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NASCAR Likely to Offer Xfinity Series as Streaming Exclusive in Search for New TV Deal

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NASCAR Likely to Offer Xfinity Series as Streaming Exclusive in Search for New TV Deal

The NASCAR Xfinity Series could soon have a new home, with sources telling John Ourand of Sports Business Journal that the series is likely to become exclusively available on streaming services.

Two companies have demonstrated interest in a deal. One is Amazon Prime Video. The OTT broadcast provider is also said to have interest in a midseason package of NASCAR Cup races as the sport’s media rights deals with FOX and NBC are set to expire at the end of next racing season. Sources told Ourand Amazon would look to use the deal to augment Prime subscriptions within the psychographic of NASCAR racing fans.

There was an exclusive negotiating period between NASCAR, FOX and NBC to potentially attempt to close a new deal. That ended at the beginning of the month though.

FOX and NBC, however, are both expected to renew their media rights contracts. FOX currently broadcasts the first half of the racing season, including the Daytona 500, while NBC broadcasts the second half and subsequent NASCAR playoffs.

Some of the races broadcast by NBC have also been simulcast for consumers to stream on Peacock, marking a change since the last media rights deal began in 2015. Since the conclusion of the exclusive negotiation window, NASCAR executives have been meeting with intersted media and technology companies.

Adding a streaming rights deal would provide NASCAR with an additional revenue stream, likely increasing the current average annual value of its deal (approximately $820 million per year). NASCAR teams are reportedly aiming to earn between $16 and $18 million annually in its next media rights deal, as they would like more than their current 25% share in the contract.

The racing entity is said to prefer a deal centered around broadcast television, but it will consider direct-to-consumer deals and digital distribution as well. A deal, Ourand says, will likely be completed by Independence Day.

Seth Payne: J.J. Watt Hire May Mean NBC Drops Chris Simms or Tony Dungy

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NBC Sports is reportedly targeting JJ Watt to join its analyst team as it gets set to begin coverage of the Big Ten Conference this season. If the network gets its way, Watt would join Maria Taylor and former Ohio State linebacker Joshua Perry on the college football pregame show and potentially have a role with Sunday Night Football broadcasts on the network as well.

On Friday morning in Houston, Texas, SportsRadio 610’s Seth Payne and Sean Pendergast reacted to the news of the longtime Texans star defensive end potentially considering a broadcasting career and the implications it would have for the network.

“That’s a sly move,” Payne said. “Compared to NFL studio shows and whatnot, [NBC is] kind of a pipsqueak network going after JJ Watt, but it does make sense. I think that JJ, with his young son, probably more on the way, based in Wisconsin, could go to these games without making a big ordeal out of it. It might be a nice little transition into broadcasting for him.”

The discussion on the radio program Friday morning centered around Watt joining coverage of Sunday Night Football though, leading Payne to ponder over which current analyst he would replace – that is, if he was not merely added alongside Chris Simms, Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison.

“Of those three, Simms has turned himself into an actual broadcaster,” Payne said. “I think he’s gotten pretty smooth, but they would boot him out the door in a heartbeat for JJ Watt.”

Payne added that Tony Dungy could also face a potential exit if Watt ends up signing with the network.

“Dungy does nothing for me – and this has nothing to do with anything either politically, socially or anything at all – he’s just never done anything for me at all as a broadcaster,” Payne said. “He’s low energy. He looks sickly 24/7, and I don’t enjoy watching him or hearing him, so if JJ replaces Tony Dungy, it’d feel like the Texans finally beat the Colts…. They finally beat Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning, yeah.”

Pendergast replied that he is intrigued to see what Watt could bring to the broadcast in a studio setting and just how opinionated he would be.

“When he’s giving some of his football opinions as I’ve heard him just go on various shows, you can tell he’s put some thought into them,” Payne told Pendergast. “He’s not saying anything too divisive or anything; he’s not picking winners or losers in a game…. He would provide constructive criticism. I think he could handle it, [and] I think he’d be pretty good at it.”

