The NFL is considering whether to award ESPN’s annual Wild Card game to Fox Sports. In other news, NBA franchise values continue to rise, and ESPN will once again swap its college basketball and NBA announcers.
NFL Could Give ESPN’s Wild Card Game to FOX
The NFL is weighing whether to move ESPN’s annual Wild Card playoff game to Fox Sports as part of the latter’s
Thursday Night Football package,
Sports Business Daily reported Monday. ESPN’s $1.9 billion/year NFL deal does not guarantee the network a Wild Card game, merely that it can televise one if the NFL so chooses. The league is free to change or revoke Wild Card rights during occasional contractual “look-ins,” one of which is taking place this year.
The TNF package has never before included playoff rights, but the NFL reportedly solicited bids on a playoff game in this year’s negotiations. Fox Sports’ winning bid included “considerations to carry” said playoff game. [Sports Business Daily 2.12]
NBA Franchise Values Keep Rising
The average NBA franchise is now worth $1.65 billion, according to
Forbes‘ annual estimates — up 22% from last year ($1.36B) and up 160% from 2014, the last estimate before the NBA announced its $2.66 billion/year media rights deals with ESPN and Turner Sports ($634M).
Forbes estimates that all 30 teams are worth at least $1 billion and that only one lost money last season — the Cavaliers, whose payroll and luxury tax bill were the culprits. [Forbes 2.7]
ESPN Swapping NBA, CBB Analysts Again
In what has become an annual occurrence, ESPN will swap its NBA and college basketball analysts on Wednesday. On ESPN,
Dick Vitale will pair with NBA broadcasters
Ryan Ruocco and
Mark Jackson on Clippers-Celtics, while
Bill Walton will join
Dave Pasch and
Doris Burke on Warriors-Blazers.
On ESPN2, Hubie Brown will work alongside Mark Jones and Jay Bilas on Virginia Tech-Duke, while P.J. Carlesimo will join Adam Amin and Dan Dakich on Kentucky-Auburn. [ESPN PR 2.9]
