NFL VP/Communications Brian McCarthy said that NFL Network's Michael Irvin "remains under review by the league for violating the personal conduct policy stemming from an incident last March." In Ft. Worth, Drew Davison notes Irvin "continues to serve" as an analyst for NFL Network after a 27-year-old woman "told police she feared she was drugged and raped by Irvin" on March 21 (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 9/6).
PAY UP: CORD CUTTERS NEWS' Luke Buoma noted many Sling TV subscribers last weekend were "surprised to find out that the Big Ten game on FS1 was blacked out on Sling TV." This is the "first year Fox has rights to air Big Ten home games on FS1 and Fox." Sources said that Fox is "charging an extra fee for Big Ten games on FS1." All other companies "agreed to pay the extra fee for Big Ten games on FS1, but Sling TV seems to be arguing against the extra fee just for Big Ten games on Fox." This fight will "not affect any other conference games, such as the Pac-12, and it won’t affect Big Ten games that air on Fox" (CORDCUTTERSNEWS.com, 9/5).
JUST FOUR FUN: Monday night's D-backs-Dodgers game on FS Arizona, in which D-backs RF J.D. Martinez hit four home runs, was the highest-rated D-backs telecast of the season. It generated a 5.1 rating, 16% higher than the previous season-best rating of 4.4. It was also the most-watched sporting event in Phoenix for the entire Labor Day weekend (FS Arizona).
