Our National (football) nightmare is over: Time Warner and NFL Network have a deal

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Subscribers can wake up to Warren Sapp Sunday morning. Oh joy.

Time Warner reaches 15 million homes, while Bright House is in 2.5 million. So yes, this is a big deal for all involved.

The official release:

NFL Network reached multi-year agreements with Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, the country’s respective second- and sixth-largest cable providers, for carriage of NFL Network and the NFL RedZone channel, it was announced today.

NFL Network and NFL RedZone will debut in Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks homes beginning this Sunday September 23, with full launch before Thursday, September 27

“We’re delighted to have reached an agreement for NFL Network and NFL RedZone that provides a good value to our customers,” said Melinda Witmer, Executive Vice President and Chief Video and Content Officer for Time Warner Cable. “The additional games this year and the proven appeal of NFL RedZone will certainly prove to be a draw for our customers.  We look forward to a long and productive relationship with the NFL.”

 “We thank our customers for their patience while a fair deal was reached for all involved,” said Steve Miron, CEO, Bright House Networks. “It is especially rewarding to say yes to our customers who have requested NFL Network’s award-winning coverage.”

“We are excited to work with Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks to bring fans football 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” said NFL Network President and CEO Steve Bornstein. “Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks subscribers will be able to enjoy our weeklyThursday Night Football schedule, our award-winning Sunday NFL GameDay shows,NFL Total Access, NFL Films programming and much more.  In addition, the NFL RedZone channel is a truly exciting way to enhance your Sunday football viewing experience each and every week.”

Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks are major cable providers in the home markets for 12 NFL teams (Buffalo, Carolina, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Green Bay, Indianapolis, Kansas City, New York Giants, New York Jets, San Diego and Tampa Bay). For Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks,NFL Network will be available on the Digital Basic and Sports Pass tiers, and NFL RedZone will be available to Sports Pass customers.

NFL Network is the home ofThursday Night Football — 13 primetime NFL regular season games from September through December — and is the destination for all that happens around the sport of football. NFL Network airs seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and provides viewers with more than 2,500 hours per year of original programming, including: NFL Total Access, NFL GameDay, the new four-hour NFL AM weekday morning show,Top 10, Playbook, NFL Replay, NFL Classic Games plus the Emmy award-winningSound FX and America’s Game.

NFL Network also features every NFL preseason game, the Senior Bowl, plus more coverage of the NFL Draft, Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony, NFL Scouting Combine and Super Bowl than anyone else.

The extraordinarily popular NFL RedZone, produced by NFL Network,whips around every NFL game on Sunday afternoons, delivering the touchdowns and most exciting moments as they happen and in high definition. When a team goes inside the 20-yard line, fans see the crucial plays live. The channel keeps fans up-to-date in real time, switching from game to game with live look-ins, highlights and a chance to see every important play. For more information on NFL RedZone, visitwww.nfl.com/redzonetv.

Posted in NFL

Rich Eisen: Lack of Time Warner deal hurt NFL Network in Emmys

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Interesting timing with the news of the NFL Network finally working out an agreement with Time Warner Cable.

During an interview with me yesterday, Rich Eisen complained about Time Warner’s failure to make a deal with NFL Network. He mentioned it several times as we talked about his nine-year tenure at the network.

On a personal level, Eisen grew up in Staten Island. It bugged him to no end that the NFL Network wasn’t fully distributed in New York.

“I’d love to be seen in my hometown of New York City,” Eisen said. “I definitely didn’t think nine years later we still wouldn’t be distributed by Time Warner Cable.”

On a professional level, Eisen felt not being fully seen in the nation’s top media market hurt the NFL Network during the Emmys.

“I don’t think we’re nominated for as many Emmys as we should be,” Eisen said. “Everyone says, ‘Why are you worried about that? It’s a popularity contest.’ Well, there are things we do I wish were more recognized in our industry.

“Pop-culture reference. There’s a line in the Silence of the Lambs: ‘We covet things we see every day.’ I think if we were seen every Sunday in New York by a lot of people in our industry, recognition would come our way a bit more.

“I don’t know why Time Warner has such a problem distributing us. Every other distributor is re-upping with us, left-right, up-and-down.

“It’s the quintessential thing of you only can control what you can control, I suppose.”

Now we’ll be able to test Eisen’s theory since NFL Network will be seen in New York. Will it lead to more Emmys?

