Media Notes
MULTICHANNEL NEWS' Mike Reynolds noted "more than two months after their contract ended, Versus and DirecTV remain at distribution loggerheads, their impasse showing no signs of subsiding." But a "pair of external factors -- negotiations toward a long-term expanded distribution package with Dish Network and the potential union of Comcast with NBC Universal -- could exert pressures that facilitate a resolution." Dish has been offering a free preview of Versus, and while that is "slated to end" November 30, sources said that Versus and Dish are "moving toward a more permanent, expanded placement for the network." Reynolds noted before the preview, Dish "carried Versus on its Classic Gold 250 package and above." Meanwhile, if Comcast were to acquire NBC Universal, Versus "could add some additional properties and become a stronger network" (MULTICHANNEL.com, 11/7).
FAST BREAK: In N.Y, Richard Sandomir notes Ballantine Books and ESPN Books have "nearly doubled the number of copies in print, to 163,000 from 93,000," of Bill Simmons' "The Book of Basketball," which is atop the N.Y. Times hardcover nonfiction best-seller list. Simmons' popularity is "at a level that sportswriters at dead-tree outlets and other Web sites cannot equal," as comScore data indicated that his ESPN.com column has "attracted an average of 1.4 million page views and 460,000 unique visitors a month over the past six months" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/10).
BROADCAST NEWS: Italian soccer league Serie A's "worldwide broadcasting rights for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons have been sold to the MP & Silva international sports media company" for $271.7M (all figures U.S.). Acceptance of the bid is "pending approval by Italy's competition watchdog." The league said that it would "contest a Milan court decision to stop it assigning the live satellite broadcasting rights for the 2010-11 and 2011-22 seasons to Sky while an appeal against this move by a small network is considered." Meanwhile, the Serie A highlights package and radio rights in Italy "have been sold to state broadcaster Rai for [$42.7M] for the 2010-11 season and [$44.9M] for 2011-12" (REUTERS, 11/7).
BLAST FROM THE PAST: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick noted the Mets have "dug up some team promotional films," and SportsNet N.Y. (SNY) has "made half-hour shows from all of them," five of which will air this offseason beginning this Thursday. The promotional films, which are yearbooks from the years '62-88, were "produced as annual marketing films" and "never have been on TV." Mushnick wrote as the films are "strictly Squaresville ... but that's what makes them fascinating" (N.Y. POST, 11/8).
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