The Dallas Cowboys are adding Christmas to their slate of high-profile games that also includes the Kickoff Game and Thanksgiving. Plus: Warner Bros. Discovery is rebranding its direct-to-subscriber streaming service to its old “HBO Max” name; the Tampa Bay Lightning are the latest team to leave the RSN model for a combination of over-the-air and streaming; IndyCar sets a primetime Father’s Day race on FOX.
Cowboys to play on Christmas, in addition to Kickoff and Thanksgiving
The NFL has scheduled Cowboys-Commanders and Lions-Vikings as the two Christmas Day games on Netflix, it was announced Wednesday, meaning that the Cowboys will become the first team since the 2011 Packers to play in the Kickoff Game, on Thanksgiving and on Christmas in a single season.
Cowboys-Commanders is set for the early 1 PM ET window, followed by Lions-Vikings at 4:30. Amazon previously announced that it is carrying Broncos-Chiefs in primetime Christmas night.
All three games are glamour matchups, with the Cowboys and Chiefs facing their two most heated rivals and Lions-Vikings pitting the teams with the two best records in the NFC last season — whose most recent meeting was the most-watched Sunday Night Football season finale since 2013.
WBD reverting to “HBO Max” name for streaming service
The Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service “Max” is reverting to its previous name of “HBO Max” this summer, the company announced at its upfronts presentation Wednesday. Since rebranding as “Max,” the app has expanded from its original fare of HBO programming to incorporate all of the properties under the WBD portfolio, including live sports. All of TNT Sports events are available to stream via Max as part of its “Standard” ($17/mo) or “Premium” ($21/mo) tiers.
While ESPN has chosen to use its own existing name for its new direct-to-subscriber app, other companies continue to affix differentiating terms — from “Max” to “Plus” to “One” — for their services.
Lightning leave RSN in Scripps deal
The Tampa Bay Lightning have agreed to a multi-year media rights agreement with Scripps Sports to move their games to a new Scripps-owned station in the Tampa Bay market, WXPX. The new station will be named “The Spot — Tampa Bay 66” and feature Lightning games, plus news and entertainment programming.
As part of the “beam and stream” model of local broadcasting, the Lightning will also partner with Scripps on the launch of a direct-to-consumer streaming option.
Scripps already has existing relationships with the NHL Panthers, Golden Knights and Mammoth (previously known as the “Utah Hockey Club”).
The Lightning are one of a rare few sports teams of late to leave the RSN model for a combination of over-the-air and streaming. Five NBA teams recently agreed to extensions with FanDuel Sports Network, and the MLB Reds and Brewers both elected to return to FDSN after previously planning to take their rights in-house.
IndyCar sets primetime FOX race for Father’s Day
IndyCar and Fox Sports announced Wednesday that next month’s St. Louis race on FOX is moving from 3 PM ET to primetime, making it just the third primetime IndyCar race on broadcast television. NBC carried the delayed 2020 season opener from Texas in primetime, and ABC aired the same Texas race in primetime seven years earlier. Both of those races aired on Saturday nights.
Start times were adjusted for four other IndyCar races, with each of them moving up (and out of the way of NASCAR). Road America on June 22 has moved up from 3:30 to 1:30 PM. Mid-Ohio on July 6 and Iowa Race 2 the following week have moved up from 2 PM to 1 PM. Finally, the July 20 race from Toronto has moved up from 2 PM to Noon.
