MLB took a bite into Apple, revealing a tech collaboration with the brand that will integrate new on-field capabilities through the approved use of iPad Pro and a newly developed advance scouting, analytics and video app dubbed MLB Dugout during games. iPad Pro will be utilized into all 30 Major League dugouts and bullpens with the deal marking “the first-ever on-field integration of next-generation technology, putting advance-scouting video and customizable reports at the fingertips of all managers, coaches and players.” Each iPad Pro has been customized for each club and loaded with the MLB Dugout app, allowing every team’s manager, coaches and players to utilize their own proprietary and strategic statistical reports, data visualizations and advance-scouting videos during every game from dugouts and bullpens.

"Our collaboration with Apple on the use of iPad Pro in dugouts and bullpens is part of our ongoing effort to introduce extraordinary technology into our game," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said. "We are pleased that Apple’s groundbreaking products, which have already improved the access that fans have to our sport, will now inform the decisions that make our games interesting and exciting throughout the year."

"iPad is our vision for the future of personal computing, and we are so excited to be working with Major League Baseball to put this incredible technology into all of their dugouts and bullpens this season," said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing. "With iPad Pro and the new MLB Dugout app, managers, coaches and players will have unprecedented access to statistics, data and scouting videos right at the touch of their fingers, and when it matters most, during the game."

Speaking of deals, Lagardere Sports has been commissioned by the Budapest 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games Bid Committee to oversee an international consortium to advise Budapest on its bid to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Lagardere Sports, through its specialist agency Event Knowledge Services (EKS), will lead Budapest’s overall bid, develop and manage the bid strategy and support the development of detailed technical aspects of Budapest’s Games plan. Other services include preparation of the technical presentation for the IOC’s Evaluation Commission, marketing advice and assistance in delivering the major presentations to the IOC and other key Games stakeholders.

ESPN2’s coverage of the US Men’s National Team win over Guatemala on Tuesday drew an average audience of 954,000 viewers, marking ESPN’s most-watched CONCACAF semifinal round match since the company started televising the FIFA World Cup qualifying series. Top-10 markets: Columbus, Ohio (2.2), Baltimore (1.4), Tulsa (1.4), Norfolk-Newport News (1.3), Cincinnati (1.3), St. Louis (1.2), West Palm Beach (1.1), Atlanta (1.1), Denver (1.1), and Jacksonville (1.0).

Elsewhere in ratings, Golf Channel announced that the network has now scored four consecutive quarters posting year-over-year growth. Golf Channel’s first quarter in 2016 grew 15% vs. 2015 for viewership, while last year’s second quarter was up 3%, third quarter rose 8%, and fourth quarter jumped 13%. For 24-hour Total Day, 110,000 average viewers per minute were tuned into Golf Channel in the first quarter, representing the 15% year-over-year increase, as well as a 19% increase with people 25-54, according to Nielsen.

CBS Sports Network takes on the Final Four with on-site coverage that includes Final Four Friday Team Practices. NCAA March Madness 360 airs at 1p with hosts Adam Zucker and Brent Stover. A Final Four edition of We Need to Talk than airs on April 3 on the channel with Dana Jacobson, Allie LaForce, Lisa Leslie and Summer Sanders as panelists. In addition, the network will offer exclusive encore showings of the Final Four and National Championship games on April 2 and 4 respectively.

ESPN locked in a deal with Chris McKendry that will see the SportsCenter anchor now focus on tennis, continuing to front ESPN’s start-to-finish and extensive coverage of three of the sport’s Majors  the Australian and US Opens and Wimbledon. Her final SportsCenter will be the 11a-noon edition of the show today and include a special segment looking back on McKendry’s time with the show.
 
Speaking of ESPN, the network’s April 1 edition of NBA Countdown at 7p will feature every 3-pointer that Stephen Curry has made this season. All 356 of Curry’s 3-pointers (entering 3/30) will be shown in succession, in segments broken down by month. The segments will be presented in a variety of ways, and will include analysis from several ESPN NBA commentators, as well as graphics on Curry’s historic season.

Time Warner Cable SportsChannel features a rare exclusive sit down interview with Bud Selig, Commissioner Emeritus of MLB in a half hour special dubbed  Conversations with Bud Selig. Dennis Krause hosts with the special running April 4 at 6p, featuring Selig discussing highlights from his career.

