FOX Sports Midwest to reair key Cards games on Christmas Day

As has become a FOX Sports Midwest custom on Christmas Day, the Cardinals’ local television outlet plans to air a marathon of some of the team’s key games from the previous season.

Royals’ TV marathon games set

FOX Sports Kansas City will replay five of the most memorable regular-season Royals games of 2014 on Christmas Eve. 

James Murdoch Discusses FOX RSNs, FOX Sports 1

Excerpts from James Murdoch's appearance this week at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference in NY: 

Q: On Fox Sports side, obviously, some big changes and some investments. What's the long-term vision for Fox Sports? I mean, as we sort of look at the rest of the decade, the Big 10 I think is the last  sort of big piece that comes up and seems to slot right in for various reasons, but there's no other major sports  renewals until next decade. So, at this point, is this just sort of operate what you have well and wait for the next round of big stuff to come up next decade or is there more to it than that? 

50 Most Influential Executives in Sports - 2014

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/12/08/Most-Influential/Intro.aspx

1. Adam Silver, NBA
2. John Skipper, ESPN
3. Robert Kraft, The Kraft Group
4. Bud Selig / Rob Manfred, Major League Baseball
5. Roger Goodell, NFL
6. Sean McManus, CBS Sports
7. Ari Emanuel / Patrick Whitesell, WME-IMG
8. David Levy, Turner Broadcasting System
9. Gary Bettman, NHL
10. Brian France, NASCAR
11. Mark Lazarus, NBC Sports Group
12. Randy Freer, Fox Networks Group / Eric Shanks, Fox Sports
13. Steve Ballmer, Los Angeles Clippers
14. Mike Slive, Southeastern Conference
15. Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys
16. Tim Finchem, PGA Tour
17. Mark Parker, Nike Inc. / Trevor Edwards, Nike Brand
18. Phil Anschutz, AEG
19. Don Garber, Major League Soccer
20. Casey Wasserman, Wasserman Media Group
21. Kevin Plank, Under Armour
22. Jim Delany, Big Ten Conference
23. Stan Kroenke, Kroenke Sports Enterprises
24. Michael Levine / Howard Nuchow, CAA Sports
25. Bob Bowman, MLB Advanced Media
26. Dan Gilbert / LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
27. Larry Baer, San Francisco Giants
28. Peter Holt, San Antonio Spurs
29. Scott Blackmun / Larry Probst, U.S. Olympic Committee
30. John Henry, Fenway Sports Group
31. Indra Nooyi / Adam Harter, PepsiCo
32. Bob Bowlsby, Big 12 Conference
33. Ted Leonsis, Monumental Sports & Entertainment
34. Jeff Pash, NFL
35. Michele Roberts, National Basketball Players Association
36. Joe Leccese, Proskauer
37. Jorn Socquet / Lucas Herscovici, Anheuser-Busch InBev
38. Bill Daly, NHL
39. DeMaurice Smith, NFL Players Association
40. Tom Long / Andy England, MillerCoors
41. Mark Emmert, NCAA
42. Judge Claudia Wilken, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
43. Don Fehr, NHL Players’ Association
44. Mark Tatum, NBA
45. Sandy Douglas / Sharon Byers, Coca-Cola North America
46. Brian Rolapp, NFL
47. Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks
48. Tony Clark, MLB Players Association
49. Sunil Gulati, U.S. Soccer Federation
50. Harvey Levin, TMZ

MLB: Bowman Named Chief Revenue Officer, Brosnan Likely Out

By Eric Fisher - November 24, 2014

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/11/24/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/MLB-reorganization.aspx

MLB Commissioner-elect Rob Manfred is putting an end to baseball’s largely divided business structure, which has been hotly debated within the sports industry for more than a decade and the source of numerous internal battles.

According to several baseball sources, Manfred is completing a new leadership structure for his administration that will see MLB Advanced Media President and Chief Executive Bob Bowman take on significantly greater responsibility as chief revenue officer while leading sponsorship, licensing and sales in addition to baseball’s digital arm. 

Sponsors join effort to boost USC women’s athletic programs

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/11/17/Colleges/USC.aspx

By Michael Smith - November 17, 2014

The University of Southern California and its rights holder, Fox Sports, have developed a sponsorship platform that will drive revenue and added visibility to the school’s women’s athletic programs.

Two sponsors, both based in Los Angeles, have already signed on — Merle Norman and OPI. Merle Norman is a cosmetics brand, while OPI makes nail lacquer. 

