“We are thrilled to present the first full season of NBC Sunday Night Football to the growing Hispanic football audience,” said Ray Warren, President of Telemundo Deportes. “The NFL is one of the most recognized sports leagues in the world and perfectly aligns with our commitment to deliver the biggest, best, global sports to Spanish-language sports fans, as well as continues our collaboration with our brethren at NBC Sports in ways that complement and serve our growing fan base.”

PROGRAMMING

ABC scored an average audience of 5,432,000 viewers for its broadcast of the Lakers/Rockets Western Conference Semifinals Game 2 on Sunday with the game now ranking as the most-watched 2020 NBA Playoffs game so far, according to Nielsen. Additionally, ABC’s broadcast of Game 2 delivered 1,720,000 viewers in the M18-34 demographic, making it the most-watched television program in the demo since May 17. Meanwhile, ABC’s broadcast of Milwaukee/Miami Heat Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 4 on Sunday delivered an average audience of 3,576,000 viewers.

As we hit our first “full” weekend of football action, ESPN announced that the company signed Desmond Howard to a new multiyear extension as the college football analyst kicks off his 16th season on College GameDay Built by The Home Depot. “When I retired from the National Football League after 11 seasons and looked to start a second professional career in sports television, I’m not sure I imagined it would end up lasting even longer than my playing career or be as equally fulfilling,” said Howard. “Now, at the beginning of my 16th season with ESPN, I am both humbled and grateful for the opportunity to continue to contribute to the network’s success and be surrounded by the best team in the business week in and week out.”

Meanwhile, ESPN announced that Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame broadcaster Doris Burke will serve as game analyst for the NBA Finals on ESPN Radio this season, becoming the first woman to serve as a game analyst for the NBA Finals on any platform. She will provide radio commentary alongside play-by-play voice Marc Kestecher and analyst Jon Barry for the NBA Finals and both Conference Finals series on site at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista. NBA Countdown, hosted by Maria Taylor, will serve as the NBA Finals and Eastern Conference Finals pregame and halftime show. In addition, ESPN host and journalist Rachel Nichols, who has hosted ESPN’s The Jump since 2016, will expand her role to become the sideline reporter for the NBA Finals on ABC and the Eastern Conference Finals on ESPN.

NBC Sports released the remainder of its telecast schedule for the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series, featuring a doubleheader from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend. Race 1 of the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio will be presented on Saturday at 4:30p, on NBCSN, while coverage of Race 2 will begin on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on NBC. Coverage returns to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course for a doubleheader on Oct. 2-3, featuring Race 1 of the INDYCAR Harvest GP on Friday, Oct. 2, at 3:30p ET on USA Network, followed by Race 2 on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 2:30p on NBC. The 2020 season concludes with the Championship race on Oct. 25, with live coverage of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg at 2:30p on NBC.

Digital series Breaking the Huddle sponsored by Dr Pepper, hosted by FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt, made its television debut Tuesday night on FS1. New episodes of the series will now be carried each Tuesday night during the college football season on FS1 and streamed on digital and social platforms including the @CFBONFOX Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts as well as FOXSports.com and the new FOX Sports app.

Univision’s TUDN and Facebook announced a partnership that will deliver fans top women’s soccer from Mexico streamed for free on Facebook Watch. Beginning Sept. 18, fans will be able to view 14 total matches from this year’s Liga MX Femenil Guardianes 2020 season produced by TUDN through the official TUDN USA Facebook page. All matches streamed on Facebook Watch will also be available on the TUDN network.

Elsewhere on the digital front, ESPN+ NFL PrimeTime, hosted by Chris Berman, returns for a new season on Sunday at 7:30p, exclusively on ESPN+ and will stream live Sunday nights throughout the 2020 NFL season. The show will be updated following its initial live airing with highlights from Sunday and Monday night games. For the first time in two decades, Berman will not be joined by Tom Jackson, and will be joined each Sunday by Booger McFarland, who will provide analysis and perspective along with Berman’s signature delivery of highlights, nicknames and commentary.

