ONLINE: AOL Studios, which has been "coming up with
snazzy online content targeted at mass TV audiences and
Internet surfers who may be bypassing AOL," is examined in
BUSINESS WEEK. Among AOL Studios' new content is the Real
Fans Sports Network, "expected early next year." AOL
Studios purchased Extreme Sports, which will relaunch as
"the core" of Real Fans (BUSINESS WEEK, 12/1)....Tiger Woods
will launch his new Web site and "Club Tiger," his new fan
club, on December 2 in Orlando, FL. The Web site is being
launched with SportsLine USA (AD AGE, 11/23).
GENERAL: In San Diego, Fritz Quindt ranks his top
football announcing teams, with Fox's Pat Summerall and John
Madden No. 1, followed by NBC's Dick Enberg, Phil Simms and
Paul McGuire and ESPN's Mike Patrick and Joe Theismann.
Quindt: "However, the gap between [Summerall and Madden] and
the creme de la networks has been closing, and the current
margin of brownie points between Nos. 1 and 3 is thinner
than Kate Moss" (UNION-TRIBUNE, 11/21)....In N.Y., Michael
Shain profiled Total Sports, which "has created its own
imprint" to publish its own books, and will release "Total
Hockey" next year. Total Sports is also negotiating with
the NBA to do a "Total Basketball." "Total Baseball"
Publisher John Thorn said that Total Sports, which merged
with NC-based Koz Sports last year, has combined revenues
"of less than" $10M, and that the new company will "extend
the concept" of the "Total Baseball" and "Total Football" to
non-team sports such as boxing, auto racing and "maybe even
chess" (N.Y. POST, 11/23)....The Canucks will televise four
regular season home games on PPV cable in British Columbia.
The four-game package will cost C$34.95, and single games
may be selected for C$9.95. The games will be sponsored by
Molson Canadian and be commercial free (VAN. SUN, 11/20).
