FOX Sports Florida Fantasy Auction Raises $93,000 For Miami Marlins Charities

On Monday, July 29, the Miami Marlins game vs the New York Mets set the stage for the 8th Annual Marlins Foundation FOX Sports Fantasy Broadcast Auction, which gave viewers the opportunity to bid on some amazing experiences online and through the broadcast. All proceeds from the signature event benefited the Marlins Education Fund.

As FOX Sports 1 talks go on, rebrand of Fuel to FOX Sports 2 quietly readied

By John Ourand, Staff Writer - Sports Business Journal
Published July 29, 2013

Cable and satellite operators are preparing for Fox Sports to launch Fox Sports 2 next month even though the media company still has not announced anything official yet. 

Earlier this month, cable systems in the Northeast sent notifications to their subscribers announcing plans to flip Fuel into FS2 by Aug. 17, which is the date when Fox Sports 1 is scheduled to launch.

Several distribution executives have said that Fox has told them to prepare for the change, which would be part of a soft transition around Aug. 17.  

NBC Sports to Pay $4.4 Billion for NASCAR Rights

• NBC Sports Inks 10-Year Deal For 20 Sprint Cup Races Annually

  By Tripp Mickle & John Ourand
  NBC will pay $4.4B over 10 years for rights to ESPN's entire NASCAR package, plus half of Turner's six races, according to sources familiar with the deal. That represents a significant media rights increase for NASCAR over the more than $2.28B paid by ESPN and Turner Sports combined for the same number of Sprint Cup and Nationwide races in their current 8-year agreements. This comes after NASCAR received a more than 30% increase in its earlier deal with Fox that covers the first half of its season. 

Talk of sports rights bubble bursting is still strong — and still wrong

John Ourand - Sports Business Journal

Published July 22, 2013, Page 11

Last week, I wrote about problems Fox is having persuading distributors to carry its fledgling FS1.

Some have suggested the story — and the fact that Fox is looking to get a license fee that’s three times higher than Speed — is further evidence that sports rights are climbing at an unsustainable rate. Throw in the sports channel carriage fights in Houston, Portland and San Diego, and talk of a sports bubble that’s about to burst becomes inevitable.

That talk is dead wrong, according to a super majority of my best sources. These executives believe the sports media industry is no closer to a bursting bubble than it was in 1993, when talk of a sports rights bubble first emerged. That was when Fox Sports outbid CBS by more than $100 million per year for the rights to the NFL’s NFC package. At the time, industry insiders thought the price was so outlandish that there was no way Fox would make money off that deal. Of course, the deal worked for Fox, and rights fees have risen ever since. 

FOX Sports 1, ESPN take turns counterprogramming

By John Ourand, Staff Writer - Sports Business Journal

Published July 22, 2013

Fox hired popular Canadian sports hosts Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole to host an 11 p.m. news and highlights show on FS1 called “Fox Sports Live.”

ESPN responded by bringing back one of its most popular “SportsCenter” anchors, Keith Olbermann, to host an 11 p.m. show on ESPN2.

After Fox announced a football show for 6 p.m., ESPN loaded up on NFL between 3 and 5. Photo by: JOHN ATASHIAN / ESPN

Fox announced plans to produce a daily, hourlong football show at 6 p.m. for FS1 called “Fox Football Daily.”

ESPN countered by retooling its afternoon lineup with two hours of NFL studio programming (“NFL Insiders” and “NFL Live”) from 3-5 p.m.

Though executives usually are reticent to admit it publicly, it’s not unusual for established channels to counter program in advance of a competitor’s launch. ESPN added more NFL programming and expanded its social media show “SportsNation” around the time NBC Sports Group rebranded Versus into NBC Sports Network 19 months ago. 

Howard to Rockets unlikely to get CSN Houston carriage dispute settled

By David Barron - Houston Chronicle

Thursday, July 18 - 10:49 PM

The Astros have become an afterthought to many fans, with their TV games drawing an average audience of about 10,000 households.

On back-to-back days earlier this month, Jarred Cosart and Dwight Howard gave Houston fans ample reasons to dream of better days.

Cosart, arguably the best pitching prospect in the Astros' system, took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of his major league debut and claimed his first career win against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The next morning, more than 10,000 fans jammed into a downtown park to welcome Howard, the NBA's top-ranked free agent, to the Rockets to play alongside James Harden, Chandler Parsons and Jeremy Lin.

