Monday June 21, 2021

Trask on the SuperDraft and its partnership with Microsoft: We were delighted to hold our draft at the Microsoft Lounge. The lounge is spectacular, Microsoft’s technology and expertise allowed us to connect with coaches, players and draftees and thus capture the essence and excitement of the draft and the enthusiasm of the Microsoft team members with whom we worked was palpable. Hey – I just thought of something – we used Microsoft Teams and we worked with the Microsoft team, both were terrific.

On taking the position: When Jeff (Kwatinetz) and Cube approached me to discuss their concept and plans for the BIG3, I was excited by their vision, but what really excited me was the opportunity to work with them to bring their vision to life. They lead the BIG3 in the manner I have long believed the best for business: they foster an environment in which we all communicate, cooperate, collaborate and coordinate they foster an environment in which healthy disagreement is not only accepted, it is not only welcomed, but encouraged. Our Commissioner Clyde Drexler is also tremendously communicative and collaborative, as is our new CEO Chris Hannan. As to my hope, it is quite simple: I hope to help Jeff and Cube realize their vision and I shall do all I can to help them do so.

On the new Triller deal and media presence: Chris developed and presented a number of exciting media options and proposals. We chose Triller because it is a very exciting platform and because we believe Triller will be a collaborative partner. As to our media presence in general, we are looking forward to a far greater presence than we have had in past seasons and in that regard, Chris has created a number of terrific opportunities for us (and he ain’t done yet).

On the success of female coaches at the Big3: Nancy (Lieberman) won the Championship and was voted Coach of the Year in her first season with the BIG3. Lisa (Leslie) won the Championship and was voted Coach of the Year in her first season with the BIG3. Some leagues and some businesses talk about fostering change, we’ve done it. As is said, some “talk the talk” while others “walk the walk.” I do believe we will see a woman as a head coach in the NBA and we are delighted that we have led the way.

PROGRAMMING

Ahead of next week’s meeting of the university presidents and chancellors who oversee the College Football Playoff, the CFP management committee reviewed a working group’s proposed 12-team playoff as the initiative moved closer to approval. At next week’s board of managers meeting, the management committee will ask the board to authorize the solicitation of feedback over the next few weeks and months with groups that are expected to include student-athletes, university presidents and chancellors, athletics directors and coaches to inform them about the details of the 12-team proposal, and also to begin feasibility assessments of any new format. “The management committee praised the working group for its proposal,” said CFP executive director Bill Hancock, who added that this was the first in-person meeting of the committee since January 2020. “The process will move forward, and the proposal will be discussed next week by the board of managers.”

ESPN’s awards season is in full swing, with the company laying out details for both the ESPYs as well as the seventh annual Sports Humanitarian Awards. The latter will take place on July 12 at The Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York City, with a 90-minute television special airing on July 24 at 2p on ABC. The Awards will be hosted by actor and author Taye Diggs, and will feature a performance by Grammy-nominated Cordae. New this year, the Sports Humanitarian Awards will introduce Marvel’s Earth’s Mightiest Athletes, along with honorees of the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award, Sports Philanthropist of the Year, League Humanitarian Leadership Award and the Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Awards. This year’s nominees include:
· Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award presented by Dove Men+Care finalists: Anthony Rizzo (Chicago Cubs), Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (Kansas City Chiefs), Layshia Clarendon (Minnesota Lynx), Titus O’Neil (WWE)
· Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year finalists: Atlanta Dream (WNBA), Denver Broncos (NFL), New York City FC (MLS), Toronto Blue Jays (MLB)
· Corporate Community Impact Award finalists: AT&T, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Meanwhile, the 2021 ESPYS Presented by Capital One will be hosted by Anthony Mackie. Mackie will be joined by top celebrities from sports and entertainment to celebrate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, remembering unforgettable moments, and honoring the leading performers and performances. The ESPYS will be broadcast live on ABC on July 10 at 8p from The Rooftop at Pier 17 at the Seaport in New York City. “After a year of canceled competitions, empty stadium seats and athletic careers cut short or left to languish in limbo, we’re delighted that The ESPYS has the opportunity to celebrate the return of sports,” said Rob King, Senior Vice President and Editor-At-Large ESPN Content. “Anthony will make a fantastic host because he is equal parts sports fan and entertainer. Plus he knows a thing or two about heroic moments.”

