ESPN yesterday announced that it has posted its most-watched fiscal year for the fourth consecutive year and that it tied its own mark for the highest-rated fiscal year on record. The net averaged 1,067,000 viewers on a 24-hour (total-day) basis, breaking the record of 1,048,000 set last year. The net's total-day rating for the last 12 months also ties its high set in '90 and '10. The ESPN family of networks also set a fiscal year record for combined average total-day audience with 1,535,000 viewers, breaking last year's record of 1,528,000. ESPN set its fiscal year record despite drops in total-day and primetime audience during Q3 (THE DAILY).
RADIO BLUE: The Dodgers officially announced that they “have entered a three-year agreement with KLAC-AM to be their flagship station.” In L.A., Shaikin & Hernandez report the deal “goes into effect starting next season.” KLAC will “broadcast the Dodgers' 162 regular-season games, as well as seven spring-training games and any postseason games.” The station will air “a postgame call-in talk show during the regular season and a season countdown program” from 7-8pm PT from Monday through Saturday during Spring Training. The deal “ends the Dodgers' four-year run with KABC-AM” (L.A. TIMES, 10/4).
GEARING UP: In Toronto, Raju Mudhar wrote the new Sportsnet logo is "eerily similar" to the Bills logo, with “red and blue stripes under the simplified name.” Mudhar wrote of the new Sportsnet magazine, “First impressions are pretty good. Well, actually, I hated the crudely Photoshopped cover, but the magazine looks much better on the inside and the content is solid. The in-depth NHL preview is the kind of thing people buy magazines for, while the cover piece on Sidney Crosby is well written but doesn’t particularly add much to the saga.” Meanwhile, CBC is launching “Gameday,” a new hour-long show that will air at 5pm ET Saturdays prior to the evening’s games. It will be “hosted by P.J. Stock and Andi Petrillo” (TORONTO STAR, 10/4).
NOTES: Cox Sports Television has hired Deuce McAllister to cover the Saints. McAllister will join Mike Nabors every night on the field during “Saints Tonight!” (Cox)….MSG Networks has hired Peter Ruttgaizer as Islanders host and reporter (MSG).
