| Good morning! It’s Tuesday, and this is your monthly Cynopsis Sports newsletter. Hope it was a great Memorial Day Weekend for everyone! |
 UPFRONT(S) AND PERSONAL |
| The early days of May are reserved for networks and their leadership to show off what they have in store for the upcoming year and beyond. While upfront season extends beyond the weeklong festivities, it’s when the most buzz takes place, and it can serve as a heat check for folks in an ultra-competitive landscape. However, it’s all done in pursuit of an elusive question: How do networks fit in the modern, evolving world of television?
Disney leaned on sports during its presentation in New York City, specifically with ESPN and its imminent direct-to-consumer product (more on that later in the newsletter). Late show host Jimmy Kimmel even made light of the number of athletes at Disney’s upfront, quipping that there were more there than at Game 4 of the Celtics vs. Knicks series. But the mass presence of sports figures went to show how deep ESPN’s portfolio of properties is. The network announced a new female-led sports show “Vibe Check,” starring Elle Duncan, Andraya Carter and Chiney Ogwumike. It’ll also have a six-episode original series “The Kingdom” chronicling the history of the Kansas City Chiefs. Plus, Disney made sure to flaunt the fact that it’s the home of the NBA Finals along with 10 exclusive NBA Conference Finals and all five Christmas Day games through 2035.
NBCU was another one to put sports front and center, and it’s not hard to see why. The company pointed to an upcoming “Legendary February” on its platforms. Not only will NBCU play host to Super Bowl LX, it’ll have the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and the 2026 NBA All-Star Game. That, of course, will come during NBCU’s first season back broadcasting NBA games. Not to mention another year of hosting “Sunday Night Football.” Next year, Peacock will have over 7,500 hours of sports, which NBCU claims is more live sports content than Prime Video, Paramount+, Max, Apple TV, Netflix and Hulu combined.
Speaking of Peacock, when the NBA returns to NBCU, it’ll let fans access games as soon as they open the app in addition to getting real-time insights and stats on the home page. Peacock will have a “Catch Up with Key Plays” feature for live games, and for mobile users, there will be a “Can’t Miss Highlights” playlist with notable moments. The “Peacock ScoreCard” will let fans choose a game card based on a team or theme and earn points depending on what happens during the game. As NBCU describes it: “bingo meets fantasy sports.” |
 “Peacock will be the most fun and engaging place to stream NBA games for longtime basketball fans and new ones, too,” said Rick Cordella, President, NBC Sports. “We’re bringing the same level of innovation, inspiration and commitment that we’ve brought to so many other huge sports moments and leagues to deliver an intuitive, interactive and reliable streaming experience that the full range of NBA fans will enjoy.”
Both Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery were focused on the business aspect of things, though both companies had streaming-related announcements that made noise. Fox is calling its own upcoming DTC product Fox One, and WBD is shifting Max back to its original HBO Max moniker. For the latter, it’s about to enter a post-NBA world after losing its place as a U.S. rightsholder, but it’ll still have plenty of content with MLB, NHL, NASCAR, college basketball, college football, soccer and more.
Of course, can’t forget about the latest disruptor in the sports media space: Netflix. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell even made an appearance at the streaming giant’s presentation. Safe to say he’s happy with how the two’s partnership is going so far, with Netflix entering the second year of airing Christmas Day games (Cowboys vs. Commanders followed by Lions vs. Vikings). Other sports programs hitting Netflix include “America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys,” “Power Moves with Shaquille O’Neal,” “PRIME TIME,” “Rafa,” “WWE: Unreal” and an untitled SEC football docuseries. Additionally, Netflix’s live-event slate beyond the NFL includes a boxing match between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano as well as continued coverage of “WWE Monday Night RAW.”
“Our audiences expect us to have the best of everything, and we try to keep them on their toes with some unexpected surprises too. That’s why when we have the opportunity to take big, bold swings and get the NFL on Christmas Day, a surprise boxing match, or the WWE every week, we move quickly and we make it happen,” Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s Chief Content Officer, said. |
| HI, MY NAME IS… |
| ESPN. Really, that’s what ESPN is calling its upcoming move to go direct-to-consumer. After several months of speculation, the previous unofficial label Flagship was changed to the simple four letters that have defined sports for decades. ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro unveiled the name and pricing details in what’ll be a defining moment not only for the company, but the media business at large. ESPN DTC will come in two packages: The “unlimited package” for $29.99/month or $299.99/year, and a select option for $11.99/month or $119.99/year. The former will allow fans to access all of ESPN’s linear networks and its events on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+ and ACCNX. That all totals 47,000 live events each year, which will also be available through on-demand replays, studio shows, original programming and more. ESPN and Disney aren’t forgetting about the bundling opportunities too. A Disney+, Hulu and ESPN unlimited bundle will be available for $35.99/month with ads on Disney+ and Hulu, or $44.99/month for the ad-free version. A special offer will be available at launch for $29.99/month (with ads) for the first 12 months.