Eisen is flying back from last night’s horrible game in Charlotte. However, I’m sure he’s happy the deal finally got done.

 

 

 

NFL Network and Time Warner reportedly have deal

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Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg reports the two sides finally have reached an agreement.

He writes:

The National Football League reached agreement with Time Warner (TWC) Cable Inc. to carry the league-owned NFL Network and RedZone Channel, a person with direct knowledge of the situation said.

The multiyear accord may be announced later today, according to the person, who was granted anonymity because the contract hasn’t been signed. New York-based Time Warner, the second-largest U.S. cable company with about 12 million subscribers, had been the only major cable provider without the NFL Network. It isn’t known when the channels will appear on Time Warner systems, the person said.

The agreement comes about a month after the most-watched U.S. sports league reached agreement with Cablevision Systems Inc. to carry the two channels.

My first job: David Feherty trades clubs for microphone at age 37

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David Feherty will be in my town next week for the Ryder Cup at Medinah. Among his many duties for the Golf Channel will be doing a special Chicago-edition of Feherty Live with Michael Phelps among the guests. It will air Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET.

Feherty usually pokes fun at his game, or lack thereof. However, he was a member of the 1991 European Ryder Cup team and had three top 7 finishes in majors, which meant he was a pretty good player in his day.

Feherty, though, decided to walk away from the game at the relatively young age of 37. In my special feature looking at people’s first job in the business, he discusses why he took up CBS on their offer to become an on-course analyst in 1996.

Here’s David:

********

I was standing at the bar at Akron, Ohio. I had won some tournament in a communist country and qualified for the World Series of Golf. I was drinking vodka and Gatorade because I still was an athlete. I was approached by two gentleman who said they were from CBS. Immediately, I thought, ‘Oh my God, this is 60 Minutes.’ I was drinking so heavily and hooked on narcotics and painkillers. I thought they’ve been through my room and found the stash.

They said they just lost Ben Wright and were looking for someone to report from the fairway. And they said I knew the players and knew the caddies. I’m thinking, ‘I know the caddies alright.’

It quickly occurred to me, ‘Wait a minute, they’re offering me a job?’ Then they told me how much they were going to pay me and I said, ‘Do you want to buy a set of clubs?’

I was 37 and I knew these jobs don’t come around very often, and I knew it was something I wanted to do. I thought, ‘Well hell, I’ll take a crack at that.’

On his first tournament: I worked the PGA Championship that year. I played a limited on-course role. I was very nervous. I had to wipe my ass with my microphone shield that particular tournament, as I recall. I wasn’t sure when I should speak and when I shouldn’t.

I just knew where I should be. As a player, I knew how close I should get. The caddies knew me and I got information from them that people hadn’t been getting before. What clubs and exact yardages? I sort of fell into it. I got it very quickly.

On transition from player to broadcaster: There was a period of time for the trust factor to mature. I went so quickly from being a player to broadcaster, there was a little confusion at first. But the players immediately knew I wasn’t just an ordinary journalist. I was a player. I wasn’t going to move my eyelashes. I was a piece of furniture that they knew wasn’t going to be a problem to them. I had that advantage.

 

On the beat: Fox’s Pereira keeps heat on replacement refs; Phelps to guest on Feherty show; Buck on Aikman, McCarver

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Cruising the beat on the last day of summer (sigh…):

If you think it is tough to watch the replacement refs, imagine what it is like for Fox Sports’ Mike Pereira. The former NFL official vented in an interview with Dan Patrick.

“Utter chaos,” said Pereira.  “I saw a lack of control with the replacement officials.  You have players and coaches that have lost respect for these officials and they know they’re getting away with more.  You saw more rough and tumble stuff going on after a play is over.  As this thing goes on, the coaches trust the officials less.  When I watched Monday night’s game, I was sad because it’s not the NFL I know.” 

If Pereira was still head of NFL officiating, he doesn’t know that there would be much more he’d be able to do within his power than what current head of officiating Carl Johnson is already doing. 

“I’d tell Commissioner Goodell that the mistakes we’re seeing are only the tip of the iceberg.  There are many more mistakes that are coming up in critical points in the game and are not all timing or rule issues.” 

Pereira believes both sides, the NFLRA and NFL need to compromise.  “We need to somehow light a fire under both sides to get back to the table, lock the door and don’t leave until you have a deal,” he said.

