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Dan Le Batard: HBO Max ‘Going to Lose a Good Many People’ With Rebrand

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Dan Le Batard: HBO Max ‘Going to Lose a Good Many People’ With Rebrand

If you consume HBO content exclusively through the OTT platform HBO Max, you got a bit of a surprise this week. While the company had been preparing users that HBO Max and Discovery+ were going to be merged into an app simple called Max, users were shocked to find out that the existing apps weren’t simply going to become Max. Instead, users had to go download a new app entirely.

Dan Le Batard wonders if that might spell doom for the rollout of the new service.

“What they’ve changed, Amin, is you have to go to a different place,” he told colleague Amin Elhassan on his Wednesday show. “It doesn’t just transfer over when you go to HBO Max, it says this isn’t working anymore. This is closed forever. You’ve got to go somewhere else. Your Internet is not going to connect here.”

While HBO Max’s sports content was minimal, Warner Bros. Discovery has bigger plans for Max. In addition to US Soccer, it is expected that the new app will be the exclusive home for some NBA matchups if the league’s deal with TNT is renewed.

That is a worry for the future though. This weekend, HBO will air the finale of Succession. Le Batard wonders how many people are going to miss it entirely due to confusion.

“You have to download another app. And I do believe they’re going to lose a good many people who just simply don’t know how to do this of a certain age. They’re not going to be able to get over there, get their password and figure this part out without the help of the kids.”

Certainly how many of those users disappear forever is of interest to the NBA and NHL, but both leagues have good relationships with Warner Bros. Discovery. In the case of the NBA, the relationship with TNT goes back decades. A clumsy rollout of a new app is not ideal, but it isn’t likely to cost WBD Sports in upcoming negotiations.

Harris Faulkner: Saving AM Radio Is About Free Speech

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The fight to save AM radio received an unexpected victory Tuesday after Ford reversed course and announced it would implement the service in its 2024 models. Fox News host Harris Faulkner celebrated the win.

During an appearance with KCMO’s Pete Mundo, Faulkner said there are several reasons to be excited about the development.

“Look, it’s all about free speech. If there is some interesting, important fact, all of it, opinion, everything going on in America, from every perspective, it needs to be there,” Faulkner said. “It needs to be free. That’s what AM radio has always been.”

Faulkner continued by saying AM radio provides something you can’t get anywhere else.

“I would miss those voices that I wouldn’t hear necessarily across any of the other stations — how ever many there are, including 500 satellite, maybe even more,” she added. “I think it’s worth celebrating. Also, I thought it was worth mourning when they were thinking about doing this. I feel like my emotions had been taken to the brink by Ford, and their job is to sell cars.”

The decision by Ford to include AM radio in its upcoming models has been wildly celebrated by the industry. NAB CEO Curtis LeGeyt said the medium “continues to serve as a vital lifeline to the public and a critical source of community news and exchange of diverse ideas.”

Mike Evans: ESPN is Going To Have to Cover the Nuggets Next Week

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Mike Evans: ESPN is Going To Have to Cover the Nuggets Next Week

When the Denver Nuggets advanced to the NBA Finals, much of the ESPN coverage centered around the Los Angeles Lakers being swept. Viewers perceived there being minimal mentions of Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray and the rest of the Nuggets organization and what the team had just accomplished.

Brian Windhorst appeared on ESPN and stated the Lakers were terrific at going down in the series and calling the sweep an impressive performance by the team.

“I have to admit – my entire life as a sports fan, covering sports – countless locker rooms [and] press conferences – I don’t think I’ve heard anything dumber than that,” said Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan host Mike Evans.

ESPN has received its fair share of criticism, magnified when NBA on TNT studio analyst Charles Barkley expressed his disdain for the lack of Denver Nuggets coverage on television. LeBron James divulging that he is weighing retirement ostensibly played a role in the plans for talking points since he is widely regarded as one of the top players to ever take the court. Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals takes place on Thursday, June 1, meaning ESPN has over a week until the action commences; however, the show believes that placing the Lakers at the forefront imparts an agenda focused on garnering television ratings.