“As we thought about the name, we kept returning to the fact that, across every generation, ESPN is the most trusted, loved and recognized name in sports, and that we should keep it simple and double down on the power of ESPN,” Pitaro said. |
| INSIGHT |
As the BIG3 basketball league heads for its eighth season, founders Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz share how they’re reinventing the game to deliver a next-level sports experience for fans and team owners. Cube and Kwatinetz will be ready for questions about their project during next week’s Power Play webinar – to register for free go here.
What was the inspiration for forming the league in 2017? How has it evolved since then?
The inspiration was that fans deserve more, better quality basketball. We recognized that there was a massive gap in the sports market in the summer and wanted to fill that void, but fill it with an innovative, physical, fast-paced game that was more reflective of basketball culture; and we succeeded. No other upstart sports league since UFC has survived more than five years, let alone through eight seasons, and we are incredibly proud of the exponential growth we’ve driven in the league across those years. This season may reflect that evolution more than ever, as we are transitioning from a fully league-centric model to a city-based model, opening up expansion franchises for sale for the first time. When we tip off in Chicago on June 14, we will be doing so with eight all-new city-based teams in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, the DMV metropolitan area, Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami, featuring a roster of some of the biggest basketball talent ever to play the game, such as First-Ballot Hall of Famer Dwight Howard, Born Ready Lance Stephenson, former Sixth Man of the Year Montrez Harrell, 4X NBA All-Star Kemba Walker, and 2024 BIG3 MVP Michael Beasley. Not to mention an incredible roster of hall-of-fame coaches in Julius ‘Dr.J’ Irving, George ‘Iceman’ Gervin, Gary Payton, Nancy Lieberman, and more.
How do you expect the home market model to impact the business of the league?
Shifting to the home market model was the natural next step to continue growing the BIG3. The league-centric model allowed us to successfully popularize the product and build a fanbase for the game, but there were always limits to the level of fandom we could cultivate in one weekend. This shift allows us to meet fans where they are and deepen our investment in these communities. We also have added owners who bring exceptional levels of expertise to the league – they have deep ties to their franchise cities and inventive perspectives that will make a tremendous impact on the business of their selected teams, and the league at large. We have essentially increased business opportunities eight-fold, and still hope to add additional expansion franchises in the future.
What are your expectations with Dwight Howard’s addition to the league?
Our expectations, and the expectations of LA Riot fans, are extremely high. He’s obviously a generational talent who has a tremendous amount of game left to be played, and we are honored that he has chosen to close out his professional career with the BIG3. Whether or not he will be successful remains to be seen, he has some tough BIG3 veterans to go up against, and with eight all-new teams, the field this season is more competitive than ever. We know that basketball fans’ eyes will be on him, the LA Riot, and the BIG3 all summer long.
What does our Cynopsis community not know about the BIG3 that they should?
More than anything, they should know that the BIG3 is here to stay. We continue to provide a strong, diverse, and demographically desirable viewership on linear and streaming that far exceeds that of other summer live sports programming. This isn’t just a passion project or a celebrity-led league, it’s a commitment to changing the landscape of live sports and that’s what you get when you work with us. Our outstanding partners and clients have our full attention and we work to deliver creative and engaging programming year after year. We look forward to sharing more about our offerings and what is in store for season eight during next week’s webinar.
BIG3 season eight tips off June 14 at 3p on CBS and 6p on VICE TV. |
| PLAY BALL? |
| Remember those MLB rights that became available for grabs after ESPN and MLB opted out of their agreement? NBC is an interested party, according to the Wall Street Journal. NBC offered the league a deal “much less than its rival currently pays,” however, NBC and MLB had been in talks for “several weeks” prior to the bid being made. What’s more is that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and Comcast chief Brian Roberts have already met to discuss such a deal. The network also has an interest in ESPN’s rights for first-round playoff games and the Home Run Derby. The reason why NBC’s bid doesn’t match the monetary figure is in part due to the fact that it’s not pursuing the rights to highlight clips, nor the international and radio rights that ESPN licenses from MLB.
