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Closing Bell

Closing Bell, June 8, 2004


   
 

ESPN Kicks Off 32-Hour ESPN25 Initiative Tonight With “Then And Now”

FIFA Today Names Warner Bros. As Exclusive '06 World Cup Licensing Rep

Sports Plays A Role As Fox Tonight Begins New Programming Cycle

MLB Interleague Play Begins In Earnest Tonight With Full Schedule

Bobcats Today Announce Radio Deal Making WNMX-FM Its Flagship Station

Buzzer Beaters/Tonight’s Events/Channel Surfing/In Other News/The Daily Stat


ESPN KICKS OFF ESPN25 PROGRAMMING WITH “THEN AND NOW” TONIGHT

ESPN will air “Then and Now,” a two-hour program unveiling the 25 greatest athletes in the last quarter century, as voted on by fans, at 7:00pm ET. The show, hosted by Dan Patrick, officially kicks off 32 hours of ESPN25 coverage the net will feature on Tuesday nights, culminating on its 25th anniversary, September 7. The order of the top three athletes – Lance Armstrong, Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan – has yet to be unveiled (ESPN).

In N.Y., Richard Sandomir writes, “ESPN is extremely modest here and rarely explains itself. … ESPN is an enabler of the omnipresent sports industry, and it is as powerful as any other part of the fun-and-games universe. … Though a segment on image-making shines an appropriate light on how sports marketing has evolved, … the creative and self-referential marketing by ESPN, and, especially, ‘SportsCenter’ is omitted” (<ahref="http: target="_blank">N.Y. TIMES, 6/8</ahref="http:>).

In Illinois, Ted Cox wrote, “The most damning segment concerns how sports has been driven by ‘The Highlight Culture.’ … ESPN certainly doesn’t shy from allowing that, yes, it is part and parcel of that highlight culture. … It’s left to the viewer to make those connections, and accepted on those terms, ‘Then and Now’ is highly recommended” (<ahref="http: main_story.asp?intid="38142218'" target="_blank">ILLINOIS DAILY HERALD, 6/4</ahref="http:>).

In L.A., Larry Stewart wrote, “The producers had enough trouble trying to fit 25 years into 90 minutes. Right off the bat, viewers are greeted with two-second snippets, highlights and sound bites of dizzying proportions. It’s as if a teenager with a very short attention span did the editing” (<ahref="http: target="_blank">L.A. TIMES, 6/7</ahref="http:>).

In S.F., Steve Kroner wrote, “Patrick hosts the show from four cities – Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Chicago and New York – that had dynasty teams. … The interviews are both solid and too short” (<ahref="http: article.cgi?file="/chronicle/archive/2004/06/04/SPGQO7099U1.DTL'" target="_blank">S.F. CHRONICLE, 6/4</ahref="http:>).

Patrick, on what has changed in sports marketing over the past 25 years: “Marketing of athletes and how it's done. We had Mean Joe Greene talking about his Coke commercial. That was a big deal back then. Nowadays, it would get lost with everybody else who does these things” (<ahref="http: target="_blank">FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 6/8</ahref="http:>).


FIFA NAMES WARNER BROS. AS EXCLUSIVE LICENSING REPRESENTATIVE

FIFA today appointed Warner Bros. Consumer Products as its exclusive licensing representative for the ’06 FIFA World Cup in all markets outside Europe and Japan. Warner Bros. will license the rights to use the World Cup logo, official mascot and the World Cup trophy in all categories including sports apparel, balls, footwear, bags, toys and headwear. Since the ’94 World Cup, retail sales of licensed goods have tripled (FIFA).


SPORTS PLAYS A ROLE IN FOX’ NEW YEAR-LONG PROGRAMMING CYCLE

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that Fox tonight “officially moves to a year-round programming cycle with the premiere of new drama series ‘The Jury.’” Fox Entertainment President Gail Berman, on the effect of MLB’s postseason on the new schedule: “It became a fact that we cannot introduce brand-new programming in November that's scripted. It's just too difficult to launch at that time. ... Our goal here is to utilize all of our assets and help make baseball become an opportunity platform for the rest of our programming.” Berman, on why the net is kicking off the year-round cycle in mid-June: “We would have done it differently had it not been for the Summer Olympics this year. We would have spread it out a little more” (<ahref="http: article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id="1000526826'" target="_blank">HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 6/8</ahref="http:>).


MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE TODAY CONCLUDES TV RIGHTS TALKS

The SALT LAKE TRIBUNE reports that Mountain West Conference presidents are meeting through today to discuss TV contract negotiations with ESPN. The current $48M deal runs out in ‘06, and university presidents are “not ‘doing handsprings’ over the prospect of playing midweek football games,” which are expected to be a part of the new deal (<ahref="http: 173549.asp?display="print'" target="_blank">SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 6/8</ahref="http:>).


MLB BEGINS EIGHTH SEASON OF INTERLEAGUE PLAY IN EARNEST

Interleague play begins in earnest tonight with a full slate of games. MLB.com reported that since it began in ’97, attendance for interleague play has been 14.3% higher than the average intraleague attendance. Last season, MLB averaged 31,112 fans per game during interleague play, a period covering 249 dates and 252 games. That was 12.4% greater than the ‘03 intraleague average (<ahref="http: mlb_news.jsp?ymd="20040607&content_id=762006&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp'" target="_blank">MLB.com, 6/7</ahref="http:>).


WNMX-FM NAMED BOBCATS' INAUGURAL FLAGSHIP RADIO STATION

The Bobcats today unveiled WNMX-FM as the team’s flagship radio station and Steve Martin as the club’s radio play-by-play announcer. The station will broadcast all 82 Bobcats games, all eight preseason games and any playoff games. Additionally, the station will air a 30-minute pregame show and a post-game show, as well as one hour per week of additional Bobcats programming. WNMX has been the home of the WNBA Sting since ’00.

The Bobcats also announced Matt Devlin as the team’s play-by-play broadcaster for its 60 games on C-SET and 15 telecasts on WJZY-UPN. Devlin was formerly the play-by-play announcer for the Grizzlies (Bobcats).


BUZZER BEATERS

Take-Two Interactive today announced a binding letter of intent with Sega to co-publish and exclusively distribute all Sega ESPN Videogames, including ESPN NFL Football, ESPN NHL Hockey, ESPN NBA Basketball, ESPN College Hoops and ESPN Major League Baseball (Take-Two Interactive).

Callaway Golf apparel today was awarded the contract as the exclusive apparel vendor supporting the ‘04 LPGA Safeway Classic in Portland September 17-19. Callaway will supply apparel for the volunteers, committee members and both Pro-Ams (Ashworth).

Spalding today was named the official football of Pop Warner football. The ball will be similar to the AFL ball, with a light brown base color, a blue “S” stripe and blue “crosshairs” on the ends (Spalding).

The CHL named the Austin Ice Bats its Marketing Franchise of the Year (Ice Bats).

Exclusive Resorts today named former Broncos WR Ed McCaffrey VP/Sports & Entertainment and former USTA Dir of Partnerships Jeff Benton Dir of Business Development. McCaffrey will focus on increasing the company’s brand awareness to athletes and entertainers (Exclusive Resorts).


A LIGHTER BUZZ

The TAMPA TRIBUNE reports D’Rays Managing General Partner Vince Naimoli sent a letter to Hillsborough County Administrator Pat Bean asking to have his upscale Tampa neighborhood, Avila, included in a program that drops edible rabies vaccinations for raccoons, after a “pesky raccoon was intimidating” his wife and daughter. Naimoli wrote, “What I’d like to know is why – when I reportedly pay the highest or one of the highest property taxes in Hillsborough County and (am) probably one of the largest supporters (mostly anonymous) of charities in our arena – I can’t get equal treatment on Raccoon Rabies Protection” (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 6/8).


TONIGHT’S EVENTS

A series of seven Red Sox games to be broadcast on HD wide-screens begins tonight at Showcase Cinemas with Padres-Red Sox at 7:05pm ET. The $5 tickets are available at www.redsox.com and at the Showcase Cinemas box offices in Randolph, Worcester, Springfield and Providence (BOSTON HERALD, 6/5).

The Tigers will complete a poll of season-ticket holders “to determine how they feel about the voice of Charley Marcuse,” a hot dog vendor/operaman who was told by Comerica Park concessionaire SportService to stop singing in mid-May (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 6/8).

The Texas Collegiate League will begin its inaugural summer season. Former MLB Rangers Owner Gerald Haddock and former Dallas Baptist University AD Wayne Poage founded the league. Haddock and Poage “spent the last year rounding up eight investor groups willing to spend about $200,000 each to field teams of athletes assembled from 85 universities” (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 6/5).

UConn football coach Randy Edsall and ESPN Senior VP/Communications Rosa Gatti will be honored at the 19th annual Franciscan Sports Banquet at the Aqua Turf in Southington, CT. ESPN/ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer and former MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn will be in attendance (HARTFORD COURANT, 4/16).


