SBJ Media: Protests Bring Politics Back To ESPN

Coach K: “We need to stand up for what is right, and we must no longer tolerate racism and social injustice in our country.”

Amen.

ESPN SAYS PROTESTS/RIOTS "WITHIN OUR WHEELHOUSE"

• Tony Kornheiser opened Friday’s “PTI” with Michael Wilbon by saying, “We know this is a sports show, but what has happened and what is happening in Minneapolis looms over the two of us, looms over the entire nation.” Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman opened today’s “First Take” by interviewing Charlamagne tha God and ended it by interviewing Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
  
  
• On both shows -- and many others over the weekend -- the main topics had little to do with sports. Instead, they were focused on the one topic that has dominated conversations throughout the country -- that is, the death of George Floyd and the protests and riots that ensued. ESPN talent has been criticized in the past for veering too far away from the playing field. But with virtually no sports to cover, criticism of ESPN’s approach over the weekend generally has been muted.
  
  
• The network's decision to talk about Floyd’s death and the protests does not reflect a move back to discussing politics or societal issues as heavily as it once did, said ESPN Senior VP & Editor-At-Large Rob King. Rather, he pointed to a sports connection that puts this story “within our wheelhouse.” King: "It is apparent that athletes of color who have traditionally been moved to speak are now joined by an array of athletes who are stepping in as allies. There’s been a call for this; there’s been a response to this; there’s a universality to this that is different.” King pointed to this Jeremy Schaap piece over the weekend as an example of the role athletes are playing in shaping this story for ESPN.
  
  
• ESPN execs quickly decided that its shows should cover this story. “You’re seeing a natural outcropping of our desire to represent our audience, to try to be thoughtful about the right balance and how to present it, but certainly not to ignore what our audience and our community is going through right now,” King said. That was clearly represented in all the conversations that led to the programming that you’re seeing, listening to and reading.” That doesn’t mean that ESPN is covering the Floyd story exclusively. “We also recognize our profound response to sports fans to strike the right balance,” King said. “That means covering news that doesn’t have anything to do with the death of George Floyd. That can seem as odd as doing things that are not on the field."

NFL AD SALES MARKET LIKELY TO REMAIN HOT

• The TV ad sales marketplace could be a disaster for networks this fall. In a best-case scenario, many high-profile sports -- the NFL, college football, NBA, NHL, golf majors, Triple Crown races, among others -- will be chasing advertisers with shrinking budgets. Despite that gloomy outlook, networks and ad buyers expect the NFL to continue to be red hot, Anthony Crupi wrote in this week’s SBJ. “Anyone who sits out the upfront in the hopes of picking up a lot of remnant NFL inventory in the fall is in for a rude awakening," Crupi wrote.
  
  
• Why? Advertisers that wait will have to forfeit ratings guarantees and cancellation options. “If your media plan calls for 22.2 million ad impressions and your in-game buy generates 14.7 million, that under-delivery is now your CMO’s problem.” Another reason: there’s no place else for advertisers to go. “With production of scripted fare on hold since early March, there are no pilots for buyers and advertisers to screen, and there likely won’t be any new episodes of returning series for fans to dig into come fall.”
  
  
• On a personal note, I worked with Crupi 15 years ago when he was with Cablefax Daily and the dearly departed Cable World magazine. This marks the first time since then that we’ve shared bylines in the same publication. It’s great to see his name in SBJ.

SPEED READS

• One of the few sports media execs to discuss the death of George Floyd is DAZN’s John Skipper, who posted to Instagram: “Growing up in the segregated South, I've seen firsthand the insidious and destructive persistence of racism in America.” Skipper pledged to make a donation to the Institute for Sport & Social Justice, an organization on whose board he sits.
  
  
• “The Rich Eisen Show” did not broadcast live today due to unrest in Los Angeles. The show posted this message: "It is our hope that these much needed protests can continue in as peaceful a manner as possible while preserving our outrage in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Abery and others.”
  
  
• Hey Jeff Zucker, are you interested in running for mayor of New York? “New York City is going to need a very strong mayor in the aftermath of this, and I always like a challenge,” he said. The N.Y. Times' Ben Smith has the story.
  
  
• I’m going to give the last word to former NFLer Curome Cox, who like me is a product of both Gonzaga High School in D.C. and the Univ. of Maryland. This message popped into my inbox this morning: “Everything has beauty but not everyone can see it. We are valuable because we exist not because of what we do, our contributions to society or what we say. Our value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth. People have walked, people have stood, people have kneeled yet nothing has changed. We all are free, yet we all don’t have freedom. Freedom to be ourselves, free of fear. It’s not our differences that divide us. It's our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences. It’s not about pro vs anti, right vs wrong, black vs white. It's solely about change. If we could all empathize instead of rationalize, maybe then you’ll understand why today, I grab my daughter closer and pray she grows up to a different tomorrow! No hashtag needed, just action for justice."

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR SBJ GAME CHANGERS!

• Online nominations for Game Changers have opened. We’ll be accepting nominations through midnight June 21. The Game Changers event will be Oct. 27-28, and a special section will run in SBJ in the Oct. 19 issue.

Enjoying this newsletter? We've got more! Check out SBJ College with Michael Smith and SBJ Esports with Adam Stern and Trent Murray. Also check out SBJ Unpacks on weeknights, as we look at the day's events surrounding sports and COVID-19.

Something on the Media beat catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to either me (jourand@sportsbusinessjournal.com) or Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it. Also contributing to this newsletter is Thomas Leary (tleary@sportsbusinessdaily.com).