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CYNOPSISSPORTS
08.17.15
Good morning. It’s Monday August 17, 2015, and this is your first early morning Sports briefing.
It was two years ago today when FOX launched its own national, sports-branded networks in FOX Sports 1 and 2. As the platforms prepares for their junior year, the company is hitting all cylinders coming off its broadcasts of the Summer of Soccer, anchored by the Women’s World Cup, as well as the US Open, among other events. These sports have pushed FOX Sports 1 viewership up 40% in total day and 38% in primetime, according to Nielsen. Meanwhile, FS1’s reach has swelled 11% with an additional 9.2 million viewers in year two, to hit the 96 million mark.
Moving forward, the company is preparing for the next stage of its evolution. Gone are names such as Regis Philbin, and taking control are the recent hires of Jamie Horowitz to President, FOX Sports National Networks and Charlie Dixon as Executive Vice President of Content for FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. With early deals now in full swing and on the air, including the MLB Division and League Championship Series games, NASCAR, and more, the company has also reeled in former ESPN staple Colin Cowherd to go along with its recent acquisitions of Bundesliga soccer, NHRA and the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and a growing digital front.
FOX Sports 1 top five broadcasts of all time:
Date/Broadcast/Viewers P2+
10/15/2014 NLCS Game 4 5,092,000
10/16/2014 NLCS Game 5 4,891,000
06/22/2015 WWC Round of 16: USA/Colombia 4,716,000
10/12/2014 NLCS Game 2 4,367,000
03/29/2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup: Martinsville 4,061,000
Cynopsis Sports spoke with Eric Shanks, President, COO & Executive Producer, FOX Sports, about the anniversary, recent moves and what to expect from the company over the next two years.
Shanks on the state of the union: Going into it, is was clear that consolidating the brands and making FOX Networks Group a stronger piece of branded entertainment was going to take some time. Now that we are taking stock at the end of our second year, there is clear momentum not only in those new businesses, but in the broadcast business and the regional sports business as well. We feel like we’ve just barely stepped into the batter’s box and the momentum is something that feels good going into the third year.
On momentum: We’ve clearly made the investment in quality, premium, live events and really it was this year where all of these events were really on the air. This momentum carried forward not only by the addition of our new events, but if you look at pretty much every metric of our returning second year rights, there was higher consumption across the board for our other properties as well. I think it’s a bit of not only having the events, but also the familiarity with the new product and where it is, even something as simple as now knowing the channel numbers now.
On evolving: I think the most energizing thing that any company can do is keep energizing the culture. We’ve added some new blood to the team and I think that’s going to help the product that Jamie and Charlie are working on for FOX Sports 1 and 2 as well as everything else that we do. I think having new blood is something to look forward to, from a creative aspect, from a competition aspect, and we are now as energized here looking into year three as we were when we launched.
On hiring Horowitz: I think it is all about relationships. When you get to know someone and you have shared goals and a shared vision, you realize that the talent level and really the attitude that somebody brings to the job, it turned out to be a great fit. Jamie and his team are going to add a new gear to this place, something that we are all really looking forward to in year three. Jamie was able to bring Colin into the fold and we were able to create programming around him. Colin is a new voice for us and I think it is going to add a unique component into the programming mix.
On hiring Colin Cowherd: People watch television to be entertained and informed, sometimes not necessarily in that order. Colin is a clever, unique voice that gets people talking. In the world of sports, where everybody, because of the tribal nature of it, is defending or promoting their particular point of view, voice like Colin’s stand out.
On new acquisitions: One of the things when we started FOX Sports 1 and 2, was that combining all of our seasonal channels, was that it was important to deliver that constant, total-day sports destination. NHRA, for example, fit into our schedule really well and delivers high-volume quality content. The Westminster Dog Shows is one of those sneaky big events. It does great ratings. We are going to looking to get people attached to the competitors leading up to it, so that you don’t just dive into it for those few nights. We thought it fit really well and was a timeframe that works well for us.
