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Streamers Expected to Spend $8.5 Billion on Sports in 2023

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Streamers Expected to Spend $8.5 Billion on Sports in 2023

As streaming of live sporting events has become more mainstream in the last several years, with it comes increased costs. And in 2023, the price tag for streaming is expected to climb heavily.

According to MediaPost, sports streaming content on subscription over-the-top (OTT) services is expected to jump 64% in 2023 to $8.5 billion.

As more and more tech giants acquire sports media rights, consumers are expected to shell out more money to tune in.

In 2022, $5.2 billion was spent on streaming.

“This is in part because of the nature of sports rights deals, which typically span multiple years,” Ampere Analysis research manager Jack Genovese told MediaPost. “It is also due to the sheer value of sports rights on broadcasters.”

Christian Fauria: The Super Bowl is Going to End Up on President’s Day Weekend

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Football fans have longed for the day after the Super Bowl to be declared a national holiday, and Christian Fauria believes that the way the NFL can achieve this goal for fans is to have the big game played on President’s Day weekend.

President’s Day is a federal holiday. Most adults end up getting that Monday off from work. Kids are typically off from school.

On Gresh & Fauria on WEEI, Fauria said it made the most logical sense in his mind for the NFL to push the Super Bowl back a week.

“This is the perfect opportunity for the NFL to push back the season where they can have the Super Bowl on a Sunday, and then have the next day off,” Fauria said Tuesday. “I feel like that’s coming in some way, shape or form. They’re not gonna go backward in the calendar they’re gonna go further, and I do think eventually they will add a game. So eventually the Super Bowl will be played on the day before President’s Day, and they will call it Super Bowl Monday.”

“Benefitting from a holiday is one thing I think the league will want,” Fauria added.

Co-host Andy Gresh hit back at Fauria with a dose of reality, pointing to the fact that the Sunday before President’s Day is NASCAR’s day to shine on FOX with the Daytona 500.

“It will never, ever happen,” Gresh said, pointing to the fact that the biggest chunk of revenue for the NFL comes from its TV deals. “Where does the biggest chunk of money for the NFL come from? “So here’s what you want to do. You want to go to FOX and say you know what FOX, we’ve had a great relationship for all these years, and I know you’re in business with NASCAR and you got that Daytona 500 – but we’re the NFL. So what we’re gonna do is we’re gonna tell you FOX, who pays us an inordinate amount of money, we’re gonna tell you that you’re gonna have to pay for our product. And oh by the way, you go tell the NASCAR people that we’re moving our game. You go figure all that out.”

“The television schedule will not allow for it,” Gresh added.

Gresh continued that the NFL has the Super Bowl built into the schedule to have the game played the weekend before, and networks and other leagues plan around it.

“It is locked in to the weekend before President’s Day because the NFL can’t push back on this,” Gresh said. “They can’t say pay more money for one game than any other and then be like you know what screw you we don’t care about the rest of your television schedule. You networks you’re gonna bow to us.”

Fauria responded by saying the NFL ultimately dictates how the rest of the sports world operates.

“I think you underestimate the NFL and their power and their willingness to take over the world,” Fauria said.

Pat McAfee: This was My Biggest Year Yet & ‘It Ended With a Hilarious Lawsuit’

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The Pat McAfee Show is on break after wrapping up the 2022 NFL season, and McAfee took some time on Tuesday while on vacation to look back at how the last year unfolded.

McAfee tweeted some of the highlights of the past year, including moving the show into their new headquarters and studio dubbed the FanDuel ThunderDome.

Additionally, McAfee couldn’t help but mention the fact that he’s being sued by former Packers quarterback Brett Favre for defamation.

“Biggest year yet (and) it all ended with a hilarious lawsuit,” McAfee wrote.

Favre has been embroiled in a scandal stemming from a misappropriation scheme involving money intended for welfare recipients in Mississippi. Favre has been linked to the scandal through leaked text messages showing him lobbying state officials for money to build athletic facilities at the University of Southern Mississippi. He has not been indicted or charged with any crimes, but the Hall-of-Famer was thrust into the spotlight because of those text messages.

McAfee joked about Favre multiple times on his show over the last several months, referring to Favre as the “Sticky Fingers Bandit” – a reference to the movie Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

McAfee has made sure to not condemn or convict Favre, throwing the word “allegedly” out there when discussing the scandal. But Favre’s lawyers haven’t thought it was very humorous.