For the first time in PBR history, riders from six countries will be competing in a built Ford Tough Series event this weekend in Sioux Falls, representing Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and the US. Meanwhile, CBS Sports will air the PBR Bucking Battle on Sunday, April 3 at 2:30p while CBS Sports Network carries Round 3 and the championship round at 8p.
 

Buffalo Wild Wings partnered with Grant Hill to celebrate March Madness megafan Sam Brazzil of St. Louis in a promotion. The stunt tricked Brazzil into thinking he was meeting with a digital efficiency consultant to discuss his “unauthorized” computer usage habits at work during the NCAA Tournament only to find – via a special video message from Grant Hill  that B-Dubs was awarding him with a trip to Louisville to watch Tournament games with Hill at a local restaurant, and two tickets to see Villanova beat Kansas during the Elite 8. “Busted” marks the latest in a slate of videos in which Buffalo Wild Wings is surprising fans.

UFC locked in a deal with EXOS to serve as the organization’s performance partner in 2016. UFC athletes will have the opportunity to train and learn from EXOS’ staff of coaches, nutritionists and physical therapists, while also participating in educational seminars at UFC Athlete Summits throughout the year.

Texas Motor Speedway became the state’s first professional sports industry entity to own its own beer, unveiling of the No Limits Checkered Past craft beer during Wednesday’s annual media day at Gilley’s Dallas. The Audacity Brew House in nearby Denton created the craft beer that will be sold at all major events at the motorsports facility in Fort Worth as well as through retailers in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The brew debuts during the April 7-9 Duck Commander 500 weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

Johnny Bench is teaming with Kingsford Charcoal to launch a program designed to “take back Opening Day” and push for the return of 30 MLB teams all playing on one afternoon. Bench showcased his Johnny shared his feelings through 3 new renditions of the baseball anthem on the Kingsford site  showcasing anger, sadness and disgust.

Ahead of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, fans are invited to take part in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge via NHL.com/Bracket or Sportsnet.ca/NHLBracket. NHL partner SAP returns to offer users insights and analytics via the Match-up Analysis tool which utilizes 37 factors to predict the outcome of each series. New this year, Samsung mobile and tablet users in the US and Canada will have access to unique video content produced by Sportsnet, giving fans expert analysis and details about Stanley Cup Playoffs series match-ups. The Grand Prize winners will each receive a trip for two to the 2016 NHL Awards in Las Vegas; a visit with the Stanley Cup; a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, the latest version of the Galaxy smartphones; and a Samsung Gear VR headset, which provides a premium virtual reality experience.

Singapore-based social networking firm YuuZoo Corporation inked a deal with Alibaba Sports Group to launch multiple eSports tournaments. The series, called the AliSports World Electronic Sport Games, will include tournaments for Dota 2, CSGO, StarCraft 2 and Hearthstone and offer base prize pools of $1.5 million for CSGO, $1.5 million for Dota 2, $400,000 for SC2 and $300,000 for Hearthstone
 

Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question: Where did Bob Knight coach before moving to Indiana? Answer: Army. Kudos: Michael Dittelman-Dedicated Sports Marketing/NY; Traci Liner-WME|IMG/NY; Marc Goldstein-Media Solutions/NY; James Gwynne-Continental Television Sales/NY; Tim Overmyer-20th TV/Atlanta; G. David Brown-FOX Sports/Charlotte; Tim Buckman-NBC Sports Group/Stamford; Randy Ingram-WBTW-TV/Myrtle Beach; Gretchen Brady-KTVT/Dallas; Kevin Micklo-Pinnacle Advertising/Chicago; Tim Rank-blueprint314/St. Louis; Tom Doherty-Starcom Media/Chicago; Greg Moloznik-GLM Media/Scottsdale; David Hauptman/Denver; Doug Verb-Action Sports America/Las Vegas; John Baghdassarian-Olympusat/LA; Rich Greene-FOX/LA; Alan Perris/Beverly Hills; Bob Ramsey/Palm Springs.

Later — Chris
Chris Pursell for Cynopsis | Sports @VegasandVine
03.31.16

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