In Philadelphia, Rob Tornoe reports Chris Therien "won't return as the rinkside analyst" for NBC Sports Philadelphia's Flyers coverage this season. Therien had been the RSN's inside-the-glass reporter since '14, and he said on Facebook that he was "disappointed" that he will not return. Therien said that he found out about the decision "last week." Tornoe noted it is "unclear" if the RSN will "fill the role with another analyst, though it would be unusual" to have a broadcast without an inside-the-glass reporter. Details "remain up in the air" about whether Therien will "be part of the network's pre- and post-game Flyers coverage" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 9/17).
GOING, GOING, GONE: DIGIDAY's Sahil Patel notes shows originally funded for Verizon's "now-defunct mobile video streaming platform," Go90, are "beginning to show up on other platforms." Vox Media, which had its "Foul Play: Paid in Mississippi" on Go90 in May, "put all four episodes of the show on SB Nation's YouTube channel in August." Another "major Go90 series to land on a different platform" is Complex Networks' "QB1," the "first season of which arrived on Netflix in August." The show "follows high school football recruits as they try to pursue their dreams of playing college ball," and is produced by Complex Networks with director Peter Berg (DIGIDAY.com, 9/17).
THE SPECTACULAR NOW: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Drew Fitzgerald noted AT&T's OTT service, DirecTV Now, "recently raised its basic channel plan by $5 over the summer, bringing its starting monthly cost to $40." AT&T Chair, CEO & President Randall Stephenson said that the company is "considering additional price increases for the service." Stephenson said that DirecTV Now has "been unprofitable," and the company "wants to steer the most frugal customers to its slimmer WatchTV service, which carries no sports channels and is profitable" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/15).
