11/05/21: Apple TV+ will chronicle the life and career of Earvin “Magic” Johnson

Friday November 5, 2021

The National Basketball Association extended its partnership with Twitter, striking a new multiyear content deal. As part of the agreement, the NBA will produce 40 Twitter Spaces events during the current season, bringing on players, legends and other guests from the basketball world for live-audio chats, all free for fans.

The Twitter Spaces will include 75th anniversary-themed versions to mark the league’s landmark season, and will be planned around tentpole moments and events such as the Christmas Day slate, the NBA All-Star game and the NBA finals. Sponsorship opportunities on Twitter Spaces will also be available, enabling brands to connect and engage with fans via live NBA audio.

PROGRAMMING

MLB Network features exclusive awards programming for 12 consecutive nights from November 8-23. The finalists of the 2021 BBWAA Awards will be revealed on Monday, November 8 at 6p, followed by the exclusive live announcements of the winners of the American League and National League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, Cy Young and Most Valuable Player from November 15-18. The winner of the 2021 Hank Aaron Award, recognizing the most outstanding regular season offensive performer in each league, will be announced on Tuesday, November 9 at 6p. The network will reveal the Relievers of the Year on Wednesday, November 10 at 7p, followed by the Silver Slugger Awards presented by Louisville Slugger on Thursday, November 11 at 6p. In addition, the official All-MLB Team presented by Cue Health nominees will be announced on Tuesday, November 23 at 6p.

In other MLB news, Bally Sports South and Bally Sports Southeast, regional network of the 2021 World Series champion Atlanta Braves, will televise the team’s World Championship Parade and Celebration presented by Truist on Friday, November 5. Coverage begins at 11:30a, 30 minutes prior to the 12p parade start.

The Big Ten Network released its on-air talent and programming lineup for the 2021-22 season ahead of the Big Ten basketball season tip off on Tuesday. Studio and original programming include BIG Basketball and Beyond on Sunday nights, The Journey: Big Ten Basketball on Wednesday nights, The BIG Story: Naz Hillmon Story premiering January 4, Basketball in 60 and Women’s Sports Report. In addition, three former Big Ten standouts join the network this year as analysts: Rapheal Davis (Purdue), Joshua Langford (Michigan State) and Tenet Meacham (Illinois).

Apple TV+ will chronicle the life and career of Earvin “Magic” Johnson in a new documentary event series. A New Slate Ventures and XTR Production, the four-part docuseries will explore the accomplishments and global impact of the two-time NBA Hall of Famer both on and off the court.

BET Studios and KLUTCH Sports Group have teamed to present KLUTCH Academy. The five-part original documentary series documents KLUTCH Sports Group, led by CEO Rich Paul, as they prepare six college basketball prospects for professional careers. Each one-hour episode will reveal what players and agents experience in the process leading up to the Draft. The documentary is set to premiere November 23 at 11p on BET.

Hard Knocks presents a multi-episode, in-season edition when HBO Sports and NFL Films team up for Hard Knocks in Season: The Indianapolis Colts. The primetime docuseries on the AFC South team debuts Wednesday, November 17 at 10p. It will deliver all access coverage to document an NFL franchise in-season and in real time, following the Colts as the navigate their season and battle for a playoff berth.

In its commitment to present industry-leading high school sports programming, ESPN will air 38 games of the newly formed National Interscholastic Basketball Conference. Coverage begins with the U.S. Marines NIBC Series on Thursday, December 2 and runs through Saturday, February 5. The slate will feature seven games on ESPNU, as well as 31 additional contests on ESPN+.

ESPN networks will welcome 20 Division I women’s college soccer conference championship games this weekend. The Horizon League and ASUM Championships, at 2p and 7p respectively, will take place on Saturday, November 6 and stream on ESPN+. The Sunday, November 7 slate begins with the AAC Championship on ESPNEWS at 12p, followed by the ACC at 1p on ESPNU. SEC Network will carry the SEC Championship at 2p, while the Big 12 Championship will air on ESPNU at 3:30p and the NEC Championship will be available at ESPN3 at 1p.