CHANNEL SURFING

Former NBA coach Chuck Daly will appear on FSN’s “I, Max” at 6:00pm local time.

ESPN Classic’s “SportsCentury” will profile Bill Russell at 8:00pm ET.

ABC will air the NBA Finals: Pistons-Lakers Game Two at 9:00pm ET.

Mavericks F Antawn Jamison will appear on CNBC’s “Dennis Miller” at 9:00pm ET.

Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage will appear on Speed Channel’s “Wind Tunnel” at 10:00pm ET.

NBA Commissioner David Stern, Twins CF Torii Hunter, and actors George Lopez and Tom Papa are scheduled to appear on FSN’s “BDSSP.”


HEADLINERS

Here are tonight’s headline guests on the following talk shows:

“The Late Show” Bette Midler
“The Tonight Show” Lindsay Lohan
“The Late Late Show” Melina Kanakaredes
“Late Night” Jay Mohr
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” Tom Lennon

TODAY’S ARTICLES OF INTEREST

The TAMPA TRIBUNE’s Scott Carter writes, “The Canadian media's lack of respect for the Lightning's success manifested itself in a way that portrayed the series as Canada against the United States. … They <ahref="http: target="_blank">forgot an important detail about the Lightning's success – it was fueled by a roster full of Canadian-born players. In fact, more Canadian-born players dressed in the series for the Lightning than for Calgary” (TAMPA TRIBUNE).</ahref="http:>

SI.com’s John Donovan writes, “It’s remarkable, really, that after seven seasons, almost 1,700 games, nearly 4,000 home runs and more than 16,000 runs, fans simply have not tired of interleague play. What many <ahref="http: target="_blank">dismissed as gimmick has turned into much more. Fans have embraced interleague play in the ballpark and on the tube” (SI.com).</ahref="http:>

The CHICAGO TRIBUNE’s Sam Smith writes of Michael Jordan, “He only wants to return to the NBA with complete control. <ahref="http: cs-0406070207jun07,0,194330.column?coll="cs-columnists'" target="_blank">Which means owning. Which means Las Vegas. Which is why [David] Stern has been busy trying to stem the flood of owners trying to move to Las Vegas. Because of the gambling? As one of the nation's fastest-growing communities, Las Vegas is destined to have major-league sports soon. … Although Stern has held firm to his objections to Las Vegas and seems sincere, the speculation is he wants to keep it open for a Jordan group to move in” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE).</ahref="http:>

See The Daily Insider’s <ahref="http: tdi.cms?departmentid="25'">Articles of Interest section for more sports business-related links.</ahref="http:>


TODAY’S TEASER…

Sports & Entertainment: Which of the following phrases was not whispered to Kevin Costner’s character in “Field of Dreams?”

1) “Go the distance.”
2) “Swing for the fences.”
3) “If you build it, he will come.”
4) “Ease his pain.”


IN OTHER NEWS……

REUTERS reports that the cranberry growers who together own the cooperative Ocean Spray said today that 52% of its growers have "voted against pursuing a joint venture with PepsiCo that could have given control of the famous brand to the No. 2 soft drink maker."  Pepsi's Tropicana is one of Ocean Spray's "toughest competitors in the juice business, along with Coca-Cola Co.'s Minute Maid" (<ahref="http: newsarticle.jhtml?type="businessNews&storyID=5374924'" target="_blank">REUTERS, 6/8</ahref="http:>).


THE DAILY STAT: TOP SPORTS WEB SITES FOR WEEK ENDING MAY 23

The following are the top five sports Web sites ranked according to U.S. home unique audience for the week ending May 23, according to Nielsen//NetRatings.  Unique Audience = the number of persons in thousands accessing the site or network, with each counted only once.  Average time spent = the average amount of time a visitor has spent at that property for the week.  This data is based on 37,000 U.S. home users with Internet access (Nielsen//NetRatings).

RK
BRAND/CHANNEL
UNIQUE AUD.
AVG. TIME SPENT (HH:MM:SS)
1)
ESPN
3,843
00:19:07
2)
Yahoo Sports
2,643
00:21:08
3)
eBay Sports
2,053
00:05:37
4)
MLB.com
1,731
00:16:15
5)
AOL Sports
1,283
00:07:25

…TODAY’S ANSWER

Swing for the fences.”


If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
<ahref="mailto:dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com">dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com</ahref="mailto:dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com">

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