Cynopsis: Sports
05.30.13

Good morning. It’s Thursday, May 30, 2013, and this is your first early morning Sports briefing. 

The US Open will get VIP treatment from NBC Sports Group starting next week with over 110 hours of live coverage in the works from June 8-16. NBC and Golf Channel will carry a combined 70 hours of action, with Golf Channel on NBC delivering 17 hours between June 13-16. Bob Costas will host Golf Channel on NBC weekend coverage with Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller anchoring NBC’s four-day coverage. Meanwhile, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia and NBC’s owned and operated NBC10 station will offer up an additional 44 hours of U.S. Open coverage.

Meanwhile, Golf Channel revealed that in addition to over 56 live hours Morning Drive and Live from the US Open telecasts, coverage this year will incorporate special production elements that include robotic and jib cameras for sweeping video throughout the player practice area, and a special Fly Cam fixed to a cable stretched across the entire length of the practice range and over the players.

On the Air

TNT’s coverage of the 2013 NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 4 between the Heat and Pacers handed the network a 5.1 household rating, according to Nielsen Fast Nationals, with 8.1 million total viewers. With that score, TNT would have carried the four most-viewed 2013 NBA Playoff telecasts to date across broadcast and cable. Game 4 was up 26% in household rating and 24% in total viewers compared to the channel’s coverage of the 2012 Western Conference Finals Game 4 a year ago. Through four game telecasts, TNT is averaging 7.7 million total viewers for the series, up 7% over 2012. The best-of-seven series continues tonight at 8p.

As for the NHL playoffs, Monday’s Game 6 between the Red Wings and Blackhawks generated 2.723 million viewers for NBC Sports Network on Monday, marking the most-watches Semifinal game over on cable, according to Nielsen. The matchup drew a 1.56 household rating. On the local front, Chicago pulled a 13.45 household score, while Detroit earned a 15.99 rating, the highest local rating ever in the market for an NHL game on NBC Sports Network.

FOX Deportes made a bevy of announcements yesterday at its upfront event in NY. Initiatives include new programming, an original production arm, extended coverage of NASCAR, UFC and Golden Boy Boxing, a community empowerment campaign, as well as a website re-launch. As it broadens programming, the network unveiled FOX Deportes Studios as the new production house for original series. Meanwhile, its website is being overhauled to offer more US and international event coverage as well as original content with exclusive video and photo galleries.

The Pac-12 released its early TV schedule for this season’s college football games across ESPN, FOX Sports and Pac-12 Networks. Overall, the Pac-12 Networks will air 35 Pac-12 home games, while ESPN and FOX will combine to televise 45 games from Pac-12 sites, including the Pac-12 Championship Game. FOX Sports officially kicks off the 2013 Pac-12 season with three telecasts during the opening week beginning Thursday, August 29 with Utah St./Utah on FOX Sports 1, marking the first college football game to be carried on the new channel. Pac-12 Networks launches its second season with Northern Arizona/Arizona on Friday, August 30. Meanwhile, ESPN begins its first Pac-12 game of the season on Saturday, August 31, when ESPN2 carries Northwestern/California. 

The UFC is changing up its commentary team when the promotion debuts on Fox Sports 1 this August, according to The New York Post. The reports states that Joe Rogan and Jon Anik will handle microphone duties from the Boston event on Aug. 17. Rogan had been working the cards with Mike Goldberg while Anik joined Kenny Florian for Fuel TV and FX shows.

ESPN announced its game selection for the June 23 edition of Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell, choosing a 2011 World Series rematch between the Rangers and Cardinals at 8p. Dan Shulman, analysts Orel Hershiser and John Kruk and reporter Buster Olney offer commentary for the telecast.

