11/02/17: FOX continues World Series numbers ride

Good morning. It’s Thursday November 2, 2017 and this is your first early morning Sports briefing.

With an amazing World Series in the books (and we await last night’s numbers for Game 7), FOX Sports saw Game 6 continue to build on Halloween night as the game delivered 23 million viewers around FOX (which nabbed 22,229,000), FOX Deportes (with 535,000) and via FOX Sports GO (244,490). That number is off from last year but ranks as the second most-watched Game 6 since 2009. Meanwhile FOX Deportes’ coverage ranked as the second most-watched MLB postseason baseball game in Spanish-language TV history. FOX Sports GO’s average minute audience was up 42% higher than last season’s Game 6 and served as the fourth-most-watched authenticated event in FSGO history.

ON THE AIR

The College Football Playoff lined up its slate of hosts from 2021-24, with Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the College Football Playoff, unveiling four more communities that will host the national championship games. In 2021, Miami-South Florida welcomes the game at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida. 2022 sees Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium play host, followed by Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park, Inglewood, CA in 2023 and NRG Stadium in Houston in 2024. “When we created the playoff, we said we wanted to move the national championship game around,” Hancock said. “We have done that. We call it ‘ten in ten’—ten different communities will have hosted the national championship game in the first ten years of the playoff.”

Elsewhere in college sports, ESPN released its roster of college basketball voices for the upcoming season, which will feature more than 1,000 men’s and women’s college basketball matchups on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, SEC Network and Longhorn Network. Highlights include the team of Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas or Dick Vitale and Allison Williams hosting ACC Games for Big Monday presented by Jos. A. Bank while Bob Wischusen, Fran Fraschilla and Holly Rowe take on the Big 12. Super Tuesday voices include Dave Flemming, Dan Dakich and Molly McGrath for Big Ten matchups, and Joe Tessitore or Shulman, Sean Farnham and Laura Rutledge call SEC men’s basketball games on ESPN. Wednesday ACC matchups on ESPN2 will be called by Karl Ravech and LaPhonso Ellis. Dave Pasch and Bill Walton return to call Pac-12 games. In addition, Wischusen and Vitale will partner to work on multiple conference matchups on Saturdays throughout the season. Meanwhile, new voices this season will include Tom Crean, John Thompson III, Caron Butler and Robbie Hummel.

Women’s college basketball coverage in the ESPN family sees the team of Adam Amin, kara Lawson and Rebecca Lobo take on Big Monday and Showcase Thursday games while Beth Mowins and Deb Antonelli partner to call a Big Monday doubleheader matchup and Sunday games throughout the season.

Speaking of ESPN, the company reports that First Take received October treats, as the series scored a 53% increase in overall viewership over the previous year, averaging 465,000 viewers. In addition, the month saw a rise of 79% for men 18-34 compared to the same month last year.

NBC Sports lines up the 34th Breeders’ Cup Classic live from Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on Saturday at 8p on NBC. The telecast will see Bob Costas make his Breeders’ Cup debut, hosting coverage on NBC. Jerry Bailey serves as an analyst along with Randy Moss; host/reporters Laffit Pincay, III and Nick Luck; and reporters Kenny Rice, Donna Brothers, Jay Privman, and Britney Eurton. NBC’s Triple Crown race caller Larry Collmus will call all of the Breeders’ Cup races while Daily Racing Form’s Matt Bernier will serve as a handicapper.

A special edition of TNT’s Area 21 with Kevin Garnett runs tonight on TNT highlighted by an all-female panel featuring stars that include WNBA greats Lindsay Whalen (a four-time league champion and six-time All-Star) and Sue Bird (two-time champion and nine-time All-Star) and legend Cynthia Cooper (a four-time champion and two-time league MVP). Turner Sports reporter and host Ros Gold-Onwude will also join the show with content running during TNT’s studio coverage and throughout the night on Facebook and Twitter.

Univision Deportes Radio partnered with TBLC Media, the largest Spanish radio network in the Southeast U.S., to broadcast Spanish-language sports content across the Charlotte metropolitan area. The partnership includes broadcast in three major markets via six radio stations: – 99.1 FM and 1030 AM in Charlotte, 1380 AM and 1470 AM in Piedmont Triad, 105.7 FM and 910 AM in Upstate South Carolina.

In international news, FIFA extended its broadcast rights deal with China’s state broadcaster, China Central Television, for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which will be held in Russia and Qatar. The deal also includes all its other major international competitions until 2022, including the women’s World Cup in 2019.