Sid Rosenberg: If You Want Big Ratings, You’ve Gotta Get Personal

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Sid Rosenberg: If You Want Big Ratings, You’ve Gotta Get Personal

The release of the Durham Report has dominated many conservative radio programs, but 77 WABC host Sid Rosenberg argued that that isn’t the way to get a large audience.

During Sid and Friends in the Morning Friday, Rosenberg prepared to welcome colleague Greg Kelly on the program. Before he Kelly, he discussed his weekend plans, noting that the Brooklyn Marathon is this weekend and his wife — who has run 40 marathons — won’t be running the race, but her friend is in town to run the race.

When Kelly joined the show, he sarcastically said that it was “nice to know every detail of the weekend”, when the morning host defended why he discussed the plans.

“What I came to find is to get really big ratings in this business — and I get the most, I triple everybody — that’s the stuff people want. They can hear — and I mean this — 90 people break down the Durham Report on 90 different stations on TV and radio. And after a while, it becomes noise…if you wanna get big ratings in this business, you better open up yourself to very personal conversations or people will get two’s and three’s (in the ratings) the rest of their careers because there’s too much out there. Bottom line.”

Kelly rebutted by saying “I can’t wait to learn more about radio and broadcasting from you, Sid. I’ll pull up a chair.”

Nick Khan Expects 150% Price Increase For Next WWE TV Deal

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Everything seems to be on the table when it comes to the television future of the WWE. Nick Khan spoke at the MoffettNathanson Technology Media and Telecom Conference on Thursday and mentioned that the company is willing to make some changes to accommodate a new television deal, should Smackdown leave FOX.

When WWE Smackdown launched in 1999, it aired on Thursday nights. The show moved to Fridays in 2005. It became part of FOX’s lineup in 2019 and immediately saw its ratings increase.

The WWE’s media rights deals with Comcast and FOX are set to expire. Right now, both companies are in an exclusive negotiating window to renew their deals.

FOX CEO Lachlan Murdoch said that as of March, the network had not begun negotiations to retain Smackdown. The program was not mentioned at FOX’s upfront presentation earlier this week.

Khan, WWE’s CEO, spoke glowingly of two companies at the MoffettNathanson conference on Thursday. He praised Amazon’s work with the NFL. He also made the case that given what Netflix has said that entering the live sports business would be tough since it cannot control or know the outcomes ahead of time, WWE could be an ideal fit for that company.

Price may not be the only thing that drives the decision when it comes to the next WWE television contracts, but it will be a factor. Khan has a number in mind too. He said that he is expecting a 150% increase over the current deals. Tony Maglio of IndieWire points out that means Khan wants at least $1.5 billion for the WWE’s next deals.

Keith Olbermann: David Zaslav A Hypocrite For CNN ‘Advocacy Network’ Comments

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Warner Bros. Discovery chairman David Zaslav said advertisers are interested in returning to CNN because “They don’t want to be part of an advocacy network” during an appearance at the MoffettNathanson Technology, Media and Telecom Conference. Keith Olbermann took issue with the phrasing used by Zaslav.

In addition to his “advocacy network” comments, Zaslav touted that there were 75 Republicans on CNN earlier this year, with 41 of them choosing to appear there before going on Fox News because “they are not going to get one more vote on Fox”.

Zaslav “doubled down on his metaphorical suicide pact with Chris Licht…(Zaslav) blissfully announced advertisers are interested in CNN again,” explained Olbermann on his podcast Friday. “‘They don’t want to be part of an advocacy network’, while in the same breath, was promoting CNN as an advocacy network for Republicans for their hopes of getting re-elected.”

Olbermann then argued that Zaslav’s statements about trust being restored in CNN are misleading, noting that Fox News, MSNBC, and NBC News are all more trusted by the general public, and had higher increases in their trust level. He added that the network’s strategy under CEO Chris Licht, who he has often been critical of, showcases the ineptitude of those running the company.

“Destroy your primetime to build up your mornings, and then destroy your mornings to build up your primetime. End the career of your signature anchor, Anderson Cooper, and end it so quickly that he’s being beaten in the ratings two nights running by Eric freaking Bolling on Newsmax,” Olbermann concluded.