Bleacher Report’s B/R Gridiron will launch a full slate of on-demand programming and fresh football content designed to build upon the content vertical’s debut last year. The lineup will include an all-new original series from B/R and NBA on TNT host Adam Lefkoe, along with the return of the breakout hit series Untold Stories with Master Tesfatsion. New programming launches this week with the premiere of the fifth season of animated series Gridiron Heights, followed by the debut of the all-new original series Underrated Presented by State Farm, hosted by Lefkoe. Untold Stories will showcase a Hall of Fame caliber roster of retired NFL players starting with Darrelle Revis. Additionally, B/R Betting will debut a weekly betting show called The Squad Ride with live giveaways and interactivity in the B/R app to determine the best Squad Ride bet of the week.

beIN SPORTS and the National Independent Soccer Association entered into a new partnership to air the 2020 Fall Championship Tournament from Sept. 21-Oct. 2. The announcement marks the first-ever broadcast partnership for NISA. Games will be aired in the U.S. and Canada on beIN SPORTS XTRA. “This major broadcast partnership is big news for the fans of NISA soccer and for our growth as a league,” says NISA Commissioner John Prutch. “beIN SPORTS is an iconic brand, and we’re fortunate that they share the same vision in NISA’s future as our Board of Governors. I want to thank everyone that’s been involved at NISA, as well as the team at beIN SPORTS for making this happen.”

The Ringer and Spotify will enter the 2020 NFL season with an expanded and refreshed programming slate highlighted by several new additions that include Ryan Shazier joining as a Ringer NFL analyst. He will co-host the Tuesday Ringer NFL Show alongside veteran host Cole Wright. Additionally, Warren Sharp will join The Ringer NFL Show, bringing his sports betting expertise.

The National Hockey League will toast the 2020 Conference Finals and 2020 Stanley Cup Final with the debut of Pregaming presented by New Amsterdam Vodka, a new 15-minute digital interview series featuring current and former NHL players. Hosted by Jon Taffer (Bar Rescue), each episode will be available for viewing on the NHL’s Facebook and IGTV platforms.

VSiN announced plans to deliver a first-of-its kind in-game sports betting show on MSG Networks titled Prime Time Action, Powered by DraftKings. The new show will appear exclusively on MSG+ on weeknights from 7-10p, hosted by betting analytics expert Gill Alexander. As part of a broader partnership with VSiN, DraftKings will be the exclusive sponsor and official data provider for Prime Time Action on MSG+.

Professional Fighters League struck an international distribution partnership with Eurosport India, marking the first time MMA will be televised on the platform. As part of the multi-year agreement, Eurosport India will broadcast live PFL Regular Season, Playoffs and Championship events. PFL programming on Eurosport India will also feature classic fights from PFL’s vault.

SESSION SPOTLIGHT > THE OTT ROADMAP FOR REACHING AUDIENCES AT SCALE

Savvy brands + agencies are shifting budgets to OTT & CTV to reach high value audiences at scale. This session on Tuesday 9/22, will be led by Premion’s VP/Head of Sales, John Vilade. He’ll focus on the following key topics: importance of a localized audience targeting strategy, content quality considerations, power of optimizing OTT & local TV, and the state of attribution/measurement.

VIEW FULL AGENDA > REGISTER NOW

Eyewear brand Christopher Cloos announced a partnership with six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady that includes the launch of a Cloos x Brady exclusive eyewear collection, featuring blue light glasses and sunglasses. “Tom Brady’s commitment to excellence on and off the field is inspiring. We are proud to partner with a true champion as we grow our presence in the United States and offer consumers an eyewear collection reflective of the qualities that give Tom and the Christopher Cloos brand an edge over the competition,” said Julius Langkilde, CEO of Christopher Cloos. “During the collaborative design process, Tom expressed his desire to create a line that had added health and wellness benefits, both for individuals and the environment. We were able to bring his vision to life with frames made from biodegradable materials and blue light glasses that protects vision and sleep.”

Elsewhere, as Week 1 kicks off, Christian McCaffrey and Lamar Jackson were named as captains of Lowe’s “Home Team,” a group of current NFL players representing every team in the league “coming together with local Lowe’s associates throughout the season to make an impact in their home markets through socially-distant community projects that support and represent the cultural fabric of each home market.” “We’re going to miss the fans in the stands this season, but we know they’ll be cheering us on from home. Our fans are always there to support us and it’s important that we do the same. I’m excited to be a part of the Lowe’s Home Team to tackle a project in the Charlotte community and give back to the fans that support us every season,” said Christian McCaffrey.

