Media
Audience Analysis: ESPN has best Q1 primetime ever; PGA Tour’s Texas Open sees best finish in decades
ESPN drew its best Q1 primetime viewership on record, with the January/February/March period buoyed by the NFL Wild Card and Divisional rounds, the CFP, college basketball’s regular season, NHL games, NBA games and more. ESPN alone averaged 2.5 million viewers in primetime over the three months, up ...
Leveraging relationship with DAZN, WBD gets into boxing with new series
Building on a relationship that started around the FIFA Club World Cup in soccer, DAZN and TNT Sports will now partner on boxing starting this summer in a move that will help bolster the sport’s previously diminishing presence on linear TV in the U.S.
Gotham Sports App showing growth in usage, streaming viewership
The Gotham Sports App launched just before the 2024 NHL and NBA seasons and is “undergoing a surge in viewership after a recent price drop,” according to Anthony Rieber of NEWSDAY. On March 31, all seven teams had their games streamed on the app for the third time in its history. On that day, the ap...
Report: DOJ opens investigation into NFL over possible anticompetitive tactics
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into whether the NFL “has engaged in anticompetitive tactics that harm consumers,” though the “nature and scope of the investigation couldn’t immediately be learned,” according to sources cited by Toonkel & Mattioli of the WALL STREET JO...
Elise Woodward leaves Storm broadcast for Portland Fire after 19 years
Storm color commentator Elise Woodward is “leaving to take over the play-by-play duties” for the WNBA expansion team Portland Fire, according to Percy Allen of the SEATTLE TIMES. After 19 years of providing color commentary alongside play-by-play announcer Dick Fain, she has “chronicled over 600 Sto...
SoFi CEO pushes for broadcast window consistency with next TGL rights partner
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- TGL is in the midst of media rights negotiations with its ESPN contract expiring, and presenting sponsor SoFi is eyeing more consistent broadcast windows in the league’s next deal.
TNT Sports draws best NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship since 2019
Michigan’s win over UConn on Monday night delivered 18.3 million viewers to TNT/TBS/truTV, marking the best NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship game audience since Virginia-Texas Tech drew 19.6 million in 2019. The gain of 1% over Florida-Houston last year is likely attributable to the introduction o...
Sport Media Pod: The Masters, Athletes First’s Gideon Cohen
On this week’s pod, SBJ media reporters Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter -- making his debut as co-host -- discuss Prime Video’s debut at Augusta National and what it could portend for Amazon’s deeper involvement in golf. The duo also put a bow on March Madness, talk about the latest with NFL Network ...
Report: Serie A looking at private equity interest in int’l media rights stake
Serie A has “sounded out private equity investor interest for a minority stake in its international media rights business,” according to sources cited by Pollina & Crowley of REUTERS. Serie A last year hired JP Morgan to “explore options for a unit holding the league’s international media righ...
NBC taps HOFer Sue Bird as WNBA studio analyst
Basketball HOFer Sue Bird will join NBC Sports as a studio analyst when the WNBA returns to NBC and debuts on Peacock in 2026. In addition to her studio appearances, Bird will host a series of feature stories throughout the season, with portions airing on TV and extended versions available digitally...
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Quote of the Day
A few years ago we had Dude Perfect playing frisbee at Amen Corner. In retrospect, I like those guys, but that may not have been the best idea. But it does point out that we try things every once in a while that are a little bit nontraditional.-- Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Fred Ridley, on the club’s willingness to try new things around the Masters.
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