*******

Michael Phelps has faced many challenges in his career. But being interviewed by David Feherty truly will be unique.

From the Golf Channel:

Michael Phelps, the most-decorated Olympian in history, will join golf’s funnyman, David Feherty, for a special Ryder Cup-themed Feherty Live from Chicago, airing Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. ET on Golf Channel. 

From Phelps:

“While I have started my transition from the pool to the golf course, I haven’t completely escaped the water. I’m excited to meet the funniest man in golf, but knowing David, I have a sneaky suspicion that my conversation with him won’t be anything like the years of poolside interviews I have done.”

And here’s why. Feherty on swimming:

“Michael Phelps may be the only golfer for whom water is not a hazard. And I always wondered why swimmers don’t grow their fingernails really long, like Howard Hughes. Might save them a hundredth on the touch. I’m full of good ideas like this one, but no one takes me seriously.”

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Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times did an interview with Joe Buck. The No. 1 man for Fox talks about working with Troy Aikman and Tim McCarver.

Do you talk a lot with Tim McCarver and Troy Aikman during the week?

Well, Troy and I will text each other lot. I can’t text with Tim. Tim doesn’t text. I’m better off sending smoke signals and sending up a pterodactyl. But we’ve been doing games together for 17 years now, so we fall right back into it even if we haven’t seen each other or talked in a few weeks. The chemistry is great with both. For example, I’ll throw out a reference like Foo Fighters. Tim has no idea who the Foo Fighters are. Neither does Troy, probably. I need to say Kenny Chesney to get his attention. But both are such pros and we’re so comfortable around one another that we are able to work together well.

How similar are Tim and Troy to work with?

Extremely similar. Their work ethic is amazing, and it’s what made them great players in their sports. I can tell you that I know now why Troy won three Super Bowls, and it’s not just because of his accuracy and arm strength. I see what he does to prepare for a game and you know why he’s a success. And Tim is at a point that he could just walk in a minute before the broadcast and wing it, but he doesn’t do it that way. He continues to work hard. He still loves the game.

 

 

Gottlieb lands new late-night show on CBS Sports Network

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Doug Gottlieb now has a TV show to add to his radio duties at CBS. The package is a big reason why he left ESPN.

From CBS Sports Network:

CBS Sports Network is speeding up the daily sports conversation with a new weekday late night show, LEAD OFF. Hosted by Doug Gottlieb, LEAD OFF will provide perspective on the sports news of the day, advancing the storylines fans will be discussing in the morning. The one-hour show will air live weekdays (12:00 Midnight-1:00 AM, ET) and debuts Monday, Oct. 22.

Instead of waiting until the morning, LEAD OFF will serve as the first opportunity for sports fans to discuss and debate, ‘What’s next?’. The show will feature a mix of live guests, highlights, energetic debate and commentary from Gottlieb and others, reacting tothe biggest stories and events of the day, with a targeted focus on the hot topics and tomorrow’s headlines.

“We are aggressively expanding our programming and launching LEAD OFF is another important step in the evolution of CBS Sports Network. Together with ROME, we’re bracketing prime time by providing fans with informative, topical and entertaining programming,” said David Berson, Executive Vice President, CBS Sports and President, CBS Sports Network. “LEAD OFF will be a high energy and unique show. Instead of dissecting what just happened as most late night shows do, it will be forward looking, spinning the sports conversation ahead. Doug is perfectly suited for this role.”

LEAD OFF marks Gottlieb’s CBS Sports Network debut. It was announced in July that Gottlieb will join CBS and be featured across various CBS Sports properties, including hosting a daily radio show on the newly-created CBS Sports Radio, launching January 2013. He also will serve as a studio and game analyst for CBS Sports’ college basketball coverage and contribute to CBSSports.com.

NHL lockout proves ESPN’s Doria right; hockey doesn’t generate ‘national discussion’

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I was listening to sports talk radio while driving yesterday, and I was stunned to hear talk about hockey.

On Mad Dog Radio, Chris Russo actually was fielding calls about the NHL lockout. Fans were complaining about the owners, the players, Gary Bettman, etc.

I listen to a lot of sports talk radio in Chicago and via SiriusXM, and it was the first time I heard discussion about the NHL lockout (NHL Home Ice excluded). In Chicago, a great hockey town where the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010, the chatter is all about the Bears and White Sox battling Detroit in the AL Central.

