The Daily Insider
Afternoon News & Headlines
Tuesday, October 23, 2001
4:00pm ET
| • | Is The Worst Over? Continental Signs On As Official Airline Of The Knicks |
| • | Breeders’ Cup To Remain On NBC Through ’05 Season |
| • | Earnings Announcement Brings News Of Staff Cuts At SportsLine.com |
| • | Reebok Posts 31% Leap In Earnings But Warns Of Future Slump |
| • | Always Do The Right Thing: Spike’s Ticket Fetches $101,300 In Charity Auction |
| • | Buzzer Beaters/Channel Surfing |
CONTINENTAL BREAKS TREND AND SIGNS KNICKS SPONSORSHIP DEAL
By Terry Lefton, Editor-at-Large, The Sports Business Daily
Continental Airlines has signed what is believed to be the first major airline sports sponsorship since the September 11 terrorist attacks, inking a two-year deal making it the official airline of the Knicks. The low seven-figure deal includes media, arena signage, game day promotions, tickets and hospitality. Other N.Y.-area sponsorships for Continental include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the New York City Marathon, the Yankees, Nets, Devils and Continental Airlines Arena. Continental replaces United as the Knicks’ official airline. Halo Sports and Entertainment, Chicago, is Continental's sports and event marketing agency (THE DAILY).
NBC EXTENDS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BREEDERS’ CUP
The NTRA, Breeders’ Cup Ltd. and NBC Sports have agreed to a four-year extension that will keep the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships on NBC through ’05. NBC has televised The Breeders’ Cup since its inception in ‘84. The agreement also includes NBC airing a preview show from Belmont Park, to be produced in partnership with the NYRA (THE DAILY).
SPORTSLINE ANNOUNCES MORE STAFF CUTS IN ITS EARNINGS REPORT
SportsLine.com reported its Q3 earnings today and posted a pro forma consolidated net loss of $19.4M, or $0.68 per share, compared to a net loss of $16.7M, or $0.63 per share, in the same period last year. The company also announced that additional staff reductions occurred last week. As a result of these reductions, the previously announced layoffs in April and normal attrition, the company’s work force has been reduced by more than 25% over the past six months (THE DAILY). To read the entire report, click here. At presstime, shares of SportsLine.com were trading at $2.03, up $0.04 or 2% (THE DAILY).
REEBOK POSTS STRONG EARNINGS, BUT WARNS OF FUTURE SLUMP
REUTERS reports that Reebok announced that its Q3 net income rose 31%. However, the company "warned of a possible slowdown in the fourth quarter and the first half of next year." The MA-based company posted earnings of $42.2M, or $0.66 a share for the quarter, compared to $0.56 a share in ‘00 (REUTERS, 10/23).
At presstime, shares of Reebok were trading at $21.48, down $0.57 or 2.5% (THE DAILY).
SPIKE LEE’S COURTSIDE SEAT FETCHES $101,300 IN CHARITY AUCTION
Bidding closed today in the Yahoo! auction for a courtside seat at MSG for Michael Jordan’s return to the NBA. Spike Lee donated the ticket to the NBA for the auction, which raised money for the Uniformed Firefighters Association Widows’ and Children’s Fund. The auction closed at 2:14pm ET after receiving 138 bids. The winning bid of $101,300 was placed by an unknown bidder (YAHOO!, 10/23).
AUDI TO SPONSOR MARINE CORPS MARATHON
MI-based Audi of America announced today that it is sponsoring the 26th Annual Marine Corps Marathon, which will take place on October 28 in the Washington, DC area. The race, which is the seventh largest marathon in the world, is expected to draw over 18,000 participants (THE DAILY).
TONIGHT’S EVENTS
ECHL Greenville Grrrowl President Carl Scheer said the Nets-Wizards preseason game tonight at the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, SC, is creating "by far the most intense anticipation in our young building’s history." Floor seats for tonight’s game cost $100. The same seats for the NBDL Groove, which will open league play November 16 at the arena, cost $41. A capacity crowd of 14,000 is expected for tonight’s game (Columbia STATE, 10/23).
The NBDL Lowgators will host a Select-A-Seat Night tonight from 6:00-9:00pm ET at the North Charleston Coliseum. After an hour-long reception, season ticket holders will have an opportunity to select their seats for the upcoming season (Columbia STATE, 10/19).
Redskins players Chris Samuels, Jerry DeLoach and Del Cowsette will guest bartend at eCiti Restaurant tonight from 7:00-8:00pm ET to raise money for the Redskins Relief Fund. All tips the players receive will be donated to the fund (THE DAILY).
BUZZER BEATERS
The Sharks today unveiled a third jersey that the team will wear for 15 games this season, beginning Saturday night. The Sharks’ original design lasted from ‘91-98, when the third jersey "became the regular uniform the following season" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 10/23). To view the jersey, click here.
