21st Century Fox is the leading contender to buy the RSNs it currently owns; Around the Horn will unveil a new look next week; John Sterling is set to call an NBA game; Rich Eisen has a new deal with NFL Network.
Fox Frontrunner to Buy RSNs it Currently Owns
21st Century Fox has emerged as the frontrunner to purchase the 22 regional sports networks Disney is acquiring from 21st Century Fox, CNBC reported Friday. Initial reports this summer indicated that Fox had no interest in buying back the RSNs.
The RSNs are valued at around $20 billion, but that is less than what Disney paid to acquire them. As explained in the CNBC article, because Disney’s purchase price for the 21st Century Fox assets increased from $52.4 to $71.3 billion — the result of a brief bidding war with Comcast — it ended up paying an inflated price for the various assets.
Disney agreed to divest the RSNs as part of an agreement with the justice department to get regulatory approval for its $71.3 billion acquisition of most 21st Century Fox assets. The company has 90 days from the deal’s closing to sell the networks. [CNBC 10.26 via Sports Business Daily 10.29]
Around the Horn to Unveil New Look
The ESPN debate show Around the Horn is moving from Washington D.C. to ESPN’s year-old Manhattan studios starting next Monday, and will undergo a complete visual overhaul in the process. The show will debut a new set, logo, colors and music, as well as augmented reality technology that will allow host Tony Reali to interact with the show’s daily panelists in new ways. Since debuting in 2002, Around the Horn has largely kept the same visual look. [ESPN PR 10.22]
Yankees’ Sterling to Call NBA Game
New York Yankees radio voice John Sterling will call the December 16 Hawks-Nets NBA regular season game for YES Network, it was announced Sunday. Sterling was the voice of the Nets from 1975-80 and called Hawks games throughout the 1980s. He has called Yankee games on radio since 1989. [YES Network]
Eisen Reaches NFL Network Extension
NFL Network studio host Rich Eisen reached a four-year contract extension with the outlet earlier this year, The Athletic reported last week. Eisen has been with NFL Network since it launched in 2003, having previously served as one of ESPN’s most prominent SportsCenter anchors. [The Athletic 10.25]
