In Boston, Chad Finn reports the Patriots and Beasley Media Group "agreed on a multiyear extension" that will keep WBZ-FM as the "team's radio home for the foreseeable future." Terms of the deal "were not disclosed." The Patriots last announced a broadcast partnership deal in September '17, when WBZ was "still owned by CBS Radio." Beasley bought WBZ in November '17. WBZ has been the Patriots' flagship station "since its inception as a sport radio station" in '09. CBS Radio had "served as the flagship radio partner of the Patriots" since '94 (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/4).
STILL KEEPING TABS: In St. Louis, Dan Caesar writes although Rams Owner Stan Kroenke "blasted St. Louis as an NFL market" in the week prior to the league approving the team's move back to L.A., the city "continues to watch the Rams on television at impressive rates." The Rams played in the "best-two rated NFL games shown in St. Louis this season" and were in "seven of the top 20." The team "drew a better rating" in St. Louis than in L.A. "four times." Meanwhile, the Chiefs have been a "stalwart on St. Louis television since the Rams left, and also had their best ratings performance (9.7) this season in that span" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 1/4).
BIG SHOES TO FILL: In Philadelphia, Rob Tornoe noted NBC Sports' Liam McHugh on Sunday will be "on the grass at Soldier Field" hosting "Football Night in America" ahead of the Eagles-Bears NFC Wild Card. It is a role that McHugh inherited when Bob Costas "stepped away from football coverage last season." McHugh to date has "approached the job as being more of a facilitator than an opinion-maker, but as a sports fan with opinions about the game, he's not ruling anything out." McHugh: "If something strikes me in the moment and I feel passionately about it and it needs to be said, it'll be said. But I'm also not someone's just going to go out of my way to get an opinion out there just to get one out there" (PHILLY.com, 1/3).
