Again, I’ve been all over the place and can’t really blog like I want to, but I do what I can. Some links while I’m free and not committed to anything.
The Pac 12 media deals with ESPN and Fox will be made official later this week, but we do know some details. First, it’s a $3 billion deal over a span of 12 years meaning the Conference will get $250 million a year to distribute to its member schools. Second, both ESPN and Fox will air primetime games on over the air TV. Third, it increases the amount of games shown on television.
Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says one part of the new TV world for the conference will be a new Pac 12 Network that will be fully owned and operated by the league.
Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News writes that NBC/Comcast was shut out of obtaining any rights at least on the cable and network deals.
Jon also has some details from the new deal.
Scott D. Pierce of the Salt Lake Tribune says the new TV contract will give the University of Utah much more money than it would have made in the Mountain West Conference.
George Schroeder of the Eugene (OR) Register-Guard writes that Pac 12 schools will start to see a financial windfall thanks to increased revenue from the new TV contract.
Jon Weisman of Variety says the new contract is now the most lucrative in college sports.
CNBC’s Darren Rovell says the Pac 12 contract proves that sports is the engine that drives TV ratings.
To other stories now.
Brian Lowry of Fox Sports says small market teams are doing their best to play with the big boys.
Eriq Gardner from the Hollywood Reporter says Miami Heat star Chris Bosh is suing the mother of his child and the producer of the VH1 reality show, “Basketball Wives” for infringing on his “life rights” and using his “mark” illegally.
Tim Baysinger at Broadcasting & Cable discusses the Sports Emmy Awards which were handed out on Monday.
Tim also looks at Fox Soccer Channel rebranding its MLS coverage.
The Nielsen Wire blog notes that the number of TV’s have dropped since its last survey.
R. Thomas Umstead from Multichannel News says the Manny Pacquaio-Shane Mosley fight will be made available online for the same pay per view TV price.
Mike Reynolds of Multichannel writes TNT saw a record audience for the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
Current’s Keith Olbermann writing in his MLB.com blog takes ESPN.com’s Fantasy Baseball to task for not updating its stats quick enough and throws some shots at the Mothership in the process. Thanks to The Big Lead for the link.
The Big Lead notes that noted FoxSports.com basketball writer Drew Goodman could be headed to CBSSports.com.
Dan Fogarty at SportsGrid says NBA fans get angry when Ernie Johnson, Jr. takes a day off from Inside the NBA.
At ESPN’s Front Row, Sheldon Spencer profiles the network’s Senior Coordinating Producer of the NFL Draft who got his baptism-by-fire this past weekend.
At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Dave Kindred looks at new media and how the rules of covering established events apply to it.
To Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union who notes a local reporter gets a minor league baseball announcing gig.
In the New Jersey Newsroom, Evan Weiner notes that sports leagues, sports organizations team owners and athletes don’t have their priorities straight.
Dan Steinberg at the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog notes that a trio of CNN reporters were watching or attending Game 2 of the Tampa Bay Lightning-Capitals series when they were notified to get to work to report on the Osama bin Laden story.
Cindy Boren from the Post’s Early Lead blog says Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall tweeted about Osama bin Laden’s death and 9/11.
Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner says the Capitals are back in action tonight with an early start on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic.
Iliana Limon of the Orlando Sentinel has Conference USA rejecting ESPN’s argument that it ventured into a media rights agreement.
John Kiesewetter from the Cincinnati Enquirer notes that NBC’s Cris Collinsworth has now won an even dozen Sports Emmy Awards.
Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says viewership for the NFL Draft was down from last year.
Diane Pucin from the Los Angeles Times talks with ESPN’s Dan Shulman about him addressing the Osama bin Laden story on Sunday Night Baseball.
Sports Media Watch says NASCAR on Fox’s overnight ratings were flat compared to last year.
SMW notes that the opening game of Celtics-Heat scored for ABC on Sunday.
SMW says the series clinching win for the Memphis Grizzlies over the San Antonio Spurs did not resonate with viewers as much as last year’s comparable game.
And SMW writes that the Mavericks-Lakers opener on Monday did very well for TNT.
Ed De Rosa of the Thoroughbred Times says NBC is tapping Sunday Night Football producer Fred Gaudelli for this year’s Kentucky Derby broadcast.
Puck The Media’s Steve Lepore is happy to see Mike Emrick win the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Play-by-Play.
The Canadian Sports Media Blog feels TSN Radio should avoided politics on Election Day.
Cork Gaines at the Business Insider’s Sports Page wonders if sports leagues can survive Detroit’s declining population.
And that will conclude the links for today.