DIGITAL, DATA & TECH

CBS Sports and William Hill US announced the rollout of wide-ranging digital content and product integrations to kick off their partnership ahead of the fantasy football season. Sports bettors and fans will have access to newly created content and offerings, including a new parlay free-to-play game, and extensive odds and data across CBS Sports Digital platforms and within editorial content and video programming. “These enhanced sports betting experiences are the result of a true partnership between CBS Sports Digital and William Hill as we write a new playbook for our companies as well as the broader sports media and sports book industries,” said Jeffrey Gerttula, EVP & General Manager, CBS Sports Digital. “Together, we will continue to create maximum value for sports bettors and fans by offering completely new and exciting ways to engage with upcoming sports events.”

IBM and ESPN are offering Trade Assistant with IBM Watson, a new feature to the ESPN Fantasy Football app designed to help fantasy football players “make more informed, fair trades throughout the 2020 season” by utilizing artificial intelligence. “IBM is a longstanding, pivotal sponsor of ESPN Fantasy Football. Over the years, we have worked with IBM to uniquely integrate the brand and Watson technology to enhance the fantasy player experience and drive deeper engagement with sports fans,” said Marco Forte, Senior Vice President, Disney Advertising Sales. “This year, our relationship is reaching new heights with Trade Assistant with IBM Watson, which is a testament to the types of innovation that can emerge from exceptional collaboration.”

Sportradar announced a U.S. sports betting partnership with Tipico, a global sports betting operator originally founded in Europe, that will provide Tipico with access to official league data across all of the major U.S. professional sports leagues. “Tipico has been an excellent, longstanding partner of Sportradar, and we look forward to working with them as they enter the U.S. sports betting market,” said Neale Deeley, Vice President of U.S. Sales and Gaming, Sportradar. “Having access to our official league data across the major U.S. sports leagues will allow Tipico to offer an authentic and engaging experience to their customers.”

Bleacher Report reports the platform’s best-ever month on social, racking up 427 million cross-platform engagements, along with 1.7 billion video views while the B/R App followed suit with almost a quarter-billion visits in August.

ESPORTS

Ubisoft will offer the first World Cup for Rainbow Six next year as 45 country-based teams compete in a tournament in a move “to share their love, pride and unconditional support with the team that will represent them on the worldwide stage.” Fourteen teams will be directly invited while the other 31 will have to compete in a qualifier. Tony Parker will serve as the tournament’s official ambassador.

Riot is now sponsoring a fifth NA VALORANT Ignition Series event, titled the FTW Summer Showdown and running as an all-women tournament which will feature the largest-ever women’s tournament prize pool $50K, sponsored by Riot, T1 and G FUEL. The showdown is now expanding from its initial one-day, eight-team format to a three-day, twelve-team tournament, with a significantly increased prize pool over the course of September 11-13. “The VALORANT Ignition Series is all about showcasing the best talent of our community, and we want to use our platform to celebrate those who do great things,” said Anna Donlon, Executive Producer of VALORANT at Riot Games. “Competing as a female in games is a daunting task for many reasons, so when we heard of Nerd Street Gamers’ and Spectacor Gaming’s FTW Summer Showdown, we knew we wanted to throw our support behind the tournament and elevate it to the level of our VALORANT Ignition Series.” 

Ninja is heading home to Twitch. Following his run on the now-defunct Mixer, the famed streamer inked an exclusive deal to return to the platform in a multi-year agreement. “I am excited to get back to streaming full-time and connecting with my loyal fanbase,” Ninja said in a statement. “I really took my time to decide which platform was best and Twitch has been supportive throughout this process and understanding my overall career goals. In this next chapter, I’m going to make it a point to elevate and bring more eyes to underrepresented creators. I am looking forward to working with Twitch to demonstrate how this amazing community of gamers can make a meaningful impact.”

Super League Gaming is partnering with Hit Parader, a film, TV, and live events production studio born out of the former iconic rock music magazine brand, for a new partnership to provide rock musicians with a dedicated esports platform titled Rock N’ Jock. The exclusive Rock N’ Jock tournament features a mix of eight teams made up of top record labels, including Better Noise, eOne, Fearless, Metal Blade, Nuclear Blast, Rise, Roadrunner and Sumerian, and will be filled with rock stars, celebrities, and athletes competing for the top spot in a classic bracketed format. “Rock musicians are gamers too, and HIT PARADER is the ideal brand to celebrate their passion for play by creating a dedicated esports brand with the launch of Rock N’ Jock,” said Super League Chief Commercial Officer Matt Edelman. “Music is such a big part of gaming. Producing and broadcasting a tournament for some of the top rock artists in the world will be epic.”