McAfee has received letters from Favre’s attorneys demanding a public apology on his show and that any video in which Favre was discussed be deleted from YouTube and social media. Pat has stood his ground and told Favre and his lawyers “I’ll see you in court, pal.”

WWE Sets Viewership & Revenue Records With Elimination Chamber

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It’s WrestleMania season for the WWE, and this year more fans than ever are showing up and tuning in to watch the product.

This past Saturday WWE held its Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event in Montreal, and not only was viewership up threefold compared to last year but the Quebecois packed Bell Centre.

It was the largest gate for the event in its 13 year history.

Last month at one of WWE’s crown jewel premium live events, Royal Rumble, the company reported record gate and viewership. WrestleMania itself, which will be held at SoFi Stadium the first weekend in April, has already smashed ticket sales estimates.

With Paul “Triple H” Levesque taking over as the head of creative at WWE after chairman Vince McMahon relinquished that title last year, fans have turned back to the promotion as Levesque has retooled storylines and elevated superstars that fans want to see.

McMahon is reportedly trying to sell WWE and is asking for $9 billion.

Tony Massarotti Off 98.5 The Sports Hub For Rest of Week

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The work week is already over for Tony Massarotti. The Boston Herald reports that the 98.5 The Sports Hub afternoon host has been suspended for the remainder of the week by Beasley Media after making an insensitive joke on Friday’s edition of Felger & Mazz.

Massarotti was on air Monday. He offered an apology for a joke deemed racist by some in the audience. He promised that his words did not have racist intent, but acknowledged that it is understandable for people to think they did.

Mike Felger opened the show on Tuesday by acknowledging what he called a “heartfelt apology” from his partner on Tuesday. He then addressed Massarotti’s absence. 

“Because Beasley Media strives to create a diverse and inclusive workplace and these comments went against its core values, the company has decided to suspend Tony for the rest of the week without pay. In addition, all of our employees at Beasley Boston will be taking sensitivity training to redouble our efforts to create a culture of understanding,” Felger said, acknowledging that part of it was a written statement from the company.

Felger was broadcasting Friday’s show from a remote location. On a video feed, the audience and Tony Massarotti could see that there were two Black men in the room behind him. Massarotti then said that the last time Felger was in a similar situation, his car was stolen.

“On a personal level, quickly, we all feel really bad about this, starting with the fact it was said in the first place,” Felger said Monday. “Minorities in this country have to put up with a lot of crap and comments like that just make it harder for them and we apologize for that.”

Jonathan Hutton: Titans Sideline Gig ‘Thing I Miss The Most’ About 104.5 The Zone

BSM Staff
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Leaving 104.5 The Zone in Nashville was not an easy decision for the show that used to be called Midday 180. Jonathan Hutton, Chad Withrow, and Paul Kuharsky accepted an offer from their friend Clay Travis to join Outkick and rebrand as Outkick 360. It would offer them the chance to grow their show’s impact beyond Nashville.

In an interview with the Nashville Post, Hutton said that the time was right for the show to try something new.

“The timing was perfect but we also had a chance to grow what we were already doing,” he said. “We didn’t have to leave Nashville. We own our intellectual property; you don’t have that with radio companies. We’re able to form our own show company, so to speak, and we’re part of the much larger grand scheme of Clay’s vision.”

Hutton told the site that he has no regrets about making the move. There was one professional casualty though that disappoints him.

Jonathan Hutton had been the sideline reporter for the Tennessee Titans Radio Network since 2005. The Titans’ flagship was 104.5 The Zone. He knew leaving the station likely meant leaving the Titans. 

He says his work for the team is “the one thing I miss the most.”

“I had been with them for 16 seasons, my mentors brought me up through that space, and it was [more of] a team and company decision than it was their decision in the booth,” he said. “But I understood it. I knew whenever I left, it probably wasn’t going to go over very well.”

It took nearly a year before Outkick 360 returned to the Nashville airwaves. The show can now be heard on 94.9 The Fan.

VSiN Launching Three New Programs

BSM Staff
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VSiN Launching Three New Programs

VSiN has announced three new live shows, in addition to a revamp of an existing show, as the sports betting platform continues its expansive grow.

