Bleav in The Media Guide: Recent Episodes
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The Media Guide hosted by Stu Hothem is a podcast that features guests and full encompassing analysis on sports media.
The Paley Center for Media in New York City hosted a film screening for “Rolling Along,” Senator Bill Bradley’s one-man show about the 80-year-old's life, including a 10-year career in the NBA and three terms in the Senate, ending in 1997. Then, he spoke with Richard Stengel, who served as the senator’s speechwriter on his 2000 presidential campaign in a career that has included roles in the Obama State Department, as an editor at Time, and as a collaborator on Nelson Mandela’s autobiography. The Senator and the editor discussed why Bradley made the film, how he hopes it will inspire a polarized nation, what his greatest achievements have been on the court and the Senate floor, when and where you can see the documentary, and his thoughts on sports wagering and NIL.
On Wednesday, September 6, ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro moderated “A Conversation with New York Giants Legend Eli Manning” at The Paley Center for Media in New York City. As the two-time Super Bowl MVP begins Season 3 of “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli,” Eli explains his transition from the field to TV, thanks, in part, to Zoom. Pitaro shares how COVID-19 factored into his courtship of Eli’s big brother and helped lead to them broadcasting from their homes. Plus, Eli weighs in on why a new generation of quarterbacks, including his successor Daniel Jones, has become successful. He also takes us behind the scenes as a “Saturday Night Live” host and discusses which of his two iconic Super Bowl passes made him prouder.
Sean McManus, CBS Sports Chairman and Executive Producer for the NFL on CBS, and John Bogusz, Executive Vice President, Advertising, CBS Sports countdown to Super Bowl LVIII, on CBS, Paramount+, and Nickelodeon in Las Vegas. Harold Bryant, Executive Producer and Executive Vice President, Production at CBS Sports, welcomes J.J. Watt to the NFL Today. Watt explains why he joined the Eye Network, and his studio analysts Nate Burleson, Bill Cowher, Boomer Esiason, and Phil Simms display the chemistry that defines the CBS pregame show.
- LIV golfer Brooks Koepka opened up about his struggles in the Netflix series "Full Swing." Azinger, Hicks, and Wood discuss Koepka's turnaround to win the most recent major, last month's PGA Championship, and how he's able to focus on the biggest stages in the sport.
- PGA TOUR standard bearer Rory McIlroy typically wins tournaments with double-digit under par scores. While the U.S. Open doesn't play that way, Faxon and Azinger think he's up for this week's challenge on and off the course while Wood says Rory's birdie game will be tested.
- Wood says weather won't be a factor, which will play into the hands of the USGA's pin placement. Azinger and Faxon look forward to the Los Angeles Country Club's unique challenge amid the starry landscape of its Beverly Hills neighborhood.
- CBS Sports' VP of Production, senior creative director, and soccer coordinating producer, Pete Radovich, discusses how he assembled the team.
- Abdo explains how she and her analysts find ways to have fun while informing the audience.
- Carragher and Richards describe their chemistry as a model for other studio shows.
- As Henry celebrates the 25th anniversary of France's World Cup triumph, he likes how the show, and not his legendary career, have become the focus of fans and the industry.
The Rutgers Office of Career Exploration and Success hosted a virtual event entitled “Behind the Screens: The Video Game Industry.” Among the panelists, two Electronic Arts directors discussed what it takes to make games and how to break into gaming. Regine Bowen, Director of Development, and Tony Stanley, Narrative Animation Director, discuss the career paths that have led them to create games. In addition, they discuss making EA College Football and Madden, emphasizing collaboration and creativity, and they share the needed skills and available resources for breaking into the industry.
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The center of the golf universe returns to Augusta National Golf Club with the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) this Wednesday and Thursday on GOLF Channel and Peacock, a practice round Friday, and the final round Saturday, April 1st at noon Eastern on NBC and Peacock. Next week, the PGA TOUR and LIV Golf players will participate in the year’s first major. NBC Sports will surround the ESPN and CBS presentation with Golf Central Live From The Masters on GOLF Channel. Host Rich Lerner and analysts Brandel Chamblee and Notah Begay III preview the fortnight with discussions on Model Local Rule (MLR), Rory McIlroy’s legacy not being defined by a career grand slam, and more.
The National Women’s Soccer League kicks off its 11th season this weekend as Commissioner Jessica Berman marks her first year in the role next month. Recognized as Sports Business Journal’s Best Hire of 2022, the former labor lawyer brings 13 years of experience at the NHL and nearly three years at the National Lacrosse League. She realizes the recognition sets high expectations for her and the league. She reviews year-over-year revenue and ratings success and how that momentum continues in the final year of the NWSL’s deal with CBS. Berman explains how its investment in NWSL Media, social media, and a new marketing campaign position the league ahead of this summer’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, a new media rights deal in 2024, and the 2026 Men’s World Cup in North America. She discusses systemic reform and being open to new ideas as a challenger league.
March is Women’s History Month, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum partnered with the National Archives Foundation to highlight the “Diamond Dreams: Women in Baseball” exhibit, tracing the role of women in the game from the 19th century to the present day. As part of the partnership between the D.C. and Cooperstown institutions, Miami Marlins general manager Kim Ng, the first woman general manager in professional baseball, discusses her career with the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and MLB. She learned from Joe Torre how to deal with media and shares the credit with other pioneering women as they collectively move the ball forward.
From Tuesday, February 28th through Sunday, March 5th, NFL Network will be live for more than 50 hours at the 18th NFL Combine from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. While 33 NFL Network and NFL Digital Media talent will be present, analyst Daniel Jeremiah probably will be the busiest team member over those six days. Jeremiah is a former scout for three NFL teams, and he breaks down some top position groups, including quarterback, tight end, and edge rusher. Plus, learn how the NFL will track data and compare that information with other prospects as well as active NFL players.
Amazon, ESPN, FOX, and NBC have new A-teams in their broadcast booths, as CBS begins Year 6 with Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, and Tracy Wolfson. Nantz looks forward to many more seasons with Romo while wishing well the new faces and old faces in new places. Sean McManus, CBS Sports Chairman and Executive Producer for the NFL on CBS, highlights the continuity at his network and says all leading indicators for the season are up. Harold Bryant, Executive Producer and Executive Vice President, Production at CBS Sports, talks about what’s new this year. Discussing the promotion of director Suzanne Smith to CBS’s second team, replacing retiring Bob Fishman, NFL on CBS Lead Game Producer Rikhoff recalls working with her at the AFC Championship Game earlier this year. Plus, hear from Tony Romo on the Patriots.
