| Electronic Arts, the National Hockey League and the NHL Players’ Association announced a multi-year partnership renewal. The new agreement allows EA SPORTS to accelerate authentic and innovative hockey simulation experiences for millions of players worldwide for years to come. “We are thrilled to accelerate fun hockey experiences for years to come, pushing the industry forward with our long-time NHL and NHLPA partners,” said Cam Weber, Executive Vice President & Group GM, EA SPORTS. “The EA SPORTS NHL franchise these past 30 years has become synonymous with hockey culture, and this extension will ensure it remains at the forefront of connecting millions of fans around the world to the sports through interactive entertainment.”
PROGRAMMING
NBC Sports’ “Big Event Weekend” kicks off Friday, November 6 at 12p with Premiere League Live on Peacock Premium, followed by Brighton & Hove Albion v. Burnley at 12:30p. Then, at 3p, fifth-place Southampton, unbeaten in their last five matches, host Newcastle.
On Saturday, November 7, The Breeders’ Cup Classic airs at 2:30p on NBC. Then the No. 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-0) host the country’s top team, the Clemson Tigers (8-0), at 7:30p on NBC. Preceding the game, a two-part Countdown to Kickoff airs from 5:30-6p, resuming at 7p with Countdown to Kickoff Presented by Salesforce.com. Plus, Christian Pulisic Hopes to return from Injury as Chelsea host Sheffield United at 12:30p on NBC and Universo.
The NFL’s all-time leading passers in touchdowns, yards and completions meet this weekend, when Tom Brady and the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) host Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints (5-2) on NBC’s Sunday Night Football on November 8. Coverage begins at 7p with Football Night in America, followed by kickoff at 8:20p.
Also, on Sunday, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Championship will be decided at Phoenix Raceway, with NASCAR America pre-race coverage beginning at 1:30p on NBC. A special hour-long edition of Countdown to Green airs at 2p, leading into the start of the race at 3p.
Over at Peacock Premium, it’s a battle of champions on Sunday, November 8 at 11:30a. Mohamed Salah and defending champions Liverpool compete against Manchester City, Premier League champions the prior two seasons.
Telemundo Deportes continues exclusive coverage of Chivas de Guadalajara home matches with the final matchday of the LigaMX Guard1anes 2020 tournament on Saturday, November 7. Futbol Estelar Chivas Extra pre-game show airs at 5p on Universo. The live match broadcast of Chivas-Monterrey kicks off at 5:55p on Telemundo with simultaneous coverage on TelemundoDeportes.com and the Telemundo Deportes App. Afterwards, there will be additional commentary and analysis in the Futbol Estelar Chivas Extra post-game show on Universo.
ESPN and ESPN+ will offer golf fans expanded coverage of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. ESPN will televise live play of the first and second rounds from 1-5:30p on Thursday, November 12 and Friday, November 13. Expanding the coverage this year will be additional live streams on EPSN+, including exclusive two-hour programs as 12p on Tuesday, November 10 and Wednesday, November 11, with Wednesday’s program also airing on ESPN. Also, viewers will be able to watch Featured Holes coverage on ESPN+ on Holes 4, 5 and 6, marking the first time these holes have ever been highlighted for special coverage. Live streaming coverage will also include Amen Corner, Holes 15 and 1 6 and Featured Groups during Tournament play. In addition, SportsCenter will have dedicated coverage from Masters all week.
The second season of Off the Mound with Ryan Dempster presented by SLOAN premieres on Marquee Sports Network on Friday, November 6 at 10p. The half-hour talk show features conversations with MLB stars past and present, actors, musicians and comedians. Joining Dempster for the first show will be 2016 World Series Champion and current Cubs manager David Ross.
Last Saturday’s pay-per-view fight, featuring Gervonta Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz, will air on Showtime, Saturday, November 7 at 9p. The event’s co-feature, Mario Barrios vs. Ryan Karl, will also be part of the broadcast.
Pac-12 Networks has revamped its Saturday night coverage with a reimagining of Pac-12 After Dark presented by 76. The brand-new postgame show premieres Saturday, November 7 at 8p. Host Ashley Adamson and lead analyst Yogi Roth will be joined by Pac-12 Networks analysts Nigel Burton and Evan Moore, along with special appearances from Nick Aliotti and others, to break down the action and provide analysis and reactions for every game.
