Comcast reportedly hires bankers to explore a WBD deal; ESPN “College GameDay” will be available on X for a second straight week; and Netflix has interest in video podcasts. Plus news on the NFL Madrid Game, Brian Windhorst, Nexstar and Sling.
Comcast reportedly hires bankers amid WBD interest
Comcast has hired bankers to explore a bid for the Warner Bros. Discovery streaming and studios business, according to a report filed by Reuters on Thursday. The media conglomerate and parent company of NBCUniversal are said to have brought on Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to evaluate a potential offer. In addition, Comcast reportedly has access to the data room with the necessary financial information to submit a bid. Some of the other companies seemingly exploring an M&A transaction with WBD include Paramount and Netflix.
Speaking on an earnings call Thursday for the first time since Warner Bros. Discovery publicly acknowledged it was considering offers for its business, WBD president/CEO David Zaslav acknowledged that it is “fair to say” that the company “has an active process underway.” WBD currently intends to split into two publicly traded companies next year, and it is considering following through with that transaction and subsequently selling the standalone Warner Bros. streaming and studios entity.
Alex Sherman of CNBC reported Tuesday that Warner Bros. Discovery aims to announce its future plans by Christmas and that Paramount could consider issuing a hostile bid directly to shareholders if necessary.
Discovery Global, which will hold the global networks of WBD, is entering the fold with a sports portfolio containing MLB, the NHL, French Open tennis, NCAA March Madness tournament and more. Yet CEO Gunnar Wiedenfels believes there will be opportunities in the ecosystem over the next three to five years for Discovery Global to acquire more sports rights “on an organic basis.”
ESPN “College Gameday” to be available on X for second straight week
ESPN “College Gameday” will once again be available to stream on the X account for “The Pat McAfee Show” as the impasse between The Walt Disney Company and YouTube TV continues. Multiplatform personality Pat McAfee, who has been critical of ESPN’s messaging approach regarding the impasse, made the announcement on his show Friday.
“Unlocking @CollegeGameDay on @X and the @espn App was an opportunity to deliver on our promise to serve sports fans,” Burke Magnus, ESPN president of content, wrote on X this past Wednesday. “This show was a unifying force and combining our platform and @PatMcAfeeShow was a great opportunity to deliver for our audience.” McAfee said this week that the live stream of “Gameday” on X last Saturday generated 1.18 million unique viewers and 2 million impressions.
An internal memo distributed by Disney executives on Friday, including ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, communicated apparent disappointment about not reaching an agreement ahead of “another sports-packed weekend.” The executives stated that it has offered the company fair terms and accused YouTube of continuing “to insist on receiving preferential terms that are below market.”
In a statement provided to The Athletic, a spokesperson for YouTube TV accused Disney of “resorting to their old tactics” by misrepresenting offers and taking credit for proposals. “Our team stands ready to make a fair agreement in line with their deals with other distributors and we encourage Disney to come to the table and do what’s best for our mutual customers.”
Netflix reportedly looking to add more video podcasts
Netflix has reportedly approached SiriusXM about licensing video podcasts as it looks to bolster its presence in the space, according to Caitlin Huston of The Hollywood Reporter. News of its interest comes shortly after reports of Netflix talking with iHeartMedia about reaching a similar deal. On top of that, the company is reportedly contacting agents from firms such as CAA, UTA and WME about signing more people in the space.
The SVOD service, which is estimated to have more than 300 million subscribers, inked a deal with Spotify in October to bring video podcasts from The Ringer to its platform beginning early next year. Lauren Smith, Netflix VP of content licensing and programming strategy, said in a statement announcing the move that the transaction “adds fresh voices and new perspectives to Netflix, making our entertainment lineup more exciting than ever.”
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos mentioned the prospect of adding video podcasts during the company’s first-quarter earnings call in April. It should be noted that Netflix does produce some of its own shows, including the biweekly “Netflix Sports Club” podcast hosted by Kay Adams. Netflix is also continuing its push into live sports with its second NFL Christmas Day doubleheader and reportedly airing MLB Opening Night.
A recent study from Edison Research found that 51% of the U.S. 12+ population has watched a video podcast, with 26% of consumers estimated to be weekly consumers.
Plus: Brian Windhorst, NFL Madrid Game, Nexstar, Sling
- ESPN senior NBA writer Brian Windhorst has signed a multiyear extension with the network under which he will continue working across platforms, it was announced Friday. Windhorst, who has worked at ESPN since 2010, has contributed to various studio shows, digital content, and also hosts “The Hoop Collective” podcast.
- Play-by-play announcer Kenny Albert and analyst Jonathan Vilma will make their second trip overseas to call an NFL matchup this season, Sports Media Watch has learned. The duo will broadcast the NFL Madrid Game between the Washington Commanders and Miami Dolphins next Sunday with Jamie Erdahl on the sidelines and Mike Pereira remote as rules analyst.
- Nexstar Media Group president/COO Mike Biard said in an earnings call Thursday that he believes the NFL potentially opening its media rights deals early could leave the networks in “a stronger position” and downplayed the possibility of the league moving additional games to streaming platforms. While the league could move games to streaming “at the margin” by expanding to an 18-game schedule or selling a package of international games, Biard touted broadcast TV as “the most profitable segment of the media ecosystem.”
- Echostar reported gains for its Sling TV vMVPD in its quarterly earnings report, noting that 51,000 customers are paying for access to Sling Orange or Sling Blue plans. These packages feature the Sling Day Pass feature, which is the subject of lawsuits from The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Discovery.