“‘What’s LeBron’s legacy?’,” co-host Mark Schlereth suggested as a topic on ESPN. “How does this win affect his legacy? Will he or will he not come back?’ Dude, the Nuggets just went to the Finals for the first time in their 47-year existence.”

“‘Kyrie Irving courtside!,’” Evans mocked an ESPN host saying. “‘Are they going to team up again?’”

The show proceeded to refer to Windhorst as a fanboy, especially since he covered James for the majority of his NBA career. They had ESPN on in a studio television throughout the show and saw no coverage pertaining to the Denver Nuggets, instead saying that the shows were centered around James, head coach Darvin Ham and the Lakers’ future. Nonetheless, Evans assumes things will change as the NBA Finals draw near.

“Starting next week, it’ll all be about the Nuggets and [Miami] Heat because ultimately no matter what you want to say about ESPN or how mad you are about ESPN, they do have the NBA Finals,” Evans articulated. “If they want to get anything out of their investment, they’ve got to do their best to pump this thing up.”

Eric Bolling: ‘Nasty’ Legal Fight Between Tucker Carlson, Fox News Brewing

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Eric Bolling: ‘Nasty’ Legal Fight Between Tucker Carlson, Fox News Brewing

Tucker Carlson has yet to launch his announced program on Twitter, and Newsmax host Eric Bolling believes he knows why.

During Eric Bolling The Balance Tuesday, the cable news host argued that the potential legal fight between Fox News and the ex-communicated host is about to heat up if the network won’t allow Carlson to host a daily video show on the social media platform.

“If you thought the Fox News and Tucker Carlson fight was already over, it looks like it’s just beginning, folks,” Bolling said. “It’s about to get very, very, really, nasty. Last night, The Daily Beast reported that Tucker and his loyalists are prepared to take the Fox feud to the next level.”

The report from The Daily Beast claimed that Fox News had originally allowed Carlson to appear on Twitter, but has moved off of that stance and said any video program created by Carlson would be a violation of his contract.

“Fox is prepared to play hardball with Tucker,” Bolling argued.

Bolling then took a victory lap after Newsmax has seen a rapid increase in viewership since Carlson departed Fox News.

“We took Anderson Cooper down for the full week last week, beating AC360 by well over 100,000 viewers,” said Bolling.

Newsmax’s primetime ratings have climbed 182% since Carlson’s ouster. Both Fox News and CNN have dropped drastically, with CNN’s decision to host a town hall event with former President Donald Trump seen as the driving force for the exodus of its audience.

Jon Ritchie: ‘Not Realistic’ for Mike Florio to Expect Answers From Howie Roseman

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Jon Ritchie: ‘Not Realistic’ for Mike Florio to Expect Answers From Howie Roseman

Things got contentious this week on Pro Football Talk Live. Howie Roseman would not answer Mike Florio’s direct questions about tampering. Jon Ritchie listened to the audio Wednesday morning on 94 WIP and put the blame on Florio.

Before the NFL Draft, the NFL ruled that the Arizona Cardinals were guilty of tampering with then-Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon the week that the Eagles were in Arizona for Super Bowl LVII. Gannon was named head coach of the Cardinals the next day.

When Florio asked Roseman about it, Roseman offered what sounded like a prepared statement saying that it did not make sense for the Eagles to dwell on the past. Instead, he thanked Gannon for his work for the team and said that any tampering penalties and arguments were “made at the ownership level.”

While that answer did not satisfy Ritchie’s partner Joe DeCamara, Ritchie said that he isn’t sure what Florio or anyone else would expect Howie Roseman to say in that situation.

“I don’t think it’s realistic to expect Howie to put his heart out and give his true feelings. He doesn’t want to come out against the league,” he said.

The duo played more audio from the exchange in which Florio accused Howie Roseman of deflecting and asking if he would like to read his talking points for a third time. Roseman shot back that Florio is easily on a list of the NFL’s top 5 conspiracy theorists.

