CBS has extended Ian Eagle as it prepares to negotiate with Jim Nantz. Plus: Chipper Jones is a one-and-done at ESPN, and more.
CBS re-signs Eagle ahead of Nantz negotiations, says NYP
CBS Sports has re-signed play-by-play voice Ian Eagle to a multi-year deal, The New York Post reported Monday. Under the deal, which per the Post exceeds a standard three-year contract, Eagle will continue to call NFL and college basketball games for CBS and keep his other roles calling NBA games for TNT and YES Network.
The Post describes Eagle’s extension as giving CBS “added leverage” in negotiations with its lead NFL, college basketball and golf voice Jim Nantz, who is reportedly seeking a salary on par with his highly-paid NFL partner Tony Romo. [NYP 2.1]
Chipper Jones leaving ESPN due to remote broadcasts
ESPN MLB analyst Chipper Jones is leaving the network after one season to take a new role as a hitting consultant for the Atlanta Braves. Jones said Monday that he did not want to work games remotely for another season and that one of the primary reasons he joined the network in the first place was to work with Jon “Boog” Sciambi — who is joining the Chicago Cubs broadcast team and taking on a lesser role with ESPN.
Jones, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “One of the allures of ESPN was my relationship with Boog … what we did last year is not what I signed up for. I wanted to be on site. … Boog and I weren’t sitting next to each other. We weren’t able to feed off each other. We weren’t able to give our views on what was going on at the ballpark that the viewer can’t see, and that was unfortunate. With the likelihood that we may be doing it again, I don’t want to do it that way.” [AJC 2.1]
NHL Network to produce its own NHL game telecasts
NHL Network will begin producing its own NHL game telecasts for the first time in its history, The Athletic reported Sunday. The network, which to this point has used local RSN feeds for its games, plans to air 16 unique productions starting with Rangers-Devils this Saturday (all New Jersey games through Saturday have been postponed, so that is subject to change). Stephen Nelson is set to handle play-by-play alongside a rotation of analysts, all working from NHL Network’s Secaucus, N.J., studios. [The Athletic 1.31]
Plus: Lunardi, Antonen, deep fakes
ESPN has re-signed college basketball prognosticator Joe Lunardi to a multi-year deal, it was announced Monday. … MASN contributor and former USA Today baseball writer Mel Antonen died Saturday of multiple health issues, including an auto-immune disease, COVID-19 and lymphoma. He was 64. … ESPN’s 30 For 30 “Al Davis vs. The NFL” — about former Raiders owner Al Davis’ repeated clashes with Pete Rozelle and the league office — will use “deepfake” technology and impersonators to depict fictional conversations between both long-deceased men. [ESPN PR 2.1, MASN 1.31, The Athletic 1.22]