For Astros fans, Cosart's debut gives credence to general manager Jeff Luhnow's long-term rebuilding plan as the team struggles toward what likely will be a third consecutive 100-loss season. For Rockets fans, Howard represents arguably the final piece of the puzzle in the team's drive toward contention for an NBA title.

But the harsh reality for daydreaming fans is that neither Cosart nor Howard, at least for the moment, packs enough marketing punch to guarantee that all Rockets fans in the 20-county Houston designated market area and all Astros fans across a five-state area will have full access to their games on Comcast SportsNet Houston. 

Pay-TV Providers Bid to End Sports Networks' Win Streak

Cable, Satellite-TV Firms Push Back on Rising Cost of Sports Programming

By MATTHEW FUTTERMAN - July 14, 2013

When the Houston Astros and Rockets decided to launch their own cable network last year, their owners hoped to reap a sports-television bonanza. It hasn't worked out that way.

Comcast Corp., CMCSA +0.49% one of the region's biggest cable-TV providers, took a 22% stake in the network and now carries the games. But AT&T Inc. T -0.17% andDirecTV DTV +0.79% have refused to carry the new network, saying it was demanding too much money for programming that their research shows viewers aren't all that interested in. Today, CSN Houston is available in only 40% of area households.

Lack of deals, wins sends Astros’ ratings down

By John Ourand, Staff Writer

Published July 15, 2013, Page 4

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Plagued by distribution problems and stuck with a team that has one of baseball’s worst records, CSN Houston is seeing MLB’s lowest local TV ratings in five years.

The Houston Astros, in their first season on CSN Houston, are averaging a 0.43 rating and just 10,000 homes per game. Those marks are MLB’s lowest local numbers since the Washington Nationals pulled a 0.34 and 8,000 homes on MASN for the 2008 season, the year the team lost 102 games.

The Astros’ average rating is also down 66 percent from what the team averaged last year on FS Houston, the biggest percentage drop among all U.S.-based MLB teams.

Charter CEO Tom Rutledge, Liberty's John Malone Push Gospel of Consolidation

• MEDIA & MARKETING

• July 11, 2013, 7:13 p.m. ET

Cable-TV Boss's Vision: Just Two Industry Players

Charter CEO Tom Rutledge, Liberty's John Malone Push Gospel of Consolidation

Tom Rutledge, the chief executive of cable operator Charter Communications Inc.,CHTR -0.12% was on vacation in the Caribbean in February when he got an unexpected phone call. Cable tycoon John Malone was on the line.

Enlarge Image

"It was out of the blue," Mr. Rutledge says.

Mr. Malone was interested in investing in Charter but hadn't made up his mind. Mr. Rutledge laid out his ideas on how the cable industry can grow. Weeks later, Mr. Malone's Liberty Media Corp.LMCA +0.83% agreed to take a big stake in Charter.

That deal set in motion an effort by the two men to spark consolidation in the nearly $100 billion U.S. cable industry. It also thrust into the spotlight Mr. Rutledge, a little-known executive with a reputation among his peers as one the industry's brightest minds but who also has had tensions in the past with some of its key players. 

Comcast SportsNet Houston struggles for distribution

Wednesday, July 10, 2013 3:51 PM ET 

By Adam Swanson

The recent trend among regional sports networks has involved bidding wars over sports rights with the goal of forming new networks, significantly raising costs for both multichannel operators and consumers. This model has worked in some cases, like Time Warner Cable Inc.'s SportsNet, but for others — like a relatively new network in Houston — it has been a bust. 

Owning the #NBADraft Conversation

With the Cleveland Cavaliers having the #1 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, there was a lot of excitement surrounding the Cavs and the much anticipated draft on Thurs. June 27. FOX Sports Ohio owned the #NBADraft conversation across all platforms, including online, on-air, and on-site.

ONLINE

FOXSportsOhio.com executed extensive analysis leading up to the draft through the aftermath. The NBA Draft Hub page included features, blog posts, videos, and NBA-related photo galleries drawing over 1 million visitors.

Our resident NBA expert Sam Amico made over 70 media appearances throughout the month talking NBA Draft. Zac Jackson also made a dozen media hits and both appeared on SportsTime Ohio’s All Bets Are Off sports talk show.

