12/19/17: John Skipper steps down as ESPN president

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM CBS SPORTS NETWORK

GENO AURIEMMA CHASING 1,000^TH WIN

#1 UConn vs. Oklahoma

Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase

Tonight 7:00 PM ET

CBS SPORTS NETWORK

The 24-hour home of CBS Sports

CBSSportsNetwork.com

CynopsisSports

Good morning. It’s Tuesday December 19, 2017 and this is your first early morning Sports briefing. The week of December 18, Cynopsis Sports will publish on Tuesday, December 19 and Thursday, December 21. We will not publish the week of December 25, and will be back bright and early Tuesday, January 2.

John Skipper has stepped down as president of ESPN to seek help for a substance addiction problem that he said he’s struggled with for many years. “I have decided that the most important thing I can do right now is to take care of my problem,” said Skipper, adding that his public disclosure comes with “embarrassment, trepidation and a feeling of having let others I care about down.”

After Skipper disclosed his decision to ESPN, the two sides mutually agreed that it was appropriate that he resign. Former ESPN President and Executive Chairman George Bodenheimer (who was with the company from 1981-2014) will serve as acting chairman for the next 90 days and oversee the transition process.

ON THE AIR

The New England Patriots’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 4:25 p.m. window on Sunday afternoon scored the highest rating of the 2017 NFL season on any network. The game drew a rating/share of 17/32 on CBS, up 8 percent over last year’s comparable game. It was the highest-rated regular season game telecast on CBS since 2015.

The Sunday night NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders helped NBC easily lead the way in primetime viewership, posting a 12.3/21 overnight rating. With the Cowboys’ 20-17 victory coming down to the final seconds, ratings peaked to 13.4/27 for the game’s conclusion just before midnight.

The Pac-12 will soon have a radio channel dedicated to coverage of the conference, pairing up with SiriusXM to create the SiriusXM Pac-12 Radio channel. The channel will provide 24-7 programming for fans across the country that delivers news with a Pac-12 focus, live conference games, college coaches’ shows and original talk programming that includes live call-in shows. SiriusXM Pac-12 Radio will launch in early 2018 and will be available to SiriusXM subscribers.

Similarly, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and SiriusXM are partnering to launch SiriusXM ACC Radio, an exclusive audio channel dedicated to that league, in 2018.

Eleven Sports has teamed with Univision Communications to showcase the next generation of soccer talent at a global youth tournament (boys 12-and-under) called the Prospect Cup, which involves eight U.S. teams playing eight international teams. Eleven Sports is airing 22 of 28 games at the Prospect Cup, which is being played at the ChampionsGate Sports Field Complex at the Omni Orlando Resort in Kissimmee, Florida.

NBCSN started its second year of KFC Big Bash League cricket coverage today with a game between Sydney rivals, the first of 10 BBL matches that will receive live coverage during the 2017-18 season. NBCSN will also air encore presentations of all regular-season matches and live streaming will be provided via NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Tomorrow is Deadline Day!

The 4^th Annual Cynopsis Social Good Awards

Cynopsis Social Good Awards honors those civic-minded professionals who find a way to utilize the media industry as a tool for social good. We’re honoring everything from sustainability partnerships and PSA’s, to diversity campaigns, environmental initiatives, and more (check out our full list of categories here). You’ve already done the hard work to improve our community – the submission process is the easy part!

ENTER HERE

SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTION

The NBA next year will introduce a first-of-its-kind youth basketball tournament for the top boys and girls teams, ages 14 and under, from around the world. The Jr. NBA World Championship will be played Aug. 7-12, 2018 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando. A total of 16 regional champions (eight U.S. teams and eight international squads) will receive all-expenses-paid trips to the event, which NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said represents “another significant step” in the league’s effort to promote youth basketball globally.