The Golden Guardians unveiled a partnership with Softgiving, an online fundraising platform that integrates directly into livestream events. “Community impact is at the core of the Warriors’ company values,” said Hunter Leigh, Head of GSW Esports. “As we expand our charitable efforts this year and beyond, having a trusted partner in Softgiving to connect our fans to charitable opportunities will significantly increase our potential impact.”

INDUSTRY & ROSTER MOVES

The Drone Racing League announced new senior hires, including their first Chief Marketing Officer, Anne Marie Gianutsos, who joins the C-suite team. Former NBA and NFL exec, Ari Mark, will lead global partnerships as the league’s new SVP, Head of Partnership Development, and DRL founding team-member Ben Johnson will expand DRL’s global footprint in an expanded role as SVP, Head of International. All three executives will report to newly appointed DRL President Rachel Jacobson.

WME Sports announced the hire of NFL agent Brian Ayrault to lead its football business. “Brian is a tenacious advocate for his clients, and his passion for football is second to none,” said Jordan Bazant, Co-Head of WME Sports. “We’re excited about the work ethic, expertise, network and attention to detail that he’ll bring to WME Sports, and we look forward to all that’s ahead.”

SPORTS BROADCAST JOURNAL w/David J. Halberstam

See if you agree! ESPN turned 41 this week. Here’s a list of the network’s top 41 all-time personalities. Based on being identifiable, distinct, time in grade, personality, visibility, influence, contribution, popularity and cogency. There’s also a separate listing of the top play-by-play voices in ESPN’s history.
41 for 41: Ranking ESPN’s top 41 studio personalities in its 41 years on-air; Top play-by-play voices too

This will be a different year for viewers who watch the NFL. Only Fox will use virtual fans, the other networks won’t. See this bullet point listing of what you can and can’t expect this season on TV, particularly on Sunday Night Football. Al Michaels begins his next to last season at NBC.
Sunday Night Football: NBC Voices will be live; Al Michaels gets bye-weeks; Tafoya not allowed on field

This is a very special listing. All NFL games, the announcers, the percentage of the country covered telecast-by-telecast and every market carrying each game.
NFL Week #1: CBS, ESPN, Fox and NBC proceed cautiously; Talent, schedule, market clearances

College football continues with an abbreviated schedule in week #2. This menu provides a listing of all DI games, the TV networks, times and talent
College Football Week #2: ESPN, Fox, NBA and CBS Sports Network lead way; Full list of voices and times

Happy Birthday and many happy returns:
Lesley Visser, 9/11 CBS TV and ex-Boston Globe writer
Jack Corrigan, 9/12 Radio voice, Colorado Rockies
Thom Brennaman, 9/12 Cincinnati Reds TV (suspended)
Craig Way, 9/16 Radio voice, U of Texas F/B
Orel Hershiser, 9/16 LA Dodgers TV

Sports Broadcast Journal

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED!

In the face of surprising acquisitions, privacy concerns, and drops in ad spend, we at Cynopsis are blown away by the incredible work we see the ad tech community producing – and we want everyone to hear about it. See who made the cut and stay tuned for ceremony details coming on early December.

[ VIEW FINALISTS ]

In The Know
In the movie Animal House, what kind of ball knocked Neidermeyer off his horse? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city).

Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question
Which three teams have the Raiders beaten in the Super Bowl? Answer: Minnesota, Philadelphia, Washington. Kudos: Traci Liner-MediaCom/NY; Denis Barry-CBS/NY; Mike May-R2 Innovative Technologies/Wellington; Mark Lehman-Braves/Atlanta; Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton; Art Salisch-Nielsen/NJ; Joe Lyons-ESPN Remote Operations/Tulsa; Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station; Eric Jackson-Richardson Bike Mart/Dallas; Lance Davis-ESPN Milwaukee/ESPN; Bill Robertson-WCHA/Bloomington; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; David Westberg-SAG•AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank; Larry Hutchings/Nipomo; Jim Himmel-TCB Media/San Clemente