Amazon, ESPN, FOX, and NBC have new A-teams in their broadcast booths, as CBS begins Year 6 with Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, and Tracy Wolfson. Nantz looks forward to many more seasons with Romo while wishing well the new faces and old faces in new places. Sean McManus, CBS Sports Chairman and Executive Producer for the NFL on CBS, highlights the continuity at his network and says all leading indicators for the season are up. Harold Bryant, Executive Producer and Executive Vice President, Production at CBS Sports, talks about what’s new this year. Discussing the promotion of director Suzanne Smith to CBS’s second team, replacing retiring Bob Fishman, NFL on CBS Lead Game Producer Rikhoff recalls working with her at the AFC Championship Game earlier this year. Plus, hear from Tony Romo on the Patriots.
On Thursday, September 8, primetime television’s Number 1 show for an unprecedented 11 consecutive seasons with a record 11 Emmys for Outstanding Live Sports Series – "Sunday Night Football" on NBC and Peacock -- will return with a new look to kick off the NFL season. Coordinating producer Rob Hyland, play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico, and sideline reporter Melissa Stark respectively replace Fred Gaudelli, Al Michaels, and Michele Tafoya. The new trio and returning analyst Cris Collinsworth say they already feel like they’ve been together for a while. The "Sunday Night Football" pregame show, "Football Night in America," also received a facelift with host Maria Taylor leading new analysts, former Cowboys quarterback and head coach Jason Garrett, and fantasy football expert, Matthew Berry, as they join returning analysts Tony Dungy and Chris Simms. Hear from all five as they evolve the most-watched studio show in sports while staying true to their mission.
Bleav In The Media Guide, Nov. 22, 2021: Premier League, NBC Stay Exclusive with Extension
Watch Tim Kurkjian's full Virtual Author Series episode on the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum YouTube page.
From July 14-17, NBC Sports will present the final major of men’s golf season, the 150th Open Championship from the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland. It’s the first visit to the home of golf for play-by-player Dan Hicks, who says it might be the last, best chance at The Open for Tiger Woods while analyst Paul Azinger thinks it’s not the end for Woods. On-course reporters John Wood and Notah Begay III along with Azinger explain why Will Zalatoris has a game that translates well to majors. Producer Tommy Roy explains how NBC will be in good hands using the Royal and Ancient Golf Club’s World Feed.
NBC Sports will present more than 100 hours of the men’s U.S. Open Golf Tournament from The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts across NBC, USA Network, and Peacock, including 40-plus hours of studio coverage with "Golf Central: Live From The U.S. Open" on Golf Channel, starting Monday, June 13th. Following LIV Golf’s inaugural event, NBC producer Tommy Roy and host Dan Hicks discuss how they plan to cover the U.S. Open in the current context of the golf world. NBC analysts Paul Azinger, Justin Leonard, and Notah Begay III look forward to one of LIV Golf’s biggest names, Phil Mickelson, being a storyline this weekend.
After 20 seasons together at FOX, Troy Aikman and Joe Buck discuss leaving the network and joining ESPN’s Monday Night Football. Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content, heralds his network’s new NFL golden age, and Stephanie Druley, ESPN Head of Event and Studio Production, says MNF has the best NFL booth while giving props to Aikman and Buck’s predecessor. Gracious in looking back at his former employer and excited to work with a new team, Buck is happy to hand off NFL on FOX play-by-play duties to Kevin Burkhardt and the MLB on FOX lead mic to Joe Davis. Buck also looks forward to Tom Brady’s move to the booth while Aikman explains what it takes to transition from the field to TV and why he thinks Brady will do well in his new career.
This weekend, CBS Sports will televise its 32nd consecutive PGA Championship and 39th overall. With roughly 140 cameras, 372 record channels of EVS on the ground, 90 more off-site, and 150 microphones throughout the course, CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus highlights the storytelling of lead producer Sellers Shy. Anchor Jim Nantz says his NFL on CBS analysts Tony Romo gave him nuggets about Scottie Scheffler during The Masters. Nantz, lead analyst Sir Nick Faldo, and on-course reporter like Scheffler’s chances at a second consecutive major with Jordan Spieth having a good shot to complete the career grand slam. Meanwhile, Nantz says reigning PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson may not be back this week but will return, and lead on-course reporter Dottie Pepper won’t count out Tiger Woods this week.
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For the first time in three years, The Masters will be back to full patron capacity. Whether that year’s champion, Tiger Woods, will play this week or not, he will have a major presence on CBS as the network celebrates the 25th anniversary of his 1997 victory. Heading into the network’s 67th consecutive Masters broadcast from Augusta National Golf Club, hear from CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus, host Jim Nantz, lead analyst Sir Nick Faldo, on-course reporter Dottie Pepper, and lead producer Sellers Shy as they discuss the impact of patrons, Woods, and the 2021 shot of the year.
After working the sidelines for the Super Bowl and her fifth Olympics for NBC, Kathryn Tappen returned to her college roots as part of a panel discussion, Rutgers Alumnae at the Helm: A Conversation on Women in Sports Leadership. Tappen talks about how she broke into the business and how she mentors young men and women today on podcasting and other opportunities in media. She talks about the time Ben Affleck asked her for directions at Fenway Park. She also discusses how she got her big break at NBC with the Olympics, which continues to provide inspiring and positive stories.
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Watch "Beyond the Book: The Inevitable Expansion of Sports Betting Presented by Caesars Sportsbook and click here for more information on the panel.
Check out Virtual Voices: Bob Costas and Peter Gammons on Jim Kaat on the National Baseball Hall of Fame YouTube channel.
As the Olympic Winter Games of Beijing conclude, NBC put its efforts in perspective as it completed a second Olympics during the COVID-19 pandemic with teams in China and Stamford, Connecticut at NBC Sports Group’s headquarters. NBC Olympics Executive Producer and President Molly Solomon breaks down the people, feeds, and miles it took to present nearly 3,000 hours of television. Host Mike Tirico explains the importance of his presence at the Opening Ceremony and describes living in the Beijing Bubble. NBC Sports Group Chairman Pete Bevacqua says the lack of fans in the grandstands has impacted live television across all sports. He also looks forward to the next three Olympic Games in France, Italy, and the United States while noting how the Tokyo and Beijing have dominated the media landscape, comparing ratings to that of Sunday Night Football, primetime TV’s No. 1 show for 11 consecutive years.
