News: ESPN-SEC deal, MNF, Super Bowl ads

Atlanta, GA - December 7, 2019 - Mercedes-Benz Stadium: Empty field prior to the 2019 SEC Championship game (Photo by Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images)

ESPN’s acquisition of the CBS SEC package could be announced in weeks. Also: Monday Night Football will have a new producer next season; presidential campaign ads will air during the Super Bowl.

ESPN-SEC deal could be announced in weeks

ESPN’s reported deal to acquire CBS Sports’ SEC media rights package could be officially announced within weeks of Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship, Sports Business Daily reported this week. Per the report, ESPN and the SEC had hoped to announce a deal around the time of Monday’s game, but talks “slowed” around the holidays.

Under the deal, which was first reported by Sports Business Daily last month, ABC would replace CBS as the SEC broadcast TV partner. ESPN/ABC is said to have beaten out not only CBS, but challengers NBC and Fox Sports as well. The latter two were willing to use their top college football draws — Notre Dame and Big Noon Saturday, respectively — as lead-ins for the SEC game of the week. [SBD 1.6]

ESPN MNF producer leaving role

ESPN Monday Night Football producer Jay Rothman will not return to the program next season, the New York Post reported Tuesday. Rothman has produced ESPN’s live NFL game coverage since 2001, when it had the Sunday Night Football package. He will continue with ESPN in an undetermined role.

That may not be the only change to ESPN’s MNF crew next season. The network is widely expected to make a run at CBS analyst Tony Romo, whose contract is expiring. [NYP 1.7]

Two full minutes of campaign ads to air during Super Bowl

Presidential campaign ads will air during the Super Bowl for the first time in recent memory after Fox sold a combined two minutes of ad space to the U.S. president and one of his Democratic challengers. Sports Business Daily first reported the president’s interest in a Super Bowl ad last November.

While campaigns have previously purchased Super Bowl ad space in select markets, it is extremely rare for them to do so nationally. It is somewhat common to see campaign ads during other major sporting events. [NYT 1.7]

Ratings: Bowls, CBB, PGA, NBA

Jon Lewis

Jon Lewis has been covering the sports media industry on a daily basis since 2006 as the founder and main writer of Sports Media Watch. You can contact him here or on the social media websites X (Twitter) or Bluesky.

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Comments 12

Rush says:

6 years ago

I would like nothing more than NFL games to be done away with ESPN. Monday Night Football is not special anymore. Once ABC gave it away in 2006 it has never been the same. I do think the old ESPN MNF days were not bad, though. But today MNF is bad. The announcing is atrocious, the games are not worthwhile, and ESPN is a cable channel. I do not watch MNF unless my team is on, and I know a handful of big NFL fans who also never bother watching MNF. If anything, the best part is listening to Kevin Harlan on the radio. MNF is just so dumb now I wish the NFL could get rid of it. I know it really wouldn’t affect anything because the game presumably would just go onto one of the Sunday packages and everyone essentially loses one game per week. I get it. But MNF has no dignity anymore and the point of keeping it around seems pointless. Maybe ESPN is preparred to leave, anyway, with ESPN/ABC acquiring the SEC for football and putting their chips in that.

As for Tony Romo, I think he would be a fool for going to MNF. MNF does not have compelling games. They also lack a game for Thanksgiving, week 17, and two garaunteed playoff games, not to mention never getting a super bowl. I have to imagine Romo would get much more exposure on CBS than ESPN, even if half the time he only has a single header game. I have not heard much talk of NBC or Fox wanting to pursue him. Maybe they do want him, but I have not heard. I absolutely think both of them should pursue him. I get NBC has Collinsworth, but I have to figure time is not too abundant for him before he retires. And I think Troy Aikman on Fox is overrated and going downhill. I have not been impressed with his performance the last year or two. I think he is very general/vague and just seems bored with his job. He has had a good run, but I no longer see him as a great number one analyst. I know Fox is keen on Greg Olsen, which I do not blame them. But going after Romo should make them better immediately.
- Robert Nerenberg says:
  