NBC isn’t the only company MLB is having open discussions with. Puck writes that Manfred has met with Amazon, Netflix, Google and Apple, with Apple being the “most extensive” negotiations so far. That could be due to Apple already having a deal with MLB to air “Friday Night Baseball” games. Doesn’t hurt that Apple has cash to spend in an otherwise tumultuous economic landscape. |
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| SPORTS MEDIA AWARDS
One Week Out: The 2025 Sports Media Awards Are Almost Here!
The countdown is officially on—just 7 days until the Sports Media Awards & Networking Reception takes over City Winery NYC!
Join executives from Aflac, PBR, CBS Sports, YES Network, Daily Mail, Monumental Sports, and more for an unforgettable evening celebrating standout work and meaningful connections across the industry.
Whether you’re a finalist, partner, or passionate player in the sports media game, this is your chance to network with the best in the business.
June 4 | 4–7 PM | City Winery NYC
Limited seats remain—secure yours now and don’t miss the biggest night in sports media! |
| FIELD OF STREAMS |
| The U.S. Senate is starting to take a closer look at the ways watching professional sports on TV have changed. In a hearing titled “Field of Streams: The New Channel Guide for Sports Fans,” the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation sought to find clarity with the policy-centric talking points that stem from streaming platforms taking a larger chunk of exclusive sports rights nowadays. MLB, NBA and NHL had representatives, though the NFL was a notable absence considering the league refused Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) invitation to testify. One of the central talking points throughout the hearing was the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act (SBA) that amended antitrust laws to allow sports leagues to pool teams’ broadcasting rights and make league-wide deals with media partners.
“The SBA was intended to ensure that the needs of all sports fans were being met. I think it’s important to regularly revisit and consider whether our laws, like the Sports Broadcasting Act, are actually fulfilling their intended goals,” Cruz said. “If the leagues can show how the SBA continues to benefit fans today, it may be worth exploring whether to give a similar exemption to college sports, whose broadcasting rights have no antitrust protection … Streaming may well be the future, but it shouldn’t sideline the fans.” |
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| GETTING TECHNICAL |
| NBC Sports is set to display another example of artificial intelligence’s ability. The company will use an AI-generated voice of former narrator Jim Fagan for certain elements of NBA coverage and promotion. Fagan passed away in 2017, but was a familiar voice when NBCS aired the NBA from 1990-2002. NBCS partnered with Fagan’s family to work on AI voice synthesis technology that recreates Fagan’s voice for select title sequences, show opens and promotional marketing. Last year, NBCUniversal used generative AI technology during the Paris Olympics for “Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock,” which featured the recreated voice of Al Michaels.
Prime Video made its NASCAR debut, and it wasn’t without a slew of technological features. The Amazon-owned streamer is planning to use more than 70 cameras at each race, including in-car and driver POV cameras with microphones—all connected by up to 10 miles of fiber-optic cable. It’ll also use a drone at select races to help capture unique angles. Each race will be produced in 1080p native High Dynamic Range with Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound. Prime Video is also using AWS technology for a proprietary, end-to-end livestreaming solution that enables ultra-low latency, eliminates drift and ensures synchronization.
FloSports and Nike Wrestling are teaming up to elevate wrestling at all competitive levels in the U.S. Nike Wrestling will work with Athlete Performance Solutions—Nike’s exclusive global licensee for wrestling performance footwear and apparel—to create content and collab on events. Nike Wrestling will sponsor flagship programming including FloWrestling Radio Live and the new FloWrestling All-American Program. Additionally, it’ll be the title sponsor for major events like the NWCA All-Star Classic and FloWreslting: Night in America.
The youth sports streaming platform SportsEngine Play signed a multi-year extension with Pixellot, an AI-automated sports content company. SportsEngine Play will continue to assist sports facilities by offering a live and on-demand streaming solution at no cost. Pixellot’s proprietary AI features a dedicated algorithm for each sport to ensure its tracking is tailored to the unique dynamics of different sports. |
| MEDIA RIGHTS MAYHEM |
| FloSports signed a new deal with the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL). FloCollege will stream over 350 WCBL regular-season and playoff games from May-August, as well as the All-Star Game. This year’s will come July 19. |
| RATINGS |
| Although writers everywhere were rooting for Journalism in the Kentucky Derby, it was Sovereignty who took this year’s Run for the Roses. NBC Sports had an average of 17.7 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, making it the largest Derby audience since the 18.5 million who tuned into the 1989 race. This year’s viewership peaked at 21.8 million from 7-7:15pm, or when the race actually took place. Peacock had an average minute audience of 950,000 viewers, up 34% from last year’s 714,000 and nearly tripling the 371,000 who streamed the race in 2023.