WWE owner Vince McMahon is looking into starting another professional football league. McMahon, who in 2001 started the short-lived XFL, is personally funding a separate entity from WWE – Alpha Entertainment – to explore investment opportunities in sports and entertainment, including football. A joint venture between the WWE and NBC, the XFL lasted just one season before NBC canceled its TV contract.

LL Cool J has been confirmed as host of the CBS special ‘MVP: Most Valuable Performer,’ which will air Jan. 25 and feature NFL players whose teams have been eliminated from the playoffs. Jonathan Stewart, AJ Green and Ameer Abdullah are among those who have submitted their talent auditions that include skills and passions such as singing, juggling, magic, archery and more. A fan vote will determine which players will compete in the live one-hour special.

Speedskater J.R. Celski, a three-time Olympic medalist, has signed an endorsement deal to promote Core Power’s high protein milkshakes in concert with the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea.

The NHL’s Las Vegas Golden Knights have started a program, VGK University, which allows hockey fans to experience five film sessions with vice president Murray Craven and director of hockey operations Misha Donskov. The Golden Knights quickly sold out the first 50 spots for the fan-engagement program, which was designed to provide a deeper appreciation for the game, the Las Vegas Sun reported.

DIGITAL & STREAMING

NBC will stream Sunday Night Football games on all mobile devices starting next season, most notably acquiring the rights from the National Football League to stream to mobile phones for the first time. The agreement also allows NBCUniversal to extend those authenticated streaming rights to its cable, satellite and telco partners, as well as virtual multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs). NBC also broadcasts and streams Thursday Night Football.

ESPORTS

Professional poker player Fedor Holz has invested in Envy Gaming, Inc., the parent company of TeamEnvyUs and their Overwatch League brand, the Dallas Fuel, according to esportsinsider.com. Holz, 24, is the highest-earning German poker player in history, with almost $27 million in winnings over the past five years.

Minkonet, a Seoul-based gaming technology company, has partnered with PUBG Corp. to deliver 3D replay functionality in the online game, “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.” A 360-degree data capture technology powers the 3D replay and Killcam features that will enhance gameplay and discourage cheating in PUBG’s upcoming PC 1.0 release.

Competitive gaming is coming to movie theaters around the U.S. thanks to a partnership between Coke ESports and Hi-Rez Studios. The SMITE World Championship finals will be held Sunday, Jan. 7, and those experiencing the esports action live at a participating theater location will also get exclusive SMITE prizes from Hi-Rez Studios.

ROSTER MOVES

Andrew Lustgarten has been promoted to president of The Madison Square Garden Company and will oversee MSG’s entertainment and sports bookings and productions businesses, as well as all aspects of the business operators of the company’s professional sports franchises (including the Knicks, Rangers and Liberty). Lustgarten joined MSG in 2014 as executive vice president of corporate development and strategy, helping to drive MSG’s growth initiatives and expand the portfolio of live experiences.

THE MAIN EVENT

Cleveland Cavaliers at Milwaukee Bucks, at 8:00p on NBA TV

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

How well do you know your audience?

Getting Maximum Impact from Experiential Marketing

Tuesday, January 30 | 1:30-3:00pm ET

In Cynopsis latest webinar, you’ll learn how to incorporate AI and VR to better understand your audience – where they are, and how they want to engage. Our expert panel will also cover the latest metrics for measuring success, including data points and tracking, that can be adapted for clients across industries. Get to know your audience and discover the potential in experiential marketing.

ON THIS DAY in 1988: The Seattle Seahawks won their first ever division title with a 9-7 record.

In the Know: Who was the last running back to lead the NFL in rushing yardage two years in a row? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city.)

Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question: When was the last time Army won college football’s Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy before this year? Answer: 1996. Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Deerfield Beach, FL

Later – Chris

Chris Pursell @VegasandVine
Roberta Caploe Publisher @robertacaploe	Diane K Schwartz Senior Vice President Media Communications Group	Cynopsis Ad Sales Mike Farina \| 203-218-6480 VP, Sales	Cynopsis Job Listings Sales Trish Pihonak \| 203-899-8459 Director of Operations

CYNOPSISJOBS – For More jobs, please visit Cynopsis.com

JOB OF THE DAY

SEGMENT PRODUCER
MSNBC The 11th Hour
NYC

Produce and write segments for The 11th Hour with Brian Williams. Must have at least 3 yrs of exp in live TV. 3 yrs in both tape and desktop editing. Thorough kwldg of American politics/history.

Full info/applyHERE

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR, SPONSORSHIP SALES/ESL/Burbank: Largest eSports co searching for candidate to work ind but be collaborative finding new leads thru outreach strategically targeting corps; Sched meetings; help dvlp integrated mktg solutions. Min 5yrs sponsorship sales, Sports mktg/media sales pref’d. Full info/apply HERE (1/6)

JOB OPENING: ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE/ESL/NYC: Largest eSports co searching for candidate to Utilize creative & traditional outreach to drive sponsorship revenue growth. Mng sales pipeline through Capsule CRM 2 yrs of Consumer mktg &/or retail sales promotion exp is req’d. Sports mktg/media sales pref’d. Full info/apply HERE (1/6)

JOB OPENING: SR MEDIA PLANNER/DCMN/NYC: Resp for assigned clients & their mktg campaigns focus on performance-driven TV campaigns. Interpretation of campaign results & ability to explain them to clients & discuss results w/them on advanced level. 4 yrs working exp Digital Mktg and/or DRTV. Full info/apply HERE (12/23)

JOB OPENING: OPERATIONS COORDINATOR/Paramount Network/NYC: Mng delivery of final promos to ntwks operations center for nat’l brdcst. Resp for final QC of content before air & assigning ISCI codes for delivery. Exp working in post prod facility dealing w/tech specifications & communicating w/tech support. Resume HERE (12/23)

JOB OPENING: ASSOCIATE BOOKING PRODUCER/MSNBC Meet The Press Daily/DC: Book wide variety of nat’l & Internat’l newsmakers, experts, and guests from various fields. 2 yrs of exp in live TV, pref cable news, incl rsrchng info & tracking down guests. Full info/apply HERE (12/23)

JOB OPENING: SEGMENT PRODUCER/MSNBC The 11th Hour/NYC: Produce and write segments for The 11th Hour with Brian Williams. Must have at least 3 yrs of exp in live TV. 3 yrs in both tape and desktop editing. Thorough kwldg of American politics/history. Full info/apply HERE (12/23)

JOB OPENING: ASSOCIATE PRODUCER/Worldwide Exchange/CNBC/Englewood Cliffs NJ: Responsible for working with Executive Producer, Sr Producers, Producers Ne&ws Assistants to produce CNBC Business News program. 1-2 yrs Prod exp. Full info/apply HERE (12/23)

JOB OPENING: FINANCIAL ANALYST/NBC Entertainment/NYC: Mng mktg, public relations, and digital budgets for all First Run and Off Network programs; collaborate with operational leaders to guide spending decisions. BA deg in Finance, accounting, Bus Admin. Min 1yrs exp finance or accounting. Full info/apply HERE (12/23)

JOB OPENING: MARKETING MANAGER/NBCUOTS – Skycastle/NYC: Cross-platform marketing profession to join NBC Skycastle sales marketing team creating innovative campaigns to drive revenue to our properties and results for our clients. Min 3 yrs mktg exp within a media company or agency is req’d. Full info/apply HERE (12/23)

JOB OPENING: MGR, RESEARCH ANALYTICS BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE /Viacom Int’l Media Networks/NYC: Mgr of rsrch analytics & reporting for across linear & non-linear properties. Strong understanding & former exp providing rsrch (TV/Media/Brands), analytics & data to Sr stakeholders in int’l brdcst bus. Full info/apply HERE (12/23)

