Lee Corso will return to the GameDay desk on Saturday; Bally Sports to rebrand as FanDuel Sports Network on Monday; announcers for NFL on Netflix are reportedly set; Olympic cricket likely leaving California.
Corso to return to GameDay this week
ESPN College GameDay analyst Lee Corso will return to the show this week in Austin, TX after missing the last two weeks of west coast shows in Berkley, CA and Eugene, OR, according to Awful Announcing. Corso, 89, has had documented health issues over the years (including a stroke in 2009), and did not travel to road shows for the entire 2020 season during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Corso was one of the original cast members of the show when it debuted in 1987, although his role has been diminished in recent years.
Diamond-FanDuel rebrand official
The Bally Sports Networks will officially rebrand to “FanDuel Sports Network” on Monday, ahead of the start of the NBA season on Tuesday. The agreement includes the intent to syndicate FanDuel TV’s existing programming across the RSNs, and to integrate FanDuel advertising across live NBA, NHL and MLB games.
In other Diamond Sports news, the Miami Marlins will have their 2025 games televised by Diamond, joining the Atlanta Braves in having their contract survive Diamond’s bankruptcy proceedings, according to The Athletic. Marlins games in 2025 will air on FanDuel Sports Network Florida. Diamond revealed in bankruptcy court filings it intends to drop 11 (now 10) of its MLB contracts. Three of these teams (Brewers, Twins, and Guardians) returned their rights to MLB, while seven (Angels, Cardinals, Rangers, Rays, Reds, Royals, and Tigers) will need to seek other local media options if they cannot strike a new deal with Diamond.
Announcers set for Netflix NFL Christmas games
According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, CBS play-by-play voice Ian Eagle will join CBS studio analysts Nate Burleson and J.J. Watt to call Netflix’s Chiefs-Steelers game on Christmas Day. Calling Ravens-Texans later will be NBC’s Noah Eagle and FOX’s Greg Olsen. CBS Sports will produce the games, but the announcers will be paid by Netflix. Netflix reportedly requested Fox allow them to use Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady, but Fox declined.
The NFL doubleheader is Netflix’s first venture into the live sports marketplace, although the company has previously streamed exhibition tennis and golf matches, and will take over WWE’s Raw at the beginning of next year.
The Wednesday doubleheader will likely result in Ian Eagle and Greg Olsen calling three games in eight days, as there are full slates of CBS and FOX games on the Sundays surrounding Christmas. Although not yet announced, Noah Eagle would likely call NBC’s Saturday afternoon Texans-Chiefs game on December 21.
2028 Olympic Cricket likely to move to East Coast
Cricket events at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics are likely to be held on the East Coast, according to organizing committee chairman Casey Wasserman. The move would be made to create a more favorable time difference for viewers in India, which could draw a substantial increase in Olympic rights fees from Indian broadcasters, according to Sportico. There is no suitable cricket venue in California, and pressure to keep costs down has caused organizers to look to the existing venues that hosted matches in this year’s T20 World Cup, including in Fort Lauderdale and a temporary stadium on Long Island.
This would not be the only event located outside of Southern California. Soccer matches will be held at NFL and college football venues all across the state, and the canoe/kayak cross and softball events have been moved to purpose-built facilities in Oklahoma City.
