Notes From Bristol: Trump Passing On ESPN's Offer To Fill Out NCAA Brackets

In DC, Rick Maese notes President Trump will "not continue his predecessor's annual tradition of filling out an NCAA tournament bracket on ESPN." White House Dir of Strategic Communications Hope Hicks in an email wrote, “We look forward to working with ESPN on another opportunity in the near future.” Neither the White House nor ESPN had "any details on what other opportunities might lie down the road." The news "didn’t exactly come as a surprise" to ESPN execs (WASHINGTON POST, 2/16).

FOR LOVE OR MONEY? In Salt Lake City, Scott Pierce wrote ESPN NFL analyst Steve Young's comments in a Bloomberg Businessweek piece about putting football behind him seem "reckless." Pierce: "There's nothing wrong with focusing on finance ... as long as you make viewers believe your focus is football. Which you did ... until this interview was published." But now Young is "trying to unsay the things he said." Pierce: "Here's betting he does even fewer interviews in the future" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 2/15).

STAYING AHEAD OF THE GAME: FAST COMPANY listed ESPN as one of the "Most Innovative Companies" in sports. ESPN has "long been one of the biggest names in cable sports broadcasting," and now it is "bringing that same clout to its digital efforts." ESPN's parent company Disney last year acquired a "one-third stake last year in BAMTech." ESPN itself also "launched 10 editions" of its website in India, the U.K. and elsewhere to "boost a global audience." However, the project that "truly set the company apart" was its "riveting" documentary series, "O.J.: Made in America" (FASTCOMPANY.com, 2/13).