The presidential debate schedule is not good news for Thursday Night Football. Also: ESPN will begin airing select college football games in 4K; ESPN has extended Mina Kimes; Curtis Granderson will be a guest studio analyst for TBS.
Pres. debates to conflict with Thursday Night Football
Two of next year’s presidential debates will take place on back-to-back Thursday nights, conflicting with NFL Thursday Night Football games. The second debate is scheduled for Thursday, October 15 and the third for Thursday, October 22. The first debate on Tuesday, September 29 will not conflict with any NFL games, nor will the vice presidential debate on Wednesday, October 7.
During the last election, the first debate aired opposite ESPN’s Monday Night Football and the second opposite NBC’s Sunday Night Football. MNF posted its lowest rating ever and SNF its lowest since 2011, though those records have since been broken. [ABC News 10.11]
ESPN to begin airing select college football games in 4K
ESPN announced this week that it will air six college football games in 4K resolution this season, starting with Florida-LSU on Saturday. In addition to the schedule of six games, which will be determined on a week-by-week basis, ESPN will also provide a 4K feed of January’s College Football Playoff National Championship.
For now, the games will only be available through DirecTV and Comcast, though ESPN says it is in discussions with other distributors.
ESPN joins Fox Sports in airing major sporting events in 4K. Fox last month began airing Thursday Night Football games in 4K and will do the same for the MLB American League Championship Series. Those games are available through DirecTV and a handful of other distributors, as well as through the Fox Sports and Fox Now apps. [ESPN, ESPN PR 10.10, Fox Sports 9.20, 9.30]
ESPN extends Kimes
ESPN has reached a multi-year contract extension with writer Mina Kimes, who will begin hosting the company’s new daily podcast ESPN Daily later this month. Kimes has been with ESPN since 2014. [ESPN PR 10.10]
Granderson to serve as guest analyst for TBS
Former MLB OF Curtis Granderson is joining Turner Sports’ MLB studio team for the National League Championship Series. Granderson, who previously served as a guest studio analyst for Turner in 2007 and 2008, will work alongside the usual cast of host Casey Stern and analysts Pedro Martinez, Gary Sheffield and Jimmy Rollins. [Turner Sports]