Triller announced that 11-time Boxing World Champion Oscar De La Hoya will return to the ring to face Former UFC Superstar Vitor Belfort on Sept. 11 in Las Vegas as part of the new TrillerVerz, described as “the first-ever festival bringing together the power of Verzuz and Fight Club into one massive weekend festival.” TrillerVerz is a partnership developed between Triller-owned Verzuz and Triller owned Fight Club. “We continue to create the biggest and most talked about events of the year, and we’re thrilled to introduce TrillerVerz, a spectacular weekend of music and events programmed by the legends themselves, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland,” said Bobby Sarnavesht, Triller co-owner, co-founder and Chairman. “There is no more anticipated and talked about return to the ring than Oscar De La Hoya, and his matchup with a legendary UFC Champion in Vitor Belfort will be a must-watch for entertainment and athleticism,” said co-founder Ryan Kavanaugh.

CBS Sports and Army agreed to a multi-year extension to continue their partnership through the 2028 season, keeping CBS Sports Network as the television home for all Black Knights home games. This season, CBS Sports will televise eight Army games, with both Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy games broadcast on the CBS Television Network, and all six Army home games at Michie Stadium in West Point televised on CBS Sports Network.

The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and ESPN reached a multi-year rights agreement that will feature SIAC football and basketball games through 2027. Beginning in the fall of 2021, ESPN will feature at least 22 football games across ESPNU and ESPN+, including the SIAC Football Championship. In addition, ESPN will have the exclusive rights to all Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship preliminary rounds on ESPN+, and the SIAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship Games on ESPN networks.

NBC News’ Sam Brock, Natalie Morales, Anne Thompson and Dr. John Torres become the latest names to join the NBC Olympics roster of reporters in Tokyo this summer. In addition, Olympic medalists Gus Kenworthy, Jessica Mendoza, Apolo Ohno and Tanith White will serve as reporters in Tokyo. The NBC Olympics roster will also include Tina Dixon, Naoko Funayama, Corey Robinson and Rutledge Wood. “With so many stories to tell at each Olympics, we are excited to have a group of reporters ranging from NBC News correspondents to Olympic medalists to veteran sports commentators,” said Rebecca Chatman, Vice President and Coordinating Producer of NBC Olympics production.

UEFA EURO 2020 on ESPN and ABC delivered an average audience of 934,000 viewers through Matchday 1 for a markup of 20% compared to the first weekend of EURO 2016. France’s 1-0 victory over Germany on ESPN averaged 1.5 million viewers – the largest audience for a UEFA EURO group stage match in 2016 and 2020.

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The NFL inked a big deal with Diageo to serve as the league’s first ever Official Spirits Sponsor. The multiyear sponsorship will include opportunities for on-site activation and engagement with adult fans, as well as broadcast, digital, and social content from NFL Kickoff through the Super Bowl and feature brands such as Smirnoff Vodka, Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, and Crown Royal Whisky and include Responsible Drinking programs, integration into marquee events (such as NFL Honors) and, starting with the 2022 season, involvement in the NFL International Series games in London. “NFL games have the powerful ability to bring people together, and that very much ties into what our brands at Diageo are all about: bringing people together to celebrate life,” said Ed Pilkington, Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer, Diageo North America. “This is a perfect match. We are energized about bringing new and exciting programs and experiences to the NFL’s passionate adult fan base, while continuing to use our platform to champion social responsibility in every way.”

SoFi Stadium and Jimmy Kimmel entered into a multi-year partnership to appoint the late-night host the official naming rights partner of LA Bowl, renaming the bowl game as the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl. Held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Dec. 18 at 7:30p, the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl will feature Mountain West’s No. 1 selection versus Pac-12’s No. 5 selection.