Just how contentious things actually were can be debated, but according to Jon Ritchie, one of them deserves more criticism than the other.

“I thought Florio came across as rude yesterday,” he said. “I think your ask of Howie is ridiculous for him. We’re standing up like an adult and sticking to our guns, the high-road guns, and I appreciate that. Think of what you’re asking Howie to do, like take aim at the league…That’s not realistic.”

Tucker Carlson Rebuilding Home Studio Ahead of Twitter Show Debut

BNM Staff
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After announcing that he would take his daily video program to Twitter, Tucker Carlson is being forced to rebuild the television studio from his Maine home.

According to a report from The Daily Mail, Fox News recently came and dismantled the set inside a barn on Carlson’s Woodstock, Maine property.

He had previously filmed episodes of his Tucker Carlson Today show for FOX Nation in the studio, and was slated to host Tucker Carlson Tonight from the remote studio throughout the summer before he was unceremoniously fired by the network on April 24th.

“Fox came in last week and got all their shit out of there,” project manager Patrick Feeney said. “They took the set and everything, all the equipment, the chairs, the desk, the fake walls, everything.”

A report from Variety claimed Carlson would be ready to launch his program on Twitter within a month. It is unclear how the removal of his previous set and equipment will hinder the debut of his new venture, if at all. However, Feeney said if Carlson’s launch is still expected inside a month, it won’t happen at the Maine property.

Bill Handel: ‘We Were Up to Our Eyeballs’ in Fight to Save AM Radio

BNM Staff
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Proponents of AM radio were served a victory Tuesday when Ford announced it would renege on plans to remove the offering from its future models. KFI’s Bill Handel celebrated the move Wednesday.

During his morning show on KFI AM 640, Handel argued that the role AM radio can play in times of emergencies and severe weather played a large part in at least the Ford reversal.

“That’s what did it. That is exactly the reason that was given for reinstating AM radio. We had the campaign. We were up to our eyeballs in this. ‘Hey, tell your Congressperson you want AM Radio kept’. I don’t know how many people did but I’m assuming enough did.”

Handel also noted the bipartisan nature of the AM For Every Vehicle Act that was introduced by a coalition of Senators from both sides of the aisle, including Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Ed Markey (D-MA) proves that there is strong support to keep the AM band alive and healthy.

It appears Handel is correct in his assertion that uproar from citizens to their Congressional representatives at least played a small role in Ford’s reversal. The company’s CEO — Jim Farley — said “After speaking with policy leaders about the importance of AM broadcast radio as a part of the emergency alert system, we’ve decided to include it on all 2024 Ford & Lincoln vehicles.”

Cari Champion: Amazon Still ‘Figuring Out the Way of the World’ in TV

BSM Staff
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Cari Champion hosts The Cari Champion Show every Monday-Friday from noon-2 PM ET on Amazon Prime Video. With her new show, the former host of First Take gets the chance to be creative and do what she wants to, which is to have an honest conversation with a guest. 

“I love the show,” she said on Adam Schein’s Rise And Schein Podcast this week. “I think they kind of give you the keys to the castle and say go ahead and decorate it the way you want. I love that. I get two hours a day, Monday-Friday to talk to so many different people, to cover so many different topics.

“At Amazon Prime Video, they are still figuring out the way of the world in terms of how they want to do live television, there’s just a great opportunity to explore and with traditional linear television, many times you don’t get that opportunity to see what works and what doesn’t work.” 

She told Schein that she doesn’t think the kind of conversations she and her guests have would work for every outlet.

“I think the idea of being able to have an honest conversation is exciting, but it’s also scary for a lot of entities because they don’t know what that all entails. While we are building, I think this is the time to do it so we can see what works…It’s really interesting all of the different outlets and the different shows that we have that cover everything. I bring on our traditional faces, but this is an opportunity for them to explain as opposed to having 45 seconds to respond.” 