Toucher & Rich Shocked Sean Grande Missing Part of Game 1 isn’t Bigger News

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Toucher & Rich Shocked Sean Grande Missing Part of Game 1 isn’t Bigger News

98.5 The Sports Hub is the flagship radio home of the Boston Celtics, and the only local broadcast presenting games during the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals. As the Celtics look to even up the best-of-seven series tonight at home against the rival Miami Heat, Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell will be on the call to bring fans all the action…that is, if neither one of them is late back from halftime.

During Wednesday’s Game 1 matchup, Maxwell, a former Celtics player and current color commentator, ultimately assumed responsibility of the play-by-play role when Grande was late returning from halftime.

It was a moment no one would have expected in one of the team’s most important games of the season. Jon Wallach has filled in on Celtics radio broadcasts before, and is aware of the structure of the halftime show. He explained it to Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb during their morning show on Wednesday.

“There’s something called ‘Reliving the Green’ where you have a highlight from years’ past that happened on this day 10, 15, 20, 30 years ago,” Wallach said. “Then we’re pretty much right up against the beginning of the third quarter, so we get into it pretty quickly after that.”

Usually, Grande is the one who is doing the segment; however, Maxwell did it that day instead. When the highlight ended, it became Maxwell’s responsibility to transition the broadcast from halftime to the start of the third quarter.

“I love the opportunities right now the Celtics have had,” Maxwell said. “I love the opportunity right now. I have to talk since Sean Grande is late coming back, so I’m going on and on. I’m going to carry this as long as I can.”

Maxwell proceeded to read and subsequently react to the number of points some of the players had, and then proceeded to mention how Grande was still not back when the ball was put into play. Maxwell even had to take on an announcing assignment he never thought he would have to do, especially during a playoff game.

“The game has started and Sean Grande’s not back yet as Gabe Vincent is dribbling the ball down,” Maxwell announced. “Pass over; jump shot. That is so soft as it falls in this time for Bam [Adebayo]. Nice job of getting up in there and just knocking that shot down.”

After the clip ended, Toucher and Shertenlieb reacted with confusion as to what had just happened, expressing a sense of shock.

“That’s the Eastern Conference Finals,” Toucher said. “You’ve got plenty of time to take a dump.”

“I have no idea what happened,” Shertenlieb added. “I’ve never heard Sean be late for anything before.”

They proceeded to talk about the implications such an instance would have if it had occurred on TNT’s national television broadcast, surmising it would be one of the biggest stories in sports media.

“Wouldn’t it be big news if the dude from TNT didn’t show up for the first two minutes?,” Toucher asked. “If Kevin Harlan was just like not there, you’d at least read about it.”

Both announcers have now exposed the other for being late back from halftime on playoff broadcasts. Toucher and Shertenlieb acknowledged the incident as “strange,” but it created a memorable moment hearing Maxwell make his play-by-play debut as the voice of the Celtics.

“I don’t know where Sean’s at,” Maxwell said on the broadcast. “Oooh! Great job on the top right now – wow, Rob [Williams].”

ABC News Hires G. Elliott Morris to Lead FiveThirtyEight After Nate Silver Exit

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ABC News Hires G. Elliott Morris to Lead FiveThirtyEight After Nate Silver Exit

After the exit of FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver as part of job cuts at The Walt Disney Company, ABC News has hired his replacement.

The Economist’s G. Elliott Morris will begin leading the brand on Monday, June 26th, according to a report from Deadline.

Morris claimed that FiveThirtyEight “has a really strong brand, not just with election wonks but the wider media ecosystem. It’s been around for 15 years. It’s what inspired me, in part, to be a data journalist, and I expect the core mission to stay basically the same.”

He will likely need to rebuild the site from the ground up. Earlier reporting claimed that Silver, not ABC News, owned the election models that made the site popular.

Additionally, FiveThirtyEight was decimated by the staffing cuts from Disney. Silver estimated that two-thirds of the group’s employees were slashed.

The report from Deadline added that ABC News will continue using the FiveThirtyEight brand after considering a rebrand after Silver’s departure.