DISH Network continues its fight against rising sports costs

Monday, November 03, 2014 4:41 PM ET 

https://www.snl.com/interactivex/article.aspx?id=29623432&Printable=1&KPLT=7

Comcast SportsNet New England was the most recent victim of DISH Network Corp.'s regional-sports-network cleanse. As of Aug. 6, DISH no longer offers Comcast SportsNet New England, affecting an estimated 242,321 subscribers within the RSN's footprint. 

Big Ticket Sports Rights Deals Locked Up Until Next Decade

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/10/13/Media/Next-media-rights.aspx

By John Ourand, Staff Writer

The clearest indicator of the current market for sports rights after the NBA deals is the fact that ESPN is in the middle of negotiations to renew its rights to … the Cricket World Cup.

The big-ticket rights are all under contract into the next decade, a rare and remarkable fact that leaves U.S. networks with the opportunity to take a closer look at niche sports like cricket.

The NFL and Major League Baseball’s TV deals last until 2021, NASCAR runs through 2022, and now the NBA is locked up until 2025. 

Season brings a flood of live local streaming from NBA teams

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/10/06/Media/NBA-streaming.aspx

Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but live local streaming is about to take off in the NBA this season.

With NHL and Major League Baseball still negotiating these local digital rights, more than 20 of the NBA’s 30 teams will have live streams of their games available in market to authenticated users this season. 

Missouri National Guard honors FOX Sports Midwest for telecast to troops

The Missouri National Guard recognized FOX Sports Midwest this week for its support of soldiers and their families via the network's annual This One's For You telecast.

Representatives of the 220th Engineer Company (still deployed in Afghanistan) and the 220th families here in Missouri presented FOX Sports Midwest with a framed recognition and battalion coins.

The recognition reads: "In grateful recognition to the staff of FOX Sports Midwest for their support to the soldiers and families of the 220th Engineer Company, 1140th Engineer Battalion, Missouri National Guard. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to recognize the 220th Engineer Company during the "This One's For You" broadcast on 19 August 2014. It was an amazing event that exceeded everyone's expectations and could only be accomplished with the full and unwavering support of FOX Sports Midwest and the St. Louis Cardinals."

This One's For You, produced under the banner of FOX Sports Supports, is FOX Sports Midwest's annual Cardinals telecast to troops overseas. The 2014 edition took place Aug. 19. Soldiers in the 220th Engineer Company of the Missouri National Guard in Kandahar, Afghanistan, watched the Cardinals game via American Forces Network and several were interviewed throughout the game. In addition, more than 1,000 family members attended the game at Busch Stadium. And thousands of fans sent Tweets thanking the troops. This was FOX Sports Midwest's 10th year producing a This One's For You telecast.

This One's For You 2014 -- FOX Sports Midwest from FOX Sports Midwest on Vimeo.

Ratings for Dodgers, Astros show the challenges of starting RSN

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/09/29/Media/RSNs-side.aspx

By John Ourand & David Broughton, Staff Writers

Published September 29, 2014

The two MLB teams that most recently launched their own regional sports networks suffered through historically low local ratings this season.

With a little more than a week left in the regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 0.80 rating on SportsNet LA and the Houston Astros’ 0.35 rating on CSN Houston were on pace to be not only the lowest local TV ratings in the league this season, but also the lowest local numbers in the history of the two franchises. 

Cardinals lead way in MLB local TV ratings

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/09/29/Media/MLB-RSNs.aspx

By John Ourand & David Broughton, Staff Writers

Published September 29, 2014

St. Louis Cardinals games on FS Midwest have proved to be baseball’s top local TV draw this season. 

• Ratings for Dodgers, Astros show the challenges of starting RSN

Boosted by the Cardinals’ continued on-field success, St. Louis was on pace last week to have the highest local rating among MLB’s teams at season’s end for the first time since 2010. Heading into the final weekend of the season, Cardinals games were averaging a 7.76 rating and 95,000 homes, putting St. Louis ahead of another playoff-bound team, Detroit, who was averaging a 7.62 rating on FS Detroit.  

Game Changers: Marla Newman, SVP, sales, FOX Sports Digital

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/09/15/Game-Changers/Marla-Newman.aspx

Published September 15, 2014, 

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Photo: COURTESY OF FOX SPORTS

D

igital wasn’t a big part of the Fox Sports ad sales effort when Marla Newman joined the company from MTV Networks in 2011. Situated in a different building, blocks away from where the TV ad sales group is based, Newman seized every opportunity to get a seat at the Fox Sports ad sales table.
“I had to fight my way through at the beginning,” Newman said. “I came over … every other day to check in and let the TV ad sales side of the business know that digital can be additive.”

Marla
Newman

FOX SPORTS DIGITAL

That message has become clear, and Newman, as senior vice president, sales, today has a key place at the table.