Top gymnasts from the U.S., Japan, China and Russia will take part in the FIG Friendship and Solidarity Competition live from Tokyo on Saturday, November 7 at 11p. The event, which features two mixed-gender teams – Team Friendship and Team Solidarity, can be watched live on Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, with an encore airing Sunday, November 8 at 5p on NBCSN. |
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Cynopsis’ Best of The Best Awards
Category Focus: Kids & Family
The attention span of the younger audience is elusive and harder than ever to capture and keep! Which is why Cynopsis is thrilled to honor the breakthrough campaigns and innovative content in the kids, tween and teen media sector. These are the companies that are ahead of the curve and manage to thrive with this tough (but fun) demographic.
VIEW CATEGORIES ENTER BY 11/19 |
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| SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTION
Major League Soccer and JLab Audio announced a multi-year partnership extension, designating JLab as the official audio and microphone partner of the League, as well as eMLS, MLS’ competitive EA SPORTS FIFA League. The deal features product integration across MLS studio shows and entertainment systems at MLS events, and digital, video and content brand integrations, in-stadium exposure and more. The celebrate the partnership, JLab has also offered fans ultimate experience packages and prizes. “Through Major League Soccer’s partnership with JLab, we have merged sports and technology to deliver enhanced experiences and premium products to our fans and players,” said Jen Cramer, MLS SVP of Partnership Marketing. “We are excited to extend our partnership with JLab and we look forward to having their technology at our events for many years to come.”
DIGITAL, DATA & TECH
FloWrestling: Jordan Burroughs vs Zahid Valencia will stream live Saturday, November 14 at 8p on digital platform FloWrestling. It’s part of FloSports’ competition event that will feature a diverse lineup of world class wrestling athletes, including Anthony Echemendia, Kayla Miracle, Ana Godinez, Kyven Gadson and more. It marks the first competitive appearance for Burroughs in 8 months.
Netmarble is offering a virtual panel and presentation livestream for its cross-genre mobile experience A3: STILL ALIVE on November 10 at 10a on Twitch, Facebook and YouTube. It will be hosted by Geoff Keighley, founder and host of The Game Awards, with participating talent like Cynicalex, Lex Gaming, Powerbang and Kairos Time.
College sports fans across the U.S. can gear up for The Fan Exam presented by Unilever, a live national trivia game show with Learfield IMG College and Sidearm Sports. Mike Golic, a sports media personality and ESPN college football analyst, will host the interactive game, which debuts Tuesday, November 10 at 8p. The live game show is free to play and be accessed via TheFanExam.com or through a dedicated entry point on the official athletics website or mobile app of their school of choice.
ESPORTS
USA Basketball has invited 30 of the top NBA 2K players to try out for the USA Basketball E-National Team. Trials will be held virtually November 7-8 and will be used to hep select a national team to represent the United States at the FIBA Esports Open II in the North and Central American Conference December 19-20. The USA team will be a mixed-gender squad of seven players, that will compete against other teams from Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras and Puerto Rico for a conference championship. To be eligible to compete, gamers must be U.S. citizens who are at least 16-years-old and have a minimum My Career Character rating of 95.
Electronic Arts and UFC secured a multi-year renewal of their partnership to continue to deliver authentic and innovative martial arts games. The pact comes as the world is playing and watching more EA SPORTS UFC and MMA fandom continues to grow. “We’re thrilled to extend our more than 10-year partnership with the UFC as we continue to build one of the fastest growing sports franchises in the world, based on the rapidly expanding sport of MMA,” said Cam Weber, Executive Vice President & Group GM, EA Sports. “This agreement will allow us to push the creative boundaries of mixed martial arts video games and connect millions more around the world to the culture of the sport.”
WWE Undefeated will be released worldwide on Thursday, December 3 for iOS and Android devices. Developed by nWay, the latest WWE Mobile game features quick-session matches designed for mobile devices, set against exotic backdrops from around the world. Players can compete head-to-head in real-time with live opponents, while experiencing the action, signature moves and Superstars and Legends synonymous with WWE.
DRAGON QUEST XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition with a downloadable demo is now available on Playstation 4, Xbox One, Windows 10 and PC. It showcases new features and quality of life improvements specific to the Definitive Edition, including the ability to speed up battles, Japanese and English audio, a symphonic soundtrack and a photo mode to capture vistas as you roam the landscape.