On recent OTT headlines: When you have the flexibility to distribute content that you have and you have content that people want to watch, you can navigate the future and have options. I think this is a very consumer-friendly period that we are in. There is more access on more devices in more ways for more sports content available than ever before. What form OTT takes, whether it is a package of channels, a package of content still delivered by a distributor in the middle but via another means, or whether it is eventually going with special FOX only or Disney only packages direct to consumers, is yet to be seen. Today, clearly the best value for consumers is in the bundle and in the ongoing effort to give consumers more choice, I think you are going to see more packages out there.
Jason Day’s ascension at the PGA Championship and a contending Jordan Spieth continued golf’s recent viewership surge. CBS Sports reports that its third round coverage of the tournament on Saturday tied 2014 as the highest in six years with 3.2/8 overnight rating/share on CBS, peaking at a 3.6/9 from 5:30-6p. That adds to the company’s year-to-year growth for the sport overall.
Meanwhile, Turner Sports saw double-digit audience spikes across all platforms for the PGA Championship, including record-setting numbers for PGA.com. TNT’s second round coverage on Friday averaged two million total viewers and a 1.4 U.S. HH rating for the network, for rises of 25% and 17% over an average of 1.6 million total viewers and a 1.2 U.S. HH rating for the comparable telecast last year. That marks the channel’s most-viewed second round coverage since 2009, based on Nielsen Fast Nationals. Through the first two days of the PGA Championship, TNT is averaging 1.7 million total viewers and a 1.2 U.S. HH rating for the tournament, up 25% and 20% over last year’s two-day average. Meanwhile, PGA.com, managed by Turner Sports, scored all-time records for its live coverage of the PGA Championship with Friday’s second round coverage generating 2.7 million cross-platform unique visitors and 1.6 million live video streams, both the highest on record for the site.
Golf Channel’s Golf Central Live From The PGA Championship pushed the network to its most-watch Monday-Wednesday coverage of a PGA Championship Week ever. The network’s coverage during that span posted a Total Day Average of 80,000 average viewers per minute with wraparound news coverage up 14% vs. 2014.
Univision Deportes’s carriage of the Tigres/Guadalajara match, ranked as the most-viewed Liga MX ever on UDN. The UDN broadcast of Tigres/Guadalajara on August 9 handed the channel with 890,000 Total Viewers, along with 534,000 Adults 18-49 and 258,000 young Adults 18-34. That sets a viewership record for an UDN exclusive regular season Liga MX match by 25% among Total Viewers 2+ and +10% among Adults 18-49.
Former US Open tennis champion Andy Roddick has departed Fox Sports, tweeting that he was moving on from the company. Roddick was an original member of the launch of Fox Sports Live and broke the news by writing “My time at Fox has come to an end. I had a blast and am thankful for opportunity.”
In other talent news, six-time MLB All-Star and two-time batting champion Nomar Garciaparra is up for another round of the Little league World Series, with ESPN announcing his return to the fold. Garciaparra will serve as an analyst for 18 games during the tournament, which pans Aug. 20-30, Garciaparra will debut on Thursday at 3p on ESPN, joining Karl Ravech, analyst Kyle Peterson, and reporter Jaymee Sire.
Rentrak continues to lock in deals, announcing an agreement with Pegula Sports & Entertainment to offers regional television insights and branded entertainment measurement for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, as well as the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.
Comcast SportsNet in Boston and CBS Radio’s 98.5 The Sports Hub agreed to broadcast a live simulcast of the radio station’s Toucher & Rich morning show on the channel starting today. The series is hosted by Fred Toucher and Rich Shertlenlieb, and ranks as the top-rated morning drive program in Boston among its target audience demographic.
A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE
Open to any organization that utilized its social media platforms to promote its product to sports fans throughout 2015. From global brands to local stations, million-dollar campaigns to viral-on-a-budget,
social media has proven to be the great equalizer.Showcase your talent and ENTER TODAY.
