GOOD FIGHTS GET GOOD RATINGS: HBO reports that
Saturday's Felix Trinidad-Pernell Whitaker fight scored a
16.5/28 rating in HBO's universe, making it the highest-
rated program on HBO this year. Saturday's fight was also
the highest-rated live boxing match on HBO since the George
Foreman-Axel Schulz fight in '95 (HBO). MULTICHANNEL NEWS'
R. Thomas Umstead reports that the February 13 Oscar De La
Hoya-Ike Quartey fight generated 600,000 PPV buys, grossing
a total of $27M. Combined with the $30M earned from the
Mike Tyson-Frans Botha fight, PPV-boxing's revenues have
"already surpassed last year's dismal" $40M total
(MULTICHANNEL NEWS, 2/22)....In other ratings news, TNN's
broadcast of the NASCAR Winston Cup Dura-Lube/Big KMart 400
on Sunday received a 6.2 Nielsen rating, with more than 6.9
million viewers tuning in. TNN claimed it was the most-
watched NASCAR race on cable TV ever and it gave the network
its largest audience in its 16-year history (TNN).
OTHER NOTES: USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke reports that
ESPN's Ron Jaworski has had "discussions" with CBS regarding
a possible NFL role at the network. ESPN's Mike Soltys
tells Martzke that ESPN has "a firm contract with Ron." But
Jaworski says "there are outs in the contract." Meanwhile,
Jerry Glanville has signed a contract with CBS despite Fox
Sports Senior VP/Media Relations Vince Wladika saying Fox
has "an agreement" with Glanville. Glanville: "My lawyer
says it's over (with Fox) because of the 13th Amendment. In
the 1860s, slavery was ruled illegal" (USA TODAY, 2/24).
...ME-based Gould Media will launch "netSports," on March 8.
The newsletter, which will be published 50 times a year,
will be delivered by e-mail or fax, and subscription forms
are available online at www.gouldmedia.com/netsports.html
(Gould)....DirecTV said it ended its programming contract
with PrimeTime 24 in order to keep its CBS and Fox
programming, following a federal judge's ruling that ordered
PrimeTime 24 to shut off its illegal Fox and CBS signals
(HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 2/24)...Only 11 of the final 23
regular-season games for the Hurricanes will be televised,
despite the team battling for a division title and "its
first playoff berth" since '92. The team is in talks with
local over-the-air broadcasters since it "may have to move
playoff games" because of early-season baseball games on Fox
Sports South and HTS (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 2/24).
A DEAL TO WATCH: Canal Plus of France "confirmed" that
it is in discussions with Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB on a
possible merger (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/24). DAILY
VARIETY's Dawtrey & Williams report that news of the
possible merger "has been greeted with skepticism" in
Europe, but "some kind of partnership" between the two "does
seem firmly on the agenda" (DAILY VARIETY, 2/24).
