YAHOO SPORTS' Ryan Ballengee noted throughout Saturday's telecast of the PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational, NBC Sports Golf Producer Tommy Roy "gave viewers a glimpse at a different view of Palmer's Orlando digs with the help of drones." Using drones "is nothing new," as Roy "used them wonderfully" during the '14 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. However, the FAA "put a halt to commercial drone use, wanting to offer guidance." The organization "approved eight companies to use drones anywhere in the country" in February. NBC "hooked up with one such company," L.A.-based Aerial Mob, to "help them in shooting Bay Hill from a never-seen perspective." Roy said that drones "could become a bigger part of golf telecasts" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 3/21).
SPREADING THE WEALTH: In N.Y., Bob Raissman noted boxing manager Al Haymon "recently inked a deal" with ABC/ESPN for his "Premier Boxing Champions" series, and "already has a deal with CBS/Showtime," including placement on Spike TV and Bounce TV. All his deals (except CBS/Showtime and reportedly Spike TV) "are time-buys." But Haymon "has not given any of these networks exclusivity." The question is whether he can "service all these diverse outlets equally, providing quality matchups." Haymon’s "mission is challenging, to say the least" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/22).
YAHOO, SERIOUS? In N.Y., Mike Hale reports Yahoo today "will post all eight episodes of 'Sin City Saints,' an original half-hour comedy, at Yahoo Screen." The "first scripted series" from Mandalay Sports Media is a comedy "less coherent than the halftime scoreboard video at an NBA game." The title is the "name of the Vegas-based pro-basketball team at the center of the story," and is also "part of an unnamed, presumably NBA-like league." Hale writes "Saints" is a "disjointed and not particularly funny series." Plot points and jokes "feel as if they came from index cards grabbed at random" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/23).
