South Carolina’s Title Win Smashes Ratings Records in Caitlin Clark’s Finale
As the final seconds ticked off in South Carolina’s victory over Iowa, ESPN’s Ryan Ruocco exclaimed, “Perfection with a touch of sweet redemption.” The line was a chef’s kiss in several ways. Ruocco...
View ArticleWomen’s March Madness Championship Tops Men’s for First Time
Caitlin Clark will leave college basketball without a national championship, but she achieved something nearly as historic: Due to her star power, the NCAA’s women’s college basketball championship...
View ArticleWill Caitlin Clark Restore Olympics to TV Ratings Gold?
With roughly 100 days before the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Summer Games, I’ll be watching like a hawk to see whether Caitlin Clark joins Team USA. There’s a fascinating question here: Would...
View ArticleScott Van Pelt’s Podcast Reboot Latest in Peyton Manning’s Budding ESPN/Omaha...
ESPN star Scott Van Pelt is joining forces with Peyton Manning. Van Pelt will relaunch his SVPod podcast on Manning’s Omaha Audio Network, Front Office Sports has learned. As part of the deal, there...
View ArticleDoes Golf TV Have a Scottie Scheffler Problem?
Scottie Scheffler is No. 1 in the golf world—except in TV ratings. With Scheffler winning the Masters for the second time in three years, CBS’ TV audience for Sunday’s final round plunged 20% to 9.589...
View ArticleCan Nick Saban and Bill Belichick Light Up the NFL Draft?
ESPN will roll out its top TV guns for its coverage of the 2024 NFL draft, including Mike Greenberg, Mel Kiper Jr., Booger McFarland, and Adam Schefter. But don’t be surprised if Nick Saban and Bill...
View ArticleFirst Round of 2024 NFL Draft Averages 12.1M Viewers
The NFL and TV partners ESPN and NFL Network know quarterback-driven NFL drafts spell TV ratings gold. That dynamic played out again Thursday night as a record six quarterbacks were selected in the...
View ArticleWhy Both Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason Are Out at CBS Sports
Only one year after joining CBS Sports, Matt Ryan has helped push out two legends on The NFL Today. But the longtime Falcons quarterback has a long way to go before he can come close to the sports...
View ArticlePhil Simms’ War on Football Clichés Will Continue After CBS Exit
Phil Simms is gone from CBS Sports—but he’s not finished talking football in sports media. CBS’s Monday announcement that it’s dropping both Simms and Boomer Esiason from The NFL Today in favor of...
View ArticleCharles Barkley: the Richest Free Agent in Sports TV History?
The high-stakes negotiations for NBA media rights could turn Charles Barkley into the most sought-after and highest-paid free agent in sports TV history. With TNT’s 40-year relationship with the NBA...
View ArticlePatrick Beverley Banned From Future ESPN Appearances
Following his disrespectful treatment of an ESPN producer, Bucks guard Patrick Beverley is now persona non grata at the country’s biggest sports network, Front Office Sports has learned. ESPN...
View ArticleNBC Turns to ‘Odd/Even’ Dual Announcer Pairings for U.S. Open
Finding a successor to Johnny Miller has been no easy task for NBC Sports. After five disappointing years with Paul Azinger in the lead analyst chair, the network tells Front Office Sports that it’s...
View Article‘Full Court Press’ Is ESPN’s Best Sports Doc in Years, and a Sequel Is Coming
The nation’s top sports storytellers can’t seem to get enough of women’s sports programming. Petyon Manning’s Omaha Productions, Words + Pictures, and ESPN+ are already planning a second season of...
View ArticleNFL-Netflix Deal Could Set Stage for Mother of All Cash Grabs
The NFL’s landmark Netflix deal puts the chess pieces in place for what could be the league’s biggest business gambit of all: opting out early of its current media-rights deals that will pay a...
View ArticleDon’t Count Out TNT for NBA Rights Just Yet
Charles Barkley joked Sunday night that TNT is so close to losing NBA rights he’s getting his own LinkedIn account. But the joke may be on those already counting TNT out of the multibillion-dollar...
View ArticleNBC’s Time With the NBA Was a ‘Perfect Storm.’ Will History Repeat Itself?
On a recent night, sportscasting legends Marv Albert and Bob Costas were enjoying dinner with their wives. Even though they’re mostly retired, the conversation inevitably turned to the story of the...
View ArticleBuzzer Beater? TNT Is Negotiating for Fourth NBA Rights Package
Get ready for another plot twist in the multibillion-dollar NBA media-rights negotiations. Warner Bros. Discovery is in negotiations to secure a possible fourth media-rights package, sources with...
View ArticleWhatever You Think of Caitlin Clark Snub, NBC Sports Cannot Be Happy
Lisa Leslie, the four-time Olympic gold medalist, had an intriguing comment when asked whether Caitlin Clark belongs on the U.S. women’s basketball team in Paris. “She better be on the Olympic team,”...
View ArticleWNBA Could Quadruple Media-Rights Fees to $240 Million Annually
Caitlin Clark is a force multiplier for attendance, TV ratings—and now WNBA media-rights fees. Riding the wave that crested with Clark, the WNBA could quadruple its annual rights payout from TV...
View ArticleCharles Barkley’s ‘Retirement’ Could Be Last-Ditch Power Play
Charles Barkley has always proved himself to be a master negotiator. His recent “retirement” announcement could be a last-ditch power play to keep TNT Sports in the game with the NBA. If that doesn’t...
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