FOX Sports South, SportSouth Receive Six Southeast Regional EMMY Awards

FOX Sports South and SportSouth received six EMMY Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) Southeast Chapter on Saturday night. The awards recognize television excellence in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Asheville, North Carolina. 

“To be recognized with 13 EMMY nominations across 10 categories and six EMMY wins is a great honor, and it confirms the breadth and depth of our commitment to provide the very best in local sports production and coverage,” said Jeff Genthner, senior vice president and general manager of FOX Sports South and SportSouth.  “We are appreciative of the Southeast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for recognizing our accomplishments across multiple categories, and we congratulate the many other EMMY winners for their excellence in television production.”

Please see below for a list of FOX Sports South and SportSouth EMMY winners:  

 

Television News and Program Specialty Excellence – Sports Regularly Scheduled

·         SEC Gridiron LIVE – Steven Toth, Christina Atkins, Tye Kerber, Keith Wetzler

Television News and Program Specialty Excellence – Program Series

·         DRIVEN: Tougher. Faster. Stronger. The 2013 Bobcats Draft – Kyle Payne, Dan Greene,

Kevin Allison, Keith Wetzler

·         Under The Lights: Southern Miss Baseball – Kevin Allison, Terry Allen, Jeff Gammage,

Scott Berry

Television News and Program Specialty Excellence – Sports-Interview/Discussion

·         The Panel – Fletcher Cox – Jeff Genthner, Keith Wetzler, Zach Whipple, Kyle Payne

Television News and Program Specialty Excellence – Sporting Event/Game-Live/Unedited

·         MLB – Braves – New York Mets vs. Atlanta – Hammond Reynolds, Rohan Backfisch, Joe Vencius, Garry Lehman

Television Crafts Achievement Excellence – Editor – Short Form

·         2012 Atlanta Braves Opening Day Broadcast Open – Michael Emerick

The FOX Sports regional networks serving the Southeast – FOX Sports South, FOX Sports Tennessee, FOX Sports Carolinas and SportSouth – collectively reach more 13 million cable and satellite households in seven states across the Southeast.  They are the television home of the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Dream, Atlanta Hawks, Carolina Hurricanes, Charlotte Bobcats, Memphis Grizzlies, Nashville Predators, Cincinnati Reds, Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Hornets, and St. Louis Cardinals, as well as the Atlantic Coast Conference, Conference USA, Southeastern Conference, and Big 12 Conference, and offer expanded coverage of the University of Kentucky, University of South Carolina and University of Tennessee.  Combined, the four networks produce more than 800 live local events and televise more than 1400 live local events each year. For more information, please visit FOXSportsSouth.com, FOXSportsTennessee.com, and FOXSportsCarolinas.com. 

Market shift rocks digital rollup strategy for sports sites

By Eric Fisher, Staff Writer

Published June 10, 2013

Chris Russo, the veteran media executive and founder of the former Big Lead Sports, less than two years ago was leading one of the five largest digital sports properties in terms of monthly unique visitors. Early last year, he engineered a sale of the company to Gannett Inc., formerly a minority shareholder, for an estimated $30 million.

In his view, there’s no way a firm such as Big Lead Sports, a disparate rollup of more than 500 owned and affiliated sites that was previously known as Fantasy Sports Ventures, would be created and become viable in today’s digital sports media landscape. 

Networks cry foul at NFL-Verizon streaming

By Terry Lefton & John Ourand, Staff Writers

Published June 10, 2013

NFL executives received an earful from their TV partners when the league informed them of the plan to sell Verizon the rights to stream all NFL games to their mobile phone users starting in 2014.

Agitated media partners pushed them on how the league was further diluting the most popular programming on TV. It was the same argument the league heard when they launched NFL RedZone and expanded NFL Network’s Thursday night package to a full season. 

Military Community Outreach: Operation Opening Day & Military Veterans Program

FOX Sports Detroit announcer Mario Impemba has donated a four-hour DVD tabbed ‘Operation Opening Day’, containing FOX Sports Detroit’s coverage of the Detroit Tigers 8-3 victory over the New York Yankees on April 5 at Comerica Park, to transplanted Tigers fans currently serving in the United States Armed Forces for the fifth consecutive year.

‘Operation Opening Day’ is a gift from Impemba in cooperation with the Detroit Tigers, the Detroit Tigers Foundation, an affiliate of Ilitch Charities, and Major League Baseball Productions.

“Operation Opening Day in Detroit is our annual holiday that brings our city together, something so many of the men and women in our Armed Forces do not have a chance to experience in person,” said Impemba. “While they are away serving our country, I am honored to bring Opening Day to them and hope this small piece of home lets them know how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice.”

Troops, as well as family and friends of troops, can request this special gift at Tigers.com/operationopeningday. Each year, 1,000 copies are distributed.

MVP: Military Veterans ProgramVeterans from earlier eras will get to enjoy a Detroit Tigers game at Comerica Park as part of the Military Veterans Program (MVP) – Mario Impemba’s salute to those who served. MVP launched on Memorial Day and runs every Monday home game through the 2013 season, including May 27, June 17, August 26 and September 15.                                                                                                        

The program, which invites 20 veterans to each game, includes a ticket to the game, transportation to the ball park via the FOX Sports Detroit Fan Express, a t-shirt, food voucher and autographed pic of Mario Impemba. Veterans who participate in the program are selected from local Veterans organizations.

Impemba was among those who participated in Spring Training to the Troops.

ESPN, NBC on the clock for golf rights

Incumbents’ window to negotiate with USGA opens

The U.S. Golf Association started its exclusive negotiating window with incumbents ESPN and NBC Sports Group over the weekend, a year and a half before its current deal ends.

NBC holds the broadcast rights to USGA’s biggest prize, the U.S. Open. NBC also televises the U.S. Women’s Open and the U.S. Senior Open. ESPN is the cable partner for the first two rounds of the men’s Open. 

NBC Sports Group and Fox Sports involved as MLB tries to work toward MASN solution

By John Ourand, Staff Writer, Published June 3, 2013

Major League Baseball has had talks with NBC Sports Group and Fox Sports in recent weeks to try to craft a solution to its MASN dispute, according to several sources.

MLB hired Steve Greenberg of Allen & Co. to try to broker such a deal, which could see NBC or Fox acquire all or part of the regional sports network that carries Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals games.

Though talks with Fox and NBC have occurred in recent weeks, it’s hard to tell how receptive Orioles owner Peter Angelos is to cutting a deal. Angelos, who also owns the majority of MASN, has final say on a deal and so far has been unwilling to entertain offers. When contacted last week, the Orioles had no comment. 

FOX Sports Makes Advertising Push with Twitter

FS1 Twitter feed to feature advertisers

By John Ourand, Staff Writer

Published June 3, 2013, Page 3

Ford sponsored UEFA Twitter highlights as part of a test earlier this year.

When Fox Sports launches FS1 in August, advertisers will have the opportunity to buy into the network’s Twitter feeds, thanks to a deal Fox Sports signed with the social media company at the end of March.

Fox Sports has been testing the system for several months and expects to start ramping it up in full when FS1 launches on Aug. 17. 

Fox Sports also plans to make a big advertising push with Twitter around its Super Bowl programming, though its executives would not offer specifics about how that push would look. Fox holds the rights to next year’s game, which will be played in New York/New Jersey.