FanDuel Sports Network was an entrant into the DTC space this baseball season. Since the start of the 2025 MLB campaign, FDSN’s streaming platform averaged a quarter-million unique daily users and nearly 1 million unique monthly users. FDSN doubled its paid subscriber base in eight weeks as it neared 650,000 paid subs. Average watch-time per game is up to 92.5 minutes—up 9% YOY. It’s on track to reach 1 million DTC subs by the end of this year.
“We’re progressing on our mission to reinvent the local sports media landscape by delivering a new standard for teams and their hometown fans, while also elevating the visibility of our team partners,” said David Preschlack, CEO, Main Street Sports Group.
ESPN enjoyed the most-watched WNBA opening weekend ever on its platforms. The highly anticipated battle between Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky earned 2.7 million average viewers and peaked at 3.1 million. That’s not only up 115% compared to last year’s regular-season average on ABC, but it’s the most-watched WNBA game ever on ESPN platforms. The Las Vegas Aces vs New York Liberty contest averaged 1.3 million and peaked at 1.9 million. “WNBA Countdown” led into the games with 804,000 viewers. |
| HOWDY, PARTNER |
 Spectrum was the primary sponsor for the No. 66 car in the recent running of the Indianapolis 500. The Honda car was driven by Marcus Armstrong and operated by Meyer Shank Racing. Spectrum had placements on the No. 60 car driven by Felix Rosenqvist, as well as the No. 6 car driven by four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves.
D.C.-based Vanda Pharmaceuticals is now an official partner and jersey patch partner for the Washington Mystics. Vanda’s logo will be prominently placed across the abdomen of all Mystics jerseys this season, with other Vanda branding displayed throughout the Mystics’ home arena and on the backboard and free throw circles.
“Washington, D.C. is a world-class city but it’s also our hometown. And that range of scale is what the Mystics and Vanda share—we operate on an international scale and contribute greatly to our local community. We look forward to elevating the power of women’s sports and making a difference together,” Patrick Duffy, Chief Partnership Officer for Monumental Sports & Entertainment, said. |
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| POWER PLAYS SPORTS WEBINAR
One Week Out: Power Plays Is Almost Here
The business behind the game is moving fast—are you keeping up?
Join us next week for Power Plays: The Business of Sports Media in 2025, a free virtual event where the sharpest minds in sports media, advertising, and brand strategy unpack what’s shaping the industry.
Featuring voices from BIG3, DAZN, Fubo, Nexstar, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, and more.
From streaming-first strategies to brand-led storytelling, this is your front-row seat to the future of sports media.
It’s free. It’s virtual. It’s one week away.
Register now. |
| PROGRAMMING NEWS |
| Chris Berman extended his contract with ESPN to remain at the network. What’s more is that the extension means he could become the first ESPN employee to reach the 50-year anniversary milestone. Berman joined the network in 1979 shortly after its launch and is synonymous with its NFL coverage.
Elsewhere at ESPN, “The Rich Eisen Show” will appear on Disney+ and ESPN+ starting this fall. The program will stream on weekdays from noon-3pm, blending sports, culture and humor since premiering in 2014.
NBC Sports continues to beef up its NBA coverage team. Ten-time NBA All-Star and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony will join as a studio analyst. He’s expected to be in the studio one or more nights per week throughout the regular season and playoffs. Fellow Hall of Famer Vince Carter will become a studio analyst as well come October. NBCS said Carter will be “often working alongside” Anthony. |
| EXECUTIVE MOVES |
| Disney’s President, Platform Distribution Justin Connolly is changing gears and heading to YouTube, but not without some controversy. The longtime Disney/ESPN exec is set to become the Global Head of Sports and Media for YouTube. Disney, however, isn’t pleased with the decision, so much that it filed a lawsuit against Connolly and YouTube for a breach of contract. Connolly had reportedly re-upped with the House of Mouse in November.