Meanwhile, ESPN+ will stream over 200 2021-22 regular season NBA G League games, beginning Tuesday, November 9 at 7p when the Ciudad de Mexico Capitanes visit the Lakeland Magic. Games will stream live on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout the season.

U.S. Olympic ice dancer hopefuls Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue headline NBC Sports’ coverage of the Grand Prix Italy figure skating, beginning Friday, November 5 at 10a live on Peacock. The pair are expected to compete against four-time world champions and reigning Olympic silver medalists Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France. Americans Caroline Green and Michael Parsons are also expected to compete in the ice dance event.

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SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTION

Serena Williams has teamed with Cloud9 to launch the “Champion’s Mindset” course for coaches. The course is designed to support Cloud9’s Training Grounds’ latest partnership with high school afterschool Esports programs. In collaboration with the Positive Coaching Alliance, the “Champion’s Mindset” course is being offered free on Cloud9’s website for school coaches, parents and educators to use as part of their youth development work. “Hard-work, practice and dedication are so important when you’re working to become the best and make your dreams come true, whether that be in sport or something different,” said Williams. “As an advisor on Cloud9, I am excited to team up on their Training Grounds program to help nurture these skills in students everywhere.”

Chipotle and the National Hockey League announced a multiyear North American partnership naming Chipotle the Official Mexican-themed quick service and Mexican-themed fast-casual restaurant of the NHL. It marks Chipotle’s largest sports sponsorship to date and the first time the brand has been an official sponsor of a major professional sports league. Chipotle will have a corner in-ice brand position during all Stanley Cup Playoffs games and a corner in-ice brand position and in-venue signage at the 2022 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic.

Pepsi Stronger Together has struck a partnership with the Women’s National Basketball Association to create curated giveback initiatives supporting causes important to the players in each of the 12 team markets timed to the 23rd anniversary of the WNBA. To kick off the union, Pepsi Stronger Together is pledging $50,000 to Girls on the Run LA to amplify its local community impact programs with the help of the LA Sparks’ Nneka Ogwumike.

Lucas Oil Products is becoming the “Official Oil of the Dallas Cowboys. Lucas Oil will put its brand and lineup of oils, additives and protectants in front of more than 2.5 million annual visitors at AT&T stadium and millions of broadcast and online global fans. In addition to Dallas Cowboy home games, Lucas Oil will serve as supporting partner for all events at AT&T stadium, including concerts and collegiate sporting events, professional wrestling, motorsports and more.

DIGITAL, DATA & TECH

DraftKings and FanDuel have become co-official sports betting partners for the NBA. Both companies will have expansive rights to integrate NBA assets throughout their sports betting and daily fantasy platforms. As part of the expanded relationships, DraftKings and FanDuel will continue to utilize official NBA betting data and league marks and logos across their sports betting and free-to-play game offerings. Beginning with the NBA’s 75th Anniversary season, DraftKings and FanDuel will create and feature NBA content that includes game highlights across their content platforms. In addition, both sportsbooks will also become sports betting partners of the NBA in Canada, where they plan to launch later this season.

Playmaker Capital Inc. has acquired Brazilian media company Grupo SuperPoker. SuperPoker provides a suite of online poker websites, social media pages and online streaming services to poker fans in Brazil. Playmaker’s wholly owned subsidiary, Futbol Sites, will manage day-to-day operations of SuperPoker and its products. SuperPoker generates 15 million annual visits and 1.25 million unique annual users across its properties, and is one of the most popular media poker groups worldwide.

ESPORTS

Kitman Labs announced the close of a $52 million investment round, led by Guggenheim Investments. The sports technology and analytics company has created an operating system for sport that enables organizations to consolidate and transform data from point solutions into actionable, team-specific insights with advanced analytics that guide collaborative decisions about talent strategies, performance, health and safety, and youth development.

