The Phoenix Suns and Mercury’s new rights deal with Gray Television has been voided by a bankruptcy judge. Also, NFL scheduling nuggets and a looming vacancy on TNT’s NHL roster.
Judge voids Suns, Mercury, deal with Gray Television
A bankruptcy court judge on Wednesday voided the Phoenix Suns and Mercury’s new media rights deal with Gray Television and Kiswe, siding with the teams’ incumbent rightsholder Diamond Sports — operator of the Bally Sports RSNs — that the new deal violated both its right of first refusal and the automatic stay in bankruptcy law that protectors debtors’ assets from being modified or seized without their consent.
According to The Athletic, Diamond’s existing contract with the Suns allows it to match any deal that is worth less than its current contract, as would be the case in the proposed agreement. The Suns argued that while the new deals would pay less in rights fees, they would generate more sponsorship revenue due to an expected increase in viewership (estimated by the team to be as much as triple the current level).
It should be noted that the Wednesday ruling did not determine whether Diamond would be able to match the new agreement, only that the Suns did not give Diamond adequate time to exercise its contractual right to match. The ultimate fate of the new deal will be determined by a ruling as to whether Diamond would be able to match. (The Athletic 5.10, ESPN.com 5.10)
Jets-Dolphins on Black Friday among NFL schedule reveals
The NFL season is scheduled to open with the defending champion Chiefs hosting the Detroit Lions in the annual Kickoff Game on NBC, it was announced Thursday. The Lions, who have not made the playoffs since the 2016 season, would make their first appearance in the season opener.
Also in Week 1, Aaron Rodgers is set to make his debut with the New York Jets on Monday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills. That game would be simulcast across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+. The Jets are also set to play in the first ever Black Friday NFL game against the Dolphins on Amazon Prime.
Other holiday game selections include Raiders-Chiefs and Eagles-Giants on Christmas Day, which will air at 1 PM ET on CBS and 4:25 on FOX respectively.
Additional game selections include conference championship game rematches (49ers-Eagles on FOX in Week 13 and Chiefs-Bengals on CBS in Week 17) and a five-game International Series slate. The full NFL schedule is set to be announced later Thursday. (Network PR)
TNT’s Jones reportedly gets Flyers job
The NHL Flyers are expected to hire Turner Sports NHL analyst Keith Jones as president of hockey operations, according to multiple reports Wednesday. Jones has served as a national TV analyst dating back to the 2005-06 season and was a mainstay of NBC’s NHL coverage. He currently serves as an “Inside the Glass” analyst on TNT’s lead NHL team alongside Kenny Albert and Eddie Olczyk. (NBC Sports Philadelphia 5.10)
