ABC will televise six ACC basketball games next season
under a two-year deal that extends through the 2000-01
season between ESPN and Raycom Sports, which sells network
rights to the conference's basketball games, according to
Langdon Brockinton of the SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL.
Brockinton's sources say that ESPN will produce the
telecasts. Ad time will be sold by ESPN or "ABC/ESPN, if
the ABC sports sales staff and the ESPN sales department
eventually consolidate" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/28).
GOING FOR A HAIL MARY: The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Stephen
Battaglio reports ABC and its affils "appear to be closer to
striking a deal" that will have the affils pay ABC for NFL
broadcasts "in return for an agreement on program
exclusivity." ABC is seeking $50M a year from its affils
"to help defray" the $550M-a-year cost of "Monday Night
Football." ABC has told the affil board that "if an
agreement isn't reached soon, it could retaliate by taking
back local commercial inventory during network programming."
Freedom Communications President Alan Bell: "It is close.
Earlier in the week (ABC) sent a note saying they had made
great movement" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 6/28).