Sharp Money will be hosted by Patrick Meagher and Amal Shah and enter the weekday programming lineup from 3:00-6:00 PM ET. Longtime friends, Meagher and Shah will combine their perspectives and knowledge to handicap the day’s betting board.

VSiN Tonight will air weeknights from 9:00 PM until midnight with veteran sports handicappers Matt Youmans and Wes Reynolds. The duo will review the night’s betting card and also preview the following day’s potential action.

The Handle also becomes part of the schedule with Dave Ross and Matt Brown working together on Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00-3:00 PM ET as VSiN’s new flagship weekend show. Ross and Brown will set the table for weekend games, and cover the best wagering opportunities.

Meanwhile, The Lombardi Line with former NFL executive Michael Lombardi continues to be heard weekdays from 12:00-2:00 PM ET and weekends from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM ET and will now feature VSiN veteran Stormy Buonantony. She had previously been a member of VSiN’s Final Countdown. Femi Abebefe will also join the show as a co-host during the weekday portion of the program.

Additionally, VSiN will launch several sports specific podcasts. After launching the VSiN College Basketball Betting Podcast last week, the network will launch VSiN Hockey Betting Podcast with Danny Burke and NHL betting expert Andy MacNeil this week.

In March, VSiN will debut the VSiN Baseball Betting Podcast with Burke as host, while also adding the VSiN F1 Racing Podcast hosted by Ben Wilson and Mikhail Bhalla.

Former 107.5 The Fan Host Joe Staysniak Arrested After Altercation With Son

BSM Staff
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Former 107.5 The Fan host Joe Staysniak was arrested early Tuesday morning in Hendricks County, Indiana after allegedly punching his son and choking his son’s friend.

The 56-year-old has been preliminarly charged with intimidation and strangulation after deputies were called to his home late Monday night.

According to a report from the Indianapolis Star, Staysniak’s son and his friend were inside a vehicle when the former host and Colts lineman opened the door, grabbed him by the hood to remove him from the car, and choked him. Both victims — who were over the age of 18 — told authorities Staysniak had punched them.

The young adults also allege Staysniak flashed a gun at them during the altercation, which he denied to police, saying he informed them he was carrying a weapon, but denied pointing a gun at anyone. He said he grabbed his son’s friend by the hoodie “to get his attention” but denied striking the man.

Staysniak exited 107.5 The Fan in 2021.

Mike Francesa Pays Tribute to Angelo Cataldi on BetRivers Podcast

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The last time a local sports radio legend’s retirement was felt across the country the way Angelo Cataldi’s was had to have been Mike Francesa. Three years ago, the Sports Pope hosted his final show on WFAN. He was asked to offer some thoughts on Cataldi this week on his BetRivers podcast.

“I would say that I had a professional relationship with Angelo that was only an ‘on-the-air relationship,’” Francesa admitted.

Angelo Cataldi signed off of 94 WIP for the final time on Friday. His last show featured several loving tributes from colleagues and listeners. Mike Francesa said all of the fanfare was well-deserved.

“He had a great run in Philly. He had a wonderful program.”

He described the relationship with Cataldi as one of “mutual respect for a long time”. Most of their conversations happened on air with small talk made off air before going on, but he notes that they always got along well.

“I wish him health, which is the most important thing, and happiness in his future endeavors,” Mike Francesa concluded. “He’s had a great run, he really has.”

Sherree Burruss Joins NFL Network

BSM Staff
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NFL Network has announced the addition of reporter Sherree Burruss to the cable outlet.

Burruss joins NFL Network after serving as the lead sideline reporter for CBS Sports Network and as an anchor on CBS Sports HQ, where she spent the majority of her time covering college football and college basketball. She has also spent two seasons as a sideline reporter for the NFL on CBS.

Burruss will make her debut for the network on Wednesday for NFL Now, as she’ll report from the HBCU Legacy Bowl in New Orleans. She will join the broadcast of the event on Saturday as the sideline reporter. Steve Wyche, Charles Davis, and Bucky Brooks will work the network’s booth for the event.

She will provide content on both NFL Network and the NFL app in her new role, and will cover the league nationally on a year-round basis.

Burruss is currently stationed in Washington D.C., where she previously worked as a sports reporter and anchor at NBC 4 before moving to CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ.

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