ONE World Sports is tapping the services of Bobby Valentine to star in a new interstitial series that highlights Japanese baseball. Valentine was once the winner of the Japan Series in Nippon Professional Baseball as the manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines and earned the distinction as the only foreign-born manager to lead a NPB team to the championship. In the new series, Valentine shares his observations and opinions about Japanese baseball and its unique traditions, fans and ethos. ONE World Sports has expanded its coverage of Japanese baseball which will include the 72 home games of the Yomiuri Giants of its 2013 season, as well as 15 additional games featuring the top teams of the NPB Pacific League.

The IOC has announced that three sports are now finalists for the spot in the 2020 Olympics, with wrestling up against baseball/softball and squash for a single opening. The five sports eliminated include karate, roller sports, sport climbing, wakeboarding and the martial art of wushu. The final decision will be made on Sept. 8.

Save the date! The annual Cynopsis: Sports Business Summit is set to take place on Aug. 14 in NY, and will feature some of the biggest names driving sports today. In addition, we are holding our Women of Action cocktail event celebrating and discussing the impact women are having in the sports industry on Aug. 13.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Sponsorship & Promotion

Dick’s Sporting Goods has joined the cause to support USA Wrestling’s campaign to keep wrestling in the Olympics. The partnership will see the company support the Keep Olympic Wrestling 2020 Vision Campaign via in-store promotions, social media and on its website.

The Chicago Fire and Dunkin’ Donuts entered a multi-year sponsorship agreement that will make the franchise the “official coffee” of the MLS team. The deal will see Dunkin’ Donuts featured at the FireFest area at Toyota Park, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. In addition, Fire home games will continue to feature the Dunkin’ Donuts race during halftime of its MLS games.

Digital & Production

The LPGA launched a Spanish language version of its site that will include news and player info as well as interview transcripts in Spanish on a daily basis. More than 20 of LPGA players are native to Spanish-speaking countries.

Back9Network announced a trio of content distribution partnerships, inking partnerships with RealGravity for video syndication services, LockerDome for video-based social networking, as well as Yahoo Sports radio for radio and online distribution.

Broadcast Sports, Inc. announced that the company has developed a Ref Cam, a wireless camera system that is person-wearable and utilizes an HD mini POV camera that is paired with BSI’s HD mini transmitter. The camera is designed to give viewers a first0perosn perspective of the field.

The Main Event, the featured game of the day sponsored by Thuuz, real-time sports discovery for mobile & connected TV platforms

Pacers vs. Heat Tonight 8:30p. Thuuz rating: 94
The Pacers aren’t going anywhere. Crucial game 5 in Miami. on TNT.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

ON THIS DAY in 1911: The very first Indianapolis 500 is run.

In The Know: What four sports are played indoors at the Winter Olympic Games? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: Only the second four correct answers from each time zone will be mentioned; and once you’ve been mentioned in any of the Cynopsis editions, you can’t be mentioned again that calendar week.)

Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question: How many double stitches are on a regulation MLB baseball? Answer: 108. Kudos: Phyllis McQuillan-MSG Media/NY; Michael Ritz-BucStar Consulting/NY; Bobby Coyle-New York Yankees Radio Network/NY; Matt Guertin-Active International/Pearl River; Tom Wetzel-MMSI/Warwick; Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles local/LA.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Later — Chris
Chris Pursell for Cynopsis | Sports
05.30.13

Roberta Caploe: Editorial Director
Denise O’Connor: Group Publisher, Cynopsis Media
Diane K Schwartz: Senior Vice President, Media Communications Group

Cynopsis Ad Sales: Mike Farina | VP Sales & Marketing | 203-218-6480
Classifieds Sales: Trish Pihonak | Director of Operations & Content | 888-702-3858

Cynopsis CLASSIFIEDS – For More classifieds, visit the Cynopsis.com classifieds page here .