Tencent and Epic Games confirmed that they will close down the test server for Fortnite in mainland China on November 15, 2021, more than three years after the game first started testing in China. According to Niko Partners, Fortnite was never issued a license for official release in mainland China, so it could not monetize in the country. Instead, the game has been undergoing “testing” since 2019, while Tencent waited for approval.

INDUSTRY & ROSTER MOVES

Microsoft is making its own play in the metaverse with an eye toward gaming. The company announced an integration with its office-focused Microsoft Teams software and metaverse platform Mesh, which was launched in March. Mesh creates virtual environments that people can move through as avatars and interact with “shared holographic experiences.” The integration with Teams aims to create a virtual office, complete with Microsoft’s productivity tools. CEO Satya Nadella told Bloomberg, “You can absolutely expect us to do things in gaming.”

The New England Revolution unveiled a new crest and brand identity on Thursday. It will go into effect at the club’s primary logo ahead of the 2022 Major League Soccer season. The Revolution’s new logo and identity are the culmination of several years’ work that began with hearing directly from fans. The club enlisted an independent third party to conduct focus groups consisting of New Englanders ranging from loyal Revolution supports to Boston sports fans, to elicit feedback about what professional soccer in New England should represent.

All-time tennis greats, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, will attend this month’s 2021 AKRON WTA Finals Guadalajara as Legend Ambassadors to the season-ending event running from November 10-17. The pair will join forces to share their love of the game through a series of community engagement, sponsor and media initiatives, with particular emphasis on promoting tennis in the Latin America region.

City Football Group’s global foundation program, Cityzens Giving, has teamed with Verizon to support youth-led community football and STEM education projects in four cities across the US. The new program will combine seed funding, educational tools, leadership training and mentoring to give young community football leaders in Washington DC, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Chicago the support to create their own programs, using specially adapted football games to light an interest in science, engineering, technology and mathematics among local young people.

Ed Guzman has joined ESPN’s The Undefeated as Deputy Editor for Sports. An award-winning sports editor, he has 20 years of experience in newsrooms such as The Washington Post and New York Times.

SPORTS BROADCAST JOURNAL w/David J. Halberstam

Insomniac? Baseball announcers on network TV can put you to sleep. Broadcast notes:
Halby’s Morsels: Baseball voices need some life and to share stories; Rozelle Award; New NBA voices

They didn’t come any funnier and no one was more impassioned about college football than Beano Cook. Read about this legend who built ABC college football and ESPN’s GameDay.
Beano Cook: After Iranian hostages were offered a lifetime MLB pass: “Haven’t they suffered enough?”

A profile of a New England MLB institution- Jerry Remy who passed last week – by broadcast historian, Curt Smith.
Historian Curt Smith pays tribute to Jerry Remy, Red Sox’ beloved TV analyst who passed at 68

Busy schedule as you’d expect during the first weekend of November -Here’s a complete listing of college and NFL games. Broadcast notes and announcers for every game.
NFL Week #9 CBS’ Nantz-Romo get Cleve-Cincy; Fox’ Buck-Aikman has GB-KC + Thu nite, Jets-Indy

College Week #10: Fifteen of the top-25 in action on ESPN; Yelping Gus has Ohio State at Nebraska

Happy Birthdays:
Bill-Walton-11/5- ESPN
Dana-Jacobson- 11/5-CBS
Jim –Kaat-11/7- MLB Network
Buck-Martinez-11/7-Toronto Blue Jays
Chris-Mortensen-11/7-ESPN
Lindsay-Czarniak-11-7-Fox Sports
Keith-Jones-11/8-Turner
Linda-Cohn-11/10-ESPN
Warner-Wolf-11/11-Retired NY TV anchor
Melissa-Stark-11/11-NFL Network
Jessica-Mendoza-11/11-ESPN

Sports Broadcast Journal

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ON THIS DAY in
1978: Oakland Raider’s John Madden became the 13th coach to win 100 NFL games.