Veteran marketing leader Katie Nahoum is the new CMO of the New York Red Bulls. She’ll manage all marketing and communications efforts as the club looks to grow its brand and boost fan engagement. Nahoum, who’s made stops at KOS, Whisps, Boll & Grand and KIND Snacks, will report to President/GM Marc de Grandpré. |
| ON THIS DAY |
| 1968: George Halas, or “Papa Bear” for Chicago Bears fans around the world, retired from coaching. He finished his football career with 318 wins, 148 losses and 31 ties in addition to six NFL championships and being one of the first 17 inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Those 318 wins remain second all-time, only trailing Don Shula’s 328. Another nugget: Halas was a minor league baseball player and was called up to the New York Yankees in 1919, where he played 12 games as an outfielder until a hip injury ended his time on the diamond.
1991: The then-NBA champions Detroit Pistons walked off the floor before their Game 4 Eastern Conference Finals game against the Chicago Bulls had actually finished. The Bulls were about to clinch the 4-0 sweep, but Isaiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer came up with the plan in response to Michael Jordan labeling the Pistons as “undeserving champions” because of their physical style of play. The Bulls would go on to win their first of six NBA titles that decade.
2009: FC Barcelona defeated Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League Final, 2-0. It was the first time a Spanish club completed the treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Champions League. |
SR. DIRECTOR OF SALES, KSTU & KUPX >>
THE E.W. SCRIPPS COMPANY/SALT LAKE CITY: Leverage our suite of advertising solutions to unlock growth opportunities for local and national businesses. Play a role in driving the station’s revenue goals as well as serving as the home station for Utah’s new NHL team. Collaborate with our production team to create campaigns that connect our clients with their customers in meaningful ways. Full info HERE
SALES PLANNER, GENERAL RATE >>
GAC MEDIA, LLC/NEW YORK, NY: The Sales Planner, General Rate is responsible for providing support to the Advertising Sales department by working with Account Executives to service clients on a daily basis. The job requires attention to detail, industry knowledge, as well as strong communication skills. Full info HERE
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER>>
ORIGIN/NY(HYBRID): Overseeing full time sales team of 2 remote sellers, an account director, a sales operations manager and sales strategist. Accelerating the adoption of award-winning suite of CTV ad formats. Ensuring we exceed our current targets and ultimately making sure we continue growing at the pace we are in an increasingly competitive market. Full Info HERE.
DIGITAL MEDIA BUYER >>
FURMAN ROTH ADVERTISING/NY(HYBRID): Plan, launch, and optimize digital marketing campaigns across various paid media channels (including Display, Google products, Paid Social, CTV, and Programmatic, etc.) while managing budgets effectively. Support the execution of media plans across platforms, overseeing targeting, budget allocation, and performance tracking to drive campaign success. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR; CTV BRAND PARTNERSHIPS – MID WEST/WEST COAST
FUTURE TODAY
REMOTE
Build, maintain and expand a pipeline of sales targets, contacts, and sales opportunities leveraging your relationships with a heavy focus on new business revenue. Build/nurture relationships with the investment, strategy, precision and digital agencies as well as clients. Also maintain an ongoing knowledge of the streaming media landscape. Full info HERE
DIRECTOR, AD MARKETING & SALES >>
THE SHADE ROOM/REMOTE: Develop and execute a revenue growth strategy to drive direct advertising, branded content, and sponsorship sales as well as lead the development of compelling advertising and branded content offerings tailored for TSR’s audience and cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key advertisers, media agencies, and brand partners. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE DIRECT RESPONSE >>
OPPORTUNITY MEDIA/NY(REMOTE/HYBRID): Seeking an energetic achiever with excellent written & organizational skills for role to assist in growing revenue for dynamic Direct Response Team: required: BA Degree, Min 2 yrs DR Experience. Wide Orbit Exp a +. Full info HERE
PROFESSIONAL LECTURER OF COMMUNICATION/SPORTS BROADCASTING >>
MARIST UNIVERSITY/ POUGHKEEPSIE, NY: Teach studio and field broadcasting and new media courses in sports media and journalism as well as be able to teach a studio course on producing a newscast and help students live stream a podcast or produce short-form feature content suitable for social media streaming. Also demonstrate through their teaching, professional activity, and service. Full info HERE
SALES LEAD – AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS
UPWAVE
NEW YORK, NY
Build and manage relationships with our agency partners – mostly targeting media buyers and planners – and help them see the value of adding Upwave measurement to The Trade Desk campaigns. You will both leverage your existing network and open new doors to achieve aggressive but achievable sales targets. Full info HERE |
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