Former NBA broadcast partner NBC is said to be preparing a “strong bid” for rights to the league. Plus: Fox Sports adds Derek Jeter; more on the Michael Irvin situation; and more network scrutiny of Nielsen.
NBC said to be preparing “strong bid” for NBA
NBC Sports is preparing a “strong bid” for NBA rights that would include games on the NBC broadcast network and Peacock, CNBC reported Monday. NBC executives are said to have communicated their interest to the NBA. NBC held NBA rights from 1990-2002 and was the league’s primary broadcast partner during its Michael Jordan-fueled boom period.
NBC was also mentioned as a potential contender the last time NBA rights were up for bid a decade ago.
In addition to NBC, Apple and Amazon have also reportedly informed the NBA of their interest in a package.
The NBA’s current rights deals with ESPN and Turner run through the 2024-25 season. Per the report, ESPN is expected to bid but Turner has not yet decided what kind of relationship it wants with the NBA going forward. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said last year that Turner did not “have to have the NBA.” (CNBC 2.13)
Fox adds Jeter to MLB studio
Fox Sports announced during its Super Bowl pregame coverage Sunday that it has hired Derek Jeter as a Major League Baseball analyst. Jeter will work in the MLB on FOX studio, joining a cast that includes his former teammate Alex Rodriguez and old rivals David Ortiz and Frank Thomas.
Jeter is just the latest star athlete to join the Fox Sports roster, with the recently retired Tom Brady set to begin his Fox contract next year. (Fox Sports)
Witnesses reportedly echo Irvin on hotel interaction
Three witnesses to the interaction between NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin and a hotel staffer who has accused him of misconduct have told the Dallas Morning News that there was no indication said interaction was “heated or inappropriate,” with one saying on-the-record that it lasted “30 seconds” and looked to be a “normal back-and-forth.” Irvin was suspended from both NFL Network and ESPN’s Super Bowl week coverage after the staffer alleged misconduct, and has since filed a $100 million lawsuit against the staffer and her employer, Mariott Hotels. (Dallas Morning News 2.13)
Amazon “unhappy” as network executives meet with Nielsen
Executives at several of the major media companies, including Disney, NBC Universal, Paramount (CBS), Fox and Amazon, met with their counterparts at Nielsen earlier this month to discuss concerns about the accuracy of Nielsen’s live sports viewership data, Advertising Age reported last week. Among the issues cited in the report is the discrepancy between the viewership reported by Nielsen and numbers reported by rival companies and, in the case of Amazon, in-house. Amazon, which is said to be “unhappy” with Nielsen, consistently reported in-house viewership estimates that exceeded those of Nielsen during its first season of “Thursday Night Football.” (Advertising Age 2.10 via Sports Business Journal 2.10)
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