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Disney to Sell Off Fox Regionals Individually

It is still possible that the giants Disney was anticipating seeing in round one come in for round 2 of bidding.

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According to a report by Josh Kosman and Richard Morgan in Thje New York Post, the Walt Disney Company was not pleased with the initial round of bidding for the 22 regional networks it acquired from 21st Century Fox. The company does not believe it can make the $20 billion it was hoping to by selling off all of the networks as a single unit. It will instead look to sell them off one-by-one.

Disney was reportedly anticipating broadcast companies to be the primary players for the networks. Instead, what it saw was “a low ball bid” from Sinclair Broadcasting, Nextstar enter a bid that “is not seen as a serious,” and more private equity firms than television companies throw their hats in the ring.

JPMorgan Chase and Allen & Co, the two banks overseeing the sale, are using interest in individual networks to generate some sales. Charter Communications, which already owns SportsNet LA, is reportedly interested in Sports South, which is the home of the Atlanta Braves and Hawks. Minnesota Twins owner Jim Polhad is reportedly interested in acquiring FS North, which has the rights to the Twins, Timberwolves, and Wild. 

Kosman and Morgan spoke to a “RSN expert” for their piece that described the trepidation as the result of cord cutting. 

“The RSN business is not a growth business, but a declining business,” an RSN expert told The Post. “There are a lot of subscriber defections [along with the rest of cable] and the RSNs do not own the digital rights.”

It is still possible that the giants Disney was anticipating seeing in round one come in for round 2 of bidding. Fox and Comcast have been rumored to be interested and now that word is out that they may not have to spend top dollar, it stands to reason that those companies could reassess their desire to be involved in the bidding.

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New Episodes of Beyond Limits Coming to CBS Sports

The series, which first premiered in September 2021, is produced by the CBS Sports Race and Culture Unit, with senior producer Sarah M. Kazadi.

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Courtesy: CBS Sports

CBS Sports is set to premiere new episodes of its franchise Beyond Limits, which celebrates athletes who go beyond the implicit boundaries of sports and society. Three half-hour episodes will be hosted by CBS Sports reporter AJ Ross, and will also air on CBS’ linear channel and stream live on Paramount+.

The first episode of the season is titled “Who I Am,” and it will feature Byron Perkins, who is the first openly gay football player at a historically black college or university (HBCU). Perkins is a redshirt senior at Hampton University. The show will also discuss the relationship he has with his mother and how she has impacted him both as a person and an athlete.

Two more episodes will premiere throughout the season – one on making sports adaptable and accessible; and the other featuring athletes who have moved into executive roles. The latter show includes interviews with NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations, Joe Dumars; New Orleans Pelicans Vice President of Basketball Operations and Team Development, Swin Cash; and NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations, Troy Vincent.

The series, which first premiered in September 2021, is produced by the CBS Sports Race and Culture Unit, with senior producer Sarah M. Kazadi. Its first episode premieres on Sunday, June 11 at 1:30 p.m. EST/10:30 a.m. PST, and should provide fans with unique storytelling and spotlight into the journeys of various key figures in sports and media alike.

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ESPN Colleagues Pay Tribute to Neil Everett

“It was universal praise from the people that knew and worked with Everett.”

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Courtesy: ESPN Images

Neil Everett has become one of the faces of SportsCenter. After 23 years at ESPN, he announced that he is leaving the network.

Colleagues at the World Wide Leader took to Twitter to share their thoughts. It was universal praise from the people that knew and worked with Everett. Chief among them was his SportsCenter partner of fourteen years, Stan Verrett.

Everett has spent the last two years as part of the television studio crew covering the Portland Trail Blazers. He told Front Office Sports that he will be seeking to expand his role with the team.

If Root Sports Northwest requires references, there are plenty ESPN colleagues past and present that were immediately ready to vouch for Neil Everett.

Everett was not laid off. He turned down a new contract that would have forced him to take a pay cut.

The Walt Disney Company is in the middle of layoffs effecting every division. CEO Bob Iger has tasked his leaders with reducing costs by $5.5 billion and cutting 7000 jobs.

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Bleav To Launch 2 FuboTV Channels

“Over 1,000 hours of original content is produced by Bleav each month.”

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Sports and entertainment media production company Bleav has officially launched two channels available now on FuboTV.

Bleav Sports and Bleav Football will utilize content from its podcast network to comprise programming on the TV side.

“We are excited to be partnering with Fubo, one of the premiere companies for sports streaming,” Bleav president Eric Weinberger said.

Over 1,000 hours of original content is produced by Bleav each month. Former NFL and NBA standouts like Ahman Green, Rudy Gay, Lamar Odom, LenDale White, Ike Taylor and Jonathan Stewart are just some of the hosts for Bleav.

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