| | The Daily Insider
Afternoon News & Headlines
Thursday, October 28, 2004
4:00pm ET | |
| |
| • | New York Justice Denies Cablevision’s Request For TRO Against Mets |
| • | Viacom Points To Blockbuster Spin-Off As Q3 Earnings Fall More Than $1B |
| • | Myles Brand Applauds Michigan & Ohio State For Backing Out Of SBC Deal |
| • | NFL Network Announces Carriage Deal With 52nd Different Cable Operator |
| • | Clippers Giving Away $2,500 And Tickets To 20 Games During Media Shootout |
| • | Buzzer Beaters/Tonight’s Events/Channel Surfing/In Other News/The Daily Stat |
NEW YORK JUSTICE DENIES CABLEVISION’SREQUEST FOR TRO
Cablevision's request for atemporary restraining order against the Mets' plans to grant their telecastrights for ‘06 and future seasons to the new regional sports network formedrecently by the team, Time Warner Cable and Comcast was denied by Justice Helen Freedman this morning at New YorkState Supreme Court in Manhattan(Cablevision).
MYLES BRAND APPLAUDS SCHOOLS FOR PULLINGOUT OF SBC DEAL
NCAA President Myles Brand today released thefollowing statement regarding the Univ. of Michigan’s decision to withdraw froma title sponsorship deal with SBC Communications for its annual game againstOhio State, “I offer my compliments to the University of Michigan and OhioState University, and the leadership of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman, for withdrawing from a naming agreement for theirannual football game. This is a triumphof integrity and tradition over the over-commercialism of a great event” (NCAA).
CINGULAR BREAKING CAMPAIGN W/ ROGERCLEMENS, RANDY JOHNSON
ADWEEK reports that CingularWireless today unveiled a TV and print campaign, via BBDO, featuring Astros P Roger Clemens and D’Backs P Randy Johnson. As the campaign is touting Cingular’s mergerwith AT&T Wireless, the first spot joins the hurlers together into “onelarger, more powerful baseball pitcher” (ADWEEK.com,10/28).
News of the ad was firstreported in SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, which notes that Cingular “was hoping toair it during the World Series,” but was waiting for government approval of themerger (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/25issue).
VIACOM POINTS TO BLOCKBUSTER SPIN-OFF ASEARNINGS DROP $1B+
Viacom today reported a Q3’04 net loss of $487.6M, down from a profit of $699.6M in the year-agoperiod. Revenue increased 4%, going from$5.3B to $5.5B. Overall advertisingrevenues grew 6% to $3.1B, with sales at the company’s cable networks jumping14% to $1.7B (Viacom). REUTERS reports that the loss is the resultof “charges from spinning off the Blockbuster Inc. video rental chain” (REUTERS,10/28).
BUZZER BEATERS
NFL Network today announced acarriage deal with Knology, and the channel claims it now has distribution dealswith 52 different operators for more than 22 million subscribers. The Knology deal covers the cable operator’s183,800 digital subscribers (THE DAILY).
ANC Sports today announced amultiyear partnership with the Lakers to provide courtside rotational signageat Staples Center. ANC, which has partnerships with 15 other NBA teams, receives the rightsto market and sell Lakers inventory including courtside signage, stadiumadvertising packages and other inventory (ANCSports).
YES Network today announcedthat its pregame and postgame Nets shows will air live from ContinentalAirlines Arena during all home telecasts (YESNetwork).
K-Swiss today reported Q3 ’04net profit of $20.7M, a 36.9% increase over the $15.1M profit in the yearearlier period. Revenues for the quarterwere $135.8M, a 12% increase over $121.3M (K-Swiss).
The AFL released its scheduleyesterday and, as expected, it did not include the Indiana Firebirds. The league’s BOD never held a meeting to voteon the application for ownership of the team by Scott and Todd Hines (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 10/28).
The A-League franchises in Syracuse, Calgary and Edmonton will not play the ’05 season (ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 10/28).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
The WALL STREETJOURNAL reports that Boston-based Groove Networks “came up with a World Series promotion, suggesting thatcompanies should outfit their employees' home computers with Groove VirtualOffice software and let them work from home, allowing them to catch up on theirsleep during what would normally be commuting time.” Groove CEO Ray Ozzie said that “sleep-deprived workersmake business meetings ‘almost as ineffective as the Yankee bullpen’” (WALLSTREET JOURNAL, 10/28).