Wilson Sporting Goods Co., in partnership with the NBA, unveiled the league’s new official game ball in advance of the NBA’s 75th anniversary season. “Wilson is excited to unlock our history and heritage with the NBA to grow the game of basketball on the global stage,” said Kevin Murphy, General Manager, Wilson Team Sports. “On the heels of launching our WNBA and BAL partnerships, we will continue building for the future of the sport. Wilson will focus first on supporting the league and its players with its high-performance game balls, then extending our basketball family to reach fans, coaches and players at all levels, around the world.”

Credit One Bank announced the launch of the WWE Champion Credit Card, the first credit card unveiled as part of the multiyear agreement with WWE. “We’re proud to be launching a product for WWE fans,” said David Herpers, head of product at Credit One Bank. “Helping our customers get more for their money is a tenant of everything we do, and the WWE Champion Credit Card is designed to do that in unique and rewarding ways.”

DIGITAL, DATA & TECH

MLB is opening the search for its 2021 Creator Class, a program designed to “help discover and support new baseball-related talent on TikTok.” The league is calling for creators of any kind who can “create great baseball content to enter for a chance to become MLB brand ambassadors on the popular platform.” Once the class is selected, the creators will be hired by MLB and work with the league on content that highlights the players and game on and off-the-field through music, fashion, art and more. This one-of-a-kind program will graduate its inaugural class after the 2021 World Series.

EA SPORTS officially unveiled both Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes on the Madden NFL 22 cover across all editions and Madden NFL Mobile. Madden NFL 22 will be available worldwide August 20, 2021 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Origin and Steam and Google Stadia.

Panini America is beginning a two-week “soft launch” rollout for the 2020-21 Prizm Basketball NFT Blockchain, its first pack-based NFT release. Panini made history in the digital collecting space in January 2020 when it became the first company to introduce NFT blockchain trading cards.

Outdoor Sportsman Group’s video-on-demand (SVOD) service MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) was added to Cox Communications Contour and Contour Stream Player platforms. “Expanding our critically-important SVOD platform MOTV to Cox Communications Contour and Contour Stream Player platforms gives passionate enthusiasts of the outdoor lifestyle the opportunity to enjoy even more content from the vast Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel and World Fishing Network libraries, as well as exclusive MOTV content,” Executive Vice President, Affiliate Sales & Marketing Steve Smith said. “We are very excited that Cox viewers and internet users will have the ability to view and experience MOTV with the click of a remote and enjoy the best outdoor lifestyle programming in the world.”

Upper Deck and the Professional Fighters League announced a multi-year deal for licensed collectibles and memorabilia products and exclusive for trading cards. Fans will be offered an array of collectibles that feature autographs and memorabilia from the PFL’s athletes and rising stars.

The Action Network and the National Hockey League cemented a multiplatform content partnership for the 2021 Stanley Cup Semifinals and 2021 Stanley Cup Final. As part of this partnership, The Action Network will provide exclusive NHL-focused content across the NHL’s digital platforms including NHL.com and the NHL app. The Action Network will also create weekly Stanley Cup Playoffs video content available on The Action Network’s digital and social platforms throughout the duration of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Salesforce unveiled a new, multi-year partnership with Team USA and the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Salesforce also announced a partnership with NBCUniversal to support its Olympic and Paralympic coverage across platforms for the next seven years. As a Founding Partner of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Salesforce will provide Salesforce Customer 360 technology to deliver an engaging fan and athlete digital experience over the next seven years.

ESPORTS

Tony Petitti is departing his role as president of sports and entertainment for Activision Blizzard, with Brandon Snow, Chief Commercial Officer, Activision Blizzard Brand, Media & Esports Partnerships reportedly poised to take on the role, TEO writes. Petitti took the job on August 17, 2020,

FIFAe confirmed the group stage draw for the 2v2 FIFAe Nations Cup 2021. Overall, 24 countries from across the world will hit Copenhagen in August to compete for a share of the total $400,000 prize pool, in addition to the USD $100,000 already distributed throughout the qualification process and will see three countries from South America, two from North & Central America, five from Asia & Oceania, two from the Middle East & Africa and 12 countries from Europe, including the host nation Denmark.

