| | The Daily Insider
Afternoon News & Headlines
Thursday, July 17, 2003
4:00pm ET | |
| |
| • | Wilhelmina Artist Management To Rep NASCAR Driver Jimmie Johnson |
| • | Showtime, HBO Agree Not To Cannibalize Each Other’s October 4 PPV Buys |
| • | ESPN Attempts To Answer Pete Rose Hall Of Fame Debate At 7:00pm ET |
| • | Octagon Today Announces Signing Of WTA Tour Player Justine Henin-Hardenne |
| • | Four Football Legends To Be Featured On 37-Cent U.S. Stamps |
| • | Buzzer Beaters/Tonight’s Events/Channel Surfing/In Other News/The Daily Stat |
WILHELMINA ADDS JIMMIE JOHNSON TO GROWING ATHLETE ROSTER
N.Y.-basedWilhelmina Artist Management (WAM) today announced the signing of NASCARWinston Cup driver Jimmie Johnson. WAM spokesperson Danielle Rausch told The Daily that thecompany will meet with Johnson next week to determine specifics of a yet-to-befinalized marketing plan. Otherathletes represented by WAM include Titans RB Eddie George, Suns G StephonMarbury, Jazz F Matt Harpring and PGA Tour player Matt Kuchar (THEDAILY).
SHOWTIME, HBO AGREE TO STAGGER OCTOBER 4 PPV BOUT STARTS
MULTICHANNELNEWS reports that Showtime and HBO have agreed to different start times fortheir October 4 boxing cards to “avoid cannibalizing each other’s PPV buys.” Showtime will air its card from Mandalay Bayin Las Vegas, featuring Evander Holyfield-James Toney, from8:00pm-midnight ET. HBO PPV, inconjunction with promoter Top Rank, will begin coverage of its card fromStaples Center, featuring featherweight champion Erik Morales, atmidnight. iNDemand – which will“distribute both events to a majority of cable MSOs – stepped in earlier thisweek and negotiated the compromise.” Itis “unlikely that consumers will receive a discount price for purchasing bothevents” (MULTICHANNELNEWS, 7/16).
UEFA TODAY ANNOUNCES TVDEALS IN 15 INT’L TERRITORIES
UEFAtoday announced that it has sold the TV rights of the UEFA Champions League tobroadcasters in 15 int’l territories for the ’03-06 seasons. Marketing partner TEAM negotiated thefollowing deals on UEFA’s behalf (UEFA):
| Territory | Broadcaster | Territory | Broadcaster |
| Greece (Pay TV) | Supersport | Hungary | Viasat |
| Azerbaijan | ANS | Belarus | Belarus TV |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | SIMA Int’l | Mauritius | MBC |
| Pan Middle East | ART | Pan-Asia Pay TV | ESPN Star |
| Hong Kong | ATV | Singapore | Mediacorp TV |
| Indonesia | RCTI | Vietnam | VTV |
| Panama | TVN | Venezuela | Meridiano |
| Australia | SBS | | |
DERSHOWITZ, COCHRAN TO SQUAREOFF ON ROSE ISSUE TONIGHT
ESPNtonight will air “Pete Rose on Trial” at 7:00pm ET, a mock trial that aims toanswer the question, “Should Pete Rose be in the Hall of Fame?” Alan Dershowitz will present theprosecution’s case, while Johnnie Cochran will lead Rose’s defense. ESPN’s Bob Ley hosts the four-hourevent, and will be joined by CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, who willoffer his perspective throughout the show. The verdict will be read at 10:00pm. The mock trial was held earlier today at Harvard Law School’s AustinHall (ESPN).
ESPNSenior VP & Exec Editor John Walsh, on the production: “It could beconsidered a pilot. But it’s probablygoing to be a one-of-a-kind” (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/15).
BUZZER BEATERS
Octagontoday announced that it has signed WTA Tour player Justine Henin-Hardenne,the reigning French Open champion and No. 3 ranked player in the world. Other Octagon tennis clients include LleytonHewitt, Gustavo Kuerten, Martina Hingis and AnnaKournikova (Octagon).
TheAP reports that the widow of late Orioles P Steve Bechler, Kiley,today filed a $600M lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Ft. Lauderdale, FL,against the manufacturers of Xenadrine RFA-1 – Cytodyne Technologies andPhoenix Laboratories – as well as Cytodyne Technologies President RobertChinery (AP, 7/17).
SportsLine.comand the NFL today announced an expansion of their agreement regarding fantasyfootball products on NFL.com, as well as the launch of the ’03 products. As part of the agreement, the parties willshare certain subscription revenues from the sale of the products on bothNFL.com and SportsLine.com. Additionally, the SportsLine.com product will be co-branded andaccessible on NFL.com (SportsLine.com).
CBSSports today extended its broadcast rights agreement, in conjunction withOutdoor Life Network, to broadcast the Tour de France through ’08 (CBSSports).
Philadelphia-basedSovereign Bank today announced an agreement with former Eagles WR Mike Quickto serve as a spokesperson for sponsorships, educational outreach andpromotional initiatives (Sovereign Bank).
