SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Langdon Brockinton reports
that sources say that Fox "is trying to convince the NFL to
allow its network partners to sell sponsored in-game
enhancements," which were discontinued in the new TV deal.
Brockinton: "Rumor has it that if Fox succeeds, the NFL
still would only allow each network to air one sponsored in-
game enhancement for each quarter of the game." In other
news, Brockinton reports that Charles Schwab & Co. "has cut
a major deal" with CBS to buy time on its men's NCAA
basketball coverage this season. The deal is "said to be
valued" at between $7-10M (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/10).
DISNEY ON ICE: In Baltimore, Milton Kent writes that
Disney's bid for NHL TV rights "is not only impressive, but
also rather puzzling." Kent: "Disney is dramatically
overpaying for a sport that has produced underwhelmingly for
Fox. ... ABC will have a pretty tough time selling its
affiliates, especially in non-hockey areas, on the merits of
carrying the NHL" (Baltimore SUN, 8/11). An editorial in
the TORONTO STAR titled "Hockey Night In Disneyland" states
that Disney's offer "isn't all bad, mind you. The NHL will
be flush with cash. ... Heck, with this bankroll, even
Canadian teams will be able to pay for the high-priced
testosterone on the bench" (TORONTO STAR, 8/11).
NOTES: CNN's Sunday "NFL Preview" will begin at 10:00am
ET this season -- one hour before ESPN's "NFL Countdown"
(USA TODAY, 8/11)....USA Today Baseball Weekly Publisher
Keith Cutler said that the paper's circulation is up 13%
this year to 300,000 (AD AGE, 8/10)....News Corp. and TCI's
United Video Satellite Group are in talks on acquiring a
majority of Primestar Partners (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/11).
