- Allen & Co. investment banker Steve Greenberg is profiled as one of SBJ’s Champions of Sports Business in this week’s magazine, and my colleague Chris Smith delved into how Greenberg back in 1994 resigned as deputy commissioner of MLB and partnered with Brian Bedol to launch Classic Sports Network, the independent cable channel that would air historical sports broadcasts.
- The Heat are the latest NBA team to choose an over-the-air template for 2026-27 after finalizing a package Monday with Warren Buffett’s lone broadcast station: Miami’s WPLG Local 10, reports SBJ’s Tom Friend.
- Telemundo will not be cutting away to commercials during FIFA World Cup hydration breaks, which are being used for the first time. Fox Sports has not yet made a decision.
- The Fox One streaming service is preparing for its largest product moment to date with the FIFA World Cup, writes SBJ’s Rob Schaefer. Amit Dudakia, SVP and Head of Product for Fox’s DTC business, recently joked that the World Cup “feels like another launch” just nine months after the vMVPD launched.
- The Knicks’ come-from-behind win over the Spurs in Game 1 of the NBA Finals delivered the best Game 1 audience since 2018, with ABC averaging 16.9 million viewers.
- Paramount Skydance added Canada to its list of countries where it airs UFC, reports SBJ’s Adam Stern. Starting next year, Paramount+ will air UFC’s numbered events in Canada -- meaning only the 13 premier annual events and not the second-tier Fight Night shows.
- CBS Sports and Italy’s top soccer league, Serie A, exercised an option to extend their U.S. media rights deal by one year through the upcoming 2026-27 season, notes SBJ’s Alex Silverman.
Media speed reads