With the end of the NFL season and an era with Tom Brady’s retirement, NBC’s Sunday Night Football crew will change, too. Al Michaels, the sport’s premier primetime play-by-play voice, discusses the end of his NBC contract and his desire to continue calling games,. Michaels also recounts nearly 20 years of working with sideline reporter Michele Tafoya, who did her last game with NBC at the Super Bowl. Analyst Cris Collinsworth compliments Tafoya on how she complemented primetime television’s No. 1 show. Also, hear from Tafoya’s heir apparent, Kathryn Tappen, on her reporting style. Sunday Night Football executive producer Fred Gaudelli and director Drew Esocoff discuss working with Mike Tirico, who likely will replace Michaels, and Maria Taylor talks about the opportunities she’s had since joining NBC. Then, Michaels, Collinsworth, and Football Night in America analysts Chris Simms and Rodney Harrison look at the current crop of NFL quarterbacks who will replace Brady with a special focus on Cincinnati Bengals signal caller Joe Burrow.
On Sunday, February 13th, NBC, Telemundo, and Peacock will reach milestones with the presentation of Super Bowl 56 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. NBC Sports Group Chairman Pete Bevacqua explains. Host Mike Tirico and Executive Producer and President of NBC Olympics Production Molly Solomon talk about Tirico’s Olympics sandwich around Super Bowl Sunday. Sunday Night Football executive producer Fred Gaudelli maps out a star-studded game open with Oscar winner Halle Berry, and he details the production plan for his seventh Big Game with director Drew Esocoff. Ads always are a big part of the broadcast, and President NBCU Ad Sales and Partnerships Dan Lovinger discusses some new categories of advertisers getting back to the old playbook of funny commercials.
The Beijing Olympics will begin on NBCUniversal Wednesday, February 2nd on USA Network and continue through Sunday, February 20th on NBC. As primetime host for his third Olympics, Mike Tirico has an interesting countdown to these Games, which he’ll anchor in China as well as the site of the Super Bowl. Executive Producer and NBC Olympics Production President Molly Solomon discusses the stories of these Winter Olympics, the role of NBC News on the ground in Beijing, and how Peacock will have all 2,800+ hours of programming. Olympics TV newcomers Craig Melvin, from The Today Show, and Olympic downhill gold medalist Lindsey Vonn talk about Vonn’s role in front of and behind the camera. NBC Sports Group Chairman Pete Bevacqua says the pandemic and the progression of media production will find over 1,000 members of his team at the company’s Connecticut headquarters.
CBS Sports and the PGA TOUR’s 65th consecutive year together will include 20 events in four countries. The network’s season tees off at the Farmers Insurance Open from Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego. The CBS Television Network and Paramount+ have the final two rounds on Friday and Saturday. Golf anchor Jim Nantz will do a special double, calling the final 36 holes from the site of the AFC Championship Game. As Nantz’s schedule transitions from the NFL to golf, he discusses the details of this weekend’s double, takes us behind the scenes of last year’s production of The Memorial as CBS reported Jon Rahm’s positive COVID test, talks about losing friend and golf journalist Tim Rosaforte, and notes which non-major tournament is his favorite. You’ll also hear from CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus, lead analyst Sir Nick Faldo, lead on-course reporter Dottie Pepper, and lead producer Sellers Shy.
Last week, NBC announced that Michele Tafoya will work her final Sunday Night Football game at Super Bowl LVI on February 13th. With a record four Sports Emmys for Outstanding Sports Personality – Sports Reporter and the only person to be a finalist every year since the award’s inception in 2011, Tafoya will have done 327 games as an NFL sideline reporter, the most national primetime TV games (regular and postseason) for someone in that role. As the one doing the interviews, Tafoya isn’t used to being the interviewee as she was on an NBC Sports conference call. Executive producer Fred Gaudelli explains why he thinks she’s the best sideline reporter the NFL has had. Tafoya talks about her connection to Minnesota, some of her favorite moments, her stint on “The View,” and the importance of working a Super Bowl less than 10 miles from where she was raised by her mom, who asks her daughter when she plans to visit.
Perhaps no network has made a bigger commitment in the breadth of its coverage than CBS has made with its streaming platform Paramount+, which has become a leading destination for U.S. soccer fans as it features more than 2,000 live matches each year. CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus, Executive Vice President and General Manager at CBS Sports Digital Jeff Gerttula, CBS Sports Executive Producer Harold Bryant, CBS Sports Coordinating Producer Pete Radovich, and host Kate Abdo discuss the rapid rise and shrewd strategy behind their programming and production.
2021 was a big year for ESPN. SportsCenter anchors Kelsey Riggs and Ryan Smith highlight 12 months of rights deals, including three of the big four U.S. sports. It sets the stage for the network’s hopes of an NBA extension. The current deal runs through the 2024-2025 season. Then, Monday Night Football’s Steve Levy shares a behind-the-scenes look at a unique weekend in Seattle, where he called his first NHL game since 2004 and the first home game in Seattle Kraken history before returning to his regular job calling a Saints-Seahawks primetime matchup. Plus, we’ll preview ESPN’s "Monday Night Football: Doubleheader Saturday" on January 8, and it’s plans for the final game of Super Wild Card Weekend on Monday night, January 17.
On Tuesday, December 14 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, ESPN will debut a new 90-minute ESPN E60 special, “Fistful of Steel – The Rise of Bubba Wallace.” The only Black driver in the NASCAR Cup Series who became the second Black driver to win in the sport’s premier series reveals personal details in a wide-ranging, candid, and emotionally charged interview with the network’s Ryan McGee. Listen to a preview of the show, including bites from Bubba, his family, and seven-time NASCAR Cup champions Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson among others. We’ll also listen to our interview with McGee after the 2020 Talladega race when the sport rallied around Wallace. Plus, Wallace shares another side of himself on NBC Sports’ “Beyond the Fairway” podcast.
On Christmas Day, Saturday, December 25 at 2 p.m. ET, FOX will give fans “All Madden,” a documentary co-directed by 17-time Sports Emmy Award winner Tom Rinaldi and FOX Sports Vice President of Production Joel Santos. In several teases shared by the network, hear from Bill Belichick, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Troy Aikman, Michael Vick, Lamar Jackson, Madden himself, and more.
NBC Sports analyst Drew Brees looks back at what he’s learned in his rookie year on “Football Night in America” and in the Notre Dame and NFL booth. Mike Tirico notes the versatility that Brees has shown and pulls back the curtain on NBC’s Sunday night studio. Brees also shares his analysis on NFL quarterbacks Josh Allen, Derek Carr, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield, and Tua Tagovailoa.
