The CFP has not yet finalized a new TV deal with ESPN as originally reported. Plus: ESPN to air SportsCenter from noon to 3PM ET as The Pat McAfee Show goes on break; Paramount and Comcast/NBCUniversal are mulling a joint streaming service; Disney-FOX-WBD deal likely to face antitrust scrutiny.
ESPN-CFP deal not yet finalized
MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher told Yahoo Sports Sunday that reports of a finalized TV deal between ESPN and the College Football Playoff are “incorrect.” According to the report, Steinbrecher says that the CFP Board of Managers — the ultimate authority on the CFP — has yet to review a potential new deal. The Athletic reported last week that ESPN had reached a six-year extension worth $1.3b annually to air the CFP through 2031, though they could sub-license games to other networks if desired.
Per the Yahoo report, CFP stakeholders are set to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday in order to resolve issues surrounding revenue distribution and the playoff format. (Yahoo, 2.18)
The Pat McAfee Show goes on break, ESPN to air SportsCenter
ESPN announced Monday that its noon to 3PM ET hours will be filled by SportsCenter until March 4th as The Pat McAfee Show takes a hiatus. McAfee’s YouTube show began its run as an ESPN simulcast last fall, replacing Max Kellerman‘s This Just In.
Taking off the weeks following the Super Bowl has become customary for high-level talent. Last week, for instance, Rich Eisen took days off from his eponymous show. Likewise, Mike Greenberg has taken off from Get Up on Friday and Monday. With the NFL Draft, March Madness, and NBA playoffs still weeks and months out, the next few weeks are regarded as some of the slowest on the sports calendar, and thereby some of the most attractive times for talent to take off. (ESPN, 2.19)
Paramount and Comcast discuss combined streaming service
Paramount and Comcast have held discussions about launching a joint streaming service, per a Wall Street Journal report Friday. The companies, who operate streaming services Paramount+ and Peacock, see potential in the scale that would come with combining forces. The WSJ report comes in the midst of three other legacy media companies — Disney, FOX, and Warner Bros Discovery — announced intentions to launch a joint streaming venture combining their sports assets earlier this month.
A combined Peacock-Paramount+ streaming service would distribute a number of high-profile sporting events including NFL, Premier League, Champions League, March Madness, PGA Tour, and the Olympics. The relationship could take the form of a “commercial partnership or joint venture” according to the report; though a potential deal may find itself at the whims of Shari Redstone, majority owner of National Amusement (parent company of Paramount Global), as she contemplates selling her controlling stake in the company. (WSJ, 2.16) (CNBC, 1.24)
DOJ to scrutinize Disney-FOX-WBD joint venture
Following an announcement of a joint sports streaming service earlier this month, Disney, FOX, and Warner Bros Discovery will reportedly face scrutiny from regulators, according to Bloomberg. Though the companies have not been informed of any antitrust concerns thus far, it is believed that the DOJ will review terms of the joint venture once a deal is finalized.
The primary concern for regulators is that a joint venture would disincentivize the three companies from bidding against each other for sports rights. Analysts for Citi Group estimate the venture would control approximately 55% of U.S. sports rights by cost. Representatives for the three companies have pointed to the non-exclusivity of the joint venture, contending it is simply another option for consumers along with the traditional cable bundle, vMVPDs like YouTube TV, or standalone streaming services. (Bloomberg, 2.15)
