| | The Daily Insider
Afternoon News & Headlines
Tuesday, June 11, 2002
4:00pm ET | |
| • | Coca-Cola Close To Signing 11-Year, $500M Deal With NCAA |
| • | Stern, Granik Present State Of League In Annual NBA Finals Address |
| • | Marv Albert Agrees To Six-Year NBA Broadcasting Deal With TNT |
| • | Snoop Dogg, Bootsy Collins To Bring The Funk At This Year's ESPYs |
| • | ESPN Gets “Off Course” Tonight With New Golf-Themed TV Show |
| • | Buzzer Beaters/Daily Stat/In Other News/Channel Surfing |
COCA-COLA CLOSE TO SIGNING $500M DEAL WITH NCAA
By Terry Lefton, Editor-at-Large, The Sports Business Daily
Just two months after parting ways with the NFL, Coca-Cola is close to signing on as the NCAA's Official Soft Drink sponsor in an 11-year deal worth more than $500M, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. A precise figure on the deal was difficult to discern (one source said $568M), since the contract has escalator clauses. However, sources said Coca-Cola will pay a $14M rights fee, plus $22M in media for the first year. By way of comparison, Pepsi paid a $4M rights fee and $9M in media in this, the final year of its NCAA deal. Pepsi, who has been a sponsor since '95, picked up NFL sponsorship rights from Coca-Cola earlier this year for an average of $12.5M annually over five years, with a guarantee of $20M in annual marketing spending.
Sources also say that subsequent years in Coca-Cola's new NCAA deal call for a 7% annual increase in rights fees over the life of the deal. The media buy increases 7% per year over the first three years of the deal, with escalator clauses thereafter linked to the prevailing market value of sports and prime-time advertising. The deal nets Coca-Cola soft drink, water and isotonic beverage rights for all NCAA Championships, including the crown jewel NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Sources said that while the bidding between the two soft drinks was competitive, the NCAA chose Coca-Cola largely because of its commitment to market all NCAA Championships in a gargantuan "Olympic-style" marketing program.
See tomorrow's issue of THE DAILY for more on this exclusive report.
STERN TALKS EXPANSION, CBA, TV SKEDS IN ANNUAL ADDRESS
NBA Commissioner David Stern and Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik conducted the annual NBA Finals press conference today, and Stern said as part of his introduction, "I think the entire playoffs have been sort of a good coming-together for us of many things that we've worked on over the years. To see teams from small markets involved, I think, reflects the fact that our (CBA) is working. … We're feeling very good about the current state of the league. We are looking forward to three more years of labor peace under the (CBA), and we're looking forward to the commencement of our six years of our new television arrangements."
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When asked about the possibility of European expansion, Stern said, "I think that the greatest potential pitfall is really the global situation. We wound up canceling our foreign trips this year, international exhibition games. That becomes a serious circumstance with which to deal. I think all businesses, global businesses, are going to move forward very, very slowly on the subject."
Stern, on potential scheduling conflicts next year because ABC has the rights to the NHL for two more years: "We have no insight on what the NHL or ABC is planning to do in the long term. But you've reminded me for at least two years that's what our schedule is, and now it's probably because of the Stanley Cup that we fit nicely within the ABC schedule. But we haven't had any discussions beyond that" (THE DAILY).
YES! TNT SECURES MARV ALBERT IN SIX-YEAR DEAL
Turner Sports President Mark Lazarus announced today that NBA announcer Marv Albert signed a six-year deal with TNT to be their lead play-by-play voice for NBA telecasts beginning this fall. Albert will work one of TNT's two weekly Thursday night games, as well as the NBA All-Star Game and Conference Finals games (THE DAILY).
ESPYS TO GET FUNKADELIC WITH COLLINS, SNOOP PERFORMANCE
Santana, Snoop Dogg and Bootsy Collins will perform at the '02 ESPY Awards, televised live on ESPN from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Wednesday, July 10 at 9:00pm ET. Snoop Dogg and Bootsy Collins have agreed to perform "Undercova Funk (Give Up The Funk)," which is featured in the film "Undercover Brother" (THE DAILY).
IN THE BOOKS: TSN, STATS TO JOIN FOR CO-BRANDED SPORTS GUIDES
The Sporting News (TSN) and STATS, Inc., today announced a licensing arrangement to combine aspects of each publisher's MLB, NFL and NHL titles into co-branded titles to be published by TSN. The first titles to be released under the new arrangement will be co-branded versions of The Sporting News' '02 Pro Football Guide and '02 Pro Football Register, due for release this June. Likewise, TSN's '02-03 Hockey Guide and '02-03 Hockey Register will include information from STATS, Inc.'s Hockey Handbook. A full integration of content will be in place for the co-branded version of TSN's '03 Baseball Register and '03 Baseball Guide. In addition, The Sporting News will publish future editions of STATS' MLB annual The Scouting Notebook (THE DAILY).
A-ROD STAYS THE COURSE FOR ESPN'S NEW GOLF PROGRAM
MLB Rangers SS Alex Rodriguez will guest star on the premiere episode of ESPN's golf-oriented interview show "Off Course With Jack Wagner" at 7:30pm ET. The L.A. TIMES writes, "One aspect of the show is some fun facts that pop up on the screen. One informs viewers that in the time it takes to play 18 holes of golf, Rodriguez has made $35,000." The show will move to an 8:30pm ET time slot in September (L.A. TIMES, 6/11).
