- The Sports Business Journal reports that ESPN has requested the NFL extend the current Monday Night Football contract an additional five years to 2018. The request came during the course of negotiations between the NFL and ESPN over merging the NFL Network with ESPN Classic. According to SBJ, the NFL would “require some sort of revenue-sharing arrangement with ESPN beyond the traditional rights fee” to sign off on such an extension, something which “ESPN almost certainly would not agree to.”
- ESPN has changed its plans for the new morning editions of SportsCenter set to begin next month. The network has cut back the number of live hours from nine to six, eliminating the 6-9 AM portion. Steve Berthiaume and Linda Cohn, who were set to anchor the 6-9 AM edition, will move onto other roles. The 9 AM-12 PM and 12-3 PM editions will remain unchanged, with Hannah Storm and Josh Elliot anchoring the former and Chris McKendry and Robert Flores working the latter.
- The upcoming MLB All Star Game is generating increased advertiser interest. FOX has sold out “all but a few units” for the All Star Game telecast, with “30-second spots in the game selling on average for between $425,000 and $450,000 per unit.” To put that in perspective, spots during last year’s World Series also sold for $425,000. Spots during the hour-long All Star Red Carpet Parade preceding the game are selling for $150,000.
