakers and the Knicks are the Knicks, right?” he asked. “The Knicks aren’t very good, but they’re still the Knicks, it’s New York City everything that comes along with it. The Lakers are good and have a history of being good, and they’re the Lakers. They’re the most prestigious franchise in the entire league. Is he connected to those two teams because it’s the Knicks and the Lakers, or is he connected to those two teams because he has interest in going to either the Knicks or the Lakers?”

Travis said every superstar, every time they come up as a potential free agent, is tied to the Lakers in some fashion.

“No matter who it is, every time a big name is, ‘hey you know who might be available, player x,’ the Lakers are always gonna be on that list,” he said. “Because they’re the Lakers. Because we want to click on it. We want to listen to what it is.”

Rodgers added that it was different in the situation of Anthony Davis, where there was mutual interest on both sides.

“There was no ambiguity on Anthony Davis,” he said. “Anthony Davis wanted to come to the Lakers. The Lakers wanted Anthony Davis. it was inevitable it was gonna come together.”

Travis continued by making the point that ultimately adding another big man like Giannis isn’t a great fit for the Lakers identity. Especially after signing Davis to a long-term contract and the status of LeBron James.

“It just doesn’t actually make a ton of sense other than he makes sense everywhere,” Rodgers said. “The fit the timing, it just doesn’t add up the way that the obvious ones do.”

Amanda Gifford Leads College Football, Mark Gross Over NFL in ESPN Reorg

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Following the sudden exit of Lee Fitting, ESPN had to make some changes to its organizational structure. Norby Williamson, the network’s executive editor and head of event and studio production, announced new leaders in a number of areas.

Fitting oversaw all football production. That job will be divided by two network veterans. Amanda Gifford will oversee all college football production including the College Football Playoff.

NFL production will now be the responsibility of SVP/Production and Remote Events Mark Gross. He takes over both studio and event production. He will also oversee ESPN Radio.

They were not the only ones to get new jobs. John Ourand of Sports Business Journal reports that new duties were assigned to five other ESPN employees today as well.

Mike McQuade, VP/Executive Producer, will take over all tennis production. VP of Production Phil Orlins will oversee all technology and innovation initiatives. Shawn Murphy will oversee all high school football and lower level college football. He will also be a part of SEC Network production. All three will report to Gross.

SVP/Production and Content Strategy Maria Soares will take on the 6 pm edition of SportsCenter. VP, Executive Producer/Original Content Andy Tennan will now lead production on a number of live events including the Rose Parade, the Boston Marathon and the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Maria Taylor Joins Garth Brooks for Tailgate Radio on TuneIn

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Maria Taylor Joins Garth Brooks for Tailgate Radio on TuneIn

Country music superstar Garth Brooks is launching a new project titled “Tailgate Radio,” which will be a unique station broadcasting in the music format with a playlist that is sure to rock any tailgate party. Brooks launched the SEVENS Radio Network earlier this summer in collaboration with TuneIn, and now adds his own take on sports coverage.

Maria Taylor, studio host for NBC Sports on both B1G College Countdown and Football Night in America, will be hosting her own show on the station called Tailgate Top 20 with Maria. The weekly show will run through the top 20 songs across genres from a specific year, interwoven with sports stories and anecdotes from Taylor. She previously worked with Brooks on the PowHER program within his Teammates for Kids foundation, mentoring middle school girls by showcasing stories of leaders and teaching financial literacy.

“We are embarking on Garth’s extraordinary vision to connect sports and music fans with Tailgate,” Taylor said in a statement. “It’s such an honor to be chosen by greatness to be a partner in the radio space.”

Other programs on the station will include Tailgate Takeover, featuring celebrities and athletes describing a playlist that energizes some of the biggest stars in the sports world. Garth Brooks will be the first guest host of the program, which will rotate on a weekly basis. A four-hour Saturday night mixtape show, Block Party, will provide listeners with a soundtrack to keep them captivated and engaged as the clock moves later into the day.

The channel is being launched just in time for the start of football season and with the support of various partners, including ESPN Radio, the National Hockey League, Formula 1 and Major League Baseball. Additionally, the station becomes the second from the SEVENS Radio Network exclusively available on TuneIn. The first station, The BIG 615, features host Storme Warren and has become one of the platform’s most popular stations on a global level.

“This is one of those ideas someone says, ‘Why didn’t we do this a long time ago?,’” Brooks expressed in a statement. “This combines everyone’s passion for sports and music. It also allows you to enjoy your tailgate, barbeque or poolside party without doing the work. There’s so much music on this channel; Tailgate Radio will be everyone’s favorite.”

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