LIGHTER BUZZ
The AP reports that Charles Harris, Dartmouth's new AD, "resigned [today] after his resume was questioned." The school, which had planned to formally introduce Harris at an afternoon news conference, "hastily changed its plans to explain his resignation" (AP, 6/11).
The Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE reports Magic Johnson said today that he "would like to relinquish his ownership stake in the [Lakers] and help build another team … into a winner," and that his "strong relationship" with Sonics Owner Howard Schultz makes Seattle "an attractive destination" (Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE, 6/11).
The WWE announced today it has retained Sports Marketing Japan and England-based The Copyright Promotions Licensing Group in an effort to expand its consumer product licensing, video and DVD distribution and live event sponsorship overseas (THE DAILY).
TODAY'S ARTICLES OF INTEREST
USA TODAY runs an Op-Ed by DeWayne Wickham on Venus and Serena Williams continuing to break down tennis' lingering color barrier.
The AP's Paul Newberry on the lack of African-American golfers on the PGA Tour.
The WASHINGTON POST's Leonard Shapiro comments on the U.S. Open being played on a truly public course.
The TORONTO STAR's Judy Steed believes the Hockey Hall of Fame offers a history of Canada as much as it does a history of hockey.
FL TODAY's Jeff D'Alessio conducts a Q&A with Yankees GM Brian Cashman.
The Newark STAR-LEDGER's Brad Parks on Nets G Jason Kidd being the latest in a long line of franchise saviors.
The FINANCIAL TIMES' James Harding sits down for a wide-ranging interview with News Corp. Chair Rupert Murdoch.
The PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE's John Hayes on the recent omnipresence of ESPN's Jay Mohr.
The WASHINGTON TIMES' Patrick Hruby reports on the attraction of sports video games to professional athletes.
TONIGHT'S EVENTS
The National Fatherhood Initiative will honor Bucs Coach Tony Dungy, 76ers G Eric Snow and Vikings Owner Red McCombs at the 5th Annual Fatherhood Awards Gala Dinner. The event begins at 7:30pm CT at the Hyatt Regency in San Antonio (THE DAILY).
HOFer Jim Palmer will throw out the first pitch at the Eastern League Double A Reading Phillies' 7:05pm ET game versus Norwich as part of a local health campaign designed to increase patient access to healthcare resources (THE DAILY).
The K.C. Sports Commission and Foundation will present Chiefs RB Priest Holmes with the Special Achievement Award for Professional Athletics at a ceremony at the K.C. Marriott Downtown. Holmes also was named the club's Derrick Thomas Award winner as the '01 MVP (THE DAILY).
The WNBA Sol will honor six female Holocaust survivors as part of their season-long SHEROES initiative before a 7:00pm ET game against the Rockers (THE DAILY).
The WNBA Mercury will make a team appearance and sign autographs from 5:00-7:00pm PT at A League of Our Own in Phoenix (THE DAILY).
The WUSA CyberRays will play English Premier League champion Arsenal FC Ladies at 8:00pm CT at Broken Arrow High School's Tiger Stadium in Tulsa, OK (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS…
REUTERS reports that Enron Corp. "has filed suit against the two utility subsidiaries of troubled Sierra Pacific Resources Corp.," and is seeking damages of about $307M "in connection with a power-supply contract terminated by Enron earlier this year" (REUTERS, 6/11).
Citizens Communications Chair Leonard Tow, Adelphia's largest minority shareholder, said Monday that he and Century exec Scott Schneider "were resigning from the board seats they had gained two weeks earlier," and that he "gave up hope of shoring up the company's finances amid tangles that included the firing of Adelphia's accounting firm and disclosures that its revenue and cable television subscriber figures had been inflated" (AP, 6/11).
DAILY VARIETY reports that ABC's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" will sign off for good as a regular network series on June 27 (DAILY VARIETY, 6/11).
THE DAILY STAT: LYCOS' MOST SEARCHED ATHLETES
The following are the most-searched athletes by Lycos search engine users for the week ending June 8 (Lycos).
| RK | | ATHLETE |
| 1) | | Mike Tyson |
| 2) | | Anna Kournikova |
| 3) | | Lennox Lewis |
| 4) | | David Beckham |
| 5) | | Allen Iverson |
| 6) | | Hasim Rahman |
| 7) | | Evander Holyfield |
| 8) | | Serena Williams |
| 9) | | Michael Jordan |
| 10) | | Kobe Bryant |
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CHANNEL SURFING
Evander Holyfield and rocker Tommy Lee will be on ESPN's "Mohr Sports," which moves to its new 8:00pm ET time slot.
ESPN Classic's "SportsCentury" will profile Joe Frazier at 8:00pm ET.
Brewers pitching coach Dave Stewart will be on FSN's "The Last Word."
A&E's "Biography" continues "Cultural Icons" week with a profile of Madonna at 8:00pm ET.
CBS will air "AFI's 100 Years, 100 Passions" documenting Hollywood's top 100 romance films at 8:00pm ET.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be part of a feature on "Dateline NBC" at 10:00pm ET.
John McEnroe will be on CBS' "Late Show" with David Letterman.
Hannah Storm will be on NBC's "Late Night" with Conan O'Brien.
HEADLINERS
Here are tonight's headline guests on the following talk shows:
| "The Late Show" | Sarah Michelle Gellar |
| "The Tonight Show" | Nicolas Cage |
| "The Late Late Show" | Lisa Rinna |
| "Late Night" | Alicia Silverstone |
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com
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