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SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTION

Papa John’s founder and CEO John Schnatter lashed out at NFL leadership during an earnings call Wednesday, claiming that the league “hurt” the company (and NFL partner) by not resolving the player protests that have been taking place during the National Anthem. Schnatter noted that “This should have been nipped in the bud a year and a half ago,” adding that “Leadership starts at the top, and this is an example of poor leadership.”

Liberty National Life Insurance Company locked in a partnership with Richard Childress Racing and the No. 31 team for the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. Liberty National will be featured as a primary sponsor for select races with Ryan Newman and the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro, and will be an associate sponsor for the entire season.

The NHL and NHLPA are revving up for Hockey Fights Cancer, the campaign designed to unite “the hockey community in support of cancer patients and their families,” and will feature ceremonies, observances, and fundraising efforts throughout the month of November. All 31 NHL Member Clubs are designating one home game as the official Hockey Fights Cancer in-arena awareness night, with unique programming and partnerships with local cancer organizations. Nicholle Anderson – wife of Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson – has been named an official Hockey Fights Cancer ambassador.

TaylorMade Golf Company selected specialist sports communications agency M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment to manage earned communications for the golf brand. The focus of the work will be on launching best-in-class products throughout the season, elevating the brand through innovative campaigns, and building a constant drumbeat of influence that will help TaylorMade reach its marketing and business goals.

DIGITAL & STREAMING

FanDuel is doing a deeper dive into digital programming, launching the company’s first digital series with Adam Schefter. The “Day in the Life” series will feature Schefter and showcase how fantasy football impacts every aspect of his life, showcasing the ESPN personality during his everyday routines, such as accepting a package from a delivery man, getting a haircut or receiving test results from a doctor. The first video can be found here.

CBS Sports Digital announced that MaxPreps, the online high school sports platform is driving year-over-year spikes for its High School Athlete of the Month program presented by the United States Marines Corps, which launched in September. So far this year, the program has received more than 10,200 nominations, up 15% from 2016. This month sees the program being renamed the MaxPreps Semper Fidelis Athlete of the Month Presented by the Marines.

ESPORTS

In this week’s edition of Cynopsis Esports & Gaming…

Brands blitz BlizzCon
Ed Boon talks Injustice
Diving into Twitch’s reach
London, Philly lock in League logos
Team Spotlight: Misfits
Red Bull captures Street Fighter
Nintendo’s holiday plans

ROSTER MOVES

Bleacher Report announced the promotion of Brian Kelly to Senior Vice President of Ad Sales. He will continue managing advertising sales across multiple regions and developing sales strategies for the Bleacher Report sales teams, as well as cultivate and leverage deep and strategic contacts at agencies to create and execute revenue growth strategies.

THE MAIN EVENT

Warriors/Spurs on TNT at 8p.

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Craft your campaign strategy with Cynopsis’ Digital’s latest webinar:

Solving the Digital Ad Measurement Challenge

Monday, NOV. 13 |12:30PM ET

According to the IAB, last year was the first time digital ad spend totaled $72 billion, surpassing that of TV at $67 billion. But although usage is on the rise, management of digital ad growth is complex and confusing. Which is why Cynopsis’ newest webinar is here to illuminate the media measurement ecosystem with insights that will give you an efficient and powerful strategy.

ON THIS DAY in 1995: Joe Torre is named manager of the New York Yankees.

In the Know: This Ole Miss athlete ranks as the top career rusher for the Saints in yards. Who is he? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city.)

Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question: The Bruins retired #8 in honor of which player? Answer: Cam Neely. Kudos: John Ferlazzo/London; Phyllis McQuillan-MSG Networks/NY; Matt Moran-USA TODAY Sports/NY; Michael Ritz-BucStar Consulting/NY; Chris Long-DraftKings/NY; James Stuart-NBC Sports Group/Stamford; Larry Gallo, Jr.-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill/Chapel Hill; Pauline Echols/Huntersville; Tony Ferranti-MMSI/Warwick; Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station; Lance Phegley-Texas Runner & Triathlete magazine/Houston; Carly Dasso-Saatchi & Saatchi/Oakbrook Terrace; Judie Henninger-Valentine Productions Inc./Santa Monica; John Sutton-Charter Digital Media/LA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Federal Credit Union/Burbank; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA

Later – Chris

Chris Pursell @VegasandVine
Roberta Caploe Publisher @robertacaploe	Diane K Schwartz Senior Vice President Media Communications Group	Cynopsis Ad Sales Mike Farina \| 203-218-6480 VP, Sales	Cynopsis Job Listings Sales Trish Pihonak \| 203-899-8459 Director of Operations

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