ESPN, NFL Sign Eight-Year Extension

ESPN and the NFL have signed an eight-year extension to their media rights agreement that is worth $1.9B per year, a whopping 63% increase over the average price of the current deal. A formal announcement of the deal, which was first reported in January, will likely come today. The deal will keep &l ...

Cablevision, Verizon FiOS To Carry U.S. Open In 3D

Cablevision and Verizon’s FiOS will offer CBS Sports' broadcast of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships in 3D, joining Comcast and DirecTV, the USTA said. CBS Sports’ six days of coverage encompasses this Saturday through Monday, and then the following Friday through the Sunday men’s ...

Tags: Media

Mardy Fish Signs Deal With Bumblebee Tuna

Bumblebee Tuna announced Thursday it has signed Mardy Fish to a two-year endorsement contract. The announcement will be made at the annual BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis in Manhattan. Fish is the highest-ranked U.S. player at eighth on the ATP's list, and he is in the midst of a career-best year. A sou ...

Tags: Marketing and Sponsorship

NFL Hosts Fantasy Contest Upfront

About 300 media buyers attended the NFL’s sixth annual fantasy football contest upfront last night in Manhattan, designed to get the ad market enthused about the fourth quarter buying season for NFL media assets. With the NBA lockout likely to stretch into the NFL season, sources said that tal ...

Saints Sue Eight Former Players Over Workers Comp Claims

The NFL and Saints sued eight of the team’s former players and the NFLPA yesterday, alleging the players are required to drop workers compensation claims filed in California. Arbitrator Michael Beck on Tuesday found the players had improperly filed the claims in California because their play ...

Mardy Fish To Endorse Bumblebee Tuna

Bumblebee Tuna will announce this evening it has signed Mardy Fish to a two-year endorsement contract. The announcement will be made at the annual BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis in Manhattan. Fish is the highest-ranked U.S. player at seventh on the ATP's list, and he is in the midst of a career-best ...

Parrish Filed Labor Charge Against NFLPA

NFL retiree Bernard Parrish last month filed an unfair labor practices charge against the NFLPA at the National Labor Relations Board for allegedly unlawfully negotiating on behalf of retired players. Parrish is also currently suing the NFLPA in a California federal court over licensing payments. ...

American Football League Planned For India

The Elite Football League of India will unveil Friday in Mumbai the first effort to transfer America’s top game to the subcontinent. Former NFLer and current ESPN "MNF" analyst Ron Jaworksi has signed on as a consultant and an investor, as have Pro Football HOFers Michael Irvin and Mike ...

Tags: Leagues and Governing Bodies

Packers' Operating Profit Up 22%

The Packers’ operating profit jumped 22% to $12M in the year ending March 31, 2011, largely because the team did not have to spend on players during the last three weeks of March when the lockout began. Without that effect, the team said the figure likely would have stayed flat. The Packers&rs ...

NFL Owners Approve Proposed CBA

The NFL approved a new 10-year labor deal last night at about 7:00pm ET that would lift the lockout, but the owners’ euphoria was short-lived as it became clear the players had not signed off on the deal. In fact, NFLPA general counsel Richard Berthelsen in an e-mail to player reps shortly a ...