Of course, I might have missed some segments about the Hawks and the lockout locally and elsewhere.

Still, it is in stark contrast to the outrage that dominated sports talk radio during the NFL and NBA labor troubles.

The lack of discussion about the NHL lockout would seem to validate Vince Doria’s view of hockey. Back in May, in an interview with me, the ESPN senior vice-president and director of news took heat for his comments about the NHL’s limited presence on SportsCenter.

He said:

It’s a sport that engenders a very passionate local following. If you’re a Blackhawks fan in Chicago, you’re a hardcore fan. But it doesn’t translate to television, and where it really doesn’t transfer much to is a national discussion, which is something that typifies what we do.

Baseball fans are interested where Albert Pujols is going. NBA fans are interested in the Miami Heat. For whatever reason, and this is my unsubstantiated research on it, hockey doesn’t generate that same kind of interest nationwide. You look at national talk shows. Hockey rarely is a topic. People in Boston aren’t that interested with what’s going on with the Blackhawks.

Is Doria right? Just listen to sports talk radio and tell me if you hear much talk about the NHL lockout.

 

Good day for Bud Selig: Fox Sports, Turner to land new baseball deals

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From Michael Hiestand of USA Today:

MLB will stay put with its current national broadcasters as it has agreed to new long-term deals with Fox and Turner Sports, person familiar with the deals told USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity until a public announcement is made.

The deals running through 2021, along with MLB’s recent long-term deal with ESPN, are significant in that MLB represented one of the last available marquee TV sports properties on the market. Most marquee sports are already locked into long-term deals.

From Richard Sandomir of the NY Times:

The new rights will push Fox to pay substantially more than the average of $257 million annually that it pays under its current contract, which ends after next season. ESPN agreed recently to an eight-year deal through 2021 worth $5.6 billion, doubling its average yearly payments to $700 million.

The transaction would let Fox carry two division series and add more regular-season games to its roster of Saturday games, the World Series, the All-Star Game and one league championship series. Fox plans to put some of the added games on Fox Sports One, a retooled version of its Speed channel.

TBS is to carry only 13 Sunday afternoon games under the new contract, down from 26, and two division series, down from the four it has been showing since 2007.

TBS will also retain one league championship series in the new deal and has gotten extensive new digital rights that will help its newly acquired Bleacher Report site. Also, its Sunday games will no longer be blacked out in the markets of the two teams that are playing. It also has one wild-card game.

In all, baseball’s annual payments from ESPN, Fox and TBS from 2014 to ’21 are expected to grow to $1.55 billion from $750 million in the current contract.

 

Posted in MLB

Why isn’t Steve Sabol in the NFL Hall of Fame?

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Considering all the testimonials and tributes to Steve Sabol, you would think he would have more than a bust at the NFL Hall of Fame. Rather, he and his father, Ed, would have their own wing.

Instead, Ed had to wait until his 94th birthday before the doors of Canton opened to him last year. Steve, who died Tuesday, won’t be on hand for his induction.

That’s beyond terrible, considering all that Steve did in shaping the image of the league with his work for NFL Films.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter summed up the feelings of so many of us: “Nobody was more responsible for making the NFL what it is than Steve Sabol.”

Yet Steve Sabol remains on the outside.

From what I’ve heard, it is tougher to get someone inducted as a “contributor,” which is why it took so long for Ed Sabol, the NFL Films founder, to get his day. Clearly, that’s a situation that needs to be rectified.

Look no further than what happened to Steve Sabol.

He deserved to have his day at Canton, and we all deserved to hear his induction speech. You just know it would have been truly memorable.

 

 

 

 

Posted in NFL

Sports Illustrated’s top 100 to follow on Twitter; includes Jose Canseco, Kevin Love, Jim Irsay, Mark Cuban

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Lists, lists. We love lists, yes we do.

Sports Illustrated is out with its top 100 to follow on Twitter. From a sports perspective, that is.

Since staffers weren’t included, SI’s very own Richard Deitsch, a voluminous tweeter with 55,000 followers, isn’t on the list. You should put him on yours if you follow sports media and other interesting things.

Also, yours truly didn’t make the list. Surely, I must have been No. 101. You can follow me at @Sherman_Report.

Arian Foster, with 234,000 followers, looks interesting. A sample tweet:

“It’d be cool if ‘quantum physics’ was trending.”