Showtime Sports Exec VP & GM Stephen Espinoza said putting the Sept. 12 Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Andre Berto fight on broadcast television instead of PPV "would have been a really interesting and fun way to televise his last fight." However, he restated it "didn’t work out from a timing perspective." Espinoza: "Ad time and sponsor dollars are spent six to eight months in advance, so to try to sell ad time for an event of this magnitude eight to 10 weeks ahead of the event is something that is difficult, particularly when you’re talking late in the third quarter, when so much of the advertiser budget is committed" (R. Thomas Umstead, MULTICHANNEL NEWS, 8/10 issue).
CECILIA AND THE SATELLITE: The NHL and SiriusXM today announced an extension of their multiyear media-rights deal for live game broadcasts through the '21-22 season. SiriusXM will continue to carry live NHL games across North America, including the preseason, regular season and playoffs. The coverage will be available to all of the satellite radio service's subscribers with SiriusXM's most widely distributed package (SiriusXM).
FINAL FANTASY: The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Kate Stanhope reported FXX' "The League," which opens its seventh and final season in September, will devote episodes to the Seahawks' "game-changing and heavily scrutinized Super Bowl pass in the fourth quarter" as well as the Patriots' "use of underinflated footballs last season." Show co-creator Jeff Schaffer said of Patriots QB Tom Brady, "We tried pretty hard (to get him on the show), but we understand he's a little preoccupied." Actor Paul Scheer: "He couldn’t get your messages because he threw away his cell phone, right?" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 8/7).
