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Thursday 9:00am ET....Today's News....Reality TV

  • NBA, NextVR Strike Deal For Weekly Live Game Broadcasts In VR
  • Update On CBA Talks Tops Agenda At NBA BOG Meeting In N.Y.
  • Reds Reach New TV Rights Deal With FS Ohio Through '32 Season
  • MLB Expected To Move League Offices To Midtown Manhattan

NBA, NextVR Strike Deal For Weekly Live Game Broadcasts In VR

By Eric Fisher

The NBA is now the first major sports league to commit to a regular schedule of live games in VR, after the league reached a multiyear deal with NextVR to produce live weekly game broadcasts as part of the League Pass out-of-market package. The move expands beyond prior individual VR game productions. The first game as part of the new deal will be the Kings' Oct. 27 home opener against the Spurs at the new Golden 1 Center. Over the course of the '16-17 season, all 30 teams will be featured in VR.

CBA Talks Top Agenda At NBA BOG Meeting At St. Regis In N.Y.

By John Lombardo

NBA owners will meet today and tomorrow at the St. Regis Hotel in N.Y. for the league's annual fall BOG meeting. A major focus of the meeting will be an update on CBA talks with the NBPA. Owners also will hear a report on team and league business operations, a report on the league’s international business and an e-sports and gaming update. Owners also are expected to vote on rule changes, including replay decision making.

In addition, Martin Dempsey, former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and current special adviser to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, will moderate a one-on-one panel with Gen. Lori Robinson, Commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command.

Reds Reach New TV Rights Deal With FS Ohio Through '32 Season

The Reds and FS Ohio have reached a new 15-year TV rights deal that will run through the '32 season and "comes with an equity stake in the network" for the team. The size of the ownership stake "was not disclosed, nor were any other terms of the deal." Reds COO Phil Castellini said that the agreement "represents a 'nice increase' in yearly television rights fees, but is still a small-market deal when compared to other recent TV deals." The current deal guarantees the club $30M a year from '07-17 (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 10/20).

MLB Expected To Swap Midtown Manhattan Locations For HQ

Sources said that MLB as early as today is expected to sign a "large lease" to "consolidate its Manhattan operations at the former Time & Life Building." The league intends to establish a 400,000-square-foot HQ at the renamed 1271 Avenue of the Americas. The deal will "provide the Rockefeller Group an anchor tenant for its redevelopment." The league and MLBAM will relocate from offices in Chelsea, "taking floors four through nine at the new location." MLB will have "access to an outdoor terrace overlooking Sixth Avenue" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 10/20).

Committee Approves End Zone Renovation Project For Kinnick Stadium

Renovations to the north end zone of Kinnick Stadium today are "expected to get the OK from the full" Univ. of Iowa Board of Regents. The plans were "approved after a brief discussion" yesterday by the regents’ Property & Facilities Committee. The stadium will "lose about 1,500 general-admission seats" as a result of an $89.9M upgrade. Iowa AD Gary Barta said that the three-year project includes "wider aisles and benches, and more restrooms and concession stands, while also adding 1,718 'premium' seats" (DES MOINES REGISTER, 10/20).

Hong Kong-Based Group Looking To Purchase EPL's Hull City

An East Asian consortium is looking to buy EPL club Hull City for US$160M. A document on the Hong Kong stock exchange said that GreaterChina Professional Services "has entered into a 'heads of terms agreement' with Hull's Egyptian-born owner, Assem Allam, relating to the sale" of the team. Completion of the deal is "subject to approval" by the EPL and England's FA (AP, 10/20).

Speed Reads....

The Pacers this season will "once again wear their Hickory uniforms six times, recognizing an aspect of the state's high school basketball tradition at each game" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 11/20).

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will "join the NBC Sports broadcast booth for Chase for the Sprint Cup races at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday and Martinsville Speedway next week" (USATODAY.com, 10/19).

Daily fantasy e-sports website AlphaDraft, a subsidiary of FanDuel, yesterday in an email announced that it will "close its doors on Oct. 21" (ESPN.com, 10/19).

A “very limited” number of tickets to any potential Indians World Series games at Progressive Field go on sale today at 10:00am ET (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 10/20).

Rolex runs a full-page ad in the N.Y. Times touting its status as the official timepiece of F1 (THE DAILY).

Quick Hits....

"Just change the damn law. That’s all we’ve got to do. ... It was a mistake" – Quail Hollow Club President Johnny Harris, on the HB2 controversy that has caused several high-profile events to leave North Carolina. The '17 PGA Championship, however, is staying in Charlotte (BIZJOURNALS.com, 10/20).

"I'd like to build something that stands the test of time and maybe has an arena on the 30th floor, looking out over the city. ... So I could dawdle in and have my kids wipe the spit away from me from slobbering. And [I] could go to games and scream at refs from the sidelines" – Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban, on his long-term aspirations for a new arena (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 10/20).

"I'm just glad it's over. It's been a long process that has been tough on everyone. We needed closure" – AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco, on the Big 12's decision to stand pat at 10 schools (Annapolis CAPITAL GAZETTE, 10/20).
 
"The most important quality that the next CEO of the Walt Disney Company must have is the ability to appreciate the value of great creators and the creative process” – Disney Chair & CEO Bob Iger, on his succession plan (N.Y. POST, 10/20).

Morning Hot Reads: I Walk The Line

USA TODAY examines former MLBer Curt Schilling's political credentials, his firing from ESPN six months ago and his history of controversial comments. A registered independent, a "proud conservative and a born again Christian are ways Schilling self identifies."

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Today's Events....

The Flyers for their home opener against the Ducks will feature pregame tributes to late Owner Ed Snider and the franchise's 50-year history.

The Anti-Defamation League Southwest Region today will honor Rockets Owner Leslie Alexander and the team as a "Community Champion" in an event at Jones Hall titled "Houston in Concert Against Hate: An Evening with the Houston Rockets." Basketball HOFer Clyde Drexler is scheduled to accept the award on Alexander's behalf.

Today's Back Pages....

The Morning Buzz offers today's back page sports covers from some of North America's major metropolitan tabloids:

 N.Y. Post  N.Y. Daily News Newsday   Boston HeraldChicago Sun-TimesPhiladelphia
Daily News

Spanning The Global....

The most-read Global stories today on SportsBusiness Daily:

1) Nottingham Forest Owner Makes 'Extraordinary' Demands Of Potential Buyers
2) McLaren CEO Ron Dennis 'Categorically' Denies Reports He Is Stepping Down
3) Haas F1 Promotes Team, Drivers In Charlotte, Austin Ahead Of Debut On U.S. Soil
4) Nielsen Sports Restructures Operation, Appoints Townsend, Lovett As Co-MDs
5) Former Mercedes F1 Principal Ross Brawn Blames Current Execs For His Departure

Final Jeopardy!

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “1960s Science Books.”

“Keats’ line ‘The sedge is withered from the lake, and no birds sing’ inspired the title of this groundbreaking book.”

A Lighter Buzz....

Univ. of Houston football coach Tom Herman has a burger named after him at Barron's, the restaurant at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management on the UH campus. The Tom Herman Burger sells for $8 and comes with "stout cheese sauce, fried onions, sauteed mushrooms and a bourbon glaze" (CHRON.com, 10/19).