Turner Sports and CNN are developing a significant TV venture involving digital sports media property Bleacher Report in which a series of Bleacher Report-branded segments will appear daily on CNN and Headline News. The three-to-four minute segments, covering sports news of the day, will begin a regular rotation on both channels on Tuesday. The overall Bleacher Report TV venture, however, will launch Saturday with a live one-hour Super Bowl special from New Orleans on CNN, hosted by Ernie Johnson and the newly-hired Rachel Nichols. The extension of the Bleacher Report brand to TV was something clearly contemplated by Turner execs last summer when acquiring the site for an estimated $175M. Since then, Bleacher Report's TeamStream mobile app has been frequently touted during Turner Sports' game broadcasts, and the site beginning next month will be the source of sports content for CNN.com, replacing SI. "The strategic integration of Bleacher Report with the leading brands in our portfolio will continue to drive growth and revenue opportunities for our audiences, advertisers and businesses," said Turner Sports COO & Exec VP Lenny Daniels. While Johnson and Nichols will host this weekend's Super Bowl special, the pair will not have a regular role with the daily Bleacher Report updates on CNN and Headline News. But the Bleacher Report-branded programming, combined with the Nichols hire, represents a notable overall push by CNN to increase its sports content as it undergoes a makeover led by new President Jeff Zucker.