As an example, last month, Fox Sports’ top executives, including President Eric Shanks, had a brainstorming meeting to come up with ideas for a particular advertiser around the World Series. Newman declined to name the advertiser because the deal hasn’t been finalized, but she said that when she came up with an idea that tied in social networking through Fox Sports’ baseball website Just a Bit Outside, Fox’s executives bought in.

“I knew we were starting to be taken more seriously when [Fox ad sales executive Neil Mulcahy] stopped calling our group ‘dot-com’ and started just calling us ‘digital,’” Newman joked.

But as Mulcahy notes, Newman is certainly an important cog in the Fox Sports ad sales division. “Marla works tirelessly to identify ways we can connect the digital space with what we’re trying to achieve for clients on Fox, Fox Sports 1 and our other linear platforms,” he said.

— John Ourand

• Woman in sports business you’d most like to meet: Serena Williams. She is an incredible athlete who continues to win and stay focused while, at the same time, she’s built a consumer-facing brand and has driven significant philanthropic efforts.
• Best advice received: My dad always taught me to only worry about what you can control, and when something doesn’t go your way, acknowledge it and move on.
• Career turning point: Going from an NBC affiliate in Seattle to New York working in digital on a national level.
• On the iPod/musical interests: It’s a huge range: Beastie Boys, Band of Horses, Lorde and so much more.
• Outside of work and family, I’m spending a lot of my time on … : Being active: jogging, yoga, cross-country skiing, sailing.

FOX Sports Midwest’s Tim McCarver speaks to St. Louis business leaders

FOX Sports Midwest broadcaster Tim McCarver had a busy week. Besides getting a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame and calling the Cardinals-Red Sox series on FOX Sports Midwest, McCarver spoke to local business elite at the St. Louis Sports Commission’s quarterly board meeting.

FOX Sports Midwest General Manager and Senior Vice President Jack Donovan, a Sports Commission board director, gave a brief update on the network's business and introduced McCarver. The organization’s board consists of corporate, civic and sports leaders, including the owners or presidents of the St. Louis Cardinals, Blues and Rams.

“McCarver’s appearance this morning was such a treat for our board,” said Sports Commission President Frank Viverito said.  “Everyone on hand thoroughly enjoyed his remarks.  He couldn’t have been more cordial and gracious.”

McCarver talked about his broadcasting career, time in St. Louis, hot topics in baseball and more.

The Sports Commission is an independent, privately-funded nonprofit organization that strives to make St. Louis a better place to live, visit, work and play through sports.

Fox Sports Digital and Sporting News Media Strike New Digital Partnership

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/07/28/Media/Fox-Sports-Sporting-News.aspx

Fox Sports Digital and Sporting News Media have struck a multiyear digital partnership that will create one of the most highly trafficked sports media entities in the industry.

The two companies will collaborate on an array of sales and content initiatives. News, features and video content from each entity will appear on the other’s properties, and the two will jointly sell into a bundle of assets that includes FoxSports.com, Yardbarker, SportingNews.com, Goal.com, and Sporting News Media’s widely syndicated ePlayer video service. 

MLB COO Rob Manfred Early Favorite to Replace Selig as Commissioner

http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-race-to-succeed-bud-selig-isnt-much-of-a-race-1406073771?mod=rss_Sports

Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, right, and MLB chief operating officer Rob Manfred Associated Press

As Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig approaches the end of his final season on the job, the task of choosing his successor remains far from finished. But there is a growing sense of inevitability among baseball officials that the job will end up going to Selig's right-hand man.

NFL Teams Could Soon Reap $181 Million Each in National TV Money

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/07/21/Finance/NFL-revenue.aspx

Each NFL team will get a 20 percent increase in national television money this year compared with 2013 — up $27 million — as a result of the new TV contracts that commence next month, according to sources who have seen the internal figures. Over the following two seasons, the increases will total an additional $23 million per club, at a minimum. 

ESPN Charging $1.40 per sub for SEC Network

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/07/21/Media/SEC-Network.aspx

It looks like the ESPN-owned SEC Network will be able to sidestep the normally combative distribution battles often associated with the launch of new sports channels.

The network’s carriage talks are progressing so fast that sources with two of the country’s top distributors said they expect to have carriage deals in place by the channel’s first football game on Aug. 28, if not earlier.  The channel officially launches Aug. 14.  

LeBron James assists Fox RSNs in two markets

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/07/21/Media/Cavs-Fox-RSNs.aspx

LeBron James’ move to Cleveland could benefit Fox Sports as much as the Cavaliers over the next few seasons.

That’s because the media company, which owns both FS Ohio and Sun Sports in Florida, gained the upper hand in its leverage position in both markets when the teams’ media deals end.

