Fox Sports’ Joe Buck will reportedly be a guest host on Jeopardy! Plus: the head of the Tokyo Olympics says the games will go on; the NHL could soon sell ads on its jerseys; ESPN’s MLB deal is reportedly coming soon.
Joe Buck to guest host Jeopardy!, per NYP
Fox Sports play-by-play voice Joe Buck will serve as a guest host on Jeopardy! in episodes that are scheduled to air this summer, the New York Post reported Saturday. Buck would be one of several guest hosts the show has used since the death of longtime host Alex Trebek last year, including Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. While The Ringer recently reported that the guest hosting positions “are not necessarily auditions” for the permanent hosting role — a vacancy that former contestant and guest host Ken Jennings said will be filled by the start of its next season — the Post says that Buck will be “in contention” for a permanent role. [NYP 4.17, The Ringer 4.12,
Tokyo Olympics leader says games will go on
The president of the Tokyo Summer Olympics Organizing Committee said Friday that the group is “not thinking about cancelling the Games,” one day after the second-ranking politician in Japan’s ruling party said that canceling the games was on the table — just the latest expression of doubt about the event’s viability. [AP via ESPN.com 4.16]
NHL could begin selling jersey ads in ’22
The NHL could begin letting teams sell ads on jerseys as soon as the 2022-23 season and teams have in recent weeks been studying what such ads might be worth, Sports Business Journal reported Saturday. Nothing is official yet, including where on a jersey an ad might be located. The NHL began selling ad space on its helmets this year and also sold naming rights to its four realigned divisions this season. [SBJ 4.17]
SBJ: ESPN-MLB deal coming soon
Sports Business Journal reported last week that ESPN is “nearing the finish line” of its Major League Baseball renewal, which as previously reported by The Athletic and New York Post will see the network’s rights fee reduced by at least $100 million per year. ESPN is expected to cut its Monday and Wednesday night games under the new deal, which would go into effect next season. [SBJ 4.12]