The DESERET NEWS reports the $1.5M ethnic village "planned to showcase Utah's diversity" during the Salt Lake Winter Games "is in jeopardy of becoming extinct due to funding shortfalls." SLOC, the state of UT and private businesses "have all declined to support a local nonprofit group that had hoped to create the village" (DESERET NEWS, 10/23).
A Romanian Olympic Committee today unanimously approved the candidacy of Nadia Comaneci for the IOC board (REUTERS, 10/23).
The AP reports England broadcaster ITV's "The Premiership" - the net’s "flagship Premier League highlights show - has lost its prime-time slot on Saturday nights" due to low ratings. The show’s "coveted 7:00pm time slot" will now go to the dating show "Blind Date" (AP, 10/23).
Baseball Weekly today announced its end of the year award winners. Barry Bonds was voted the magazine’s NL MVP; Jason Giambi, AL MVP; Roger Clemens, AL Top Pitcher; Randy Johnson, NL Top Pitcher; Ichiro Suzuki AL Top Rookie; Albert Pujols NL Top Rookie; Lou Piniella AL Top Manager and Larry Bowa NL Top Manager. The awards were voted upon by 15 reporters and editors from Baseball Weekly, USA Today and USAToday.com (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS….
Disney has "implemented another round of layoffs at its ABC.com division." One source said, "It must be something like 80 or 85% of the staff that lost their jobs" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 10/23).
DAILY VARIETY reports "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace" has "set a new first-week sales record" with an estimated 2.2 million DVD units purchased by consumers since the title was first released October 16. That equates to over $45M in consumer spending (DAILY VARIETY, 10/23).
THE DAILY STATS
| CLIP & SAVE: NHL TEAM-BY-TEAM SALARIES |
| The following presents NHL team payroll figures obtained from the NHLPA. Figures do not include what teams are paying in deferred compensation, nor what they may have paid to buy out player contracts (Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 10/21). |
| | | | |
| TEAM | '01-02 | '00-01 | % +/- |
| ANA | 35,734,000 | 33,520,000 | 6.6% |
| ATL | 23,137,270 | 16,633,175 | 39.1% |
| BOS | 37,285,800 | 27,541,576 | 35.4% |
| BUF | 28,641,666 | 23,912,916 | 19.8% |
| CGY | 28,867,500 | 26,014,500 | 11.0% |
| CAR | 33,614,125 | 30,523,750 | 10.1% |
| CHI | 37,612,500 | 31,925,000 | 17.8% |
| COL | 48,998,921 | 37,352,500 | 31.2% |
| CLB | 23,311,000 | 20,647,400 | 12.9% |
| DAL | 57,336,500 | 52,765,000 | 8.7% |
| DET | 64,818,750 | 57,612,500 | 12.5% |
| EDM | 26,217,250 | 19,912,500 | 31.7% |
| FLA | 38,613,100 | 32,855,900 | 17.5% |
| LA | 38,625,288 | 31,502,500 | 22.6% |
| MIN | 19,183,576 | 15,712,500 | 22.1% |
| MON | 35,472,370 | 37,246,700 | -4.8% |
| NSH | 22,100,000 | 18,637,500 | 18.6% |
| NJD | 39,889,378 | 30,201,118 | 32.1% |
| NYI | 33,925,079 | 24,869,760 | 36.4% |
| NYR | 58,163,539 | 45,242,037 | 28.6% |
| OTW | 26,920,750 | 21,873,000 | 23.1% |
| PHI | 56,072,500 | 45,675,000 | 22.8% |
| PHO | 31,388,936 | 22,631,833 | 38.7% |
| PIT | 31,758,500 | 21,903,663 | 45.0% |
| SJO | 47,000,000 | 43,445,000 | 8.2% |
| STL | 57,180,000 | 45,406,000 | 25.9% |
| TBY | 27,211,271 | 19,825,000 | 37.3% |
| TOR | 47,870,958 | 40,840,687 | 17.2% |
| VAN | 27,414,579 | 25,555,000 | 7.3% |
| WAS | 55,749,415 | 49,557,708 | 12.5% |
| |
| AVG. | 38,003,817 | 31,711,391 | 19.8% |
CHANNEL SURFING
ESPN2 will air Sharks-Sabres at 8:00pm ET.
ESPN will air live coverage of the PBA Tour’s Greater Detroit Open at 8:00pm ET.
ESPN Classic’s "SportsCentury" will profile Jim Plunkett.
Barry Zito, Eric Davis and Todd Zeile will discuss the MLB playoffs on "The Last Word."
Terrell Owens will be on ESPN’s "Unscripted."
A&E’s "Biography" will profile Edward & Sophie.
The Food Network will air "NBA Café" tonight at 9:00pm ET.
HEADLINERS
Here are tonight’s headline guests on the following talk shows:
| "Charlie Rose" | Jack Welch |
| "The Late Show" | Bruce Willis (r) |
| "The Tonight Show" | Tim Allen (r) |
| "The Late Late Show" | Ted Danson (r) |
| "Late Night" | Tom Selleck (r) |
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com
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