BUSINESS INSIDER's Nicholas Carlson reported Bill Simmons "wants to leave ESPN, where he reportedly makes" more than $3M per year. It is said that Simmons "wants to start his own company, with investment from a platform that will help him with sales, tech, and publicity." If so, that platform will "presumably need to write Simmons quite a large check to get going." But Simmons will "need to raise more if wants to keep pulling" his $3M salary. But is Simmons "worth that kind of money?" An anonymous digital media CEO said that he is "not." The person "pointed to the performance" of the Simmons-run Grantland and FiveThirtyEight. According to ComScore, Grantland "reached 4.8 million people" in August '14, which is "pretty small" compared with the 25 million Deadspin reached in the same month. Grantland "grew 19% year-over-year," while Deadspin grew 303%. The audience of "another competitor," SB Nation, was 13 million. Meanwhile, FiveThirtyEight, which launched in March, "has just under 2 million visitors" (BUSINESSINSIDER.com, 10/6).
GETTING LATE EARLY: In California, Michael Lev noted DirecTV's "The Rich Eisen Show" airs in the morning but will have "many late-night elements." Eisen has the "personality, platform and Hollywood connections to pull it off." The show, which debuted Monday, is a "natural extension of Eisen’s excellent and popular podcast." Eisen said, "There’s no question a late-night format could be brought to the sports world. If it happens to start in the late morning Pacific Time, so be it" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 10/7).
MIKE DROP: In New Hampshire, Ray Duckler profiled SI's Michael McCann, who "doesn’t look the part of journalist with fangs." But "don’t let his baby face fool you, or his affable manner, which puts you at ease." McCann, a professor at the Univ. of New Hampshire School of Law, is an "investigative reporter ... combining a legal background with writing skills to give the magazine a broader menu of topics." Armed with a "degree from Harvard Law School, he’s been writing for SI for seven years" (CONCORD MONITOR, 10/6).
NOTES: ESPN has added former college basketball coaches Stan Heath and Craig Robinson as analysts. Both will call games on ESPNU, debuting during ESPN's College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon Nov. 17 and 18 (ESPN)....TWC SportsNet LA yesterday announced the addition of former NBAer Antawn Jamison to its on-air team for Lakers broadcasts. Jamison will appear on "#LakeShow" and "Access SportsNet: Lakers" (TWC)....ESPN's Tim Tebow will join Jacksonville-based WJXL-FM's "The Drill" morning show each Tuesday from 8:00-8:30am ET during the college football season. Tebow, along with co-hosts Dan Hicken and Jeff Prosser, will discuss the SEC (BIZJOURNALS.com, 10/7)....CSN Northwest announced the return of Brooke Olzendam to the network, hosting the interactive postgame show "Trail Blazers Pulse" (Comcast)....FS Carolinas Hurricanes host/reporter Chantel McCabe "has been suspended" through Oct. 30 by the team after being charged with DWI on Saturday (NEWSOBSERVER.com, 10/7).
