In a Q&A in the current issue of INSIDE MEDIA, Fox Sports
President David Hill said the network looks at each sports event
"as it comes up to find out if it will work for us, what we can
do with it, what we think the growth opportunities are. How
sponsor-friendly is it?" Hill spoke of Fox's desire to acquire
rights to major golf tournaments, but he acknowledged, "It's
going to be a very tough field to break into." Asked if the
future might bring advertisers partnering with networks in
bidding for sports rights, Hill said he sees "global sponsorships
coming into being." Hill: "Our (NFL) pregame show, (for
example), is going to South America, and it's going to heaven
knows how many billion in Asia. I can see the day very soon when
an advertiser comes to us for virtually one-stop shopping and get
exposure throughout Europe, throughout South America, in the U.S,
wherever the delivery systems are. We will be used very much as
one-stop shopping for a multi-national advertiser" -- like
Budweiser, Coca-Cola or General Motors. Hill predicts telcos as
the next players on the sports horizon, as they "might look for a
package" like DirecTV has done with the major leagues (INSIDE
MEDIA, 12/13 issue).
ON THE ROCK: Westinghouse Chair Michael Jordan and CBS
President Peter Lund were interviewed in the current issue of
BROADCASTING & CABLE. Jordan said the network is "willing to
step up to the plate and do what's needed to drive ratings. We
look at this very selfishly because ... we're the largest
affiliate and running an affiliate is a fixed-cost business --
and the more ratings you get the more profitable it is"
(BROADCASTING & CABLE, 12/18 issue).
