An NFL Sunday Ticket deal is expected by the fall, per Roger Goodell. Plus news on the latest NFL broadcasting moves, the passing of Hank Goldberg, and more.
Goodell: Sunday Ticket deal with streaming partner coming by fall
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told CNBC Friday that the league expects to choose a new “NFL Sunday Ticket” rights partner by the fall and that the winning bidder will be a streaming company. It has been common knowledge for months that Sunday Ticket is headed to a streaming partner — the primary bidders are Amazon, Apple and ESPN+ — but Goodell’s comments were nonetheless notable as they were the first direct confirmation of the league’s thinking on the matter. Quoting Goodell, partnering with a streaming service is “best for consumers at this stage” and makes the Sunday Ticket package “more available to our consumers, particularly the younger demographic, which is one that we really want to get to.”
Per CNBC, a shift to a streaming service would not mean a lesser price for “Sunday Ticket” as the NFL’s existing contracts with CBS and Fox Sports prevent the out-of-market package from being sold for less than $300. [CNBC 7.8]
Moss cuts back, ESPN denies Fox, Andrews re-signs
ESPN’s Randy Moss will no longer appear on the network’s “Monday Night Countdown” pregame show, a decision that was of his own making, the New York Post reported this week. Moss, who is remaining with ESPN on a new contract, will continue in his current role on “Sunday NFL Countdown.”
Per the same Post report, ESPN has also denied Fox Sports permission to negotiate with NFL analyst Damien Woody, who is entering the final year of his contract. Fox was reportedly pursuing Woody for a role on a new Craig Carton-fronted FS1 show.
In other recent NFL broadcasting news, Fox re-signed sideline reporter Erin Andrews to a three-year deal at the end of last month. The news was first disclosed by Andrews herself on the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast. Andrews is the last remaining member of what had been the longtime lead NFL on FOX broadcast team, as Joe Buck and Troy Aikman left Fox for ESPN earlier this year. [NYP 7.7, SI via Apple 6.30]
Hank Goldberg dies at 82
As has been widely noted this week, the longtime sports broadcaster and prognosticator Hank Goldberg died Monday on his 82nd birthday. Goldberg was best known nationally for his two-decade run with ESPN, where he was a regular presence on SportsCenter. In recent years, he made appearances on CBS Sports HQ and on the ESPN2 show “Daily Wager,” with his final appearance on the latter coming in May.
He was an institution in Miami, serving as a sports talk radio host, TV sports reporter, and even an analyst for Dolphins games at varying points over a three-decade run from 1978-2009. [CBS Sports 7.4]
Plus: Pac-12 media rights, NHL schedule, Vitale doc
The Pac-12, whose future is in flux with the looming departures of Big Ten-bound USC and UCLA, announced this week that it is expediting negotiations on a new media rights deal. The conference’s current deals expire after the 2024 season. … The 2022-23 NHL regular season is scheduled to begin October 11 with Lightning-Rangers and Golden Knights-Kings on ESPN, followed by Bruins-Capitals and Blackhawks-Avalanche on TNT the following night. The league’s annual Black Friday “Thanksgiving Showdown,” which has traditionally aired on broadcast television, is set for TNT this year in the form of a doubleheader (Penguins-Flyers and Blues-Lightning). … ESPN will later this month debut an 80-minute documentary on the life and career of college basketball analyst Dick Vitale, who has spent much of last year battling multiple health issues. The documentary will chronicle Vitale’s recent treatment and recovery, his coaching career, and an ESPN tenure that dates back to the network’s first year of operation. It debuts on ESPN+ July 20 and on ESPN July 24. [Pac-12/Twitter 7.5, NHL 7.6, ESPN PR]