Last Thursday, NBCUniversal and the Premier League announced a six-year extension of their partnership to 15 seasons through 2027-28 in a reported $2.7 billion deal. NBC Sports Chairman Pete Bevacqua explains the importance of exclusivity to his company and the soccer association, which also reportedly received joint offers from CBS and ESPN as well as Warner and FOX. NBC Sports Group Executive Jon Miller describes how the Premier League fits the best-of-the-best strategy for his network, and he says innovative promotions resonated with the fan base and grew into the Emmy Award-winning Apple TV series “Ted Lasso.” He also discusses whether all games will be available on Peacock and addresses NBC’s interest in other soccer rights.
Last week, Seton Hall University’s new Center for Sports Media hosted the College of Communication and the Arts latest event in the Sports Media Speaker Series entitled “Rising Talent: How Women Are Slowly But Importantly Playing Larger Roles in Sports Media.” Co-hosted by NFL Network on-air reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala and ESPN legend and Seton Hall alum Bob Ley with Professional In Residence B.J. Schecter, the panel included ESPN NFL and NBA on-air journalist Lisa Salters, ESPN Executive Vice President, Event and Studio Production Stephanie Druley, and Sacramento Kings television analyst Kayte Christensen-Hunter. The journalists shared their fears, successes, and strategies for continuing to grow professionally while adding to the ranks of female analysts, producers, and play-by-play announcers.
On Tuesday, November 9 at 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, HBO and HBO Max will debut the HBO Original “Dear Rider: The Jake Burton Story.” A feature documentary from Red Bull Media House and Emmy-winning director Fernando Villena and narrated by Jake’s friend, acclaimed actor Woody Harrelson, “Dear Rider” is a celebration of the life and vision of Jake Burton Carpenter, a pioneer who propelled the sport of snowboarding into a global and cultural phenomenon. In the film’s trailer, hear from Jake, who died of cancer in 2019, his wife Donna, and some of his friends and riders, including Olympic gold medalists Kelly Clark and Shaun White. Plus, look back at the 25th anniversary of ESPN’s inaugural Winter X Games, which put snowboarding on the Worldwide Leader in Sports stage a year before the 1998 Nagano Olympics.
As NASCAR crowns its champions in Phoenix this weekend, it’s also the end of road for live races on NBCSN. The network formally announced Tuesday that it will conclude programming on December 31. Next year, USA Network will televise more than 25 live NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series races and 11 exclusive weekends as part of more than 1500 hours of sports programming that moves from NBCSN. Before we look ahead to 2022, NASCAR on NBC analysts Dale Earnhardt Jr, Dale Jarrett, and Steve Letarte give you their picks for Cup Series champion, and NASCAR Hall of Famers Earnhardt Jr. and Jarrett share how rivalries have evolved and why the sport could go back to a fighting future with more short-track events like the 2022 season-opening Clash at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
A week after Jon Gruden resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders after the New York Times published stories on his emails, which featured homophobic and misogynistic language, Seton Hall University’s College of Communication and the Arts Sports Media Speakers Series held “The Gruden Effect: Examining The Larger Issues.” Co-hosted by renowned broadcast journalist and Hall alum Bob Ley and...
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It’s a Super Bowl year for NBC, and speculation has centered around Al Michaels and whether his 36th season as the voice of NFL’s premier prime-time game will be his last. Michaels says he has no plans to ride off into the sunset after the game in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles. The 2021 National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Ford C. Frick Award winner also shares his philosophy on...
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The 2021-22 NHL season faces off this week at the dawn of a new seven-year ice age with The Walt Disney Company and WarnerMedia. ESPN and TNT begin the year with doubleheaders on Tuesday, October 12 and Wednesday, October 13 respectively. We’ll break down the announcers and analysts for each team as well as TNT’s schedule for the NHL Outdoor Games. Hear from ESPN commentators Mark Messier...
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Over the weekend, the first-ever all-women golf broadcast team called the ShopRite LPGA Classic on GOLF Channel. Led by Beth Hutter, the first woman to produce the U.S. Women’s Open earlier this year, hear from all five members of the on-air team. Judy Rankin discusses her roots at ABC Sports and why women have been accepted as analysts on golf while on-course reporter Kay Cockerill notes the...
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In the most anticipated matchup of the NFL season, Tom Brady returns to New England with a seventh Super Bowl ring as part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “Sunday Night Football” executive producer Fred Gaudelli and play-by-play legend Al Michaels say they have been waiting all season for this Sunday Night in Foxboro. “Football Night in America” analysts Rodney Harrison and Drew Brees explain why...
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The 43rd Ryder Cup from Whistling Straits Golf Club in Kohler, Wisconsin tees off this week on NBC, Golf Channel, Peacock, the NBC Sports app, NBCSports.com and RyderCup.com. More than 35 on-air talent will present more than 100 hours of live tournament and studio programming with first tee to final putt coverage from Friday, September 24th through Sunday, September 26th. Hear from NBC’s lead golf...
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In its 45th season, “Inside The NFL” has a new home — streaming Tuesday nights on Paramount+ — and a new analyst, Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman. Hear from Edelman, host James Brown and analysts Brandon Marshall and Phil Simms, who also serves as an executive producer. They discuss social media’s educational role for youth as well as NFL players, and they celebrate the ESPN2 Manning MegaCast and...
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The NFL enters a new season with its first-ever U.S. sportsbook partnerships. For the league and its broadcasters, information and insights are more important than ever for fans taking advantage of this new frontier. Timely analysis and commentary are key to differentiating content from network to network. CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus embraces that philosophy, and he shares his thoughts along...
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While several big names — including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and the Williams sisters — are out for the final tennis Grand Slam event of the year, Novak Djokovic has a chance to claim the first calendar-year Grand Slam by a male player in 52 years. Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka goes for her third U.S. Open crown after withdrawing from the French Open and not playing Wimbledon.
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The NBA’s 75th anniversary season tips off in less than two months with the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks on TNT. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says Milwaukee’s success and mobile viewing of games means winning, not market size, matters most to players. NBA TV’s Matt Winer previews the regular-season schedule with familiar faces in new places and rivalries returning to a full 82-game schedule.
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On Monday, August 16, the racing community gathered at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and remembered veteran broadcaster Bob Jenkins, who died last week after a bout with brain cancer. Hear the speedway’s tribute to the Indiana native. Last Friday, veteran reporter Robin Miller returned to the track for the first time since presenting his namesake award to Jenkins. A member of the Motorsports...
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This month, Major League Baseball marks a major media milestone a century in the making, the one-hundredth anniversary of the first radio broadcast of a baseball game. From Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field on KDKA, Harold Arlin became the National Pastime’s first play-by-play announcer that day, and he’s remembered by author Curt Smith in “Memories from the Microphone: A Century of Baseball Broadcasting.”...
