In a first, Sunday Night Baseball is headed to ABC. Plus: an extension for Scott Hanson, a delay for the XFL, and a potential return for the NBA Play-in Tournament.
Sunday Night Baseball to make ABC debut
ESPN announced Tuesday that ABC will carry the scheduled August 8 White Sox-Cubs Sunday Night Baseball game, marking the first time since 1995 that the broadcast network has carried a regular season baseball game. It would mark just the fourth Major League Baseball game on ABC since 1995, after the network carried three games in the expanded Wild Card playoff round last September.
Prior to last year, ABC’s only MLB presence since 1995 came in 2002, when ABC Family carried all cable games during the Wild Card round. Even though ABC Sports existed as its own distinct brand back then, those games all carried ESPN branding. [ESPN PR 7.7]
Hanson reaches extension to continue hosting RedZone
NFL RedZone host Scott Hanson has reached a multi-year contract extension to remain with NFL Media, Front Office Sports reported Wednesday. Hanson will continue in his current role on RedZone and as a contributor to major NFL events, such as the Super Bowl and NFL Draft. [Front Office Sports 7.7]
XFL pushes back return one year to 2023
The XFL has pushed back its planned return one year to 2023 after failing to reach a deal to collaborate with the Canadian Football League. The XFL, which originally existed for one memorable season in 2001, relaunched in 2020 with great fanfare and substantial media coverage. Just five weeks into its return, it was forced to suspend its season at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually filed for bankruptcy, but was later purchased by an ownership group that includes Dwyane “the Rock” Johnson. [ESPN.com 7.7]
Silver: NBA Play-in likely to return
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday that he expects the league’s Play-in Tournament to return next season, though the players union and team owners still have to sign-off. The Play-in was originally added to the schedule to make up for any potential imbalance of games between teams during a season marked by regular postponements. It eventually generated one of the largest audiences of the season — 5.62 million viewers for Warriors-Lakers on May 18 — albeit for a star-studded matchup that seems unlikely to be repeated in future years. [NBA.com 7.6]
