Menu
Download the app

SBJ subscribers – Enhance your experience with the revamped iOS app

Media

Notes From Bristol: Pitaro Excited For UFC, Happy With "SportsCenter"

Pitaro said moving on from "SC6" had "nothing to do" with the show's talent, Michael Smith and Jemele Hillespn images

ESPN and UFC reached a five-year TV rights deal in May, and ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro noted UFC is a "league with a young audience -- younger than the average audience on ESPN today." He said UFC is "embracing innovation, is excited to try new things and to experiment." Pitaro also said ESPN is "very pleased" with what it is seeing from the new 6:00pm ET "SportsCenter." Pitaro said of the now-canceled 6:00pm show "SC6," "We tried something new a year ago and it didn't work -- it had nothing to do with, in my opinion, the talent [Jemele Hill and Michael Smith]. The format did not work, and we've made a change" (MULTICHANNEL NEWS, 8/20 issue).

BACK IN ACTION: THE ATHLETIC's Richard Deitsch cited sources as saying that Ryen Russillo will "re-up with ESPN shortly." The new deal will "likely include a podcast element & guest spots on studio shows." ESPN brass "really liked his work on 'Get Up!' last week" (TWITTER.com, 8/20). SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL's Liz Mullen noted ICM Partners signed Russillo in "all areas, including broadcasting, publishing, personal appearances, branding and screenwriting." Russillo will be "represented by Ted Chervin, Mark Zimmerman, Will Horowitz and Michael Charny." He had "been represented by CAA, but has been without representation for about two years" (SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/20 issue).

MAKE OR BREAK: THE ATHLETIC's Deitsch cited sources as saying that ESPN believes the future of "Get Up!" is "now tied to its viewership performance during the NFL season." Deitsch speculated there will be "some new part-time additions to the show sometime this fall." But the "main issue for 'Get Up!' remains the same since prior to the debut." What is the "compelling reason to watch?" (THEATHLETIC.com, 8/20).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2018/08/21/Media/ESPN-Notes.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2018/08/21/Media/ESPN-Notes.aspx

CLOSE