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With three premier racing events this summer, Music City is back in motorsports. In June, NBCSN televised the first NASCAR Cup race in 37 years in the city at the Nashville Superspeedway. This weekend, the network will air an IndyCar street-course race. Last month, SRX held its season finale on CBS at the Nashville Fairgrounds. Three-time Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti, who will serve as grand...
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On the 25th anniversary of Muhammad Ali lighting Atlanta’s Olympic cauldron, PBS and ESPN’s The Undefeated convened the panel “Ali on the World’s Stage” to promote “Muhammad Ali,” a film by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon, premiering September 19 on PBS. Hear from Burns, Dr. Todd Boyd, professor of cinema and media studies at USC, Janet Evans, a five-time Olympic medalist...
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With no fans and families in the stands in Japan, NBCUniversal will share 7,000 hours across broadcast, cable, digital, and streaming platforms, including 17 consecutive primetime telecasts on the NBC Broadcast Network, beginning July 23. In her first Games as executive producer and president of NBC Olympics Production, Molly Solomon describes the creative ways her team created features on...
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Major League Baseball begins summer’s second half in Denver with the Home Run Derby on ESPN and the MLB All-Star Game on FOX. We’ll rewind to ESPN’s first live telecast of the long-ball spectacle won by Ken Griffey Jr. in 1998 as the event returns to Coors Field. On Wednesday, July 14, MLB Network Presents “Tatis: The Rise of El Nino,” featuring the Griffey of his day, Fernando Tatis Jr.
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As the NHL on NBC era ends, play-by-play announcer Kenny Albert, Inside the Glass analyst Brian Boucher, studio analyst Keith Jones, and coordinating producer John McGuinness remember their favorite moments from the last 15 seasons and discuss the impact the network had on the sport. Albert will become Turner’s lead play-by-player while Boucher will be an analyst at ESPN...
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NASCAR on NBC will celebrate the nation’s independence on a road course where the Cup Series hasn’t run since 1956. Wisconsin’s Road America hosts the NBC broadcast network’s first race of the season on Sunday. Hear from the booth of Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Steve Letarte as they talk about returning to full capacity in the grandstands, Kyle Larson’s triumphant comeback...
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School’s out for summer, which will be the season of Peyton Manning. First, the two-time Super Bowl champion will host the 10-episode Capitol One College Bowl, beginning Tuesday, June 22 at 10 p.m. Eastern/Pacific on NBC. His “Peyton’s Places” history project will expand, starting July 7 on ESPN+, and soccer star Abby Wambach’s “Abby’s Places” will kick off an evolution of the Places series with...
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It’s graduation season, so we share advice and words of wisdom from the best in the business of sports reporting. Renowned broadcast journalist and Seton Hall University alum Bob Ley and the school’s College of Communication and the Arts professional-in-residence B.J. Schecter, who also serves as editor and publisher of “Baseball America,” shared their own insight while framing classroom Zooms...
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The Camping World SRX Series goes green Saturday for the first of six consecutive Saturday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS and Paramount+. Reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves gets behind the wheel two weeks removed from his record-tying fourth Indy 500 win. Another Indy 500 champion, Tony Kanaan, and IndyCar drivers Marco Andretti, and Paul Tracy look forward to learning on the...
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This week, CBS Sports Network and Paramount+ will broadcast the CONCACAF Nations League Finals, live from Denver. Before the U.S. men’s national soccer team plays Honduras and Mexico plays Costa Rica in Thursday’s semifinal, former U.S. players Clint Dempsey, Charlie Davies, and Oguchi Onyewu will join host Kate Abdo for the pregame studio show. Hear from Abdo, who has anchored UEFA Champions...
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ESPN and Major League Baseball reached a seven-year rights extension, highlighted by 30 exclusive regular-season games, Home Run Derby, alternate presentation rights for every live event, and simulcast rights for ESPN+. Enjoying a year-over-year ratings increase, ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball has a new featured song for the first half of the season. Hear AJR’s version of “Way Less Sad.” Plus...
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This weekend, CBS will complete an unprecedented TV grand slam as it broadcasts its second of two PGA Championships in 10 months, bookending two Masters. As it has for those four tournaments, ESPN will team up with CBS from Thursday through Sunday at The Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, where Rory McIlroy won the PGA Championship in 2012. Coming off his first win in a year and a half...
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The WNBA begins its 25th season on Friday with 100 national television broadcasts on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, CBS Sports Network, and NBA TV as well as live-streams on Twitter and Facebook. On Thursday, ESPN Films will premiere “144,” taking viewers inside last year’s “Wubble” and a season dedicated to social justice. Hear from the Atlanta Dream’s Elizabeth Williams, a member of the WNBPA Executive...
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Last week, the NHL announced the second half of its new seven-year multimedia rights agreement. Turner Sports will join ESPN, replacing NBC, as the league’s new rightsholders through 2028. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and WarnerMedia News & Sports Chairman Jeff Zucker discuss Turner’s connection with younger fans on Bleacher Report and House of Highlights as well as streaming on HBO Max. Plus...
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On April 29, 1961, ABC debuted Wide World of Sports as a summer replacement series. The show ran for nearly 40 years. This week, we celebrate the show’s 60th anniversary with longtime ABC Sports director Jim Jennett, who talks about its rise and fall and some memorable moments. He also discusses how he spans the globe with ABC Sports alumni — including legendary broadcaster Al Michaels and Disney...
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CBS and Paramount+ will present a brand-new racing series this summer. For six consecutive Saturday nights in June and July, the Superstar Racing Experience will pit NASCAR Hall of Famers Bill Elliott and Bobby Labonte against Indy 500 champions Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan, plus additional racing stars and local heroes on iconic short tracks across America. CBS Sports SRX producer Pam Miller...
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As Major League Baseball celebrates Jackie Robinson Day this week, we remember another milestone anniversary from last week, the first celebration of Hank Aaron’s 715th home run after his passing. We also highlight the final event in Seton Hall University’s three-part Black History Month Sports Media Panel Series. Co-hosted by renowned broadcast journalist and Hall alum Bob Ley and College of...
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Five months after televising The Masters in the fall for the first time, CBS returns to Augusta National Golf Club for the 66th consecutive year and the 36th in a row for host Jim Nantz, who recently signed an extension and plans to be there for the 100th Masters. It’s the silver anniversary of lead analyst Sir Nick Faldo’s third Masters win, and lead producer Sellers Shy will helm the production...