IN THE KNOW
Who holds the record for most NASCAR wins? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city).

Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question
How many points is the letter “Q” worth on a plain space in Scrabble? Answer: 10. Kudos to: Rick Dascher-Warner Media Studios/Atlanta, GA; Matt Sautter-WideOrbit/Harrisburg, PA; Barb Throm-Stealth Creative/Saint Louis, MO; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/Los Angeles, CA; Andy Babb-Super League Gaming/Santa Monica, CA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank, CA.

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MANAGER, PUBLIC RELATIONS
TV ONE
SILVER SPRING, MD
Supports in managing and executing multiple communications and program promotional campaigns. Works closely with publicists and actors or on-air personalities to prioritize and maximize talent participation in PR activities and works with the Director to establish and maintain project budget parameters and timelines. 5 years related experience. Full info HERE (11/18)

DIRECTOR, BRAND COMMUNICATIONS >>
FOX SPORTS/LOS ANGELES, CA: Engaging press through creative storytelling and directly via digital and social platforms. Develop and execute social media strategy including original content, behind-the-scenes access, and creation of department-wide content calendar. Manage social following. 6+ years public relations experience in an agency, network and/or media outlet. Full info HERE (11/18)

DIRECTOR, AD SALES MARKETING >>
REELZ/NYC or ALBUQUERQUE, NM: Develop, create & execute all marketing initiatives designed to support ad sales, including upfront presentation and trade advertising. 5+ years of ad sales marketing experience in the cable industry, agency exp a plus. Full info HERE (11/17)

MANAGER, INTEGRATED SALES MARKETING
E. W. SCRIPPS COMPANY
NYC, NY
Respond to RFPs & brand briefs provided by clients. Brainstorm ideas & develop creative proposals. Pitch marketing and partnership concepts to clients & agencies. Maintain client contacts and manage client projects. 3+ yrs of Marketing/Partnerships experience for a broadcast or cable network. 1+ yrs of TV/Video production experience preferred. Full info HERE (11/16)

MEDIA BUYER
TATARI
NYC or LA
Purchase all types of TV inventory: local/national, broadcast, cable, OTT, etc. Cultivate relationships with the media industry & TV networks, at every level. Maintain daily contact & continuously update inventory pricing and availability. 3-6 years of experience with TV media-buying at all levels: local/national, remnant/upfront, cable/broadcast. Full info HERE (11/13)

SENIOR MEDIA BUYING – TEAM LEAD
TATARI
NYC or LA
Purchase all types of TV inventory: local/national, broadcast, cable, OTT, etc. Cultivate relationships with the media industry & TV networks, at every level. Maintain daily contact & continuously update inventory pricing and availability. 3-6 years of experience with TV media-buying at all levels: local/national, remnant/upfront, cable/broadcast. Full info HERE (11/13)

CLIENT SERVICES MANAGER
TATARI
NYC or LA or SAN FRANCISCO
Manage post-sales relationships for large client accounts as primary contact. Listen to clients needs, as well as identifying unknown or unmet needs. Leverage internal subject matter experts (Engineering, Data Science, etc.) to help clients prioritize and solve problems. 3-5 yrs in post-sales account management/client relationship support roles. Full info HERE (11/13)

CLIENT SERVICES, TEAM MANAGER
TATARI
NYC or LA or SAN FRANCISCO
Manage a small team of CSMs, including onboarding, mentoring, & providing guidance on client management. Develop the CSMs’ career path internally. Manage post-sales relationships for a handful of client. Listen to clients needs, as well as identifying unknown or unmet needs. 8+ yrs in post-sales account management/client relationship support roles. Full info HERE (11/13)

SPECIALIST, PROGRAMMING
MLB NETWORK
SECAUCUS, NJ
Enter program scheduling information into SIMS programming software for both MLB and NHL Networks. Manage reporting functions of scheduling software to create & distribute appropriate planning and customized reporting. Screen all taped non-quick turn programming prior to premiere. A min of 3 to 5 yrs’ experience or related business experience req. Full info HERE (11/12)

