Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly “considering reopening” talks with Paramount; MLB broadcasts will have some changes with the introduction of ABS; and Tom Ricketts discusses Marquee Sports Network. Plus news on the Fox Sports, Chris Paul, Main Street Sports Group and WDAE.
WBD reportedly “considering reopening” Paramount talks
Warner Bros. Discovery is weighing whether to reopen negotiations with Paramount after receiving a sweetened bid from the company, according to a Sunday report by Lucas Shaw and Michelle F. Davis of Bloomberg. WBD board members are said to be discussing if Paramount would provide “a path to a superior deal” to that of Netflix, potentially triggering more bidding between the two media conglomerates. Rohan Goswami of Semafor reported in slightly more definitive terms later Sunday that the WBD board is “leaning towards” reopening negotiations.
Although Paramount is still bidding $30/share for the entirety of Warner Bros. Discovery, which consists of studio and streaming assets in addition to the global linear networks, its updated bid includes a commitment to cover the $2.8 billion termination fee WBD would owe to Netflix if it went forward with pursuing the offer. In addition, Paramount introduced a new $0.25/share “ticking fee” that would be distributed to WBD shareholders for every quarter the deal does not close starting after Dec. 31, 2026. The company contextualized this addition, which holds a cash value of approximately $650 million per quarter, as evidence of “confidence in the speed and certainty of its regulatory pathway.”
Paramount also said it would “fully reimburse” WBD for a potential $1.5 billion cost associated with abandoning its debt refinancing plan, a requirement as Paramount is seeking the linear networks that WBD plans to spin off. By preempting the spinoff, the Paramount deal would also end the speculation regarding the true value of that spinoff entity, set to be named Discovery Global. The Netflix merger agreement, amended to a $27.75/share all-cash structure last month, would result in existing WBD shareholders owning Discovery Global, a property Paramount has argued would not have any equity value and a weaker sports rights portfolio than Versant.
If Paramount continued pursuing the whole company, it could presumably lead to CBS Sports and TNT Sports sharing majority ownership.
MLB broadcasts will no longer display ball-strike delineations in real time
Major League Baseball broadcasts will no longer display on-screen whether each pitch is a ball or a strike, a source told Sports Media Watch. The change comes as the league introduces an automated ball-strike system (ABS), which allows the pitcher, catcher or batter to challenge calls in real time if they feel the home plate umpire made an incorrect ruling. News of the broadcast change was first reported by Jeff Agrest of the Chicago Sun-Times.
The superimposed strike zone box itself will still be on the screen to display location in addition to some other elements, such as pitch type and velocity, per Agrest. Sam Blum of The Athletic expanded on this by outlining that broadcast feeds with the strike zone box visible “will be operating on around a nine-second delay.” Broadcast feeds within the ballparks themselves will reportedly not include the box or pitch location, while “MLB Gameday” is said to be operating with a five-second delay for data regarding pitch location.
When a ruling is challenged, the Hawk-Eye view will be displayed on the television broadcast and for spectators at the ballpark, per Larry Shenk of MLB.com. Teams receive two challenges each to begin the game, which they retain if the call is overturned. The league measured an average of 4.1 challenges per game during spring training last year, each of which “took an average of 13.8 seconds.” MLB has steadily diminished the length of nine-inning games since introducing the pitch clock in 2023, recently finishing a third straight season with an average of under two hours and 40 minutes.
A variety of MLB broadcasts have displayed the strike zone box for many years, but the league reportedly wants to ensure that players do not receive intel on pitch location. The ABS system was tested over the last four Minor League Baseball seasons and will officially launch for MLB regular-season play during Opening Night as the San Francisco Giants face the New York Yankees on Netflix. The league will use the system for all regular-season games except some played outside of MLB ballparks, such as the Mexico City Series, Field of Dreams Game and Little League Classic.
Ricketts discusses Marquee, Cubs media rights
Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts told reporters at Spring Training on Monday that the organization “love[s] having its own independent RSN” while discussing MLB potentially assuming control over local broadcast rights, per Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times. The Cubs first launched Marquee Sports Network in February 2020 as part of a partnership with Sinclair Broadcast Group and are one of the teams who do not utilize MLB to produce and distribute broadcasts.
Ricketts balanced praise for Marquee with acknowledgement of the broader situation facing RSNs. “[W]e also have the economic realities that are facing other sports networks and the declining revenue model. So we just have to balance that out and try to focus our efforts where we can get a great experience and a great production for fans, and just being mindful of expenses, because it’s getting tougher.”
MLB reportedly receives approximately $2 billion per year for its national television rights, consisting of partners Fox Corporation, Warner Bros. Discovery and Apple among others. The league is about to begin new three-year deals with NBCUniversal and Netflix reportedly worth a combined $250 million, and inked a three-year agreement with ESPN to retain its presence on the network for a reported $550 million/year package that includes rights to MLB.tv and in-market streaming rights to league-produced and distributed local broadcasts.
At the time ESPN signed the deal, MLB had six out of the 30 teams within its local media portfolio. That number now stands at around half of the league, with the Angels and Braves having yet to reveal their full plans for the coming season. Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal reported earlier this month that both franchises were talking about creating multi-team RSNs.
Plus: Fox Sports, Chris Paul, Main Street Sports Group, WDAE
- Fox Sports is bringing back its long-abandoned “SPEED” brand as the name of a new twice-weekly podcast with Will Buxton and Kevin Harvick, The show will cover a variety of racing properties, including INDYCAR, NASCAR and Formula 1. The “SPEED” brand, which has been off the air since August 2013 when Fox rebranded its cable network to “FS1,” will make its return in this new form starting on Monday, Feb. 23.
- Longtime NBA PG Chris Paul, who announced his retirement from the league last Friday after a 21-year professional career, is viewed as a potential target for ESPN, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. Paul served as a guest analyst on ESPN “NBA Countdown” during the playoffs two years ago, and the company “would be considered the favorite” if he decided to move in that direction, although NBC and Prime Video “could show interest, as well,” per Marchand.
- Main Street Sports Group is preparing to close its St. Louis, Mo. facility in Ballpark Village and could potentially lay off 25 employees, as outlined in a letter sent to government officials posted by KSDK. Main Street CEO David Preschlack, in a statement provided to FOX 2, said that the company has “issued WARN notices to employees, as required by law, in connection with potential workforce impacts that could occur in the coming months,” and noted that aspects or the entirety of such notices “can be revoked at any time.” The company itself is headquartered in Maryland, per Bloomberg.
- iHeart-owned WDAE, the flagship station for the Tampa Bay Rays, is moving up the dial to 95.7 FM starting on Monday, Feb. 23. The change provides the sports radio outlet with a 100,000-watt FM signal to pair with its existing 620 AM presence, while Rumba 95.7 (WRUB) takes WDAE’s current FM home of 95.3, according to a report by Dana Schaeffer of Radio Ink.