TheAP reported that Walter Camp, Ernie Nevers, Red Grange andBronko Nagurski will be featured on 37-cent stamps, which will be issuedAugust 8 at the College Football HOF in South Bend, IN. The stamps will go on sale nationally August11 (AP, 7/16).
CHANNELSURFING
ESPN2will air “The Sports Reporters Primetime”at 7:00pm ET.
ESPN2will air WNBA Storm-Sun at 8:00pmET.
ESPN2will air the MLL All-Star Game at10:00pm ET.
ESPNClassic’s “SportsCentury” will profile the ‘77British Open at 8:00pm ET.
HBOwill air “Seabiscuit: First Look” at10:30pm ET.
49ersWR Terrell Owens, boxers Laila Ali and Christy Martin and former NFLer Glenn Parker are scheduled to appear on FSN’s “BDSSP.”
BET’s “Maad SportsProfiles” will feature Chargers DE Marcellus Wiley and Nets G JasonKidd at 11:30pm ET.
Fox MLBannouncer Joe Buck will be on NBC’s“Late Night” with Conan O'Brien at 12:35am ET.
A&E’s“Biography” will profile James Garnerat 8:00pm ET.
E!’s“True Hollywood Story” will profile Eminenat 8:00pm ET.
HEADLINERS
Hereare tonight’s headline guests on the following talk shows:
| “Late Show” | Ari Fleischer |
| “The Tonight Show” | Sean Connery |
| “The Late Late Show” | Carla Gugino |
| “Late Night” | Martin Lawrence |
| “Jimmy Kimmel Live” | Brady Krause |
TODAY’S ARTICLES OF INTEREST
TheL.A. TIMES’ Bob Pool writes of the gas station in the Dodger Stadium parkinglot, “Most fans pay no attention to the orangeUnion 76 ball that rotates over the station in Lot 37. Until, that is, they notice that their fuelgauge is on empty and they’re a long way from home. … When the team built thestadium in Chavez Ravine, Union Oil helped finance the $23[M] project. In exchange, it became a major sponsor ofDodger radio and television broadcasts” (L.A. TIMES).
TheLEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER’s Andrew Tangel profiles NTRA partner NetJets,which recently pitched “a form of time-share jet ownership to thoroughbredowners and breeders” in Lexington, at the behest of the NTRA. Despite the “eye-catching price tag,”upwards of $331,250, NetJets has “experienced growing popularity” (LEXINGTONHERALD-LEADER).
SeeThe Daily Insider’s Articles OfInterest for more sports business-related links.
TODAY’S TEASER…
SportsBusiness:What was the highest-rated MLB All-Star Game since ’50?
- 1950
- 1960
- 1970
- 1980
IN OTHERNEWS…
TheAcademy of Television Arts & Sciences today announced the nominations forthe 55th Emmy Awards, which will be awarded September 21 at theShrine Auditorium in L.A. Fox willtelevise the event. HBO led the waywith 109 nominations, far ahead of its nearest competitor, NBC with 77. HBO’s “Six Feet Under” garnered 16nominations, one more than NBC’s “The West Wing.” The Academy added a new category this year: OutstandingReality/Competition Program. Thenominees for the new award are (Academy of Television Arts & Sciences):
| Program | Network |
| “The Amazing Race” | CBS |
| “American Idol” | Fox |
| “Survivor” | CBS |
| “AFI’s 100 Years … 100 Passions: America’s Greatest Love Stories” | CBS |
| “100 Years of Hope and Humor” | NBC |
Viewselect nominees in other categories.
USATODAY reports that Cablevision System’s “plan to compete with DirecTV andEchoStar’s Dish Network remains shrouded in mystery as the No. 6 cable operatorlaunches a rocket tonight with the key element in that dream: a $250[M]state-of-the-art satellite dubbed Rainbow 1” (USA TODAY, 7/17).
THE DAILY STAT: BILLBOARD CHARTS
Thefollowing lists Billboard Magazine’s top-selling CDs for the week ending July13 (BILLBOARD.com, 7/17):
| RK | ALBUM | ARTIST | LABEL |
| 1) | Chapter II | Ashanti | Murder Inc./Def Jam |
| 2) | Dangerously In Love | Beyonce | Columbia |
| 3) | Fallen | Evanescence | Wind-up |
| 4) | Dance With My Father | Luther Vandross | J |
| 5) | Get Rich Or Die Tryin' | 50 Cent | Shady/Aftermath |
| 6) | Hotel Paper | Michelle Branch | Maverick |
| 7) | St. Anger | Metallica | Elektra |
| 8) | Come Away With Me | Norah Jones | Blue Note |
| 9) | Greatest Hits Collection, Volume I | Trace Adkins | Capitol (Nashville) |
| 10) | The Very Best of Cher | Cher | Geffen/MCA/Warner Bros. |
…TODAY’S ANSWER
The 1970 All-Star Game earned a 28.5/54Nielsen rating. As a note, the NL wonthe game 5-4 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, but Red Sox LF CarlYastrzemski won the MVP.
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