VARIETY's Brian Lowry wrote ESPN's Keith Olbermann "picked the right time to get back into sports, where the coverage, for the most part, hasn't caught up with the news." Olbermann returned to sports "at a moment when the field keeps yielding meatier stories -- from steroid use to the bullying charges" leveled against Dolphins G Richie Incognito, "from the massive concussion lawsuit against the NFL to players coming out as gay." Olbermann’s "news instincts and biting commentaries stand in stark contrast to much of the blather emanating from ex-players and coaches," who "frequently sound tongue-tied when the topic deviates from X’s and O’s or wins and losses" (VARIETY.com, 2/27).
FOLLOWING THE SCRIPT: WWE Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer Michelle Wilson said that the WWE Network's goal for this year is "to get to one million subscribers, the base that represents their pay-per-view break-even point." Wilson said, "Over time, we could get to 2 to 4 million subscribers, and at that level, it transforms the economics of the WWE." ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY's Kyle Anderson writes, "If the fans vote with their money, expect more companies to copy the WWE's model" (ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, 3/7 issue).
CHANGING FOCUS: In DC, Steven Goff reported broadcaster John Harkes "will not work" MLS DC United matches on Comcast SportsNet Washington this season. Harkes wrote on his Twitter account, "I have decided to step back from calling games for @dcunited as I want to focus on coaching." Santino Quaranta is "expected to join veteran play-by-play man Dave Johnson in the booth" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 2/26).
THINK IT OVER: In L.A., Tom Hoffarth offers a "counter-proposal" to Time Warner Cable regarding SportsNet L.A.'s proposed subscriber fee, which has many local carriers balking. Hoffarth: "Time Warner Cable, we agree to your financial terms. But the deal is, our customers have told us they want to see only the games. So we want the channel only from March 1 to Nov. 1, when there are exhibition- and regular-season contests. For those other four months, the channel disappears and we don’t pay for it" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 2/28).