JOB OPENING: SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE/WIVB/WNLO TV/Buffalo: Exp’d professional w/min 2-3 yrs exp media sales or outside sales exp. Proven track rec developing new business & growing existing business. Able to work successfully in multi-platform envir. Strong knwlg of MS products; Wide Orbit a +. Full info/apply HERE (12/22)

JOB OPENING: AD SALES ACCT EXEC/UPTV/aspire NY: Implement approved ad sales strategies. Sell linear and digital features of two dynamic properties to agencies & clients. Relationships w media dec. mkers +. 5-7 yrs exp. in national media Res HERE (12/22)

JOB OPENING: EXECUTIVE RECRUITER/JAMES & CO LLC/NYC: Responsible for search execution to include but not limited to developing target list, candidate identification and assessment as well as candidate interviews. Understanding of landscape for talent in our search verticals a must. Full job info/apply HERE (12/22)

JOB OPENING: COORD PUBLICITY & AWARDS/A+E/NY: Assist A+E Studio, Awards, & Corp Outreach with the day-to-day operations of the dept. Manage award submissions, coordinate w/press, interface with talent. Exp working in office environment publicity or mktg pref’d. Excellent comm & writing skills a must. Apply HERE (12/22)

JOB OPENING: LIVE EVENTS OPERATION MGR/NBC Sports/Philadelphia: Work closely w/all depts for multi-platform operational needs. Assist in operational tech workflows. 5+ yrs in production/ops of live TV sporting events. Highly orgnzd, self-sufficient & exc comm skills. Full info/apply HERE (12/21)

JOB OPENING: Your ON-AIR break in NYC is HERE! PRODUCER/REPORTER/MetroFocus: Multi-platform PBS news-mag needs ASAP! News/Public-Affairs/Lifestyle is your beat from story dev to post-prod & delivery; 2+ yrs multimed exp, incl exp dealing w; camera/edit/rundown/self-mngmnt. Strong written/verbal comm skills. Full info/apply HERE (12/21)

JOB OPENING: DEVELOPMENT PRODUCER/Levity Entertainment Group/LA: Works closely w/CCO team to ensure vision of dvlpmnt is understood thru quality prod. Min 5 yrs dvlpmnt w/producing exp req’d. Prev exp on comedy & game shows w/studio background pref’d. Proven trac record of innovation/creativity. Resume HERE (12/21)

JOB OPENING: TRAFFIC COORDINATOR/NECN/Newton MA: Implement, revise, and maintain traffic instruction for all national orders. At least 3-5 years of experience working in a broadcast television traffic department. Full info/apply HERE (12/21)

JOB OPENING: ACCOUNTING & TRAFFIC COORDINATOR/FOX/Chicago: Create/load daily logs thru placement of commercial spots, graphics, episode formats & ratings. BA deg; accounting, finance, or related bus. field or equiv work exp. Exc written/verbal comm skills a must. Wide orbit & oracle exp pref’d. Full info/apply HERE (12/21)

JOB OPENING: ANALYST PROGRAM RESEARCH/BRAVO/OXYGEN@NBCUniversal/NYC: Responsible for analyzing and reporting for the Program Research dept. Proven exp in analyzing & interpreting quantitative research with internal client business needs in mind. Proactive thinker w/great writing & comm skills pref’d. Full info/apply HERE (12/20)

JOB OPENING: MARKETING MANAGER/WVIT/Hartford CT: Development of sales marketing strategy and cutting edge multi-platform marketing solutions that drive advertising revenue for NBC Connecticut and NBC Owned Stations. Minimum 3 yrs marketing or agency exp as well as Min 1 yr sales exp. Full info/apply HERE (12/20)

JOB OPENING: SENIOR MARKETING DIRECTOR/National Geographic/DC: Lead marketing strategy for tentpole programming across all platforms. Drive tune-in & increased ratings for major marketing priorities. 10+ yrs of entertainment category exp. Excellent verbal and written communication skills Full info/apply HERE (12/20)