Sports TV News
NBC Sports Aiming to Launch Streaming Service for Regional Sports Networks
NBC has large markets in its RSN catalog with Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and California’s Bay Area.

Published
3 months agoon

Following Sinclair’s initiative to launch a streaming, direct-to-consumer service for its regional sports networks, NBC Sports aims to follow the same path.
According to The Hollywood Reporter‘s Alex Weprin, Valari Dodson Stabb, newly named chairman of NBCUniversal Local has been tasked with emphasizing the streaming side of NBC’s offerings. A big part of that endeavor will be to start a DTC service made up of the NBC RSNs that have rights to local sports teams.
Little bit of news: NBC's regional sports networks, which have regional rights to teams like the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia Phillies, plan to launch a direct-to-consumer offering this year.
— Alex Weprin (@alexweprin) January 31, 2022
UPDATE: NBCUniversal Local issued a statement saying that plans to launch a DTC service are still being evaluated.
“In a personnel-related announcement issued by NBCUniversal Local on Jan. 31, a reference to the NBC Sports Regional Networks’ direct-to-consumer (DTC) plans was inadvertently included and was misleading,” said an NBCUniversal Local spokesperson.
“At this stage in the process, our DTC strategy is evolving as we assess options in each of the unique sports markets we serve. At this time, we don’t have any further details about launch plans including timing or markets. More information will be announced when available.”
The NBC RSNs are comprised of six channels, including NBC Sports Boston, NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBC Sports Washington, NBC Sports Chicago, NBC Sports California, and NBC Sports Bay Area. (NBC Sports Northwest shut down when the Portland Trail Blazers moved to Root Sports.)
As Weprin mentions, NBC has previously launched streaming versions of its local stations on Peacock with Telemundo soon to follow. (Local stations and Telemundo have been overseen by Staab since 2011.) But a streaming service featuring the NBC RSNs would have much less content than what Sinclair is offering. Sinclair has 21 RSNs compared to NBC’s six.
Yet NBC has larger markets in its RSN catalog with Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and California’s Bay Area. (Los Angeles Kings games are also carried on NBC Sports California.) An NBC offering would arguably boast quality over quantity, depending on a viewer’s rooting interests and regional ties.
NBC has tried direct-to-consumer subscriptions on a limited basis for viewers in Portland and Philadelphia with “Blazers Pass” (for 15 Trail Blazers telecasts) and “Philly Pass” (with NBC Sports Philadelphia programming offered on NBC Sports Gold before Peacock’s launch).
What would a NBC RSN streaming service cost subscribers? Sinclair is eyeing a $20 monthly fee according to its latest quarterly report filed to the SEC in January. But it also has to build out a streaming service, while NBC already has its Peacock infrastructure set up. And as mentioned, it would offer fewer channels.
Ian Casselberry
Ian Casselberry is a sports media columnist for BSM. He has previously written and edited for Awful Announcing, The Comeback, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation. You can find him on Twitter @iancass or reach him by email at iancass@gmail.com.
Sports TV News
ESPN Releases Details For Joe Buck’s PGA Championship Broadcast
“Michael Collins will serve as Buck’s co-host.”
Published
2 hours agoon
May 10, 2022By
BSM Staff
Omaha Productions and ESPN are getting ready for the PGA Championship. News broke last week that Joe Buck would make his ESPN debut at the center of alternative coverage of the event. Now the network is sharing a few details of the broadcast.
Michael Collins will serve as Buck’s co-host. ESPN’s senior golf analyst will bring the perspective of a former caddie to the broadcast as well as the humor of a former comedian.
The duo will welcome plenty of guests too. The lineup suggests that while the broadcast will be built around golf, the conversations could go anywhere. Troy Aikman, Josh Allen, Charles Barkley, Doris Burke, Fred Couples, Jon Hamm, and Peyton & Eli Manning are all scheduled to make appearances.
“We loved doing Monday Night Football with ESPN and the entire Omaha team has been looking forward to producing alternate telecasts that celebrate other sports,” Peyton Manning said in a press release. “As one of golf’s majors, the PGA Championship is a perfect place to do our first one for golf and we look forward to working with Joe, Michael and everyone in ESPN’s golf team.”
Joe Buck and Michael Collins will be on TV for all four days of the PGA Championship. They will be on for four hours each day. The broadcast will alternate between ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+ depending on where the traditional coverage of the event is airing.
The PGA Championship with Joe Buck & Michael Collins is the latest offering from ESPN’s deal with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions. The company has also committed to produce alternate coverage of MMA and college football broadcasts in the future.
Sports TV News
Tom Brady To Join FOX At End Of Career
“Whether or not Tom Brady is great on TV remains to be seen. What is certain is that the network just added star power that is unmatched amongst other networks that carry NFL games.”
Published
3 hours agoon
May 10, 2022By
BSM Staff
Tom Brady won’t be in the booth this season for FOX, but he will be there eventually. The network’s PR account tweeted that as soon as Brady is ready to call it a career, he will join Kevin Burkhardt to call the biggest game on the network’s slate each week.
"We are pleased to announce that immediately following his playing career, 7-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady will be joining us at @FOXSports as our lead analyst. pic.twitter.com/fJTOQJ9BwM
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) May 10, 2022
“We are delighted that Tom has committed to joining the Fox team and wish him all the best during this upcoming season,” FOX CEO Lachlan Murdoch said in a statement.
FOX has made no secret of its desire to bring Brady aboard. The network has been courting him ever since he announced his retirement in February. The desire to pair him with Burkhardt was first reported in March by Andrew Marchand of The New York Post.
This news raises questions about the future for a lot of the parties involved. First, who will be Burkhardt’s partner this season? Tom Brady has committed to play for the Buccaneers. Next, what does this mean for the quarterback’s future? Does this guarantee that 2022 will be his final season in the NFL? Finally, what now for Greg Olsen? He had been Burkhardt’s partner last season and has expressed interest in continuing to work together.
All of those answers will be addressed in time. Right now, FOX is busy celebrating.
Whether or not Tom Brady is great on TV remains to be seen. What is certain is that the network just added star power that is unmatched amongst other networks that carry NFL games.
That is going to cost them too. Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports reports that Brady’s FOX paycheck will eclipse $20 million annually.
Tom Brady will step into richest pact in sports media history, sources tell @FOS.
— Michael McCarthy (@MMcCarthyREV) May 10, 2022
Once he retires from NFL, Brady will earn $20 million to $25 million a year as No. 1 analyst for Fox.
Brady will surpass both Troy Aikman of ESPN and Tony Romo of CBS.https://t.co/gVEibX7NK3
FOX’s deal with Tom Brady is similar to the one NBC made with Drew Brees before his final season in New Orleans. It allowed the quarterback one more season and promised him a nice landing spot in the media when his playing days are done. We will have to wait and see whether or not FOX will end up waiting longer than the one season NBC did.
Sports TV News
Ratings for NHL Regional Coverage Down Across Most Of The League
“Only four teams with available data (the Kings, Wild, Panthers, and Red Wings) saw ratings growth in 2021-22.”