Guild Esports struck a consulting agreement with Duncan “Thorin” Shields to develop a Counter Strike: Global Offensive team. An esports journalist who has covered the industry since 2001, Thorin has reported, casted and presented CS:GO competition for many years. He announced the news on Twitter, saying “Guild Esports made a splash with their initial announcement and I’m pleased to announce that as they look to enter the Counter-Strike space, where I have been deeply embedded for decades, I have agreed to a consulting partnership with them.”
Season 1 of Ferrari Hublot Exports Series is set to enter its final stages. On Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7, the 24 drivers who qualified through the PRO and AM Series Championships will have the opportunity to go head-to-head in three races on the Mugello, Nordschleife and Monza circuits played out in Assetto Corsa, developed by Kunos Simulazioni.
Square Enix has revealed “Expeditions,” the post-campaign content for Outriders, the RPG-Shooter from People Can Fly and Square Enix External Studio. “Expeditions expand on the story of the Outriders campaign and features the toughest challenges in the game. They’re meant to be played with a team of skilled and coordinated Outriders,” said Bartek Kmita, Creative Director of Outriders at People Can Fly. “Powerful equipment and efficient character builds, along with true skill and mastery over your class, are necessary to succeed and reach the highest levels of Expeditions.” Outriders will release on PlayStations5, PlayStations4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox one, and PC on February 2, 2021 and Google Stadia later in 2021.
INDUSTRY & ROSTER MOVES
The preseason All-Pac-12 team has been announced ahead of the 2020 season. Representation on the First Team was again nearly split evenly between the North Division (13) and South Division (12). USC led the way with six student-athletes among First Team selections, followed by Oregon with four and Washington State with three. Among the other highlights: offensive skill positions were led by USC with QB Kedon Slovis earning First Team on 17-of22 ballots, and a pair of First Teams WRs in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tyler Vaughns; Oregon RB CJ Verdell also appeared on First Team selections 17 times, while Utah TE Brant Kuithe led all offensive players with First Team on 19-of-22 ballots; and Washington State’s Max Borghi was the only player to earn multiple nods by collecting First Team accolades at both RB and AP. Defensive selections were anchored by Oregon DL Kayvon Thibodeaux and Washington DB Elijah Molden, who both led all honorees as First Team on 21-of-22 ballots, along with Oregon State LB Hamilcar Rashed Jr., a First Team choice on 20 ballots.
Chicago NISA announced that its application for a National Independent Soccer Association team has been approved. The club lead by veteran soccer executive Peter Wilt, who co-founded NISA in 2017, will begin plan in the 2021 fall season. Chicago NISA also introduced Bruce Merivale-Austin as its primary team owner and Night Train Veeck as its Chief Operating Officer, launched its website, and requested submissions for its team name and volunteers to participate as a fan advisory group.
“This is a very exciting day for people who care about soccer in Chicago,” said Wilt. “We look forward to working with Chicagoans to build an organization that will share their values, be transparent, diverse, equitable and inclusive.”
Joe Pierce was named Senior Vice President and general counsel for AMB Sports and Entertainment, assuming the new role in December 2020. He joins from Hornet Sports and Entertainment, where he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer.
SPORTS BROADCAST JOURNAL w/David J. Halberstam
Sports Broadcast Journal
The field for the baseball Hall of Fame’s coveted Ford Frick Award was announced this week. Under the Hall’s cycle, a network voice will be selected this time. The eight nominees include Al Michaels, Joe Buck, Dizzy Dean and Dan Shulman. See the full list and thumbnail profiles.
It’s time to vote! Baseball HOF lists 8 star-studded voices on the ballot of the 2021 Ford Frick Award
Bill Mazer, the Amazin’, was a New York radio and TV icon. He would have turned 100 this week. He also worked nationally for CBS Sports. You’ll enjoy this profile.
4th in a series; Announcers born 100 years ago: The Amazin’ Bill Mazer, a New York TV and radio fixture
With the Pac-12 and Mid-American Conference beginning their abbreviated season, college football will have its busiest schedule to date this weekend. Two games this Saturday have already been postponed. Still a ton to watch and enjoy including #1 Clemson vs. #3 Notre Dame. See all times, networks, talent and notes.
Week #10, College Football: It’s a full schedule; Pac-12 and Mid-American Conference are back
The NFL has 14 games this weekend. Four teams have byes. Here’s the full schedule. It includes, notes, announcers, times, networks and the markets carrying each of the Sunday afternoon regional games on Fox and CBS.