Pre-Draft:

• NBA Draft videos embedded throughout our stories led to the highest monthly number of videos played in FOXSportsOhio.com history.
• Sam Amico's Mock Draft, also posted on MSN, was extremely popular bringing in high traffic numbers.
• Sam Amico's chats leading up to draft week grew significantly in terms of popularity, with the final chat drawing over four times the usual crowd.

During Draft:

• Zac Jackson's report on the Cavaliers selection of Anthony Bennett garnered several hundred thousand readers and was posted on MSN.
• The story on the Cavs surprise selection was up just minutes after the selection was made.

Post-Draft:

• Sam Amico's take on the NBA Draft's Winners and Losers was on MSN and drew over 300,000 readers with high comment activity.
• Featured a LIVE post-draft online show, Sportstalk A-Z, the day after the Draft. (Click to watch)

ON-AIR

Sam Amico became a frequent guest on SportsTime Ohio’s All Bets Are Off and called in the day before the draft. This clip has become one of the most watched ABAO videos.

ON-SITE

The Cavaliers hosted a free party for fans at Quicken Loans Arena, featuring all sorts of entertainment and activities as well as showing the live draft on the arena’s video board. FOX Sports Ohio Cavs broadcasters Austin Carr and Campy Russell sat behind the network’s branded desk stationed on the center of the arena floor and provided analysis and updates throughout the evening.

The FOX Sports Ohio Girls Sara and Kristine were also set up to engage fans with a photo opportunity behind a network desk. Click to watch a VIDEO of their time leading up to the first pick!

Soldier's Proposal on FOX Sports South During Braves Game Goes Viral

FOX Sports South’s third annual Tribute to the Troops at the Braves game on Sunday, June 30, featured the Governor of Georgia, Mayor of Atlanta, more than 150 troops and their families from Fort Benning and the Georgia National Guard, and some very special stories of heroism and sacrifice woven throughout the telecast. One of the many special moments from the telecast, when 1st Lt. Ariel Castro (recently home from Afghanistan) proposed to his girlfriend Cherie live on air, has gone viral. 

Some of the coverage has included:
FoxSportsSouth.com
Huffington Post
AOL Morning Rush 
CNN Headline News
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
WSBTV.com 

1^st Lieutenant Ariel Castro proposed to his girlfriend on air.
Click to watch video

FOX Sports South Celebrates Military with Third Annual Tribute to the Troops

On Sunday, June 30, FOX Sports South and the Atlanta Braves honored local military personnel and their families during the third annual Tribute to the Troops celebration at Turner Field. FOX Sports South hosted 150 soldiers from Fort Benning and the Georgia National Guard as well as Governor Nathan Deal, Mayor Kasim Reed and Major General Jim Butterworth, the Adjunct General of the Georgia National Guard, for the Atlanta Braves vs. Arizona Diamondbacks game. The fans at home were not left out, with the entire broadcast focused on the troops and their incredible stories.

Soldiers arrived at Turner Field in style via the FOX Sports South Fan Express.

Upon their arrival at Turner Field, the soldiers received a hero’s welcome on the red carpet, where they were welcomed by FOX Sports South Senior VP and General Manager Jeff Genthner, Mayor Reed, Major General Butterworth, local boy and girl scouts, the Braves Heavy Hitters and Tomahawk Team, as well as numerous fans.

Prior to taking the field, Genthner presented each soldier a Challenge Coin in the right field tunnel. 

At a private pregame reception, the soldiers enjoyed a ballpark meal and were welcomed by Genthner, Mayor Reed, Governor Deal and Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. The troops and their families also had the opportunity to meet numerous Atlanta Braves alumni who came by to pay tribute.

A pregame ceremony on the field honored the troops and included remarks from the Governor, Mayor, and a rousing ovation from the fans, as Braves and Diamondbacks players lined the field side by side with the soldiers. 

During the game, Mayor Reed, Governor Deal, and Major General Butterworth joined the Braves broadcast team of Chip Caray, Joe Simpson, and Tom Glavine for in-booth interviews. Braves reporter Tom Hart interviewed with several soldiers and veterans throughout the course of the game, including the Director of Warriors Speak Dan Nevins, 1^st Lieutenant Ariel Castro, who proposed to his girlfriend on air, President of the Georgia Purple Heart Riders Joseph Kidder and many more. 

