CBS will begin its deal with the UEFA Champions League ahead of schedule. Plus: Nielsen is delaying the addition of out-of-home data to its final national ratings; NASCAR has added a new weekend at Daytona; and more.
UEFA-CBS deal will start this summer
CBS Sports announced Thursday that it has acquired rights to the UEFA Champions League beginning with the resumption of the current 2019-20 competition. CBS had already acquired UEFA rights beginning with the 2021-22 season, but picked up the remainder of this season and all of the next after previous rightsholder Turner Sports opted out of its deal last early.
Sports Business Daily and World Soccer Talk were first to report Wednesday night that CBS was picking up the rights Turner abandoned.
Coverage will air primarily on the CBS All-Access subscription service, but CBS said Thursday that it will set aside a record number of matches for broadcast television. It was not clear whether that includes next month’s planned resumption of play. While CBS has yet to confirm its schedule, Thursday’s announcement listed only CBS All-Access and CBS Sports Network as airing the games. [CBS PR, SBD 7.8, World Soccer Talk 7.8]
Nielsen delaying out-of-home ratings change
Nielsen is delaying plans to incorporate out-of-home viewing into its final national ratings, Sports Business Daily reported Wednesday. The revised measure had been set to debut in September. Per the report, no date has been set for the rollout, though January was mentioned as a possibility.
Nielsen previously incorporated out-of-home data into its metered market overnights last fall. [SBD 7.8]
NASCAR adds road course at Daytona
NASCAR on Wednesday unveiled the latest alterations to its schedule, including the addition of a new weekend of racing at Daytona August 14-16. The new Daytona event, which replaces Watkins Glen, will take place on a road course configuration.
Other changes include Cup Series doubleheaders at Michigan (August 8-9) and Dover (August 22-23). The new batch of races does not include any midweek Cup events. [NASCAR.com 7.8]
Plus: Peacock, Ryder Cup, Dave LaMont
NBC Sports’ English Premier League coverage next Wednesday, which includes four live matches, will be available for free via NBC’s new Peacock streaming service. … This year’s Ryder Cup was officially pushed back to 2021 on Wednesday, with next year’s Presidents Cup in turn bumped to 2022. … ESPN is weighing the status of play-by-play voice Dave LaMont after he inadvertently interrupted a conference call on racial issues by referring to the discussion as “venting,” according to the New York Post. [NBC Sports PR 7.8, Ryder Cup 7.8, NYP 7.8]