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As the next wave of quarterbacks hold pro days in advance of next month’s NFL Draft, NBC Sports announced its selection of Drew Brees as its analyst for Notre Dame football and Football Night in America. Brees shares when he knew he wanted to become a broadcaster, why he’s excited to join Mike Tirico in the booth and studio, and how he’ll share his passion for football with fans.
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On the eve of March Madness, the NFL announced long-term media distribution agreements with Amazon, CBS, FOX, NBC, and ESPN/ABC. Disney returns to the Super Bowl rotation and adds additional rights. Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN and sports content; Burke Magnus, ESPN executive vice president of programming and original content; and Hans Schroeder, executive vice president/
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CBS and Turner begin a unique NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship in Indianapolis, and the lead team — Jim Nantz, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill, and Tracy Wolfson – share special memories of past tournaments in Indiana. Nantz suggests the one-city, one-tournament model might continue beyond 2021, and studio analyst Candace Parker agrees. Fellow analysts Clark Kellogg, Wally Szczerbiak...
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On March 8, 1971, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier became the first two fighters to square off for the heavyweight title in the “Fight of the Century.” An ABC special marks the 50th anniversary, and it explains the rivalry’s three fights in the context of the times. Hear from ESPN commentators Scoop Jackson and Mark Kriegel, and go behind the scenes with Dennis Lewin, who produced a studio show that...
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Atlanta, home of Turner Sports, will host the 70th NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, March 7 with the skills, three-point and slam dunk contests on the same night, all on TNT. Starting Thursday, March 4, the network will air a four-part documentary series called “The Inside Story,” highlighting over 30 years of “Inside the NBA.” Hailed by industry competitors and fans alike as the best sports studio...
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This month, Seton Hall University’s College of Communication and The Arts and the Stillman School of Business convened a Black History Month Sports Media Panel Series, hosted by ESPN legend Bob Ley and “Baseball America” editor and publisher B.J. Schecter. The first panel on diversity and inclusion featured Peacock’s “Brother from Another” host Michael Smith, a former ESPN colleague of Ley...
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CBS Sports Network analyst and former Raiders CEO Amy Trask says companies should fail based “business Darwinism” if all pools of available candidates aren’t considered. She says others in the NFL saw people who could do a job and not her gender or the gender of Sarah Thomas, the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl. She also discusses her former team and whether they might have interest in...
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As the NFL season ends, some retiring players may move to media roles. Nate Burleson of “The NFL Today” on CBS and “Good Morning Football” on NFL Network says he was a “diva” wide receiver destined for TV. He looked up to “The NFL Today” host James Brown like he looked up to Randy Moss when he was a rookie with the Minnesota Vikings. Brown says Burleson was a natural and has made the CBS studio...
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On Sunday, February 7, CBS Sports will televise a record 21st Super Bowl. Analyst Tony Romo says the matchup between Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the last man to beat him in the playoffs, Tom Brady, of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will be the biggest of the 55 Big Games. Calling his sixth Super Bowl, Jim Nantz says the Tampa frontline workers may give the Bucs an advantage while...
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CBS Sports tees off its 64th consecutive year of PGA TOUR events this weekend with a new lead producer, Sellers Shy. Only the third lead producer in over six decades, Shy started as a runner for the first, Frank Chirkinian, and was the righthand man for the second, Lance Barrow. Shy shares how he plans to reenergize the telecasts. As the TOUR returns to Torrey Pines, anchor Jim Nantz recalls...
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For a record 10th consecutive television season, NBC’s Sunday Night Football is on pace to be the top-rated TV show. It’s 16th year will end with a Super Bowl, and it will happen between the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Olympics. NBC Sports Group Chairman Pete Bevacqua looks forward to the busiest time in his division’s history, and Sunday Night Football executive producer Fred...
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The NHL is back Wednesday, January 13. NBC begins the 2020-21 season with an opening-night tripleheader, a Martin Luther King Jr. Day quadrupleheader, and without a replacement in the booth for Mike “Doc” Emrick. Hear from NBC Sports Executive Producer Sam Flood and game analysts Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire, Brian Boucher, and AJ Mleczko as the NBC team, with a few new studio analysts...
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The NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon will reach a new audience on Sunday, January 10 at 4:30 p.m. ET, following a SpongeBob SquarePants pregame show. CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus discusses the ViacomCBS strategy to reach new fans as the network prepares to televise the Super Bowl on February 7 in Tampa. That city’s Buccaneers return to the playoffs for the first time since 2007 with...
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During the coronavirus pandemic, access to athletes, coaches and officials has been limited. As part of its Sports Media Speaker Series, Seton Hall University’s College of Communication and The Arts held a panel discussion that included this topic. Hear highlights from moderator and ESPN legend Bob Ley; Aditi Kinkhabwala, on-air reporter for the NFL Network; Dana O’Neil, senior writer for The...
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The 2020-21 NBA season tips off this week on ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV. The opening week slate features five games on Christmas Day across ABC and ESPN, including a unique doubleheader for the team of Ryan Ruocco and Richard Jefferson. On Christmas Eve, ESPN will look back at the year with “SportsCenter Presents: 2020 – Heroes, History and Hope.” Hear clips from the three-hour special which...
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In the summer of 2020, CBS Sports televised the first U.S. professional team sports league to return during the coronavirus pandemic as the NWSL staged the first successful bubble with no positive COVID-19 tests. CBS continues its commitment to women’s sports with CBS Sports Network’s new season of “Four Sides of the Story,” a documentary series that highlights seminal sports moments through four...
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In a unique 2020 college football season, ESPN’s College GameDay has adapted to the coronavirus pandemic by heading to three new venues, including The Masters. As it prepares for its 399th road game, look back at some of its special stops. Hear from analyst Lee Corso as he makes his headgear picks from his Orlando home this year. Plus, we’ll preview the shows seventh consecutive Army-Navy game and...
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Former MLB catcher and manager Jeff Torborg and broadcasting legend Vin Scully celebrated birthdays over Thanksgiving weekend. As employees of the Dodgers, the two were linked forever as Torborg caught and Scully called Sandy Koufax’s 1965 perfect game. In this 1992 interview, Torborg – who went on to work for CBS Radio and FOX – shares his analysis of Koufax and Nolan Ryan, who threw his first no...
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This Thanksgiving weekend, watch Ken Burns’ “Baseball” like you’ve never seen it. The 1994 documentary has been reformatted into Ultra HD 4K and will air in its entirety on MLB Network. Burns says, “It’s a whole new film.” He shares stories about the film and its star, Negro Leagues legend Buck O’Neil, as part of “Remembering Buck O’Neil,” a Negro Leagues Baseball Museum presentation.