TONIGHT’S EVENTS
The Texas Business Hall ofFame will honor Spurs Chair Peter Holt,among others, at its 22nd annual induction dinner at the HyattRegency Hill Country Resort in San Antonio.
The Clippers will host a shootingcontest between media members during halftime of the team’s preseason gameagainst the Suns at Staples Center, with the winnerearning $2,500 and two seats to 20 Clippers games for the charity of his or herchoice. Contestants include L.A. Timescolumnist T.J. Simers, KCBS-CBSSports Dir Jim Hill, KABC-ABCreporter John Hartung, KTLA-WBSports Dir Damon Andrews andco-anchor Michaela Pereira, FSN West2 anchor Michael Eaves and KPMC-AMhost Petros Papadakis (L.A. TIMES, 10/26).
CHANNEL SURFING
ESPN will air collegefootball: Virginia Tech-Georgia Tech at 7:30pm ET, beginning “19 Days ofFootball,”duringwhichABC, ESPN or ESPN2 will telecast at leastone football game each day until November 15.
OLN will air PBR 2004World Finals at 9:00pm ET.
Chargers RB LaDainanTomlinson will appear on ESPN’s “Jim Rome Is Burning” at midnight ET.
HEADLINERS
Here are tonight’s headlineguests on the following talk shows:
| “Late Show” | Joaquin Phoenix(r) |
| “The Tonight Show” | Jimmy Fallon (r) |
| “The Late Late Show” | Rachel Bilson |
| “Late Night” | Christina Applegate (r) |
| “Jimmy Kimmel Live” | Adam Carolla |
TODAY’S ARTICLES OF INTEREST
The N.Y. TIMES’ Bruce Weberwrites, “This is a difficult time of year in most baseball-loving Americancities. But it feels especially gloomyin places like Kansas City, Milwaukee, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh,small-market cities with substantial baseball traditions but where the moderneconomics of sport mitigate against success. … It is now possible to argue thatsome franchises, like the Pirates, have been consigned to perpetual mediocrity”(N.Y. TIMES).
In the WASHINGTON TIMES,American Enterprise Institute scholar Scott Wallsten writes of DC Mayor Anthony Williams’ ballpark proposal, “The District could have insisted on a design that wouldencourage fans to spendtheir money in the neighborhood outside the stadium. Instead, our leadersliterally gave away the store by promising to build ‘market-appropriateconcession, entertainment and retail areas’ inside the stadium” (WASHINGTON TIMES).
See The Daily Insider’s Articles ofInterest section for more sports business-related links.
TODAY’S TEASER…
Sports Business: The Univ. of Michigan yesterday dropped out of the titlesponsorship deal with SBC Communications for its annual rivalry game against Ohio State. However, SBC is the title sponsor of anothercollege football rivalry game. Name thecompeting schools.
IN OTHER NEWS….
CRAIN’S N.Y. BUSINESS reportsthat CNNfn “will shut down by mid-December, due to competitivechallenges.” “Lou DobbsTonight” and “In the Money” will now air on CNN, while some other programmingwill move to other Time Warner-owned networks. The CNN Money Web site willcontinue to operate. Some workers will be shifted to other CNN operations, andabout 60 jobs will reportedly be eliminated. About 100 new positions will becreated as the company revamps its Headline News network to offer prime-timeprogramming instead of repeated 30-minute newscasts” (CRAINSNY.com, 10/28).
THE DAILYSTAT: BILLBOARD CHARTS
The following lists BillboardMagazine’s top-selling CDs for the week ending October 24 (BILLBOARD.com,10/28).
| RK | ALBUM | ARTIST | LABEL |
| 1) | 50 Number Ones | George Strait | MCA Nashville |
| 2) | Confessions | Usher | LaFace |
| 3) | Suit | Nelly | Derrty/Fo’ Reel |
| 4) | Miracle | Celine Dion | Epic |
| 5) | The New Danger | Mos Def | Rawkus/Geffen |
| 6) | Hilary Duff | Hilary Duff | Hollywood |
| 7) | American Idiot | Green Day | Reprise |
| 8) | The Chronicles Of Life And Death | Good Charlotte | Daylight/Epic |
| 9) | Live Like You Were Dying | Tim McGraw | Curb |
| 10) | Chuck | Sum 41 | Island |
…TODAY’S ANSWER
SBC title sponsors the Red River Shootout between the Univ. of Texasand Univ. of Oklahoma.
If you have any questions,comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com
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