Amazon will air an exclusive NFL game next season under a multi-year media rights extension. Also: Will Cain is reportedly leaving ESPN; reports have MLB coming back in June; NASCAR is expected to release a revised schedule on Thursday.
Amazon gets exclusive NFL game under extension
The NFL announced Wednesday that it has reached a multi-year media rights extension with Amazon. Under the deal, Amazon will gain exclusive rights to a Saturday game in the second half of next season. The game in question would be available on local broadcast affiliates in the home markets.
The company will also continue to simulcast the 11 Thursday Night Football games that air on FOX.
Amazon has owned streaming rights to Thursday Night Football since 2017 but has not previously carried an exclusive NFL game. The NFL has twice aired games exclusively via stream, with those rights belonging to Yahoo! Sports and Verizon. [NFL PR 4.29]
Cain able to leave ESPN
The New York Post reported Monday that ESPN Radio host Will Cain will soon leave the network to join the Fox News Channel. Cain has been with ESPN since 2015 and has hosted his eponymous ESPN Radio show since 2018.
The same report cast doubt on the future of The Dan Le Batard Show, citing the apparent antipathy of ESPN EVP/content Norby Williamson. [NYP 4.27]
Reports have MLB coming back in June
Multiple reports Tuesday indicated that Major League Baseball is looking to return at some point in mid-June or early July. Teams would play an abbreviated schedule, with The Athletic reporting 80-100 games and USA Today 100-110. Per The Athletic and the Associated Press, the postseason could run through as late as early December in a neutral site venue.
The season could feature a realigned format with teams organized into three geographic divisions, regardless of whether they are in the American or National League.
Where the games would be held remains to be seen. Reports conflicted on whether games would be played in a small number of sites (Arizona, Florida and/or Texas) or in teams’ home stadiums, with the AP reporting that the season could start in the former and end in the latter. Per The Athletic, the range of possibilities is even wider, including one where the season opens in 10-12 states. [The Athletic 4.28, USA Today 4.28, AP 4.28]
NASCAR will reportedly announce revised schedule on Thursday
The Xfinity, Truck and ARCA series would also contest races at those locations.
As previously reported by Autoweek, the series would then travel to Martinsville on May 31, Bristol on June 3 (Wednesday), Atlanta on June 7 and Miami on June 14. That schedule differs from the scenario reported by The Athletic earlier in the month. [Autoweek 4.29]
