TSN and RDS earned a combined 4.3 million viewers Sunday for the CFL Edmonton Eskimos' win over the Ottawa Redblacks in the Grey Cup, up 6% over last year's Calgary Stampeders win over Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Sunday's audience peaked at 5.5 million viewers late in the game. The halftime show, which featured Fall Out Boy, earned 3.8 million viewers (TSN). The GLOBE & MAIL's David Shoalts notes since 5.4 million viewers tuned in for the '12 game, Grey Cup audiences have "been in decline." But the game "remains among Canada's most-watched sports events" (GLOBE & MAIL, 12/1).
ONE LAST GO-ROUND: In L.A., Steve Dilbeck notes Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully has "simply come to the point where he knows it’s time" to retire. He said that his wife, Sandi, "prepared Thanksgiving dinner at home for their large family for over 40 years until turning it over to three daughters this November." Scully: “Whether it’s Thanksgiving dinner or broadcasting a ballgame, eventually the torch has to be passed. ... You’ve had this tremendous time doing what you love, but time is running out. And I don’t mean to be morbid in any way, but it’s time to just smell the roses and get off the merry-go-round" (L.A. TIMES, 12/1).
TURNING HEADS: Turner Sports President Lenny Daniels said of the net's position, "We are in a far, far better position than having to run a 24-hour sports network. ... I don't know with four networks that they can sustain it all." He added, "24-hour sports to us is Bleacher Report. That is our destination. That's where we're going to put all of our efforts when it comes to 24 hours of sports." Daniels said of streaming more games, "We foresee looking at live video in different ways across Bleacher Report. ... We are definitely going to try some different things. We'll experiment as we always do but our real play here is to really give the fan who goes to Bleacher Report" (BROADCASTING & CABLE, 11/30 issue).
