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WBD looking to create new value for TruTV with nightly sports block

Warner Bros. Discovery intends to create a "new nightly sports block for TruTV," with the hope to "create new value where there has only been a little," according to Brian Steinberg of VARIETY. A new sports schedule would "likely draw broader viewership and new ad dollars to the network," and might even "spur cable distributors to accord the outlet more value in future carriage contracts." The sports schedule will "not consist only of simulcasts of NHL, MLB and NBA matchups that typically turn up on the company’s flagship TBS and TNT cable networks." WBD intends to air new “alterna-casts” that target different audiences; a new live half-hour “TNT Sports Update” each evening at 6pm ET; and a new weekly program based on the social-media driven clip showcase “House of Highlights.” The new block is expected to launch on March 11, the week prior to the start of the NCAA Tournament, which WBD airs in conjunction with CBS. The move might "lend a boost to some Warner initiatives, including a new sports-focused streaming video joint venture it has established with Fox and Disney," and would help WBD "compete more directly with Fox Sports and ESPN" (VARIETY, 3/7).

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