ESPN is "updating its Snapchat strategy from two episodes of 'SportsCenter' to a morning edition of 'SportsCenter' and an afternoon edition called 'ESPN Daily' to air every weekday." ESPN's Snapchat show currently "averages 2.5 million unique viewers per episode, compared to 2 million in January, and receives between 17 and 18 million unique viewers per month" (DIGIDAY.com, 11/6).
EVERYTHING'S BIGGER: In Houston, David Barron notes the "four all-sports stations" plus the KILT-FM stream combined for a 9% audience share in the men 25-54 demo during the 3:00-7:00pm CT afternoon drive in October. That includes a "seven-tenths boost from simulcast and streaming." By comparison, "morning drive" (6:00-10:00am) is at 7.3%. Much of that reflects the "continued success" of the Fred Faour-A.J. Hoffman show on ESPN Radio 97.5 Houston and the addition on KBME-AM of Sean Salisbury, who appears to "be on track to be the station's bellwether that it has needed in that time slot" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 11/9).
TOUGH TIME FOR TIGERS: In St. Louis, Dan Caesar notes the annual Missouri-Illinois men's basketball game during the Christmas holiday season has been "relegated to Big Ten Network after years of having been a staple on ESPN or associated networks." The hype last year around Missouri, and F Michael Porter Jr., led to them making "two appearance on CBS and 14 on ESPN or ESPN2." However, the team has "regressed again, with zero games this season set for CBS." And as of now they have only "one on ESPN or ESPN2, although those networks are taking a 'wait-and-see' approach" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 11/9).
NOTES: Tampa Bay Times sports columnist Tom Jones is joining Poynter as a senior media writer (Poynter)....NBA G League Salt Lake City Stars C Willie Reed "joined AT&T SportsNet" for the live broadcast of Raptors-Jazz on Monday. Reed "appeared on the pregame show" and on the "sidelines while job shadowing the crew" (DESERETNEWS.com, 11/7).