JOB OPENING: MGR, SOCIAL MEDIA/SPIKE/NY: Participate in strategic dir for Spike content properties on social media including dvlpng voice/content strategies. BA deg w/ 3-8 yrs exp in dig & social content space. More info & apply HERE (6/6)

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR AUDIENCE SALES/ESPN/New York: 10+ yrs. exp. w/Media Sales. Resp. for driving profitability specifically in Audience Targeting. Exp. with SSP/DSP/RTB platforms required. To apply: www.espncareers.com Job-110070 (6/6)

JOB OPENING: RSRCH MGR Insights & Media Strategy/NBCU/NYC: Lead NBCU across all of its brands/platforms thru insights & new transco. initiatives for creation of new value across NBCU assets. 3yrs min exp media rsrch. Job#10283 Apply HERE (6/6)

JOB OPENING: DRTV Buyer/PrecisionDemand/NYC: Buyer with exp in national cable and syndication. 3-5 yrs exp. Established industry contacts. Campaign mgmt & optimization. Contact [email protected] (6/4)

JOB OPENING: MGR, SCHEDULING/WETV/NY: 3+ yrs cable/brdcst scheduling, strong Nielsen ratings b’ground. Execute/facilitate short term linear & Multiplatform sched strategy, competitive analysis, & oversee operat’l sched in systems CLICK HERE (6/4)

JOB OPENING: CONTENT PRODUCER/CBS/Studio City: The Content Producer shoots and edits video assets for CBS programming and distributes to media outlets. Up to 10% of travel on the job. To apply and full details CLICK HERE (6/4)

JOB OPENING: SR. ANALYST RESEARCH/ESPN/MIAMI: 3+ yrs. exp. wrkng w/multi-platform data & sales positioning. Exp. w/IBOPE,TGI & ComScore preferred. Strong analytical & presentation required. To apply: www.espncareers.com Job-109868 (6/1)

JOB OPENING: START UP/PRIORITY HIRES/STUDIO CONTROL/STUDIO TECH OPS: Univision/ABC hiring for New Network FUSION/Miami: Show Dir, Media Mgr, Asst Dir, Acquis Satellite/Audio/VCO-Lighting-Robotics/Camera Jib and Steadicam Operators needed! Apply; [email protected] (6/1)

JOB OPENING: SR. ANALYST RESEARCH/ESPN/MIAMI: 3+ yrs. exp. wrkng w/multi-platform data & sales positioning. Exp. w/IBOPE,TGI & ComScore preferred. Strong analytical & presentation required. To apply: www.espncareers.com Job-109868 (5/31)

JOB OPENING: START UP/PRIORITY HIRES/STUDIO CONTROL/STUDIO TECH OPS: Univision/ABC hiring for New Ntwk FUSION/Miami: Show Dir, Media Mgr, Asst Dir, Acquis Satellite/Audio/VCO-Lighting-Robotics/Camera Jib & Steadicam Operators needed! Apply here (5/31)

INTERNSHIPS – These positions are for credit only – nobody gets paid here. These ads are always posted for free, and students work for school credit only. For more information on the specs for posting an Internship ad, email Trish at [email protected].

SITUATION WANTED ADS, POSTED BY THOSE LOOKING TO BE HIRED… There is no charge for placing your Situation Wanted ad… for more information contact Trish Pihonak at [email protected].

SITUATION WANTED: NON-FICTION Rock Star PRODUCER/WRITER/AVAIL: 10+ yrs/NBC,V H1, CNN, E!, Outdoor Ch, CMT, TLC, Veria, Lifetime; Field/Story; Avid & Final Cut; LA or NY. [email protected] (6/6)

E-mail [email protected] or call Trish Pihonak at 888.702.3858 for rates and specs for Job Openings.

Are you looking for a job? Post your Situation Wanted Ad here — Email [email protected] for specs.

Copyright Cynopsis 2013

All outgoing e-mails are scanned and sent out virus free. Copyright Cynopsis 2013

To subscribe to any Cynopsis edition(s) click here.
To unsubscribe from this edition, click here. Or for further assistance please email [email protected].