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Leagues and Governing Bodies

HAPPY HOUR AT 1251 AVE. OF AMERICAS! NHL/DISNEY DEAL OK'D

          The NHL Board of Governors approved a five-year, $600M
     contract with ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 on Thursday for exclusive
     broadcast and cable-TV rights starting with the '99-2000
     season, according to Elliott & Hofmeister of the L.A. TIMES. 
     The approval "signaled an imminent end to the NHL's brief
     and bumpy relationship" with Fox, which is "expected to dump
     [its] final year to avoid becoming a lame duck," with ABC
     the "likely buyer."  The league is expected to formally
     announce the deal next week.  The Board of Governors voted
     on the matter "despite a letter from Fox last week disputing
     the deadline for it to counter Disney's offer."  Fox said
     its 10-business-day deadline to match should have been
     extended because it claims the NHL "initially disclosed the
     value of only the broadcast portion of Disney's offer and
     omitted the cable portion."  Without the full information,
     Fox said it "was at a disadvantage."  But league and Disney
     sources told the L.A. TIMES that Fox "was never eager to
     renew," and said the letter was "merely a legal ploy for Fox
     to cite later, should it want to contest the contract with
     Disney" (L.A. TIMES, 8/21).  DAILY VARIETY's Cynthia
     Littleton reports sources who said that in a survey of Fox's
     170-odd broadcast affils, the "station managers voted
     overwhelmingly to dump hockey rather than pay a huge rights
     fee increase" (DAILY VARIETY, 8/21).
          THE ABC'S OF THE FALL SCHEDULE: USA TODAY's Rudy
     Martzke reports that talks are underway between the NHL and
     Fox, with the net "possibly being granted some concessions
     to step aside a year early."  ABC would have "to adjust its
     sports schedule for the coming season. ... But an agreement
     could be reached by next week."  The new deal calls for
     annual payments of $50M by ABC and $70M by ESPN.  ABC
     Sports/ESPN President Steve Bornstein: "This is good for the
     sport, great for ABC and ESPN.  It gives ABC young audience
     programming for the month of June" (USA TODAY, 8/21).
  

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

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Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

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