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On Wednesday, ESPN will host a virtual draft for the NBA, which reportedly set guidelines for the return of fans to its games during the COVID-19 pandemic. Broadcasts and players have missed spectators, and announcers and analysts open up about the impact of fanless venues. Hear from NBC Sports Group Chairman Pete Bevacqua and his team, including play-by-play announcer and studio host Mike Tirico...
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Golf’s traditional first major, The Masters, will tee off last in 2020 and have a football flavor as ESPN’s College GameDay visits Augusta National Golf Club and the Saturday and Sunday rounds on CBS will lead into Alabama-LSU and NFL games. No patrons will be allowed at the club so find out how to follow your favorite players online and on TV. Hear from the CBS team, including Jim Nantz...
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Major League Baseball and the Baseball Writers’ Association of America will begin handing out hardware this week and next on MLB Network and ESPN. Get the full rundown of shows and find out how you can vote on a Rawlings Platinum Gold Glove Award winner for each league as well as the All-MLB Team. Plus, the Rich Eisen Show welcomes Bob Costas, who puts in perspective Game 6 of the World Series...
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NHL on NBC play-by-play announcer Mike Emrick has called it a career and released a memoir, “Off Mike.” In his farewell address to the media, Emrick explained why he’s stepping away after 50 years of covering hockey. He discussed how his love of animals helps him show his humanity as a hockey ambassador. Fellow play-by-play legend Al Michaels attempts to draw Doc out of retirement...
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Major League Baseball’s 116th World Series will be the first neutral site Fall Classic in modern baseball history. FOX celebrates its 25th MLB Postseason with an interactive video player, special camera angles and replay options via a bonus app experience exclusively for 5G-enabled smartphones. As Joe Buck calls his 23rd World Series, find out what his fellow FOX teammates were doing in 1996...
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Amazon has new ways to watch games with additional commentary options, more content during the week on Prime Video and Twitch and real-time and on-demand replays with X-Ray Next Gen Stats and live insights. Michelle McKenna, the NFL’s Chief Information Officer, discusses the league’s partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), the origins of Next Gen Stats and the evolution of data and technology...
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TBS recently extended its Major League Baseball rights deal through 2028. One of the main voices for Turner Sports now and in the future, Brian Anderson, will do play-by-play for this week’s American League Division Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees and next week’s American League Championship Series. Anderson called the Western Conference Finals for the NBA on TNT, and he’...
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The NBA and NHL playoffs are winding down. Horse racing, tennis, golf and NASCAR are preparing to crown their final major or season champions of the calendar year. MLB’s playoffs begin this week. Should these titles be viewed differently than past championships? Voices from across sports and networks share their opinions, including from CBS — Jim Nantz, Nick Faldo, Dottie Pepper and Ian Eagle. FOX’...
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New NFL on CBS analyst Charles Davis draws praise from his network’s lead analyst Tony Romo and CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus. Plus, Romo, Davis and their broadcast partners Ian Eagle and Jim Nantz explain why Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes could have a Tom Brady-Peyton Manning rivalry as the Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs Week 3 on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”...
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Longtime ABC Sports director Jim Jennett previews the U.S. Open’s return to Winged Foot Golf Club and NBC and discusses his network’s standard-setting golf coverage. Find out how he spans the globe for ABC Sports alumni — including legendary broadcaster Al Michaels and Disney Executive Chairman Robert Iger — and connects them via Zoom chats about their experience working on multiple Olympics and...
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The 101st NFL season gets underway Thursday as the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs host the Houston Texans. NBC’s Sunday Night Football crew begins its 15th year following a record ninth consecutive season as the No. 1 show in primetime television. Play-by-play voice Al Michaels and analyst Cris Collinsworth describe how to strike the right tone during a pandemic.
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As the Army Black Knights begin their college football season, play-by-play voice Rich DeMarco explains the special role athletics plays at a military academy and looks back at nearly two decades at West Point. He discusses Army’s breakthrough win over Navy in 2016, covering 9/11 and how hearing one of his college play-by-play highlights on WFAN inspired him to aspire to greater broadcasting goals.
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As NFL training camp ramps up, TV has more than two-a-days with offerings from NBC, NFL Network and ESPN. In addition to revamping its “Monday Night Football” booth and crew, ESPN’s “NFL Live” will feature a new, younger team. Hear from the show’s quarterback, Dan Orlovsky, and former NFL defensive end, Marcus Spears, as they discuss the impact of COVID-19 before huddling with host Laura Rutledge...
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For the first time in its 104 th running, the Indianapolis 500 will start its engines in August. For its second 500, the networks of NBC are in the middle of nearly 50 live hours from the facility, which will be hosted for the first time by new owner Roger Penske, an 18-time winner of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Hear from NBC’s studio team of Mike Tirico and Danica Patrick...
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Following the qualifying round, the Stanley Cup playoffs begin this week. Before previewing the matchups, SBNation Raw Charge Associate Editor Tanya Rezak discusses the impact of the pandemic and the quest for racial and social justice both inside and outside of the NHL bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton.
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In a rescheduled 2020, the PGA Championship will be the first major as CBS, ESPN and the PGA of America begin a new 11-year partnership with live, full-field, wire-to-wire coverage in prime time for the first time ever. From CBS, anchor Jim Nantz, lead analyst Sir Nick Faldo and lead on-course reporter Dottie Pepper preview the event along with CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus, EVP and SVP...
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As 24 NHL teams assemble in two Canadian cities, Edmonton and Toronto, in a quest for the Stanley Cup, NBC will lean on its Olympics infrastructure to present the playoffs. NBC Sports Executive Producer Sam Flood explains new ways of showcasing the game with a 360-degree camera in the scoreboard and increased audio at ice level. The network’s lead broadcast team, Mike “Doc” Emrick and Eddie Olczyk...
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Major League Baseball’s 60-game sprint of a regular season opens with 16 national games in four days across ESPN, FOX, FS1, MLB Network and TBS. -ESPN Senior Vice President of Production and Remote Events Mark Gross lays out the logistics of televising games in the age of social distancing. -ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball team of Matt Vasgersian and Alex Rodriguez can’t wait to eavesdrop on players...
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ESPN’s Ryan McGee explains the emotional experience of writing his new book “Sidelines and Bloodlines” with father Dr. Jerry and brother Sam. He recounts stories from his dad’s career as a college football referee and university president while discussing the potential for no college football in the fall. Find out how his SEC Network show “Marty and McGee” evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic plus...
