ESPN’s 30 For 30 on O.J. Simpson has won an Academy Award. In other news, Turner Sports has reportedly acquired rights to the UEFA Champions League and Facebook is in talks with Major League Baseball to stream a weekly game.
30 For 30 Now 1 For 1 At Oscars
- The ESPN 30 For 30 documentary O.J.: Made in America won the award for best documentary feature at the Academy Awards Sunday night, marking the first Oscar in the history of ESPN. The series aired in five installments across ESPN and ABC last summer but was eligible for the Oscars — which covers film and not television — because it originally debuted as a single theatrical release at the Sundance Film Festival. (ESPN.com, 2/26)
Turner Said to Acquire Champions League Rights
- Turner Sports has acquired English-language rights to the UEFA Champions League under a three-year, $180 million deal that begins in 2018, Sports Business Journal reported Friday, a surprise move that will put soccer on the Turner networks for the first time since the early 2000s. It is not clear when the deal will be officially announced. Turner will take over rights from incumbent Fox Sports, which began airing the Champions League in 2010. Univision has acquired Spanish-language rights, with its rights fee bringing the total up to $100 million — double what Fox was paying for both English and Spanish-language rights. In addition to Fox Sports, Turner muscled out NBC Sports and BAMTech. (Sports Business Journal 2.24)
Facebook in Talks With MLB For Weekly Stream
- Facebook is in talks with Major League Baseball to stream one game a week starting this season, Reuters reported last week, with the discussions said to be “advanced.” Rival Twitter already owns rights to one game a week, as well as a weekly NHL game and the right to simulcast Thursday Night Football broadcasts on CBS and NBC. (Reuters 2.21, Variety 2.22)