Esports Media, the company behind Esports.gg, unlocked a partnership with esports and sports betting platform Midnite. The agreement sees Midnite provide Esports.gg with data to be used for content creation. “Midnite is a premium esports and sports betting platform that is a great fit for our community. We have been searching for a partner in this space that is tailored for us,” said Christian Bishop, Founder of Esports Media Inc.

The International Olympic Committee closes the inaugural Olympic Virtual Series this week, collaborating with five International Sports Federations and game for the first-ever, Olympic-licensed event for physical and non-physical virtual sports. The new Series began on May 13 May and wraps on June 23, aka Olympic Day. The winners of the Olympic Virtual Series Baseball, Motor Sport and Sailing Events will receive an Olympic Virtual Series Plaque (winner, 1st runner up, 2nd runner up). The winner (first place only) of each of the competitive events will also have the opportunity to hold the Olympic Virtual Series trophy at a special awarding occasion to be organized later in 2021.

INDUSTRY & ROSTER MOVES

Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company appointed Terrell Davis as its first Commissioner of the Hall Of Fantasy League (“HOFL”). The Hall Of Fantasy League, which comprises 10 franchises. As Commissioner, Davis will promote fair play and support the integrity of the League and serve as a media spokesperson for the HOFL, among other responsibilities.

Sportradar announced the appointment of Lynn S. McCreary as Chief Legal Officer. McCreary brings over three decades of business, legal and executive leadership experience to Sportradar.

SPORTS BROADCAST JOURNAL w/David J. Halberstam

The NBA playoffs have been fun to watch. Here is our review of their broadcasters, from Mike Breen and Mark Jackson to Marv Albert and Grant Hill.
NBA Reviews, ESPN and Turner: Breen, Van Gundy, Mark and Jimmy Jackson, Grant Hill, Miller, others

Hall of Famer Chuck Thompson did games nationally, but was absolutely beloved in Baltimore where he called the Orioles for decades and the old Baltimore Colts before they bolted for Indianapolis.
Chuck Thompson, a broadcast institution with the Baltimore Orioles and Colts, was born 100 years ago

NBC continues to a marvelous job with the NHL, albeit that the network loses its rights at the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
NBC Sports produces Stanley Cup seamlessly; Styles differ a bit, yet Albert and Forslund are both solid

Happy Birthdays:

Barry Landers, 6/20 Ex-Voice, NY Islanders
Pete Gillen, 6/20 CBS Sports
Dave Ryan, 6/20 CBS Sports
Andrea Balionis, 6/20 CBS Sports
Kevin Harlan, 6/21 CBS Sports and Turner
Rich Eisen, 6/24 NFL Network

Sports Broadcast Journal

You can find the following companies’ assets available now: a4 Advertising, Discovery, FETV, Gamut Total, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, New York Interconnect, TiVo, Tubi and more to come!

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IN THE KNOW
In which movie did Ice Cube star with Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city).

Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question
What movie character falsified the home address in his license renewal to Wrigley Field? Answer: Elwood Blues. Kudos: Eric Shapiro-Mediatech Advertising Limited/UK; Michael Ritz-Lenox Advisors/NY; Tori Gallarello-Alcock-Little Roosters, Inc./NY; Eric Mirlis-Mirl Media/NY; Rob Casalaina-ITN/NY; Joe Grippo- The Memory Company/NY; Matt Sautter-WideOrbit/Harrisburg; Tim Buckman-BNC/Philadelphia; Matt Laramee-Southern New Hampshire University/Manchester; Roger Furman-Sports Marketing Communications/Greentown; Les Stipp/Chicago; Kyle Krebs-CBS42/Birmingham; John Kukla-KDFW-KDFI/Dallas-Fort Worth; Jason Brist-Outdoor Sportsman Group/Chicago; David Westberg-SAG•AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Nick Monroe-Monroe Photography/San Diego