Sports TV News

ESPN To Pass On Thursday Night Football

Published

8 years ago

January 18, 2016

ESPN, whose parent company Walt Disney is under pressure from Wall Street for falling subscribers and its sports programming costs, won’t enter the hotly contested bidding for the National Football League’s Thursday night games, according to people with knowledge of the bidding process.

The NFL, which is expected to announce winning bidders as early as this week for an eight-week package of games, received proposals from CBS and Twenty First Century Fox’s Fox network in bidding that is expected to exceed the $300 million per season that CBS paid to carry the evening’s games the past two seasons.

The NFL asked bidders in December to submit offers for the entire package and an alternative arrangement in which two bidders would share the eight game slate, CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus said during a presentation to television critics on Jan. 12. The league-owned NFL Network would carry all 16 Thursday night games, some of them exclusively.

One figure being floated was $400 million for entire eight-game package, whether it is awarded to a single network or shared. The decision is expected by the Feb. 7 Super Bowl.

An ESPN spokesman had no comment but others familiar with ESPN thinking said Disney’s sports channel is comfortable with its flagship Monday Night Football program, which just finished its 45th season, and that the parent company was happy with the current Thursday night prime-time lineup of its sister ABC broadcast network.

To read more visit The Street where this article was originally published

Jason Barrett

Jason Barrett is the owner and operator of Barrett Sports Media. Prior to launching BSM he served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He has also produced national shows for ESPN Radio including GameNight and the Dan Patrick Show. You can find him on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or reach him by email at [email protected].

Up Next

Fox Sports and Greg Norman Part Ways

Don't Miss

Chris Mortensen Diagnosed With Throat Cancer

Sports TV News

Big Ten on Peacock Basketball Schedule Released

In addition to 32 regular season matchups, Peacock will exclusively stream early-round games from the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Published

40 mins ago

October 3, 2023

BSM Staff

A photo of the Big Ten and Peacock logos

As part of its new media rights deal, NBC Sports has the right to exclusively stream 47 Big Ten men’s basketball games. For the inaugural season, 34 matchups will be on the streaming service.

In addition to 32 regular season matchups, Peacock will exclusively stream early-round games from the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament.

The announcement of the schedule comes on the heels of reporting that former ESPN analyst Robbie Hummel will serve as one of the color commentators for NBC Sports and Peacock’s coverage of the Big Ten. Additionally, Jordan Cornette, Zora Stephenson, and Noah Eagle are also joining the network for its basketball coverage.

The Big Ten on Peacock basketball schedule is below.

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup
Mon., Nov. 6	7 p.m.	Princeton vs. Rutgers (Trenton, N.J.)
Fri., Nov. 10	7 p.m.	Texas A&M vs. Ohio State
Fri., Nov. 10	7:30 p.m.	UTSA vs. Minnesota
Fri., Nov. 10	8 p.m.	Alabama State vs. Iowa
Fri., Nov. 10	9 p.m.	Tennessee vs. Wisconsin
Fri., Nov. 17	7 p.m.	Morehead State vs. Penn State
Sat., Nov. 18	2 p.m.	USC Upstate vs. Minnesota
Sat., Nov. 18	4 p.m.	Oregon State vs. Nebraska (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
Tues., Dec. 5	7 p.m.	Wisconsin vs. Michigan State
Tues., Dec. 5	9 p.m.	Indiana vs. Michigan
Sat., Dec. 16	4:30 p.m.	Arizona vs. Purdue
Thurs., Dec. 21	7 p.m.	LeMoyne vs. Penn State
Fri., Dec. 29	7 p.m.	Maine vs. Minnesota
Fri., Dec. 29	8 p.m.	Jackson State vs. Northwestern
Tues., Jan. 2	7 p.m.	Purdue vs. Maryland
Thurs., Jan. 4	7 p.m.	Penn State vs. Michigan State
Thurs., Jan. 4	9 p.m.	Minnesota vs. Michigan
Tues., Jan. 9	7 p.m.	Indiana vs. Rutgers
Tues., Jan. 9	9 p.m.	Purdue vs. Nebraska
Tues., Jan. 16	7 p.m.	Purdue vs. Indiana
Tues., Jan 23	7 p.m.	Ohio State vs. Nebraska
Tues., Jan 23	9 p.m.	Michigan vs. Purdue
Tues., Jan. 30	7 p.m.	Illinois vs. Ohio State
Tues., Jan. 30	9 p.m.	Michigan vs. Michigan State
Tues., Feb. 6	7 p.m.	Indiana vs. Ohio State
Tues., Feb. 6	9 p.m.	Michigan State vs. Minnesota
Tues., Feb. 13	7 p.m.	Michigan vs. Illinois
Tues., Feb. 13	9 p.m.	Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
Tues., Feb. 20	7 p.m.	Iowa vs. Michigan State
Tues., Feb. 20	9 p.m.	Maryland vs. Wisconsin
Tues., Feb. 27	7 p.m.	Wisconsin vs. Indiana
Tues., Mar. 5	7 p.m.	Purdue vs. Illinois
Wed., Mar. 13	6:30 p.m.	Big Ten Tournament
Wed., Mar. 13	9 p.m.	Big Ten Tournament