The author of the book Strength in Numbers: How Polls Work and Why We Need Them, Morris wrote a weekly column for The Economist.

WBBM Bids Farewell to Retiring Dave Kerner

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WBBM Bids Farewell to Retiring Dave Kerner

After more than 40 years in the radio industry, WBBM sports reporter Dave Kerner retired from the legendary all-news station Friday.

He previously worked at WBEN and WEBR in Buffalo, as well as WBNR in Beacon, New York. Kerner joined 670 The Score in 1997 before shifting to WBBM in 2004, where he has worked ever since.

“Looking back, I think it was a really, really good decision because that was a whole different atmosphere with professionals that have been in the radio news business for 20, 30, 40 years and I’m still doing sports,” Kerner told The Chicago Sun-Times of his move from The Score to WBBM. “That part was extremely rewarding.”

The 65-year-old Kerner said sports haven’t been as prominent on WBBM since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and felt it was time to step away. Former WBBM sports director Jeff Joniak has moved to ESPN 1000 after the station secured the radio broadcast rights to the Chicago Bears. Joniak is the play-by-play voice for the franchise. It remains to be seen whether WBBM will replace either Kerner or Joniak.

Affectionately known as “The Governor”, many honored their retiring colleague on social media.

https://twitter.com/ctsbulls/status/1659242283688919050

Matt Ryan: ‘Stars Have to Align’ to Leave CBS Role For Roster Spot

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Earlier this week, quarterback Matt Ryan agreed to a contract that will likely keep him off of the gridiron. Ryan will be serving as a studio and game analyst for the NFL on CBS this season.

The deal is not a retirement announcement, rather, it is his endeavor to stay involved in the world of football. He is not closing any doors regarding suiting up again, but is focused on making the most of this new opportunity.

“I’ve just learned – at least during my experience in the 15 years I’ve played – to just not shut any doors,” Ryan said during an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I’m excited to kind of take this next step and to move forward, but at the same time, you never know what’s going to happen in this league. Anything could shake out, and so we’ll see what happens.”

Ryan’s role will include being situated in the broadcast booth for select matchups over the course of the 2023 regular season. He will also work from CBS Sports’ studios on shows such as The NFL Today, NFL Monday QB and That Other Pregame Show, while also providing content for CBS Sports Network. He has an idea of what the new role will comprise, as he spent time with The NFL Today following the regular season and thoroughly immersed himself in discussing the sport.

“I enjoyed being up there with those guys, getting to talk ball beforehand, talk through the show, get on-air and talk a little bit,” Ryan said. “I really enjoyed that aspect of it.”

Although he stated the “stars have to align” for him to make a NFL return, he will undoubtedly stay cognizant of everything occurring around the game both on and off the field.

“It’s a combination of doing some things and getting in the studio and doing some work there,” Ryan said of his role. “Just to really get a feel for how all of this operates and to learn from so many of the professionals that they have there. It seemed like a good fit, and I’m excited about that.”

Ryan most recently played for the Indianapolis Colts following a 14-year stint with the Atlanta Falcons, who selected him third overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.

NBC Targeting J.J. Watt For Big Ten Studio Show

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Is JJ Watt headed to TV? He is if NBC gets it’s way!

Awful Announcing reports that the network wants to add Watt to its roster of football analysts. With Big Ten games joining NBC’s Saturday primetime schedule this fall, it may have multiple ways to use him too.

Maria Taylor will anchor a studio show ahead of the game. The plan is for that show to go on the road with some regularity. Awful Announcing reports that ideally, JJ Watt would be a part of that show. NBC would also likely give him “a significant role on Sunday Night Football as well”.

JJ Watt has options for his future. NBC is one of many networks said to be courting the future Hall of Famer.

As for that studio show, one analyst is already secured. Joshua Perry will be joining Taylor on the set. He was a linebacker at Ohio State during the team’s 2014 national championship season.

Perry has already impressed the media industry too. He was nominated for an Emmy in 2021 for his work on the Big Ten Network. 

If Watt chooses NBC, he would be a natural fit for Big Ten coverage. He played his college football at Wisconsin. 

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