SI.com’s Richard Deitsch reported CBS’ Lesley Visser “will no longer work as a sideline reporter ... after three decades of reporting during games for the network.” Visser will “transition to features and enterprise work.” Her latest stint with CBS began in ‘00 after spending seven years with ESPN and ABC in the ‘90s (SI.com, 3/3).
CROSSING OVER: MULTICHANNEL NEWS' Mike Reynolds reported ESPN under a multimedia rights extension will "vastly expand its coverage of Mexico’s leading soccer league and cup competition, including its initial English-language presentations of that nation’s club matches in the U.S." ESPN’s deal with Azteca América "encompasses rights to Liga MX." The deal "enhances ESPN’s multiplatform coverage of those soccer properties by placing, for the first time, Mexican club matches on ESPN2 and ESPNEWS, while adding more Spanish-language games on ESPN Deportes, which has been sublicensing Liga MX matches." The deal also "calls for extensive highlights across ESPN’s English-language and Spanish-language studio programming and digital platforms" (MULTICHANNEL.com, 3/3).
FOREIGN RELATIONS: In L.A., Steve Dilbeck reported the Dodgers are "not only planning to add a Korean-language TV broadcast next season, but they also are looking at adding Korean-language radio broadcasts." A source said that the Korean-language broadcasts could begin "possibly as soon as the coming season." The Dodgers are "reacting mostly to interest generated in Southern California's Korean community by the addition" of P Hyun-Jin Ryu (LATIMES.com, 3/2).
NO GOOD DEED...: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes HBO, "in addition to helping make" boxer Floyd Mayweather more than $100M for nine fights, "consistently produced image pieces on him that ignored or minimized his incivility and criminality, which included a three-month stretch for domestic battery." Mushnick: "And where did it get HBO? Mayweather jumped ship to Showtime/CBS for more money" (N.Y. POST, 3/4).
SAFETY DANCE: In Boston, Greg Bedard asked, "What is the deal with the NFL Network’s over-the-top coverage of the injury recoveries of Darrelle Revis and Robert Griffin III? Wow, breaking news that they’re going well." The news would be "if it’s not going well." Bedard: "Do people outside of their teams really care? No. This is the NFL trying to enhance its player-safety stance" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/3).
