Media Notes

In Denver, Dusty Saunders wrote one potential scenario of the NFL Network’s “future impact” on cable and satellite operators is while CBS, Fox and NBC will offer "‘free’ coverage of most games, the NFL Network will have a pay-per-view system featuring at least one key weekend matchup during the regular season."  Also, a PPV aspect during the playoffs "certainly is a possibility” (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 8/5).

Stewart Doing Little To Hide Frustration With ESPN

AGENT ORANGE: In Charlotte, Jim Utter noted NASCAR driver Tony Stewart on his Sirius Satellite Radio show and in recent interviews has gone “out of his way to take shots at ESPN and their reporters.” On Friday, Stewart responded to a question from ESPN’s David Amber by saying, “If every time we do an interview and you want to stand here and dig up dirt, you might as well go find somebody else because we’ll wait until you leave before we do the rest of the interviews” (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 8/5).

HOMER ODYSSEY: Since Giants LF Barry Bonds reached 754 career home runs on July 27, ESPN added two Giants games and ESPN2 picked up four. ESPN averaged 866,000 HHs for the two games, up 279,000 HHs from programming that aired in the same time block last year. ESPN2 telecasts through last Thursday averaged 689,000 HHs, about 37,000 more HHs that the four ESPN2 games in that late-night block last year (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 8/4).