Shannon Sharpe and ESPN close in on a multi-year deal. Plus: Sinclair explores selling affiliates and Tennis Channel; ESPN inks deal with professional volleyball league; MLB changes its schedule ahead of a potential Sunday morning deal.
Shannon Sharpe and ESPN finalizing a deal
Three-time Super Bowl champion Shannon Sharpe is close to signing a new contract with ESPN, The Athletic reported Thursday. Sharpe has made regular appearances on ESPN’s “First Take” on Mondays and Tuesdays ever since leaving FS1’s “Undisputed” last fall. The deal, which is reportedly four years, will see Sharpe continue his role on “First Take”, and may also include appearances on other ESPN NFL programming. (The Athletic, 5.9)
Sinclair looks to sell off 30% of local stations, Tennis Channel
Sinclair Broadcasting is exploring a sale for a large chunk of its broadcast station portfolio, per a CNBC report Thursday. The company, one of the largest owners of local broadcast stations in the country, has retained investment bank Moelis, and identified more than 60 stations nationwide that it is willing to sell. Bloomberg reported in February that Sinclair is also weighing a sale of Tennis Channel, the cable network that owns the domestic rights to the ATP and WTA along with portions of the sport’s Grand Slams. Sale talks began just one month after Sinclair settled a lawsuit with regional sports network operator Diamond Sports Group, an unconsolidated subsidiary of Sinclair, for $495 million in January. (CNBC, 5.9)
ESPN to air League One Volleyball next year
ESPN and League One Volleyball have reached a media rights agreement that will see the network carry the league’s inaugural season across its linear and digital platforms in 2025. Per release, ESPN will carry 10 LOVB matches across its linear networks, while 18 matches will air on ESPN+. LOVB’s season strategically starts in January, shortly after NCAA volleyball ends in the fall. Last season, the Texas-Nebraska NCAA Finals match averaged 1.7 million viewers on ABC. (ESPN, 5.9)
Deal for MLB Sunday package looks imminent
An eagle-eyed SMW reader noticed that MLB has amended the schedule on its website to indicate one late-morning or early-afternoon game each Sunday, beginning May 19th. The games do not currently list a network, suggesting they are likely apart of a deal to replace the early-Sunday package recently dropped by Peacock. Last week, The Athletic reported that the league is nearing a deal with Roku, though no deal has been finalized yet. The new schedule suggests the league will reinstitute the semi-exclusive Sunday window, with Red Sox-Cardinals at 1:05PM ET on May 19th, and Blue Jays-Tigers at 11:35AM ET the following week starting before all other games those days.
