ESPN’s David Jacoby is leaving the company after nearly a quarter-century. Plus: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell did not provide much new insight on NFL Sunday Ticket negotiations; Bob Rathbun says he’s feeling fine; and more sports media news.
ESPN’s Jacoby exits after 23 years
Longtime ESPN producer and Jalen & Jacoby co-host David Jacoby has exited the company after a 23-year tenure, he announced Wednesday. Jacoby created, developed and produced a number of ESPN shows during his tenure, including SportsNation and all of the multimedia content on Bill Simmons’ Grantland. His partnership with Jalen Rose began with a Grantland podcast in 2011 that shifted onto YouTube, national radio and eventually television.
The final episode of Jalen & Jacoby aired on Thanksgiving. (ESPN PR/Twitter 12.14)
No new news on Sunday Ticket
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday that NFL Sunday Ticket media rights negotiations are “in a very critical point” and that the league is prioritizing reaching the best deal over meeting any particular deadline. Goodell said earlier this year that a deal was expected by “the fall,” a deadline that would seem to have come and gone.
Multiple reports have indicated that Apple is the favorite to acquire Sunday Ticket, but that negotiations have stalled over disagreements on pricing and other issues. (Pro Football Talk 12.14)
Hawks’ Rathbun tells The Athletic he’s feeling fine
In his first interview since falling ill on-air last week, Atlanta Hawks broadcaster Bob Rathbun told The Athletic that he’s feeling fine and “cannot wait to get back.” Rathburn spent five nights in the hospital undergoing a battery of tests, none of which turned up anything significant, and the tentative plan is for him to return to the broadcast booth next week. (The Athletic 12.14)
Plus: UCLA move, NBA CBA, Netflix tennis series
As expected, the University of California Board of Regents approved UCLA’s move to the Big Ten on Wednesday. … The NBA and NBPA officially announced Wednesday that they have agreed to push back the deadline by which either side can opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement. The deadline was originally Thursday and will now be February 8. Should either side opt out, the CBA will expire June 30. … Netflix next month will debut a new docuseries about professional tennis players by the producers of the F1 series “Drive to Survive.” (Mercury-News 12.14, NBA, Front Office Sports 12.14)
