Media Notes

CNBC’s Julia Boorstin reported despite the box-office success of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” Wall Street analysts “continue to downgrade Disney stock.” Among other concerns, ESPN’s “pricey new deals” with the NFL and NASCAR are “weighing on ESPN, pushing its growth down to single digits” (“On the Money,” CNBC, 7/17).... Grupo Televisa’s Q2 profit jumped 75% due to “strong political and World Cup advertising and lower costs,” but the results were “weaker than expected.” Televisa earned $204M compared to $120.2M last year, and revenue climbed 21% to $893M, but analysts had forecast a profit of $221M (REUTERS, 7/18).

PEOPLE & PERSONALITIES: Pat O’Brien will host CBS’ “U.S. Open Late Night Show” during the net’s coverage of this year’s tournament (CBS Sports)....NESN has extended the contracts of broadcasters Tom Caron and Hazel Mae. Mae was rumored to be moving to ESPN once her original contract with NESN expired in August (THE DAILY)....John Boruk has joined Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia after previously working for WDIV-NBC in Detroit (Comcast SportsNet).

CARRIAGE DEALS: The Coyotes and AZ-TV have signed a new multi-year deal making KAZT-Ind the team’s over-the-air home (Coyotes)....Italian broadcaster RAI reached a deal to air the Euro 2008 soccer championships after “record viewing figures for its coverage of Italy’s dramatic World Cup championship.” RAI said that it was the “first broadcaster among the five major European markets to reach a deal” for the event (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 7/18).