You know things are near rock bottom when “Saturday Night Live” parodies your favorite football team in a sketch. Then again, when you’re known as the LOL Jets, everything you do is a dark comedy. In the latest episode of NBC’s SNL with guest host Timothee Chalamet, the 0-12 New […]
Friday Disney promised $3 billion to the Southeastern Conference for a decade of rights to broadcast the conference’s entire sports catalog on its ABC and ESPN networks. The deal solidifies collegiate sports’ valuation as equal to its professional counterparts. And it comes just days after California state senators Nancy Skinner […]
FOX Corporation, which signed a five-year, $3.2 billion contract to broadcast “Thursday Night Football” two years ago, is looking to bounce out of that deal sooner than later. Since the contract was signed in December, 2018, FOX has had trouble finding an audience for “Thursday Night Football.” Those problems are […]
Bally’s Corporation, formerly Twin River Worldwide Holdings, acquired the sportsbook and iGaming technology company, Bet.Works. But that wasn’t Bally’s only mega-deal this week. Bally’s also announced a strategic partnership with Sinclair Broadcast Group, which sent both their stocks soaring. Bally’s recent deals should boost its sports betting profits. At least […]
ESPN’s financial woes, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, have resulted in a massive layoff of 300 staffers along with the elimination of 200 currently unfilled job openings. The layoffs will be spread throughout the sports cable empire, with on-air personnel being spared initially, according to a memo from ESPN Chairman […]
ESPN announced Monday that it reached separate, co-exclusive deals with Caesars Entertainment and DraftKings, both of which are designed to expand the sports media giant’s exposure to the sports betting industry. Under the agreements, Caesars will become ESPN’s exclusive odds partner while DraftKings becomes its exclusive daily fantasy sports provider. […]
NBC Universal became the latest major American media organization to partner with a sports betting operator on Thursday, announcing a multiyear partnership with Australian firm PointsBet. The deal makes PointsBet the official sports betting partner of NBC Sports. NBC Seeks Engagement, PointsBet Looks for Credibility PointsBet launched its US operations […]
The 2020 baseball season is still in flux. But that didn’t stop the MLB from nailing down a $3.2 billion deal with Turner Sports. While the price tag is arguably higher, the new deal makes few changes to their existing relationship. There has been a lot of back and forth […]
With many sports still in hiatus, sports bettors moved into the next best game in town — the stock market. Galvanized by Barstool Sports’ founder Dave Portnoy, throngs of aggressive novices are driving Wall Street’s institutional investors insane. Between Feb. 19 to March 23, the stock market tanked roughly 34%. […]
Converse has signed Natasha Cloud, the first woman basketball player to endorse its shoes. In doing so, the WNBA Mystics guard follows in the footsteps of some of basketball’s legends — from Chuck Taylor to Julius Erving. But even before the groundbreaking announcement, Cloud made headlines with an important message, […]
Changes are apparently coming in the broadcast booth at Monday Night Football, where announcers Joe Tessitore and Booger McFarland are not expected to return. Though ESPN has not confirmed the report, several stories over the weekend had the duo being replaced. Rumors about the future of the Monday Night Football […]
It seems these days everyone wants to be an influencer, and more and more that everyone and his/her dog is an influencer. But are they really? While looking at someone’s list of followers might have been a good way to rate their “impact” we’ve flipped that theory on its head. […]
The PGA Tour announced its new, nine-year domestic media rights deals on Monday. The 2022-2030 contracts with CBS, NBC, and ESPN+ reportedly represent a 70% increase over previous packages. The PGA’s television ratings have been lackluster this year. NBC’s Honda Classic drew the fewest third and final-round viewers of the […]
The NFL is eager to renegotiate its television rights on the heels of a good season. But improving ratings may not impress media buyers who worry the coronavirus could hurt advertisers. The NFL had a relatively good year, with television ratings up roughly 5% during the 2019 regular season. As […]
Three NBA franchises and the XFL all announced new partnerships last week, continuing the hookup frenzy between major sports leagues and the sports betting industry. The Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics all signed deals with DraftKings, while the XFL and The Action Network inked a content deal. Once […]
CBS Sports and bookmaker William Hill announced a partnership on Tuesday, making the oddsmaker the official sportsbook and wagering data provider for the network. William Hill gains the exclusive rights to promote its sportsbook brand on CBS Sports’ digital platforms, beginning with March Madness. William Hill Targets Huge CBS Audience […]
Audio streaming company Spotify Technology announced on Wednesday that it agreed to buy the sports media outlet, The Ringer. And while much of the recent sports media acquisition frenzy is tied to the spread of legal sports betting, this latest deal may be motivated more by fit. The details of […]
This year’s Super Bowl television ratings were higher than last year’s, generating the first year-over-year increase in five years. Helped by increased sports betting, a close game, and a popular half-time show, the average number of viewers edged up 1.7 percent over last year. But given the favorable conditions, an […]
Penn National Gaming became the latest gambling operator to get into the sports media business, announcing Wednesday that it was purchasing a 36 percent interest in Barstool Sports. Penn National paid $135 million in cash and $28 million in stock to close the deal, bringing the total purchase price to […]
Barstool Sports is reportedly in talks to be acquired by the regional casino company, Penn National Gaming. As legal sports betting expands across the United States, sports media companies are becoming hot commodities. In November, The Big Lead reported that The Chernin Group was looking to sell its interest in […]
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