Golf’s final major is moving up the calendar. In other news, ESPN will make “ESPN The Ocho” a reality on Tuesday, and CBS is just the latest major media outlet to launch an over-the-top sports channel.
PGA Championship Moving to May
- The PGA Championship will move from its current late summer date to the month of May starting in 2019, The Associated Press reported Monday, its earliest point on the schedule since 1971. Details of the move are expected to be discussed Tuesday. As a result of the move, The Players Championship will move from May to its original March date. [AP 8.7]
ESPN Bringing Movie Reference to Life
- ESPN will rebrand ESPNU as “ESPN8: The Ocho” on Tuesday, the fictional network from the 2005 film Dodgeball. As part of the special day of programming, ESPN8 will televise an eclectic mix of unusual sporting events including disc golf, roller derby, cornhole, frisbee, and of course dodgeball. Each of the events has aired previously on an ESPN network. [ESPN PR 8.4]
CBS to Launch OTT Sports Channel; ESPN’s OTT Channel Takes Shape
- CBS plans to launch an over-the-top sports streaming service later this year, CBS Corporation chairman Les Moonves said Monday. The channel would be patterned after CBS News’ streaming service, CBSN. Meanwhile, details are emerging about ESPN’s OTT channel, set to launch this fall. Sports Business Journal reported Monday that the service will broadcast niche events not carried on ESPN TV, such as rugby, cricket, and more mainstream attractions like soccer, tennis and college sports. As one would expect, ESPN intends to keep the most-watched events on its traditional TV outlets. [Adweek 8.7, SBJ 8.7]