When Champion isn’t hosting the show, she also has her podcast, Naked with Cari Champion. When she does that show, it gives her the chance to be even more honest.

“I just do it in a way I hope everyone knows on the outside looking in that it’s not gravy. No one is posting on Instagram their worst day. Sometimes, the power of social media and podcasting can be great because you remove the pretense of the camera and feeling like you have to go to commercial break and you’ve got to get in, got to get out.”

Fred Toucher: ‘ESPN is Now Just 3 People’

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Fred Toucher: ‘ESPN is Now Just 3 People’

How deep is the talent rotation at ESPN? Not very according to Fred Toucher. The 98.5 The Sports Hub morning host has certainly noticed that the network is turning to a small handfull of stars to do the bulk of the work.

“ESPN is now like three people, and Stephen A. Smith is on in the morning. He’s on the radio. He does a podcast. He’s at all the games. He does the postgames,” morning host Fred Toucher said. “Imagine if we had a microphone in front of us 12 hours a day…The guy’s going to snap one time.”

That led to a new segment on Toucher & Rich titled “Stephen A. Smith is horny” with music by R&B artist Barry White playing in the background. Throughout the nearly 20-minute aside, the show played clips from Smith’s Cadence 13-produced podcast recently renamed The Stephen A. Smith Show, and spoke about how he is now giving dating advice to close out episodes of his show.

“My man can’t help getting horny on it every single episode,” Jon Wallach said. “He is trapped with a microphone in front of him 18 hours a day – he really is. He’s on TV and the radio and podcast. It doesn’t stop.”

Because of Smith’s busy schedule across ESPN programming – including First Take, NBA Countdown, NBA in Stephen A’s World and guest appearances on shows such as SportsCenter and Get Up – he seems to be over the airwaves more often than not. On top of that, he hosts new episodes of his podcast at least three times a week. He has said the network did research that found he had reached 1.7 billion people on ESPN’s YouTube page last year, and that the number is expected to hit 2.4 billion at the end of this year.

The Boston morning show surmised that since Smith hardly has moments away from his profession, he cannot help but to talk about topics such as dating advice to vary the content.

“He just loves to drop into that sexy – ‘We’re going to do dating advice because everyone’s reaching out for dating advice from Stephen A. Smith,’” Toucher said.

Charles Barkley ‘Was so Mad’ at ESPN Coverage of LeBron James

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When the Denver Nuggets advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in the 47-year history of the franchise, ESPN showed the team’s celebration for all of four seconds. It then quickly switched to a shot of LeBron James, stoic but obviously disappointed, walking through the tunnel back to the Los Angeles Lakers locker room.

Tuesday on ESPN’s First Take, JJ Redick criticized the network’s NBA coverage for highlighting larger markets and a small faction of players considered to be “superstars.” There’s no way to tell if Charles Barkley was watching, but Redick’s point is one he agreed with.

That night on Inside the NBA, Barkley said he was annoyed with the amount of attention put on LeBron James after the game. He wanted to see the reactions of Nuggets stars Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray and head coach Michael Malone to making the NBA Finals. Instead, he and other viewers were inundated with more content centered around the Los Angeles Lakers.

“I was so mad this morning I actually turned the TV off,” Barkley said last night on Inside the NBA, “because the Denver Nuggets sweep and get to the Finals for the first time. We all love LeBron, [but] he didn’t say he was retired yet. It should’ve been all about the Denver Nuggets.”

James, for the record, did not even say that he was seriously considering retiring. In a post-game press conference following the Lakers’ elimination, he said he “had a lot to think about” in the offseason.

The Walt Disney Company has reported its most-watched NBA playoffs on ESPN platforms in the last 11 years, according to data provided by Nielsen Media Research. The games have averaged approximately 5.6 million viewers, a 9% increase from the year prior. Moreover, Game 4 between the Nuggets and Lakers peaked at around 11.5 million viewers from the 11 to 11:15 p.m. EST quarter hour window, and averaged 8.2 million over the duration of the contest.

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