In San Jose, Jon Wilner cited sources as saying that AT&T "may take an equity stake" in the Pac-12 Networks in order for the conference-owned nets to "reach a carriage agreement with DirecTV this fall." Such an arrangement, if finalized, "could require the networks to change the terms of existing carriage deals with partners like Comcast and DISH, potentially resulting in lower subscription prices across the board." Sources said that they "expect the networks to reach an agreement with DirecTV even though the season is underway, but they cautioned that situation is fluid: The complicated deal could take 'days or weeks' and wasn’t guaranteed" (MERCURYNEWS.com, 9/9).
RADIO FLYER: In DC, Scott Allen notes Georgetown Sports Properties on Tuesday announced that WJFK-FM is the "new broadcast partner" for GU men’s basketball. The multi-year deal, which "starts this season, gives Georgetown something it didn’t have with its previous broadcast partner, ESPN 980." GSP GM Jeff Ajluni said, "The big thing was getting on the FM band, to really broaden our reach on every broadcast.” Rich Chvotkin "will return for his 42nd season" as play-by-play man. Select GU games "will be bumped to sister station" WNEW-FM, which became the flagship home of the Wizards last season. In instances where the Capitals, Wizards and GU "all play at the same time, Georgetown games will be carried" on WJFK-AM or tape-delayed on WJFK-FM (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 9/9).
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND: In N.Y., Richard Sandomir notes Tuesday's Venus-Serena Williams quarterfinal match at the U.S. Open "overwhelmed each of the baseball games" in the N.Y. area. Their match "was seen by just over one million viewers" in the N.Y. market from 8:15 to 10:15pm ET, and it "was part of a longer prime-time block of U.S. Open tennis on ESPN that generated an average audience of 721,784." The Yankees and Mets games may have had fewer viewers than the tennis match, but they "reached more people than usual, which suggests that the baseball and tennis audiences complemented each other." The viewership of 295,428 for the Yankees’ 2-1 loss to the Orioles on YES Network was 15% "higher than the season average of 257,000." The Mets’ 8-7 win over the Nationals "drew 428,012 viewers to SNY, well above the season’s average of 237,265, and the most for a game on SNY in five years" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/10).
PLAYING THE TRUMP CARD: In L.A., Thuc Nhi Nguyen notes Mexican net TV Azteca "used snipets of Donald Trump's speech on immigration" in an ad for next month's soccer game between the U.S. and Mexico. The net in the spot "juxtaposes comments" from Trump’s speech on immigration "with shots of some of the best soccer players Mexico has sent to MLS and images of past U.S. soccer failures against Mexico" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 9/10).