AD SALES PLANNER
OVATION
NYC, REMOTE
Seeking organized, motivated candidate to join our linear/CTV sales team. Develop proposals, allocate inventory, steward existing business. Strong communication skills, proficiency in MSExcel and 2 years applicable experience desired. IAB training opportunity included in development for the position. Full info HERE (11/12)

PLANNER, AD SALES
TV ONE
NYC, NY
Create Upfront/Scatter media plans. Prepare Pre & Post Analysis. Account stewardship: Monitor performance of media schedule and assign ADU. Actively track and arrange liability schedules. Update/Maintain/Validate internal reporting. Prior Sales and/or Media Planning experience strongly preferred. Full info HERE (11/11)

SR. ANALYST, RESEARCH
TV ONE
NYC, NY
Analyze, interpret & craft stories on viewing patterns, national & local markets, potential programming acquisitions & competitors; detecting & illustrating trends. Create, design & supervise all research daily, weekly, monthly & quarterly reports, efficiently. BA/BS degree and 2+ years research experience at a media company, agency or advertiser. Full info HERE (11/11)

SALES PLANNER
UP tv
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Work with advertising agency contacts & other advertising sales personnel to ensure that administration aspects of accounts are in order. Build, revise and maintain all sales proposals for AEs. Assist in the compilation & enhancement of upfront and scatter pricing and planning tools: reweight charts, pricing guide, etc. 1+ years related cable exp. Full info HERE (11/10)

ACCOUNT MANAGER
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Responsible for pre-sale planning and post-sale management & execution. Working closely with operations & sales on trafficking & QA for ad campaigns including scheduling, inventory requests, and production timelines. Helping sales and marketing put together pitch decks for client meetings and formal RFPs. 2-5 yrs prior exp. in the advertising/media. Full info HERE (11/10)

SENIOR SOLUTIONS CONSULTANT >>
TVSquared/NYC, REMOTE: You’ll be a part of our global and nurturing team and have regular contact with your international counterparts. You will work closely with Product, Marketing and Sales teams. The ideal candidate will work well under pressure and be able to easily adapt to new circumstances in a dynamic and demanding work environment. Full info HERE (11/10)

SOLUTIONS ANALYST >>
TVSquared/NYC, REMOTE: The role is a hybrid of product support and basic client-facing consultancy. You will ensure that our clients are brought on board successfully and have ongoing success with the TVSquared platform. This is a fantastic role for a junior candidate interested in progressing their career within a rapidly growing global tech company. Full info HERE (11/10)

MANAGER, CONSUMER MARKETING
A+E NETWORKS
NYC, NY
Crafting and implement communication plans and marketing strategies across paid and emerging media platforms for the History Channel. Experience working with consumer marketing and creative groups with media agencies and data/analytics. 3+ years experience in the entertainment industry, ideally TV networks. Full info HERE (11/9)

DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP AND INDIVIDUAL GIVING
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PITTSBURGH, PA
Assist President & CEO in the development and implementation of a comprehensive corporate sponsorship strategy. Analyze trends in corporate sponsorship and philanthropic giving. Identify corporate sponsorship programs nation-wide whose giving priorities align with our mission. 5 to 10 years of experience in sponsorships, sales, or advertising. Full info HERE (11/9)

DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS ASSOC
LONG STORY SHORT MEDIA
WASHINGTON, DC
Writer for social media and short-form content, project managing, and gathering data and analytics that inform digital content strategy. Ideal candidates will be able to think about content across the multimedia spectrum. Full Info HERE (11/9)

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT >>
LONG STORY SHORT MEDIA/WASHINGTON, DC: Support all around production needs, responsible for executing multiple tasks from project conception to finalization. Excellent opportunity for a go getter to participate in all aspects of production. Full Info HERE (11/9)

SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER >>
BLUE ANT MEDIA/CA, NY, MARYLAND or MIAMI: Develop sales materials and plan pitches to platforms and affiliates. Key account management and new account development. Present carriage and distribution opportunities to clients and negotiate deals under the supervision of the SVP, Latin America & U.S. Channel Distribution. Minimum of 3-5 years of sales and marketing experience. Full Info HERE (11/8)

MEDIA TRAFFIC ASSISTANT
CIRCLE MEDIA
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Perform a variety of administrative tasks & should have experience with data entry background & attention to detail. Broadcast or Radio Traffic experience, & a bachelor’s degree in a related field preferred. Wide Orbit or related program & Microsoft office expertise is a plus. B.A. Degree or equivalent, preferable w/a marketing or business focus. Full info HERE (11/8)

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTANT
CIRCLE MEDIA
NASHVILLE TN
Performs daily and monthly accounting and control procedures in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) including reconciliation of systems, month-end close, intercompany transactions, journal entries, and accruals. Financial accounting background and experience in television or network broadcasting, linear & OTT platforms. Full info HERE (11/8)

CONTENT EDITOR-MOTION GRAPHICS
CIRCLE MEDIA
NASHVILLE TN
Responsible for editing a variety of content, including but not limited to: acquired and original programming, network promos and graphics. Experience with Adobe editing suite and Motion graphics is a must. Create original programming for the linear network, AVOD platforms and social media as needed. Min of 2 yrs exp in broadcast/digital editing. Full info HERE (11/8)

MANAGER OF BRAND COMMUNICATIONS >>
FOX SPORTS/LOS ANGELES, CA: Communicate with outside voices, media, and other influencers to raise the profile of FOX Sports, its programming, executives & talent – garnering press coverage, securing speaking opportunities and conference participation to raise brand awareness. Full info HERE (11/7)

ACCOUNT MANAGER – ADVANCED TV >>
VEVO/NY, NY: Provide expertise on Vevo capabilities, products & offerings across programmatic & CTV. Shape new capabilities, strategies, products & partnerships across the exploding programmatic ecosystem. Understand marketplace trends to grow incremental revenue streams. Full info HERE (11/7)

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, SALES >>
VEVO/CHICAGO, IL: Develop, grow & manage local/regional book of business throughout the Midwest. Forecast/track/report sales performance, including budget, dates & probability to close. Full info HERE (11/7)

MANAGER, AD OPERATIONS >>
VEVO/CHICAGO, IL: Manage & drive development of Chicago Ad Operations team. Ensure successful campaign implementation and performance & proactively think about potential roadblocks to meeting campaign performance goals. Full info HERE (11/6)

SENIOR ANALYST, TV AUDIENCE RESEARCH
E.W. SCRIPPS COMPANY
ATLANTA, NYC
Report & evaluate existing metrics, develop new metrics and reports, & provide strategic recommendations to assist with driving decision-making & measuring performance for key stakeholders. Perform analyses for network programming & competitive analysis for programs on other networks. Minimum 3+ yrs Media and/or TV audience research experience. Full info HERE (11/6)

SENIOR MANAGER OF PROMO PLANNING AND STRATEGY >>
FOX SPORTS/LOS ANGELES, CA: Responsible for strategy & scheduling of all Sports promotional content, including promo spots & graphic elements. Accountable for maintaining reporting database of FOX Sports contractual & Marketing Promo Priorities. Collaborate with In-Game team members to strategically schedule in-game elements for all broadcast sporting events. Full info HERE (11/5)

LEAD MOTION GRAPHICS DESIGNER >>
MARQUEE SPORTS/CHICAGO: Lead graphics efforts to elevate sports viewing experience across multiple platforms. Design work for live television events and programs, advertiser features, brand marketing efforts and more. Experience as a motion graphics designer or animator at a media company, sports property, brand, or agency. Full info HERE (11/5)