Closing Bell

NEW YORK -- The work is never done for media companies when crafting a streaming strategy for the future. That was the topic for a number of senior media execs on a panel at today’s SBJ Media Innovators event.

Charlie Neiman, Head of Sports Partnerships at Prime Video, noted it’s more important than ever for property partners to have reach, which is something the Masters, NFL, NBA, WNBA and others have sought with Amazon. “When I think about Prime Video -- 200 million global members. We just announced 315 million monthly ad supported viewers. So it’s massive scale, and when you have massive scale, it allows you to drive awareness and pull levers to drive that viewership.”

“Fragmentation” was also tossed around on the panel. Fox DTC SVP/Strategy & Business Development Tony Billetter said: “While direct-to-consumer services have given folks a lot of access and a lot of flexibility around what they want to stream, when they want to stream it, we’ve created new problems in terms of how do you give somebody who’s a fan of a league access to everything in one spot.”

ESPN SVP/DTC John Lasker added: “What we’ve tried to do is get ESPN to be available in all of these environments, including social: TikTok, Snapchat, etc. Because we’ve created this ecosystem where it’s been not only difficult but expensive, and the more difficult we make access to live events, the harder it’s going to be to grow that younger audience.”

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The CW had zero hours of sports programming just two years ago. In 2025, that number is up 500. So why the pivot?

“There’s nothing better than sports to bring a large audience together simultaneously,” The CW President Brad Schwartz said Tuesday at SBJ’s Media Innovators in New York. “And there’s no better product to reach the most amount of people than broadcast. … You want product that reaches a lot of people. And then the second thing was you got to lean into what makes you different and what your advantages are.”

Among them is that Nexstar, which owns The CW, is the largest broadcast station group in the country with more than 200 stations and is affiliated with a variety of networks, depending on the market.

Within those 500 hours are the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (the former Xfinity Series), WWE NXT, college basketball and football, bull riding and bowling, among others.

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Commanders QB Jayden Daniels has signed with 3 Arts Sports as he “looks to launch his own production banner.” Daniels’ partnership will “include expanding into original media, brand collaborations and taking equity stakes in business ventures.” 3 Arts Sports EVP Shey Olaoshebikan brought Daniels on board “for representation” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 11/18). Daniels joins 3 Arts Sports’ roster of athlete clients that includes Chiefs TE Travis Kelce and Browns DE Myles Garrett. 3 Arts Entertainment “represents top directors, writers, showrunners, actors, athletes, news personalities” and producers on shows including “Running Point” and “Welcome To Wrexham” (VARIETY, 11/18).

As the PWHL prepares to drop the puck on season three Friday, it sees signs of growth in expansion clubs Seattle and Vancouver, year-over-year improvement in ticket sales and successful merch launches, said PWHL EVP/Business Operations Amy Scheer during a season preview press call Tuesday.

But it remains in growth mode as the league faces questions about broadcast interest without a national U.S. media deal.

The PWHL will have national coverage in Canada with TSN and RDS, CBC/Radio-Canada and Prime Video all returning. But it will remain with RSNs in the U.S., announcing deals Tuesday with NESN, MSG Networks and FanDuel Sports Network. It has deals with over-the-air broadcasters Fox, Paramount, Scripps Sports, Gray Media and TEGNA in home markets of the U.S. teams and in U.S. cities hosting Takeover Tour games. The PWHL will continue to stream all games on YouTube and on its website.

“We talk to all the major broadcast players all throughout the year, and there have certainly been great interest in the PWHL,” said Scheer. “It’s certainly part of the strategy for the future to have a major US broadcast partner, but today we continue to be in broadcast or in growth mode. And so when we think strategically what is the best for us today, it’s this combination of meeting the fan where the fan is, and that’s not just one singular method. It’s over the air, it’s the RSNs, it’s digital streaming.”

Disney, ESPN and the NBA formally announced the return of Dunk the Halls, the real-time animated alt-cast on Christmas Day featuring the Knicks hosting the Cavaliers at noon Eastern. SBJ first reported the production last week.

There are two notable changes to this year’s game from 2024. First, Stitch will join the cast of the Sensational Six Disney characters: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald and Daisy Duck. Secondly, the alt-cast will have more linear presence on the Disney Channel and Disney XD in addition to ESPN2, Disney+ and the ESPN app. (The traditional broadcast will be available via ABC, ESPN, Disney+ and the ESPN app.)

Beyond Sports, which recently expanded its deal with ESPN, will again produce the real-time animations based on the tracking data from its fellow Sony-owned company, Hawk-Eye Innovations. ESPN talent Drew Carter and Monica McNutt will call the game, as they did last year, alongside Daisy Duck as sideline reporter -- this year one of her interview subjects will be NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

Major League Volleyball is adding a Minnesota franchise for the 2027 season, expanding the league to 11 teams by then. The franchise is majority owned and operated by Minnesota Sports & Entertainment and will play at Grand Casino Arena in downtown St. Paul, home to the Wild and the PWHL’s Frost.

Scott Gorsline, Co-Chair of MLV’s BOD and President of the Grand Rapids Rise, said he believes Minnesota will be one of the MLV’s strongest franchises.

“We’ve been talking to the Minnesota group for at least a year,” Gorsline said. “You need the right fan base, the right building … the right ownership … and this group has it all.”

The ownership group includes Wild owner Craig Leipold, investors connected to the T’Wolves and Minnesota United, and additional local backers. Gorsline said that mix was central to the league’s decision. “There are people who are from Minnesota who are local to the area, who are heavily invested in major league sports,” he said. “They understand what it takes to be successful both locally and as a partner in a league.”

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Camb.ai CTO Akshat Prakash reveals how the company’s tech will help YES Network break language barriers, broaden its audience and deliver a more inclusive fan experience for non-English speakers.