Published
6 hours agoon
May 10, 2022
While national TV ratings for the NHL season can and should be celebrated, ratings for regional sports networks appear to be a cause for concern. John Ourand of Sports Business Journal reported Monday that RSNs across the league were down 23% compared to last year.
The 2020-21 season was shortened to 56 games because of the COVID pandemic.
Only four teams with available data (the Kings, Wild, Panthers, and Red Wings) saw ratings growth in 2021-22. Numbers for Carolina, Nashville and the Canadian teams were unavailable.
Arizona saw the biggest dip year over year. Bally Sports Arizona was down 58% compared to last year. Part of it is understandable. The Coyotes were one of the worst teams in the league.
Viewership for the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning was down 20%. The average rating for games on Bally Sports Sun was 1.49, good enough for 10th of the teams on the list.
The Pittsburgh Penguins had an average rating of 5.43 on AT&T Sportsnet Pittsburgh this season, which topped the league, but viewership was still down 30% versus last season.
The Seattle Kraken had an average rating of 0.96 for their inaugural season on Root Sports.
Jordan Bondurant
Jordan Bondurant is a features reporter for Barrett News Media. He also works for ABC8 News and Newsradio WRVA and 910 The Fan in Richmond, Virginia. His prior experiences include working for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Danville Register & Bee, Virginia Lawyers Weekly and iHeartradio Richmond. He can be reached by email at Jordan.E.Bondurant@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @J__Bondurant.