NFL Week #9: NBC’s SNF takes spotlight, Brees and Brady, New Orleans at Tampa Bay
Happy Birthdays:
Jim Kaat, 11/7 MLB Network
Buck Martinez 11/7 Toronto Blue Jays TV
Chris Mortensen 11/7 ESPN, NFL reporter
Jerry Remy 11/8 Red Sox TV
Keith Jones 11/8 NBC, NHL analyst
Linda Cohn 11/10 ESPN anchor
Warner Wolf 11/10 Retired NY TV anchor+
Melissa Stark 11/11 NFL Network
Al Michaels 11/12 NBC, NFL play-by-play |
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HONOREES + FINALISTS ANNOUNCED!
CYNOPSIS DIGITAL AWARDS
Tuesday, December 1st at 1pm / Register for Free
Join us as Digital Model D and Adtech winners are announced and “It List” honorees are celebrated for the ultimate (virtual) gathering of the industry’s best & brightest! We promise it’ll be fun
MODEL D FINALISTS ADTECH FINALISTS IT LIST HONOREES |
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On this Day
1956: Netherlands and Spain withdrew from the Olympics in protest against Soviet actions in the Hungarian Revolution.
IN THE KNOW
Who was the first rookie quarterback to surpass 3,500 passing yards and throw fewer than five interceptions? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city).
Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question
Who was the only college football player to win the Heisman Trophy twice? Answer: Archie Griffin. Kudos to: Ken Nice-TeamPeople/Falls Church, VA; Art Salisch/Nielsen, NJ; Bob Dudelson-Leverage Agency/NYC; Robert Tombs-Comcast/Bloomfield, NJ; Roger Furman-Sports Marketing Communications/Greentown, PA; Michael Goodman-Radio One/Atlanta, GA; Mike Seidel-CSI Sports/Jersey City, NJ; Aymon DeMauro-ADM Media & Marketing/NYC; Matt Sautter-WideOrbit/Harrisburg, PA; Michael Ritz-Lenox Advisors/NYC; Peter Gautieri-A&E Networks/NYC; Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton, FL; Rick Ramage-UTA/Bedford, NY; John Lappas Home Team Sports/NYC; Mark Lehman-Braves/Atlanta, GA; Mike May-R2 Innovative |
DIRECTOR, OWNED MEDIA
A+E NETWORKS
NYC
SME within the Consumer Mktg & Media team. You will develop and manage owned media strategy for the LIFETIME/LMN brands. Partner with Planning, Digital Media and On-Air Scheduling teams. 7yrs exp managing Owned Media within an Entertainment firm with deep knowledge of entertainment landscape, including competitive set and non-linear platform. Full info HERE (11/20)
MANAGER, BRAND MARKETING & STRATEGIC PLANNING >>
NICKELODEON/NY, NY: Hardworking, pro-active and inquisitive Mgr for a newly formed Brand Mktg and Strategy team at Nickelodeon. This role will aid in defining Nickelodeon’s brand mission/values as well as Mktg efforts across series, brand, platforms, emerging media and more. Min 5yrs exp in consumer strategy, digital, mktg or media. Full info HERE (11/19)
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT >>
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME/REMOTE: Seeking motivated individual responsible for the creation of a WBHOF donor base that will increase donations through donor relationships, contributions, capital campaigns and ongoing fundraising efforts. Proven track record with min 5yrs exp managing/forging relationships with multiple donor sources. Full info HERE (11/19)
SOCIAL MEDIA ASSOC PRODUCER >>
JUMA ENTERTAINMENT/Remote: Looking for creative and highly motivated individual to access and clear videos for network prime time clip series. Must possess a love of TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and be able to navigate platforms. Full info HERE (11/18)
CONTENT CURATOR >>
A+E NETWORKS/REMOTE: Skilled/detailed oriented Curation and/or Operations professional who is passionate and knowledgeable about digital media curation, metadata and dist of content to 3rd Party aggregators. You will Curate A+E owned media content using internal media asset management tool. Quick learner with a min 2 yrs’ exp in video media operations. Full info HERE (11/18)
SR. DESIGNER >>
NBCUNIVERSAL OWNED STATIONS & AFFILIATE RELATIONS/DALLAS-FORT WORTH: The Arthouse, NBCUniversal’s Owned Stations’/Telemundo Stations’ internal design team who supports newscasts is seeking a Sr. Designer with a broadcast design background, solid conceptual skills and 3D expertise. Min 4yrs exp, must be able to work on individual assign and team projects. Full info HERE (11/17)
COMMERCIAL, SYSTEMS INTEGRATION LEADER >>