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As the Washington NFL franchise announces its team name and logo will be retired, legendary broadcaster Bob Costas recalls his 2013 NBC Sunday Night Football commentary on why the nickname, by definition, is an insult. In this excerpt from a 2019 exchange with ESPN’s Bob Ley as part of the Seton Hall University College of Communication and the Arts’ Sports Media Speaker Series, co-sponsored by the...
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ESPN Vice President of Production Amy Rosenfeld and MLS Senior Vice President of Media Seth Bacon highlight how drone cameras, mics in the pitch, super-slo-mo cameras and other technology and innovation will mark the return of soccer in the MLS Is Back Tournament. With increased investment from the league and its broadcast partners and without fans in the stands, television will experiment and...
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As the groundbreaking cultural phenomenon “Hamilton,” the story of America’s immigrant founding father Alexander Hamilton, premieres on Disney+, the streaming service also debuts a behind-the-scenes companion piece, “The Undefeated Presents Hamilton In-Depth with Kelley Carter,” featuring the stars of the musical. Another Hamilton, Lewis Hamilton, continues his record-breaking career in Formula 1...
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Sports fans, July is your time to return to watching and wagering as three of the four major American sports begin or continue their seasons while NCAA football and NFL training camps get underway. Formula 1, WNBA, three soccer leagues and a lacrosse league will compete as well. Get ready with dates, details and TV networks to make the most of your month.
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With three upcoming programming initiatives, ESPN will highlight athletes and thought leaders who have made the most of their platforms. – The 2020 ESPYS will “showcase athlete activism as the sports world issues a call to action to address racial injustice in America.” SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm discusses the show’s mission to eradicate cancer. – “espnW Presents: When We Play” will be a...
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On Wednesday, June 3, New Orleans Saints quarterback and future NBC analyst Drew Brees returned to rhetoric that conflated kneeling to protest police brutality with disrespecting the American flag and national anthem. By week’s end, a group of black NFL players spoke words repeated by the commissioner, condemning racism and the systemic oppression of black people while admitting the league was...
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One of the first media members to cover a sporting event on site during the COVID-19 pandemic, FOX NASCAR reporter Alan Cavanna, describes in detail the steps he took to enter Charlotte Motor Speedway and work a race. Find out why it may have gone more smoothly than a regular race even though the production team was spread across state lines. Learn about his lifelong love of racing...
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ESPN’s Grand Slam Host Chris McKendry reflects on the golden era of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams and how it could end with the COVID-19 pandemic. She agrees with Federer and Billie Jean King, who think the men’s and women’s tours would be stronger together. A tennis player herself who was part of the first Title IX generation, growing up a fan of Philadelphia...
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Following five weeks of record ratings for “The Last Dance,” which helped ESPN to an 11 percent bump in April viewership year over year, the network will air three 30 for 30 Films over the next four Sunday nights, filling the void left without live sports. Two of the films will return to the late 1990s for the complicated stories of Lance Armstrong as well as Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.
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As one of the first leagues to get back to business during the COVID-19 pandemic, NASCAR’s return this weekend is a product of proactive scheduling by NASCAR President Steve Phelps with broadcast partner FOX. Seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson says drivers may benefit from running four races in 11 days. His Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron will prepare using iRacing...
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In this crossover episode, meet Bleav In The Blind Broadcaster Luther King. He discusses how he announces games, when his career started, who inspires him, where he sees himself down the road and why he says he’s no different than any other sportscaster.
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When your basketball tournament and spring sports schedule are canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic, what do you do? Big Ten Network Director of Digital Content Chris Malcolm says Zoom and other tools help several editorial teams at the network work from home while telling new stories in different ways. Sharing lessons and memories from 10 years and three Stanley Cup titles as the man behind the...
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In a COVID-19 world, ESPN Vice President, Production Seth Markman and NFL Network Senior Vice President of Programming and Production Mark Quenzel preview their combined presentation as well as how the ABC version of the NFL Draft draws new viewers. Find out how producers and talent will social-distance, why some of the production techniques may continue post-pandemic and who will benefit from...
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With the Buccaneers signing Tom Brady and hosting the Super Bowl at the end of the upcoming NFL season, and the Rays potentially being home to a Cactus-Grapefruit League World Series, we speak with Rays host and play-by-play announcer Neil Solondz about Tampa Bay becoming an epicenter for sports during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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As the golf world announces a revised 2020 schedule this week, Devon Fox, Director, Digital Platform Innovation at the PGA TOUR, talks about efforts to engage fans with new content on PGATOURLive.com, create immersive experiences like Every Shot Live and become a more inclusive community.
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With iRacing races, NASCAR has set a new standard for eSports TV viewers while IndyCar keeps drivers and fans engaged with its own events during the COVID-19 global pandemic. NBCSports.com lead motorsports writer Nate Ryan explains how these simulations are closer to the real thing than other major sports and why the races are drawing record ratings.
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With the Olympics postponed to 2021 and MLB’s Opening Day not happening this week, we look at the future of Bob Costas, NBC’s longtime Olympics host and current MLB Network broadcaster. Could recent TV appearances provide clues on what and where is next for him? We’ll also compare his commentary on Kobe Bryant’s passing to his Mickey Mantle eulogy, which took place 25 years ago this summer.
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As a global pandemic shuts down live games, Bleav in The Media Guide welcomes Rutgers University professor Steve Miller, comparing the novel coronavirus to the HIV and AIDS conversation nearly 20 years ago with the NBA leading the way in both cases. With no fans at WWE events and the NFL draft, how are other leagues staying connected with fans while making plans to play in mid-May?
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Without NCAA March Madness, MLB Spring Training, MLS, NBA, NHL, PGA or XFL for at least a month, we’ll focus on what we do have this weekend with NASCAR in Atlanta and IndyCar in St. Petersburg.
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With fears about the coronavirus growing and whether fans will be in the stands or not, the NCAA Division I basketball tournaments are ready to tip off with the men on CBS and Turner and the women on ESPN. As I found out firsthand, a game is not the same with empty grandstands, but we’ll give you everything you need to know to follow the games on TV or online on the Roads to Atlanta and New...
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ESPY Awards executive producer Maura Mandt passed away unexpectedly on February 28. She counted among her “teammates” NBA legend Kobe Bryant, another life gone too soon. Learn more how the two were connected and how the ESPYs and Marvel’s Hero Project will serve as a lasting legacy for Mandt.
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With a career spanning the worlds of radio, TV and web at ABC, CBS, ESPN, FOX, NASCAR and WFAN, I look forward to reading, watching and listening to sports media with you and talking about it here on Bleav in The Media Guide.
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