Tag: ESPN

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Redbird Capital acquired the XFL in XXX. With the third time be the charm for the professional football spring league? (Image: Frank Franklin II/ AP)

XFL and Its New Host Cities Hope the Third Time is the Charm

Recently, the XFL announced eight cities that will host the league’s teams next year. Coaches have been assigned. Meanwhile, Ticketmaster is lined up to sell tickets for the 43-game season. But the troubled league will have to do more than just plan to find vindication. The XFL plans to start […]

NFL is launching its own streaming service. NFL+ will join a decidedly crowded field of sports streaming services.(Image:NFL)

The NFL Launches Its New Streaming Service Into a Crowded Field

On Monday, the NFL announced a new streaming service, NFL+. Since the sports streaming landscape is already crowded, the announcement made little splash. Also, NFL+ will have some limitations, so as not to irritate both current and future NFL media providers. For instance, one provider is getting ready to pay […]

Max Verstappen wins Miami's inaugural F1 race in May 2022. (Image: Brian Snyder/Reuters) REUTERS/Brian Snyder

F1 Renews with ESPN Even Though Amazon Bid More

F1 chose to renew its media rights deal with ESPN through 2025. Amazon’s bid to stream the prestigious auto racing series, however, was significantly higher, according to Sports Business Journal sources. Still, ESPN will have to cough up a lot more than it paid to cover the previous three years. […]

The Chicago Cubs aren't allowed to play home games on Friday nights. Maybe that will change with Apple TV's new "Friday Night Baseball" coverage. (Image: Patrick Gorski/USA Today)

Apple Scores First Sports Deal with $85 Million Friday Night MLB Package

Apple has a new deal to stream MLB games on Friday nights. The exclusive $85 million, multi-year, contract marks Apple’s first foray into live sports coverage. Meanwhile, the news could give MLB players a bit more leverage in their ongoing CBA negotiations. There were rumors that Apple was in the […]

ESPN's gradual embrace of sports betting may pick up steam as it looks to license its brand to sportsbooks. (Image: Getty)

Disney’s ESPN Sports-Betting Deals Could Net $3 Billion

Walt Disney’s ESPN is looking to generate more than $3 billion in sports-betting licensing deals. Once reluctant to associate with gambling, the multimedia company has gradually changed its tune. Initially tentative to offer sports-betting content, the company is now looking to leap into ESPN-branded sportsbooks. According to the Wall Street […]

ESPN and the NHL have agreed to a seven-year broadcasting deal that includes the rights to four Stanley Cup Finals. (Image: AP)

NHL Returning to ESPN Thanks to New Seven-Year Broadcast Deal

It’s been more than 15 years since ESPN last broadcast NHL games on its family of networks, but that will change in 2022, thanks to a new seven-year deal that includes the rights to four Stanley Cup Finals. Multiple media outlets reported on Tuesday that ESPN and the NHL reached […]

The Mumbai Indians beat the Chennai Super Kings in a stunning 2019 final. Disney now owns IPL streaming rights. (Image: Robert Cianflone/Getty)

Disney Posts Upside Earnings Surprise Thanks to Cricket

Cricket and sports betting came up multiple times during Walt Disney’s earnings call on Thursday. It was a knuckleball for Disney analysts who normally focus on theme parks and movies. They failed to predict the impact of Disney’s newest revenue streams. Disney’s parks can’t operate at full capacity, due to […]

NFL Wild-Card Weekend Ratings Sag Despite Expanded Format

NFL Wild-Card Weekend Ratings Sag Despite Expanded Format

The NFL’s expanded slate on wild-card weekend, with several networks opting to expand their footprint by simultaneously broadcast on alternate networks or streaming, did not yield a ratings bonanza. Instead, overall viewer numbers were down year over year and in some cases were the lowest in five years or more. […]

Entain CEO Segev Bounces for DAZN in Wake of Attempted MGM Takeover

Entain CEO Segev Bounces for DAZN in Wake of Attempted MGM Takeover

Entain CEO Shay Segev announced he is leaving his post less than a week after the company turned down an $11 billion takeover offer from online betting partner MGM. Segev said he’s headed to digital sports broadcaster DAZN and will join James Rushton there as a co-CEO. Speculation has run […]

College Football Playoff Viewership Remains Strong Even with Pandemic

College Football Playoff Viewership Remains Strong Even with Pandemic

While the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL have suffered rating sags since the COVID-19 virus touched down in the U.S. last spring, ESPN’s New Year’s Day bowl broadcast numbers remained steady compared with the previous six years of the format, averaging close to 19 million viewers across its pair of […]

Disney Bets on ESPN Plus Subscribers Paying More for UFC Pay-Per-View

Disney Bets on ESPN Plus Subscribers Paying More for UFC Pay-Per-View

UFC regulars will pay more to watch premiere fights starting Friday, as ESPN Plus will up its pay-per-view rates on select matches. The price increase coincides with parent company Disney’s focus on streaming services and partnerships with sports betting operations. ESPN’s streaming service is the exclusive broadcast home of the […]

Rose Bowl Relocates to Texas as LA County ICUs Hit Capacity

Rose Bowl Relocates to Texas as LA County ICUs Hit Capacity

It looks like the coaches and committee members who complain the loudest get their way, as the College Football Playoff semifinal scheduled for the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 is moving to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The announcement came Saturday night as the Tournament of Roses was denied a […]

Disney Goes All-In With Caesars, DraftKings, and SEC Deal in Effort to Save ESPN

Disney Goes All-In With Caesars, DraftKings, and SEC Deal in Effort to Save ESPN

Last week, Disney officials announced several initiatives that will pivot the media behemoth toward a future focused on online sports gambling. At its Investor Day last Thursday, Disney executives highlighted ESPN’s multi-year partnership with Caesars Entertainment signed in September. The deal includes link integrations from ESPN’s digital platforms to William […]