ION MEDIA NETWORKS/NY, NY, CLEARWATER OR W PALM BEACH, FL: Resp for the assessment, design, implementation, and interconnectedness of key business applications. Must be technically proficient, and disciplined in project mgmt. and be able to work with multiple clients/users/stakeholders to meet their requirements. 10 yrs exp in Systems Ops, Process Diagnostics and Implementation. Full info HERE (11/17)
SALES PLANNER >>
JUKIN MEDIA/NEW YORK, NY:Seeking an individual who can combine creativity and strategy with a deep understanding of the digital media sales process. Must be able to work with clients, with a min of 2 yrs in advertising/media and a proven track record of building strong client relationships. Full info HERE (11/16)
VP, SCRIPTED SALES & CO-PRODUCTIONS >>
BBC STUDIOS/LA, CA: Resp for managing sales/co-prod activity in the fiction genres, with clients across both TV/digital. Need to deliver against a stretching bus plan and budget, maximizing the BBC Studios Catalogue through licensing and co-producing programme rights in the US for TV/VOD. 5yrs exp in programme dist, with an understanding of the UK TV industry. Full info HERE (11/16)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER >>
Newsmax Media/NYC: Responsible for designing and building shows, managing show hosts and production team, identifying and integrating guests, overseeing and executing the production of key video & graphic elements. 3+ yrs EP exp or political news & talk programming. Full info HERE (11/15)
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER >>
Newsmax Media/NYC: Write for fast paced news and opinion show. You are an exceptional storyteller with a command of political news and cultural trends. At least 3 years of national or large market local news experience. Full info HERE (11/15)
SENIOR LINE PRODUCER >>
Newsmax Media/NYC: Responsible for the production and execution of live political news programming, and recorded video segments for television, and digital platforms. 3+ yrs experience line producing. Full info HERE (11/14)
PRODUCER >>
Newsmax Media/NYC: Responsible for the production of live news & talk show, and recorded video segments for television, and digital platforms. 3+ yrs in TV news and/or talk production. Full info HERE (11/14)
MANAGER, RESEARCH DIGITAL/ON-AIR MAGNOLIA >>
DISCOVERY INC./NEW YORK, KNOXVILLE: Strong strategic & data-oriented individual to partner on new Magnolia Network & oversee research and performance analytics to optimize Magnolia’s linear & digital presence. 5+ yrs analytics exp req’d. Full info HERE (11/13)
SOCIAL MEDIA ASSOC PRODUCER >>
JUMA ENTERTAINMENT/Remote: Looking for creative and highly motivated individual to access and clear videos for network prime time clip series. Must possess a love of TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and be able to navigate platforms. Full info HERE (11/13)
REPORTER >>
Newsmax Media/Washington D.C.: Seeking proven on-air reporter, in possession of an already-developed contact list, including many “who’s who” leaders in Congress, and related government agencies. Min 3yrs exp with outstanding writing/production skills. Full info HERE (11/12)
MANAGER, PROGRAMMING ANALYTICS >>
CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS/STAMFORD, CT: Resp for accessing and leveraging internal/external data, as well as building models to support Charter’s various business grps (Programming Acquisition, Original Content, Spectrum Nets, Mktg, Product, etc.) on critical initiatives and decisions. Min 5 yrs exp in data modeling and analytics. Full info HERE (11/12)
VP, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS >>
AMERICAN PUBLIC TELEVISION/BOSTON, MA: Public media leader seeks VP to promote APT brands, impact, marketing strategies, diverse content & engage audiences. Min 10 yrs experience. APT is EOE. Full info HERE. (11/11)
DIR, LIVE ACTION & UNSCRIPTED SERIES MKTG >>
Nickelodeon/NYC, NY: Ideal candidate will lead a team of mktg and campaign mngrs in all aspects of marketing across all platforms in support of Nickelodeon series and content. Min 8 yrs exp in marketing, media or a consumer strategy position. Full info HERE (11/11)
DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER – COUNTER LOGIC GAMING (CLG) >>
Counter Logic Gaming/Madison Square Garden Sports/LA, CA: Counter Logic Gaming is looking for someone to lead the digital mktg team, with a focus on digital content and social media. Resp for creating/executing all CLG digital/content strat across all social/streaming platforms. Min 5 yrs of digital/mktg exp. Full info HERE (11/11) |
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