To the notebook:
NEWS
The big sports media news from Wednesday came from a feature on HBO in this week’s Hollywood Reporter.
In discussing the new era of HBO with its HBO Now over the top service was a line that the network is looking at luring soon-to-be ex-ESPN’er Bill Simmons.
On June 21, HBO will add a pair of testosterone-fueled new editions — Dwayne Johnson‘s sports dramedy Ballers and the Jack Black–Tim Robbins political half-hour The Brink — along with a second installment of the drama juggernaut True Detective. And the network will ramp up from there, with plans for more of the addictive Robert Durst docuseries, a not-yet-announced 1970s porn drama from The Wire’s David Simon and, if all goes as planned, a platform for ESPN cast-off Bill Simmons. While HBO executives are staying mum, multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the network is in talks for a major multipart deal with the biggest media personality in sports (more on that later).
In the article that goes very long, Hollywood Reporter Lacey Rose looks at what HBO wants to achieve with its HBO Now service and as programming head Michael Lombardo tries to find series that will work, one possible part of the equation is Captain Blowhard:
Lombardo won’t rule out other talk shows, too, particularly if the right personality comes along. Though he’s tight-lipped about names on his wish list, he acknowledges the soon-to-be available Jon Stewart would hold appeal. “Trust me,” he says, “I’ve already had a very polite conversation.” Considerably more likely is Simmons, whom the network is said to have made a big play for after his unceremonious booting from the more corporate ESPN. Such a move would be straight out of the HBO playbook, which famously provided a creative reprieve for former ABC flameout Bill Maher many years earlier. Though Simmons is said to have several suitors, insiders say conversations at HBO have focused on a TV show — something Simmons is believed to want — along with heavy digital extensions that make the prolific personality tailor-made for the HBO Now era.
Think about it. Simmons who isn’t that great on the air would be a very good fit at HBO. His ideas for ESPN’s 30 for 30 could bring back HBO’s sports documentaries which have been virtually dormant for several years now.
And he could create some exclusive digital content for HBO Now similar in the vein of VICE News which will produce an exclusive nightly program for the service and not be seen on TV.
So it will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Will Simmons go to HBO or sign with Fox or even go rogue and go totally on his own? We have a few more months to find out.
LINKAGE
Jon Lafayette of Multichannel News writes that ESPN has hired a former Weather Channel exec to utilize data to improve the network’s marketing towards fans.
Kent Gibbons from Multichannel says beIN Sports scored with a Copa América match on Monday.
One more from Multichannel, John Eggerton reports that the American Cable Association wants the FCC to impose conditions on the AT&T-DirecTV merger so regional sports networks won’t be priced out on the satellite provider.
Anthony Crupi over at Advertising Age says ABC reaped the benefits for the recently-completed NBA Finals.
Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life Magazine writes that the Chicago Blackhawks helped to pace NBC Sports Group to some very good ratings for the Stanley Cup Final.
Jeff Pfeiffer at Channel Guide Magazine says the new HBO series “Ballers” is using NFL logos and teams without the expressed written consent of the league.
Ed Sherman of the Sherman Report says Fox will need to develop a thick skin for the U.S. Open as golf fans will be militant on change.
Ken Kerschbaumer from Sports Video Group has a gallery of Fox’s Women’s World Cup set in Vancouver.
The New York Times’ Richard Sandomir notes that the ESPN on ABC crew at the NBA Finals almost counted their chickens before the eggs hatched.
Richard wonders if the U.S. Open can handle Fox.
Alan Pergament of the Buffalo News says NBA Finals Game 6 suffered a ratings drop from Game 5 in Western New York.
Liz Clarke of the Washington Post reports that Fox has obtained the multimedia rights for the Georgetown Hoyas.
Geoff Baker at the Seattle Times has Fox’s U.S. Open analyst Greg Norman ready for his primetime closeup.
My friend Andrew Bucholtz at Awful Announcing notes that the Korea Times really doesn’t know Chicago teams all that well.
Mike Cardillo of The Big Lead has some distressing news for ESPN, that consumers would rather pay to get Weather Channel rather than the Alleged Worldwide Leader.
Dan Rafael from ESPN.com reports that Fox Sports 1 appears to be the next home for Premier Boxing Champions which would bounce Golden Boy Live cards off the network.
Matt Vasilogrambros in the National Journal says NBC Sports is ready to meet the Hispanic viewing audience.
NEWS YOU CAN USE
The 2015 edition of the World’s Strongest Man competition will be aired on CBS Sports Network beginning next Thursday at 6 p.m. ET. It will be shown over a span of nine weeks on CBS Sports Network with final on CBS on August 30.
Details below:
HAINAN ISLAND, CHINA – AUGUST 24: Mike Burke of USA competes at the Circus Medley event during the World’s Strongest Man competition at Yalong Bay Cultural Square on August 24, 2013 in Hainan Island, China. (Photo by Victor Fraile/Getty Images)
“THOR” AND “THE MOUNTAIN” HEADLINE TONS OF COMPETITION AS WORLD’S STRONGEST MAN RETURNS TO CBS SPORTS NETWORK
2015 Competition Debuts Thursday, June 25 at 6:00 PM, ET
Thirty of the World’s Strongest Men return this season to compete for the title of WORLD’S STRONGEST MAN on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports. The 2015 Champion will be crowned during a one-hour season finale airing on the CBS Television Network. Past champions including Zydrunas “Big Z” Savickas (2009, 2010, 2012 and 2014) and Brian Shaw (2011 and 2013), as well as Hafthor “Thor” Bjornsson and Gregor Clegane, also known to many as “The Mountain,” converge on Putrajaya, Malaysia to compete for the 2015 title.
CBS Sports Network will air ten 30-minute episodes leading up to the finale, beginning on Thursday, June 25 (6:00 PM, ET) and continuing through Thursday, Aug. 27 (8:30 PM, ET). The season finale airs Sunday, Aug. 30 at 1:00 PM, ET on CBS and re-airs that night at 9:00 PM, ET on CBS Sports Network.
Brent Stover calls the action, along with Aaron Taylor and three-time World’s Strongest Man Bill Kazmaier.
The complete 2015 World’s Strongest Man schedule is included below.
2015 WORLD’S STRONGEST MAN ON CBS SPORTS NETWORK SCHEDULE
(All times Eastern)
Thursday, June 25 6:00 PM Thursday, June 25 6:30 PM Thursday, July 9 7:30 PM Thursday, July 16 7:30 PM Thursday, July 23 6:30 PM Thursday, July 30 6:30 PM Thursday, August 6 8:30 PM Thursday, August 13 7:30 PM Thursday, August 20 8:30 PM Thursday, August 27 8:30 PM Sunday, August 30 1:00 PM (CBS) 9:00 PM (Re-Air, CBSSN)
And that will close up this edition of the notebook.