Chip Caray, Governor Nathan Deal, Tom Glavine and Joe Simpson

1^st Lieutenant Ariel Castro proposed to his girlfriend on air.
Click to watch video

Fans could take part in the day’s tribute by tagging their photos and messages of gratitude of love with the hashtag #FSTribute, and several tweets and photos were featured throughout the telecast.  More than 191,000 Twitter accounts were reached by messages about Tribute to the Troops, which generated over 714,000 impressions.

Governor Nathan Deal let his followers know that he would be attending Tribute to the Troops. 

Alabama lead singer Randy Owen mentioned Tribute to the Troops to his 6,200 twitter followers. 

Kim Hudson, wife of Braves starter Tim Hudson, tweeted about Tribute to the Troops.

Mayor Kasim Reed tweeted to FOX Sports South about his excitement to attend the event.

Fans enjoyed the broadcast and shared their thoughts on Twitter. 

All FOX Sports South talent and staff wore specially-designed Tribute to the Troops t-shirts, including Braves LIVE host Jerome Jurenovich and his partner on Sunday’s telecast, Paul Byrd.

Braves LIVE host Jerome Jurenovich and Paul Byrd
Click to watch video

Media Coverage

Media coverage for Tribute to the Troops included stories from all four local television networks (FOX-5, ABC-2, NBC-11, and CBS-46) and the Atlanta Journal Constitution.  The live, on-air marriage proposal by Lt. Castro, while being interviewed by Tom Hart, went viral after being posted on FoxSportsSouth.com, with subsequent postings on MSN and the Huffington Post, among many others. The proposal was also featured on CNN Headline News "Morning Express" show. 

FOX Sports Ohio Telethon raises $15,000 for Reds Community Fund

On Thursday, June 20^th when the Cincinnati Reds played the Pittsburgh Pirates, FOX Sports Ohio and the Reds produced a special game telecast dedicated to the Reds Community Fund with limited commercial breaks.

The Reds Community Fund is the nonprofit arm of the Reds and strives to connect at-risk children with baseball while creating fundraising programs that connect baseball with the community.

During the natural between innings breaks, FOX Sports Ohio and the Reds featured many of the wonderful programs the Community Fund supports. Throughout the telecast, fans were encouraged to support the Community Fund by making a donation at reds.com/community or by calling (513) 765-7300.

Together, FOX Sports Ohio and the Reds helped raise over $15,000 for the Community Fund.

“Thank you all for your efforts leading up to the telethon and for pulling off an amazing production. Beyond the fundraising (which should eclipse $15,000 and is still climbing) and the fabulous new production elements, we enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with you on such an exciting venture. Everyone throughout the Fox family was helpful, professional and positive and made for a memorable experience for us. We’ve received a tremendous amount of positive feedback. It’s great to know that all of your hard work is already resulting in more opportunities for the kids that we aspire to serve. Thanks again for all of the time, talent and hustle that you invested in this process.”

Charley Frank, Executive Director, Community Fund

Below is a sampling of features that ran during the game:

 Feature on Reds Rookie Success League:

Reds players interact with children at a new free, coed baseball program in Clermont County.

Feature on Reds Urban Youth Academy:

Local pitcher Daron Bowling threw no-hitter and earned college scholarship.

Feature on the Community Fund Match Program:

Breaking through social & cultural stereotypes by bringing together kids of different areas & backgrounds to play ball

Feature on the Girls RBI Program:

Reds RBI senior softball team qualified for regional finals in the last two years. One player was awarded a college scholarship thanks to the program, academics and community involvement.

Media Hits:
Cincinnati Enquirer
Better of Red (blog)
Redsball.com (blog)

The Top Three Most-Watched Videos on FOX Sports' YouTube Page - June

Military Father Surprises Daughter, Reunited at Baseball Game
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juLoCA7w0I8

 

 Tiffany Hwang Throws Worst First Pitch Ever
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWt5Y31zAAw

 

 Sideline Reporter Hit by Baseball, Continues Reporting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmVmvDFVdl0

 

Analysts bullish on Twenty-First Century Fox

Monday, July 01, 2013 2:15 PM ET

By Mikolo Ilas

Analysts are mostly bullish on Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. following the completion of its separation from News Corp.

Lazard Capital Markets started coverage on Twenty-First Century Fox with a "buy" rating. In a July 1 research report, analyst Barton Crockett noted that the media and entertainment company's $34 price target implies a 17% upside on the stock, based on a sum-of-the-parts build of the company's businesses. He added that growth in operating profits to come from the company's TV networks is not fully discounted.