James’ return to Miami would have given the Heat a negotiating advantage, and it already had planned to open negotiations for an extension with Sun Sports. The Heat’s current deal with Sun Sports runs for four more seasons, expiring after the 2017-18 season. Sun Sports pays on average $20 million per year for the rights. 

Tribe's TV ratings among best in MLB

Tribe's TV ratings among best in MLB

July 17, 2014

Author: KEVIN KLEPS

The Indians continue to languish near the bottom of Major League Baseball in attendance — at the All-Star break, the Tribe is 29th, with an average crowd of 18,402.

But the Indians have been producing big numbers for SportsTime Ohio. 

Fox Looking for Right Media Mix With Time Warner Bid

http://online.wsj.com/articles/fox-looking-for-right-media-mix-with-time-warner-bid-1405536826

July 16, 2014 7:31 p.m. ET

As Comcast Corp. CMCSA +0.29% and AT&T Inc. T +0.58% pursue a pair of megamergers that will reshape TV distribution for years, there has been a prevailing wisdom in the media industry: It is time for content players to get bigger in response.

It is tempting, then, to view 21st Century Fox Inc. FOXA -6.22% 's proposed acquisition of Time Warner Inc., TWX +17.07% an $80 billion offer that was rejected last week, simply as a means to gain scale and therein leverage over the pay-TV operators that license programming. 

NBA Seeks to Double Rights Fees From Disney, Time Warner

http://online.wsj.com/articles/nba-seeks-to-double-rights-fees-from-disney-time-warner-1405387769?mod=pls_whats_news_us_business_f

The National Basketball Association is seeking to double the TV-rights fees it receives from ESPN majority owner Walt Disney Co. DIS -0.15% and Time WarnerInc. TWX -0.84% 's Turner Broadcasting, as the league looks to lock up deals for nationally televised games in the coming months, according to people familiar with the matter. 

Fox deploys ‘super serve’ coverage strategy for All-Star Game

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/07/14/In-Depth/Television.aspx

By John Ourand, Staff Writer
Publsihed July 14, 2014

Fox Sports will return to what it’s calling a “super serve” programming strategy for its coverage of this week’s MLB All-Star Game, using its 24-hour sports channel Fox Sports 1 and live streaming app Fox Sports Go to surround the event.

Kevin Burkhardt (left), Gabe Kapler and Frank Thomas will handle pregame duties. Photo by: Fox Sports

That’s the same strategy Fox used during the Super Bowl and for NASCAR’s Speed Weeks. And it appears to be a blueprint for how the News Corp.-owned media company plans to treat big sports events.

“We take an event like the All-Star Game and try to surround it with programming on Fox Sports 1 to take advantage of the event and promote the event,” said Bill Wanger, Fox Sports Media Group’s executive vice president of programming, research and content strategy. “We’re surrounding the week with cool All-Star Game programming to get people in the mood and get people jazzed up.” 

On a new RSN, Dodgers see TV numbers dive

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/07/14/Media/MLB-RSNs.aspx

By John Ourand, Staff Writer - July 14, 2014, Page 1

The Los Angeles Dodgers, one of sports’ marquee franchises, this season are posting their lowest RSN ratings ever, averaging a 0.74 local rating and 40,000 homes in the country’s second-biggest media market, according to viewership figures through the first week of July.

Despite on-field success, things are looking down for the Dodgers on TV. Photo by: GETTY IMAGES

Not only are the team’s SportsNet LA regional ratings and viewership figures down 70 percent from last year’s Dodgers games, which were carried on the Fox Sports-owned Prime Ticket, but it’s the team’s poorest TV performance since at least the mid-1990s, when Prime Ticket started adding more Dodgers games to its schedule.

Perhaps even more concerning to the team: This season’s numbers fall well below those of the Dodgers’ cross-town rival, the Los Angeles Angels. Angels games on FS West have doubled the Dodgers’ viewership so far this season, averaging 80,000 homes. Viewership for the Dodgers, a team that has traditionally dominated sports fans’ discussions in Southern California and has been near first place for much of this season, compares more closely to franchises in Oakland and Denver than the franchises in New York. 

FOX Sports Ohio's Full-Page Ad Welcomes Home LeBron

Cards telecast Saturday to be on FOX Sports 1

St. Louis Post-Dispatch -- Friday, July 11

Rivals Wary of Comcast's Mobile-Ad Prowess

http://online.wsj.com/articles/rivals-wary-of-comcasts-mobile-ad-prowess-1404770381?mod=pls_whats_news_us_business_f

Comcast Corp.'s CMCSA -1.31% recent purchase of one of the major players in online video advertising is stoking fears at media companies that the cable giant is gathering too much influence over the digital-TV business, adding to the leverage it already has in traditional television.