In Boston, Michael Levenson in a front-page piece reports Celtics ratings have "soared" on NBC Sports Boston as the team rides a 16-game winning streak, the "fourth-longest" in Celtics history. The Celtics sport the NBA's best record and added several high-profile players over the offseason, including G Kyrie Irving. Viewership was up 139% "over the first 10 games of the season, compared to the same span last season." The network’s live streams of Celtics broadcasts are also "drawing an unprecedented audience." Meanwhile, Ace Ticket CEO Jim Holzman said that Celtics prices have "shot up" 20-50% over the last five weeks (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/22).
COMING INTO FOCUS: Sean Salisbury said that he will leave his local radio show on Houston-based KFNC-FM to "focus on his national show for Gow Media’s SB Nation Radio Network." In Houston, David Barron notes Salisbury "currently hosts two shows per day, a local show with John Granato" from 11:00-1:00pm CT on KFNC and a network show from 3:00-7:00 that is simulcast on beIN Sports. Gow Media Chair & CEO David Gow said that dropping the local duties will allow Salisbury to "focus on growing the national show" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 11/22).
ON YOUR AIRWAVES: SI.com's Alex Prewitt writes Coyotes radio broadcaster Paul Bissonnette, a former player, is the "most famous color commentator on NHL regional broadcast radio." Coyotes Radio play-by-play man Bob Heethuis "sets up Bissonnette's tongue-and-cheek deadpan humor." Bissonnette "always figured he would end up in media upon retirement." He said, "This is just a stepping stone. I hope it can lead me to other places" (SI.com, 11/22).
BLAZING A PATH? NBC Sports Regional Networks President David Preschlack said it is "too early to tell" if Blazers Pass becomes the template for what NBC Sports will look to do with its other RSNs. Preschlack: "Markets are different and rights deals are different, so I don't think that we're wedded to kind of any one approach going forward." He added, "We're not living in an environment where one size fits all" (MULTICHANNEL NEWS, 11/27 issue).
