Software services firm CSG Int'l President of Digital Services Kent Steffen said social media has "really taken premium sports to the next level." CABLEFAX DAILY's Joyce Wang notes nets like ESPN and Fox Sports have "already created various overlays and stats to make the viewing more informative." Steffen said that leagues and nets are "enhancing their direct-to-consumer and companion apps to take control of their own destiny as well as distributing through some digital only channels" like the NFL London game on Yahoo or the Cricket World Cup on WatchESPN (CABLEFAX DAILY, 1/26).
SHIFT IN DYNAMIC: Asked if ESPN is now a better place for women to work than when she left in '13, the net's Rachel Nichols said, "I'm sensing a culture shift overall. And it's exciting to see ESPN as such a leader in that field. ... In some ways, after what happened with the NFL last year, the crisis with domestic violence, a bunch of networks looked around the table and thought, 'Oh, we have a bunch of guys sitting around on TV talking about this. That doesn't seem very appropriate.' So they sort of raced to go find the women who worked at the network. ... Women who hadn't been getting regular reps on TV showed how articulate and smart they were. And to the credit of several networks, they said, 'If they're this articulate and smart on this issue, maybe they can be this articulate and smart on other issues'" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/25).
DEEP DISH: Chicago-based media reporter Robert Feder notes three former contributors to ESPN Chicago are "founding writers for The Athletic, a new subscription website aimed at covering Chicago’s professional sports teams." Jon Greenberg, Sahadev Sharma and Scott Powers yesterday were announced as the "new site’s main writers." Greenberg will "write on all sports and run editorial operations in Chicago." Sharma will "cover baseball, and Powers will cover hockey and basketball." The Athletic will "post free articles each day, but will be fully accessible by subscription only." Initially it will "cost $10 a month, with yearly and special 'season' subscription rates to be announced" (ROBERTFEDER.com, 1/25).
ROGERS MAKING CUTS: The GLOBE & MAIL's Christine Dobby reports Rogers Media "plans to cut 200 jobs," representing 4% of its work force. Rogers Senior Dir of Communications Andrea Goldstein in an email wrote that the cuts "will primarily affect Rogers’ conventional television, radio and publishing operations as well as back-office roles." She added in a separate email that yesterday's announcement "impacts all areas of Rogers Media, except for the Toronto Blue Jays.” Dobby notes Rogers "owns the City and Omni television networks," as well as "specialty television channels including the regional and national Sportnet channels" (GLOBE & MAIL, 1/26).
