Fox has pulled out of the bidding for the RSNs it is selling to Disney. Also: Fox has passed on the Big 12 Championship, Turner will stream a special NBA camera angle on Twitter, and ESPN has extended its CFL deal.
Fox Not Bidding on RSNs it is Selling to Disney
21st Century Fox said in an SEC filing last week that it does not intend to bid on the 22 regional sports networks that it is selling to Disney, which Disney is in turn required to divest in order to gain regulatory approval for its $71.3 billion acquisition of Fox assets. Fox had widely been regarded as a contender to buy back the RSNs, which have garnered lukewarm interest from the major players in sports media.
With Fox out of the picture, the list of contenders includes Sinclair Broadcasting, operator of Stadium, Tennis Channel, and slew of right-wing local news outlets; the entertainer Ice Cube, who has been publicly seeking investors for a bid; and private equity firms. [Sports Business Daily 1.11]
Fox Passes on Big 12 Championship Game
Fox Sports has declined rights to the Big 12 football championship game in the upcoming season, 2021 and 2023, Sports Business Journal reported Monday. ESPN holds rights to the 2020, 2022 and 2024 games. ESPN is reportedly the favorite to pick up the odd-year rights; should it pass, the Big 12 would then take the rights to the open market. [Sports Business Journal 1.14]
TNT to Stream NBA Player-Cam on Twitter
Beginning with the NBA All-Star Game, the NBA on TNT will debut a single-player camera angle available exclusively through the social networking website Twitter. The “Iso-Cam” feature will be available during the second halves of 20 games, with fans voting on which player should be selected. [Turner Sports]
ESPN Extends CFL Deal
ESPN announced Monday that it has reached a media rights extension with the Canadian Football League. As in the current deal, every CFL game will be available on the ESPN family of networks. At least 20 games will air on ESPN’s linear networks, with more than 65 on the ESPN Plus streaming service. [ESPN Media Zone 1.14]
