- ESPN boss Jimmy Pitaro went on a bit of a media tour last week, promoting the new ESPN DTC app and its flurry of recent media deals. He told the crowd at the Financial Times’ Business of Entertainment Summit that network has “the best rights portfolio that we’ve ever had in our 46-year history at ESPN.” At Axios Media Trends Live, he said ESPN is open to more equity agreements after its recent media deal with the NFL, while avoiding a question about Disney’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel.
- NBC Sports’ return as an MLB rights partner will include a Sunday morning package, likely on Peacock, with the company replacing a window that had been on Roku, sources told me.
- SBJ’s Josh Carpenter joined me on the latest episode of the SBJ Sports Media Podcast to discuss longtime “First Take” host Molly Qerim leaving ESPN and the extension for Malika Andrews.
- ESPN and the Ohio Valley Conference extended their media rights pact for another six years. The two sides last extended a deal in 2018 and have been in business dating back to the 1980s.
- Versant and League One Volleyball’s multiyear media rights pact begins in January, with USA Network set to begin airing prime time LOVB matches on Wednesday nights at 8pm ET.
- Men in Blazers Media Network is launching “Vamos,” a streaming platform focused on the U.S.-based Hispanic soccer community.
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