Adidas made its play to boost its basketball presence, locking a deal with NBA star James Harden, reportedly for a cool $200 million, according to ESPN. The deal will begin on Oct. 1 and span 13 years. "From the start of this partnership, Harden is going to play a role in the worldwide promotion of Adidas which will coincide with the start of the new NBA season," a spokesman to the site. "He will also have a key role in creating and developing a line of sports shoes and clothing."
NASCAR After The Lap is heading back to Las Vegas for its seventh-consecutive year. NASCAR announced that the event will once again take place at the Pearl Palms Concert Theater on Thursday, December 3 to showcase all 16 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup contenders. “Every year, NASCAR After The Lap serves as a key moment where fans can engage with their favorite NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers in a unique way not typically experienced throughout the season,” said Tim Duerr, motorsports marketing manager for Ford Performance. “At Ford, we engage with NASCAR drivers and teams on and off-the-track throughout the season and know how special these moments are, which is why we’ve been proud to serve as event sponsor for NASCAR After The Lap for the past seven years.”
With college football season about to kick off, ESPN unveiled a pair of spots for its networks leading into the new year. The campaign marks year two of ESPN’s College Football Playoff “Who’s In?” campaign and kicks off with “The Message” featuring Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, who warns Buckeye nation that the entire college football community is preparing to dethrone them and features traditions, metaphors and mascots representing 30 of schools in contention. The spot was created in collaboration with creative agency Wieden + Kennedy New York.
Meanwhile, the one-year anniversary of SEC Network pays tribute to infants, with ESPN unveiling a spot featuring some of the Southeastern Conference’s youngest fans. The promo, dubbed Babies, captures authentic families of SEC fans and alumni with their babies in various scenarios to the sound of The Ronette’s classic tune “Be My Baby.” The integrated initiative was created in collaboration with creative agency McKinney,
Turner Broadcasting System snatched a majority stake in iStreamPlanet, a “market leader in large-scale, live event streaming, TV Everywhere Network simulcasts and OTT multiplatform solutions.” Turner will now leverage the company’s technology to deliver its OTT programming, shift its core technology infrastructure to the cloud and develop new products and services for existing and new businesses. “We’ve worked with iStreamPlanet in the past during the PGA Championship and they have also delivered world-class events such as the Super Bowl and Olympics to millions of viewers,” said Turner Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John Martin. “There is no one better in the business. This partnership will expand our capabilities to offer live events within and outside of the traditional ecosystem and, by bringing iStreamPlanet’s innovative technology in-house, allow us to cultivate future business opportunities on digital platforms.”
Giants/Cardinals on ESPN at 8:15p.
A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE
With executives on hand from AOL Video, CBS, Discovery Communications, Fusion, IFC, Levels Beyond, M Booth, Moody’s Investor Service, Peacock Productions, Rentrak, StoryTech, Twitter, Viacom Velocity, Scripps Networks & more, the
UP AT NIGHT CONFERENCE is one that you wont want to miss! REGISTER NOW.ON THIS DAY in 1933: Lou Gehrig plays in his 1,308th consecutive game.
In The Know: Andy Roddick lost four other Grand Slam finals to the same person. Who was he? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city.)
Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question: At what university did Mark McGwire play baseball? Answer: USC. Kudos: Andrew Feingold-Nielsen/NY; Michael Ritz-BucStar Consulting/NY; Denis Barry-CBS/NY; Lewis Blaustein-Lewis Brand Solutions/NY; Adam Samrov-Digital First Media/Vermont; Michael Goodman-Radio One Atlanta/Atlanta; Tim McGhee-MSP Sports/Summit; Derek Crownover-Dickinson-Wright-Music Row/Nashville; Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station; Lance Phegley-Texas Runner and Triathlete magazine/Houston; David Hauptman/Denver; Eric Burak-Bellator MMA/Santa Monica; Jack Simmons-Fox Sports/LA; Jacob Ullman-FOX Sports/LA; Vince Garza-FOX Sports/LA.
Later — Chris
Chris Pursell for Cynopsis | Sports @VegasandVine
08.17.15
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