BSM Staff

Sports TV News

Matt Shepard Won’t Return as Detroit Tigers TV Voice

Shepard became the TV voice of the Tigers in 2019.

Published

54 mins ago

October 3, 2023

BSM Staff

(Photo: Matt Shepard)

The Detroit Tigers and Bally Sports Detroit have decided that Matt Shepard won’t return to the team’s television broadcast booth in 2024.

“Bally Sports Detroit thanks Matt Shepard for his five seasons of dedication in the Tigers television booth, and wishes him the best in his future endeavors,” Greg Hammeran, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Bally Sports Detroit, told The Detroit News in a statement. “He’s been a great teammate and has an incredible passion for Detroit sports and bringing compelling storylines to millions of fans every year.

“Change is often difficult, but we feel it’s time to head in a new direction and are looking forward to the process of finding our next play-by-play voice of the Tigers.”

Shepard became the TV voice of the Tigers in 2019 after previous broadcasters Rod Allen and Mario Impemba were fired due to a physical altercation in 2018.

Before joining the Tigers, Shepard hosted radio shows in Detroit, Kalamazoo, and Northern Michigan. He was also previously the radio play-by-play broadcaster for University of Michigan men’s basketball and Eastern Michigan football broadcasts.

During his five-year tenure as the television voice of the Tigers, Shepard was paired with numerous analysts on a rotating basis. Kirk Gibson, Craig Monroe, Dan Petry, Jack Morris, and Cameron Maybin all worked alongside Shepard on Fox Sports Detroit and Bally Sports Detroit.

BSM Staff

Sports TV News

Chiefs/Jets Sunday Night Football Most-Watched Sunday Broadcast Since Super Bowl

NBC also reported a massive increase in the female and teenage demographic.

Published

12 hours ago

October 3, 2023

Jordan Bondurant

Courtesy: NBC Sports

The Taylor Swift effect had a huge impact on ratings of Sunday Night Football, as the Chiefs/Jets thriller on NBC was the most-watched Sunday show since Super Bowl LVII in February.

The broadcast averaged 27 million viewers, up 22% year over year. Viewership peaked at an estimated 29.4 million between 9:30-9:45 p.m. NBC Sports accounts for the two most-watched NFL games so far this season.

The Swift effect was evident in viewership in teen girls aged 12-17, women 18-24, and 35+. Viewership in those demographics was up 53%, 24%, and 34% respectively compared to the season-to-date average of the first three weeks of SNF. The broadcast featured a Taylor Swift-themed open, which has been viewed eight million times.

The game also drew in the largest streaming audience ever for a Sunday regular season game. The average minute audience across Peacock, NBC Sports, and NFL digital platforms was 1.85 million viewers.

It’s unclear whether Swift will be in Minneapolis on Sunday afternoon as the Chiefs take on the Vikings. But if she is, the marquee late window game on CBS with Jim Nantz and Tony Romo will stand to also see a viewership bump.

Jordan Bondurant

Jordan Bondurant is a features reporter for Barrett Sports Media. He’s a multimedia journalist and communicator who works at the Virginia State Corporation Commission in Richmond. Jordan also contributes occasional coverage of the Washington Capitals for the blog NoVa Caps. His prior media experiences include working for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Danville Register & Bee, Virginia Lawyers Weekly, WRIC-TV 8News and Audacy Richmond. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @J__Bondurant.