The NFL and Apple have reportedly hit a snag in negotiations over NFL Sunday Ticket. Plus: Rob Gronkowski is returning to his NFL analyst role on Fox Sports; Charles Barkley is apparently close to a new deal with TNT; and more, including a new role for TNT’s Candace Parker.
NFL, Apple, hit snag in Sunday Ticket negotiations
CNBC reported Friday that negotiations between the NFL and Apple for NFL Sunday Ticket rights have “slowed” as Apple is seeking broader rights than the Sunday Ticket package currently includes. Currently, Sunday Ticket is offered only in the United States, with local market games blacked out. By contrast, Apple’s new MLS deal includes global rights and no local blackouts.
Talks between the NFL and all of the Sunday Ticket contenders — Amazon, Disney and most recently Google have been mentioned as potential bidders — are ongoing.
Gronkowski returns to Fox as NFL analyst
Recently retired NFL TE Rob Gronkowski is rejoining Fox Sports as an NFL analyst effective Sunday. Gronkowski joined Fox fresh from his 2019 retirement but returned to the NFL the following year. In his new role, he will be a contributor to the Sunday morning Fox NFL pregame shows Fox NFL Kickoff and Fox NFL Sunday. Earlier this year, Gronkowski hosted an alternate presentation of UFC 278 for ESPN.
Barkley nearing new deal with Turner
TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley is nearing a contract extension with parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, based on comments made this week by the executive overseeing the network. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the executive in question — Kathleen Finch — said she recently had lunch with Barkley to “celebrate his new contract” and discuss potential on-air roles beyond basketball, a statement she quickly walked back after the interview was published. Though Finch admitted she had “jumped the gun,” even her walkback seemed to take Barkley’s new contract as a given. Finch said she was “premature with what was shared regarding his new contract … but we’re all excited for the future possibilities with Charles.”
Plus: Parker, Costas, Corso, Seahawks start time
TNT NBA analyst Candace Parker will this season occasionally serve as a game analyst, starting with Thursday’s Clippers-Lakers game alongside Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller. She will be the first woman to call an NBA game for TNT since Cheryl Miller in 2002. … TBS MLB play-by-play voice Bob Costas, currently handling play-by-play for the Guardians-Yankees Division Series, will host the network’s studio coverage of the League Championship Series for a second-straight year. Between the Division Series and LCS, this year marks Costas’ longest playoff run since 1999 (while he called the ALCS in 2000, he skipped that year’s Division Series). … ESPN college football analyst Lee Corso returned to “College Gameday” after a two-week, health-related absence on Saturday. … Sunday’s Cardinals-Seahawks NFL regular season game will remain in its 4:05 PM ET timeslot after the Mariners were swept out of the MLB Division Series on Saturday. Had the Mariners won and forced a Game 4 on Sunday, the nearby Seahawks game would have moved to 5:30 PM.
