The AFP reported Top Rank Chair Bob Arum "is continuing his push to build pro boxing's profile in China" with a weekly TV show that will "begin airing there in May." Top Rank Event Producer Brad Jacobs said that the show "would aim to educate as well as entertain." Jacobs: "We're doing huge numbers in terms of viewing audience compared to what you do in the U.S. It appears there's a really hungry fan base for it, so we're going to try to deliver entertainment and educate" (AFP, 4/10).
CABLE CRUNCH: In L.A., David Lazarus writes under the header, "Time Warner Cable's Dodgers Channel Shutout." After decades of "forcing consumers to pay for channels they don't want, the pay-TV industry is strongly resisting Time Warner Cable's efforts to make subscribers of all its rivals pony up $4 to $5 a month" for Time Warner Cable SportsNet LA. All eyes "are currently on satellite heavyweight DirecTV." Lazarus: "At stake, it could be argued, is the future of the pay-TV business." If the industry "draws a line over SportsNet LA, pay-TV subscribers would be justified in expecting the same stance for all other deals" (L.A. TIMES, 4/11).
SOCCER STREAMS: In Seattle, Joshua Mayers noted the NWSL on Tuesday announced that every regular-season game in '14 "will be streamed on YouTube." Many teams "made an effort to provide live video of games last year -- and some failed -- but the league claims to have improved production standards." All games will be streamed in HD, and "will be archived shortly after the final whistle and available for free" (SEATTLE TIMES, 4/9).
