The Dan Patrick Show is wrapping up its run on NBCSN; the Women’s World Cup will have record broadcast network exposure this year; the Panthers’ Greg Olsen is in high demand; the Van Gundy brothers are working a game together.
Dan Patrick Show ends NBCSN run Thursday
NBCSN will simulcast The Dan Patrick Show for the final time on Thursday, after NBC Sports failed to reach an extension of its deal to carry the DirecTV-owned program. In a Monday statement announcing the move, NBC said it had wanted to continue airing the show, which at seven years was the longest-running series on NBCSN. Starting Friday, NBCSN will fill the three-hour vacancy with a replay of of Pro Football Talk Live and an hour-long simulcast of Sky Sports News. NBC parent company Comcast purchased Sky last year.
The Big Lead reported Monday that The Dan Patrick Show simulcast will likely move to Turner Sports’ B/R Live subscription service. DirecTV is owned by AT&T, which acquired B/R Live parent company Time Warner last year. The show’s primary broadcast on DirecTV’s Audience Network is not affected by the changes. [NBC Sports PR 2.25, 2.26, The Big Lead 2.26]
Women’s World Cup to get record broadcast network exposure
Fox Sports announced its 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup schedule on Wednesday, with 22 matches set aside for the FOX broadcast network, a record for the tournament on broadcast television. The remaining 26 matches will air on FS1. FOX will carry all three U.S. group stage games, two matches each in the round of sixteen and quarterfinals, a semifinal, and the July 7 final. Because the tournament is taking place in France, the start times will be much earlier than in 2015, when the tournament took place in Canada. The final is set for 11 AM ET, compared to a primetime start in ’15. [Fox Sports 2.27]
Panthers’ Olsen in high demand
Carolina Panthers TE Greg Olsen is being pursued by both ESPN and Fox Sports for an on-air position next season, the New York Post reported Tuesday. Olsen, who has made guest analyst appearances on both outlets in recent years, has not yet decided if will return to the field next season. Per the report, FOX would be willing to install Olsen as its #2 or #3 game analyst. There is no indication yet that ESPN has any intention to put Olsen on Monday Night Football, with the Post mentioning him as a candidate for the Sunday NFL Countdown vacancy created by the departure of Charles Woodson.
CBS, which made the sports media steal of the decade when it plucked Tony Romo out of retirement in 2017, is not in the running. [NYP 2.26]
Van Gundys to call game together
ESPN NBA analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Stan Van Gundy will call Wednesday’s Pelicans-Lakers broadcast together, alongside play-by-play voice Dave Pasch, marking the first time the brothers have been paired on a game. The latter Van Gundy is in his first season with ESPN. [ESPN PR 2.26]