  6 years ago
  
  How do you REALLY feel?
Craig M Muldavin says:

6 years ago

I find it doubtful that Romo would go to MNF, which offers no guarantee of top games that any other of the networks could offer him. ESPN can’t afford Romo, anyway.
- Nate Johnson says:
  
  6 years ago
  
  Considering that the MNF package will expand with more postseason games and Regular Seasons games and possibly be in the Super Bowl rotation as well, Romo could be entertained to take the offer. MNF is a National game every week and after week 1 it’s the only NFL game of the day. Never count out ESPN on making a strong offer.
Nate Johnson says:

6 years ago

Surprised that NBC had interest in the SEC Football package. More surprised that FOX entertained the thought considering how they’re so suppose to be against the SEC. But it’s obviously why those two networks was never serious contenders and its because money talks and SEC wants plenty of that which eliminated CBS from contract talks. NBC and FOX has to focus on the future NFL deal first that is coming. I understand ESPN/ABC is in that same boat as well, but it’s evident that they’re willing to consume College Football Saturdays as much as they’re willing to grow their NFL Live gaming programs and also enhance their College Football coverage with FOX having significant influence on the B1G Ten, Big 12, and Pac-12.

If ESPN gets Romo, while the public would indicate that being a HUGE Win for ESPN, I believe it’ll be a bigger loss for CBS. It starts with Nantz and in my honest opinion, I believe he’s becoming a bit stale when calling Football and March Madness. I believe that Bill Raftrey helped him bring some excitement and growth to his commentary in basketball and Romo years later in football, but I don’t sense the energy always being there in football games. March Madness is different because it’s a tournament which brings energy no matter what, but guys like Eagle, Harlan, and Anderson is closing the gap on him and he’s been calling Final Fours for around 30 years. There’s no one who seems to be able to take over for Nantz in the NFL unless they would make a very bold move and that is moving Brad Nessler from SEC games to #1 spot in the NFL.

Color analyst will be a challenge following Romo, which is why you have to look at it from two angles and not just one. For example, when John Madden left NBC to retire, NBC was still in good shape because of Al Michaels. Yes adding in Cris Collinsworth paid off, but I didn’t look at Madden retiring as a loss for NBC, because Michaels was still hanging around. I just don’t have that same sense with Jim Nantz and he needs Romo to stay to help maintain his contribution and interest.
- Dale Moog says:
  
  6 years ago
  
  Also Fox got way more content for a lot less money with the new MWC deal they get all the BSU home games plus other MWC games.
Daniel says:

6 years ago

CBS is walking away from the SEC they can’t afford to lose Romo. I don’t think people will tune in to ESPN just because he’s part of their Monday night package. ESPN doesn’t have marquee games like NBC. Plus their usually saddled with awful games. I can only imagine what ESPN is going to pay for the SEC deal. Expect to see traditional matchups on Saturday night. Another thing about Romo people are starting to get annoyed about his telegraphing the play before it happens.
William says:

6 years ago

I had hoped NBC coukd have snagged. They need some college sports.
Hal P says:

6 years ago

Am I reading this correctly – 3:30pm ET spot each Saturday on ABC will be a SEC game under this new deal?
- Paulsen says:
  
  6 years ago
  
  I don’t know if that would always be the case — SEC would have flexibility to schedule more broadcast network games in primetime, and I imagine on those weeks ABC could air another conference’s games at 3:30. But for the most part, yes.
Jacob Wang says:

6 years ago

The Super Bowl is scheduled for the day before Iowa voters hold their caucus (series of neighborhood get-togethers which help decide that state’s choice for each party’s presidential candidate
- Matt Layden says:
  
  6 years ago
  
  Maybe Fox will make a 13th hour bid for the SEC package, carried by CBS.