Say so long to the name but not the RSN: Bally Sports is getting a rebrand this fall. It’s like Diamond’s regional sports networks are sticking around after all. As part of its reorganization plan last week, a Houston bankruptcy judge approved two key items: a $450 million debtor-in-possession financing package and a $495 million settlement from Sinclair, who […]
Justice Department to analyze deal as the NFL pushes back The planned sports streaming venture proposed by Disney’s ESPN, Fox Corporation, and Warner Bros. Discovery could be finished before it even gets off the ground. Two significant developments took place this week as the Department of Justice (DOJ) is now looking at the proposed joint venture for anti-trust concerns. The […]
Arrival puts Peacock, Paramount Plus, and YouTubeTV on notice In huge sports media news, three major media companies – The Walt Disney Co., Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox Corporation are teaming up to launch a brand-new sports streaming service likely to launch this fall – perhaps just in time for the NFL season. The news broke on CNBC this afternoon. […]
WGN-TV hires new traffic reporter; NBC Sports Chicago adding alternative Blackhawks telecasts; New Orleans Pelicans latest Bally team to seek an over-the-air TV deal The PPM ratings survey for November was released this week and to no one’s surprise, iHeartMedia’s 93.9 The Lite is ahead of the competition. WLIT took first place from Hubbard’s The Drive as the Gold AC […]
Also: Timberwolves strike iHeartMedia deal; CBS affiliates decline Bears game in large numbers; Survivor names a tribe after an old media company Longtime Chicago radio veteran Rick O’Dell is the latest media figure to announce his retirement, doing so on Facebook. His final day is October 4. Currently the program director of MeTV FM (WRME-FM), O’Dell is best known for […]
Also: NBA, Stanley Cup Final earns mixed ratings numbers; Nexstar moves CW affiliations to its owned stations in three markets; “Velma” renewed for season two Usually, trades are reserved for sports teams though this one could be compared to the Chicago White Sox trading a player to the Minnesota Twins. Cumulus Media announced Tuesday the appointment of James Kurdziel from […]
Impact might not be felt immediately The nation’s biggest regional sports network chain just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but of all the talk and bluster about its implosion, they actually might come out fine. Well, maybe. Bally Sports parent Diamond Sports Group entered those waters last Tuesday with the Southern District of Texas bankruptcy court as the company – […]
Deal is for local stations, nothing more In a blow for local sports fans who are not subscribers to cable or DirecTV, Sinclair new carriage deal with Dish does not include the regional sports networks the company owns, branded Bally Sports Net. But it is good news for Dish subscribers who won’t have to suffer any program interruptions on 144 […]
Also: Fox News wins election night; NBA season to start Dec. 22 IHeartMedia’s WLIT launched its Holly Jolly format (or Christmas music as everyone else calls it) starting at 4 p.m. Friday, and is likely to last through the end of the year. This is the 20th year WLIT has turned its playlist to a Christmas Jukebox, playing Mariah Carey’s […]
Toronto Raptors clinch title, but ratings down as expected south of the 49th parallel T Dog Media nearly hits viewership projection on target The Toronto Raptors clinched their first NBA title last week, but for ABC and ESPN, they weren’t exactly celebrating. But in Canada, Bell and Rogers were popping champagne corks and partying with the Raptors. Nielsen ratings show […]
NBA Finals only on cable in Canada despite Raptors’ appearance The Toronto Raptors advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in their 24-year history as they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday night, winning the Eastern Conference Finals four games to two. They now play the defending champion Golden State Warriors Thursday night. But while American viewers can watch […]
News comes as NBA ratings also slide If NBC Sports Chicago hopes to continue getting around $4.40 per subscriber fee once the Cubs depart for their own regional sports network, Chicago’s NBA team might want to improve – and fast. Ratings released at the All-Star break for NBA teams show the Bulls sitting among the lower tier of NBA teams, […]
Also: WKQX hires new morning personality, Carol Fowler out at the Sun-Times; Tamron Hall adds Hearst stations Can anyone in Chicago management keep a job these days? Weeks after the Blackhawks fired Joel Quennville, their United Center co-tenants did the same to Fred Hoiberg earlier this week after three and-a-half-seasons. The Bulls did make the playoffs the first two years […]
Short series ends basketball and hockey seasons early. Also: updates on “Springer”, “CrimeWatch” Even without the Chicago Blackhawks and other big-market original six teams, the NHL Stanley Cup Final was a big hit for NBC. According to Nielsen, Game 5 of the Final with the Washington Capitals clinching their first-ever title over the first-ever Las Vegas Golden Knights drew a […]
Local teams tank and so does their ratings Like the weather, winter nights turned cold for each of the United Center’s tenants. The last-place finishes for both the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks in their respective divisions this past season not only had local sports fans tuning out, but looking ahead to baseball season earlier than usual. And bearing […]