Monday January 3, 2022

“We are heartbroken by the passing of our great friend, colleague and cornerstone John Madden,” said Eric Shanks, CEO and Executive Producer, FOX Sports. “On behalf of the entire FOX Sports family – past, present and future – we will forever be part of John’s team. We are all better for having known him, one of the greatest coaches and broadcasters of all time. John is an icon, who will live on forever in our hearts and memories. Our thoughts and prayers are with Virginia, Mike, Joe, and the entire Madden family.”

You can find a couple of the many touching tributes on his impact as a coach, broadcaster and in gaming here and here.

PROGRAMMING

The proposed merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery saw good tidings during the holiday break as AT&T received a “favorable” IRS ruling on the planned tax-free deal. Meanwhile, the European Commission granted unconditional antitrust clearance to the $43 billion acquisition. That said, the deal is expected to close in mid-2022, and r still needs to be formally approved by both Discovery stockholders as well as other US regulatory bodies.

On the viewership front, FOX Sports saw its Christmas Day telecast of the Packers’ win over the Browns dominate sports for the day. The contest drew an average of 28.6 million viewers, to rank as the second most-watched NFL telecast this season. The game was also the top TNF outing ever for the package, and as up 40% over last year’s Christmas Day matchup for its various platforms. Overall, the 2021 Thursday Night Football tri-cast season averaged 16.4 million viewers across all platforms, including FOX, NFL Network, Prime Video, FOX Deportes, NFL digital, FOX Sports digital, Twitch and Yahoo Sports mobile properties – making it the highest Thursday Night Football season average since 2015. Additionally, the average of 16.4 million viewers is the highest season average in the history of the FOX, NFL Network and Prime Video package.

ESPN will serve up the first-ever look at the “When I’m Gone” music video from Alesso and Katy Perry during halftime of the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship, taking place Jan. 10 on ESPN. This year is the first time ESPN has ever dropped a global music video within a live broadcast. “The National Championship is the perfect stage to infuse breakthrough music into our broadcast,” said Laura Gentile, Executive Vice President, Commercial Marketing, Disney Networks & ESPN. “Collaborating with world-renowned artists Alesso and Katy Perry to create a big-time halftime experience for fans will only add to this cultural moment.”

ESPN pillar Dick Vitale is taking more time off as he undergoes chemotherapy, posting a letter to fans that his doctor informed him that he has Dysplasia on the vocal cords (pre cancer) and will need to rest them. “I’m not sure exactly how long I will be off the air as a result of this or how many games I will miss. Dr. Zeitels wants to see me every couple weeks in the New Year to check on my progress. Of course, I am heartbroken that I won’t be immediately sitting courtside doing what I love, yet I’m in this for the long run. I plan to do games when I’m 100 – I need to listen to Dr. Z!” he wrote.

Tennis Channel is carrying the ATP Cup through Jan. 9. Tennis Channel will show 50 live hours of ATP Cup play live on television this year, as well as another 50 hours of encore competition. Telecasts typically take place at 6p and 1:30a. ow). Former players Paul Annacone and Taylor Townsend offer analysis during Tennis Channel’s coverage of the 2022 ATP Cup, alongside announcers Jason Goodall and Russ Thaler.

MSG Networks iced in a month-long lineup of special programming, “30 Days of 30, presented by Caesars Sportsbook,” designed to celebrate former Rangers goalie and franchise icon Henrik Lundqvist. The multi-platform campaign runs for 30 days and nights, culminating on the night of Jan. 28 when the Rangers will be retiring Lundqvist’s number 30.

Stay tuned as Cynopsis releases its 2022 events calendar! Here’s what’s already been confirmed for next year: OTT Virtual Conference – March 8th, Sports Media Awards, April 19th, Big TV Conference – Sept 20-21st, Esports Business Summit – Nov 1-3rd

VISIT THE OTT CONFERENCE

The NFL announced that 18 teams have been granted access to 26 International Home Marketing Areas (IHMA) across eight different countries. This new initiative grants clubs access to international territories for marketing, fan engagement and commercialization. As part of the International HMA program, clubs will have access to international markets for at least a five-year term, during which a club will have rights to pursue activities in that international market that are consistent with what they can do in their domestic HMA. “Today’s announcement is a significant milestone in our efforts to broaden the NFL’s global reach by building long-term relationships with these international markets that will play a large role in the continued growth and expansion of our sport for years to come,” said Joel Glazer, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Owner/Co-Chairman and NFL International Committee Chairman. “Much of our league success is rooted in the strong connection that our individual teams have built with their fans, and this initiative creates many more avenues for engaging and energizing our international fanbase.”

With the news, the San Francisco 49ers announced that current team partners Levi’s and United Airlines will become the first brands to take advantage of the NFL’s new International Home Marketing Areas program, extending their sponsorship rights to the 49ers to Mexico and the United Kingdom. “Gaining rights in Mexico and the UK presents an abundance of new opportunities not just for our marketing and community initiatives, but for our corporate partners as well,” said Brent Schoeb, 49ers Chief Revenue Officer. “Being aligned with Levi’s and United as valued partners, we look forward to collaborating with them to activate our partnerships in these markets in exciting ways that can serve as templates for what we can do with other global brands and those local to the Mexico and UK markets.”

February’s Super Bowl will reportedly see at least two crypto platforms buy in as sponsors for the game. Both Crypto.com and FTX bought slots for the Feb. 13 game. Prices for a 30-second spot are reportedly around $6.5 million. Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek told the Wall Street Journal that “Going into different sports just allows me to reach everybody where we are. Super Bowl is just one more step into that, we it’s as mass as you can get.”

DIGITAL, DATA & TECH

The NHL announced that Capitals Captain Alex Ovechkin landed as the top-selling player jersey for the calendar year 2021 across NHLShop and the Fanatics Network. Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid rounded out the top five.

Speaking of hockey, the Premier Hokey Federation locked in a multi-year deal with The Upper Deck Company to serve as the exclusive licensed manufacturer of physical and digital PHF trading cards. The industry leaders will produce their first ever professional women’s hockey trading cards for release during the 2022-23 PHF season. “This is a milestone license for the PHF and we’re extremely thrilled for our athletes, fans, and collectors of all ages” said PHF Commissioner Tyler Tumminia. “Trading cards are a staple in professional sports and Upper Deck is at the forefront in this space offering the highest quality traditional cards and most innovative digital collections. We’re grateful for their commitment to the PHF and the opportunity to grow the game and inspire the next generation in a brand new way.”

ESPORTS

Riot Games agreed to a $100 million settlement over a sexual harassment and discrimination suit from the state of California. That figure includes a payment from a pool of at least $77 million to all women who worked at Riot Games after Nov. 6, 2014, while the remainder will be earmarked for legal fees. Meanwhile, any unclaimed funds will be donated to charities supporting women in technology. The agreement settles claims brought by both the state’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing as well as the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement.

Congratulations to this year’s finalists for Best of the Best Awards! Categories include Best Lifestyle Reality Series, Best Podcast, Best Series for Kids 5-11, Best Diversity Awareness Campaign, Best Social Media Campaign and Best Use of an Influencer.

VIEW THIS YEAR’S BOB FINALISTS

IN THE KNOW
During his college days, what position was John Madden honored for playing? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city).

Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question
Which NHL team once drafted a fictional player named Taro Tsujimoto? Answer: Buffalo. Kudos: Michael Ritz-Lenox Advisors/NY; Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton; Richard L. Mann-Mann Marketing/Dumont; Roger Furman-Sports Marketing Communications/Greentown; Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station; David Westberg-SAG•AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA