Fang's Bites

Advertisers Taking Notice of Viewers Using Social Media During Sporting Events

I’ve been meaning to post this video for about a week. It’s an interesting video from the Associated Press noting how second screens are becoming more and more important in sports. If you’re not aware of the term “second screen,” it means people are using their mobiles, tablets or computers as a companion to watching sports on television. The biggest evidence of this was during the 2012 London Olympics where more people Tweeted worldwide about the Games than any sporting event to date and it’s expected that number will increase exponentially for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

In addition, advertisers are realizing that when their commercials are played, people tweet about them, so they’re taking notice of the power of social media.

I’ve noticed how social media can bring people together from all walks of life from all over the country into one community. Now the company that harnesses the power of this community and finds a way to tap into it will be ahead of the curve come 2016. It’s quite an interesting video. Take a gander. It’s some food for thought today.

Last year, WFAN’s Mike Francesa couldn’t believe people would tweet or go on Facebook or go on their computers to get info during sporting events, but they’ve found ways to enhance the sporting experience. Case in point, watching the Pac-12 Tournament last week, the tweets about Bill Walton made viewing the games even more enjoyable for me. And Jim Valvano trended on Sunday as ESPN’s documentary on the 1983 North Carolina State team aired.

It will be interesting to see how the marriage of social media and sports will progress as we go forward.

Let’s Do Some Wednesday Links

Lots of stuff to get to. Let’s not waste time.

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch reports on ESPN’s signing of four of its NFL insiders to long-term contracts.

SI’s Tom Verducci gives us some myths and truths about the MLB All-Star Game.

Tim Kenneally of The Wrap says the All-Star Game won the night for Fox in overall ratings and younger demographics.

At the Biz of Baseball, Maury Brown notes how surprised he is about the MLB All-Star Game’s overnight ratings seeing an increase from last year despite being a blowout.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today writes about the All-Star Game’s increased overnight ratings from last year.

To the Daily Beast where Howard Kurtz says NBC is betting that you’ll watch the Olympics despite not knowing anything about the sports inside the Games.

Andy Fixmer and Alex Sherman at Bloomberg Businessweek note that NBC expects to draw many cable viewers to watch the Olympics online.

Meg Carter at Co-Create notes how BBC is attempting to build the very first social Olympic Games.

Radio World says Fox Sports Radio will have a big presence at the London Olympics.

The Big Lead continues to break sports media stories this year. First, it breaks news that Fox and possibly NBC are interested in hiring ESPN Sunday Night Baseball voice Dan Shulman.

And then Jason McIntyre of TBL reports that CBS is making overtures at ESPN Radio’s Doug Gottlieb to work on its new radio network, become a college basketball analyst and host a show on its cable network.

Brian Clapp at Sports TV Jobs wonders if the competition is out for blood in poaching ESPN’s talent.

Barstool Sports in Boston somehow got its hands on a video featuring New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft making an audition tape with his 30 year old aspiring actress girlfriend, Ricki Noel Linder.

The video has gone viral and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio says Kraft has issued a statement on that video going public.

Isaac Rauch of Deadspin has an interesting story on how ESPN.com entertainment writer Lynn Hoppes has apparently lifted several passages from Wikipedia either verbatim or with very few changes and inserted them into his features.

Patrick Burns of Deadspin sees what subjects ESPN is devoting its time covering on SportsCenter.

Glenn Davis from SportsGrid has video of Fox & Friends criticizing the U.S. Olympic team’s Opening Ceremony attire as looking too French. Seriously?

Ed Sherman at The Sherman Report is still suffering from Ozzie Guillen Fatigue and isn’t enthused about tonight’s Showtime premiere of “The Franchise: A Season with the Miami Marlins.”

Ken Kerschbaumer of Sports Video Group looks at MLB International delivering the All-Star Game to a worldwide audience.

Brian Stelter of the New York Times reports on the NBC and Facebook partnership for the 2012 Olympics.

Jerry Barmash at Fishbowl NY says WPIX in New York will pick up an NFL Network Thursday Night Football game involving the defending Super Bowl champs, the New York Football Giants, in September.

Bob’s Blitz notes that ESPN Radio NY despite a new powerful FM signal fell further behind WFAN in the June Arbitron ratings period.

Ken Schott at the Schenectady Gazette looks at Fox’s ratings increase for this year’s MLB All-Star Game.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union says a local college will be part of ESPN’s College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon in November.

Keith Groller from the Allentown (PA) Morning Call says a local cable sports channel will be all over a Minor League Baseball All-Star Game this week.

David Barron at the Houston Chronicle says a former Texas native is coming home to work in the local market as a TV sportscaster.

Mel Bracht of The Oklahoman looks at the local weekend ratings.

Mark Alesia and Phil Richards of the Indianapolis Star write that the Colts will adhere to the old NFL TV blackout rules and will not have games air in the local market unless a game is totally sold out. The NFL relaxed the rules to 85% this season.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that CBS’ Lesley Visser gets her chance to run in the Miller Park Sausage Race on Friday.

Jordan Kobritz of the Prescott (AZ) Daily Courier looks at the MLB TV rights negotiations.

Bruce Dowbiggin from the Toronto Globe and Mail explores a popular English-language sports radio station in Montreal flipping to French leaving many fans in the cold.

Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette says English speaking sports fans have lost a voice to vent.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog says the Home Run Derby had a big audience in Canada.

Sports Media Watch notes that the MLB All-Star Game had its second lowest overnight rating ever.

Joe Favorito looks at a very unique way a New York soccer team found a sponsor.

At the Broadcast Booth, Dave Kohl explores the reasons why the NFL slightly relaxed its TV blackout rules.

And that’s going to do it for today.

NBC Announces Facebook Integration For The Olympics

Announced today by NBC, the network will have a partnership with Facebook throughout the 17 Days of Glory in London. NBC says it will have exclusive video content on its Olympics Facebook page as well as engage fans in polls, trivia and shareable images.

In addition, NBC has launched an Olympics Facebook timeline app so viewers can share their thoughts with their friends. Knowing how Bob Costas hates social media, I can already hear him making fun of this when he has to read the promo for this during the primetime coverage of the Olympics.

Facebook will also produce social media segments during the Games that will air on all of the networks of NBCUniversal. And results of NBC Olympics Facebook polls will be aired during primetime.

We have the joint press release from NBC and Facebook.

NBC OLYMPICS AND FACEBOOK ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP FOR LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES

News, Photos and Exclusive Content to be delivered on NBC Olympics’ Facebook Page
NBC Olympics Programming to utilize new Facebook Talk Meter
Numerous NBC Olympics Platforms to feature Social Media Segment during the Games

NEW YORK — July 11, 2012 — NBC Olympics, a division of the NBC Sports Group, and Facebook will collaborate during the London 2012 Olympic Games to serve fans of the Olympics like never before.

The NBC Olympics page on Facebook will feature the most up-to-date news and information, and will engage fans of the Olympic Games with featured polls, photo galleries, trivia and shareable images. Fans that “LIKE” NBC Olympics on Facebook will have the opportunity to unlock exclusive content made available to NBC Olympics fans. NBC Olympics has also launched a Facebook timeline app on NBCOlympics.com, so users can share the London 2012 Olympic Games content they are consuming with their friends.

As part of the collaboration, NBC Olympics’ coverage of the London Games will include the launch of Talk Meter, a new Facebook data tool. The new tool will inform viewers about stories, results, athletes and events that other fans of the Olympic Games are talking about on Facebook.

Representatives from Facebook will work with NBC editorial teams to produce social media segments that will air throughout the Games across the networks of NBCUniversal that are carrying Olympic coverage. In addition, the results of a daily poll that users can vote for on the NBC Olympics Facebook page will air daily on NBC, including in primetime.

“With the Olympic Games being one of those rare cultural moments that everyone talks about, people will watch the games on NBC and engage with their friends and favorite athletes on NBC Olympics’ Facebook page,” said Andy Mitchell, Strategic Partner Manager at Facebook. “NBC’s viewers will get to see what Olympic athletes and others connected with the Games are talking about on Facebook, adding a new element to NBC Olympics’ coverage. By sharing what they choose to watch on NBCOlympics.com, people will identify the events and highlights that are important to them and discover other Olympic moments through their friends.”

“NBC is committed to engaging fans and consumers on every platform,” said Gary Zenkel, President, NBC Olympics. “Social media is an important part of how fans consume and interact during the Olympics. We are thrilled to be collaborating with Facebook to serve fans as they watch and celebrate the London Olympic Games.”

NBC Olympics will complement its 5,535 hours of coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Games by offering fans an unprecedented amount of content on multiple social media platforms. NBC Olympics will be everywhere the consumer is and will deliver news, photos, exclusive video and information via numerous digital platforms. A social media specific on-air promo is being created to help fans know exactly what is being offered and how to follow the Olympics on NBC’s social media platforms.

The 2012 Olympics are being dubbed “The Social Media Games” as Facebook and Twitter will have a heavy influence and how both services are used during this Olympiad will be a guide for how social media will be used in future Olympics.

It’s A Friday Megalink Day

And can you believe I’ve been able to do linkage for most of the week? Hasn’t been like that in a long while. Glad I’ve been able to get it done.

Time for your Friday megalinks. As usual, we provide the Weekend Viewing Picks which has plenty of MLB and U.S. Olympic Trials action.

Let’s go to the links.

National

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand looks at ESPN extending its current deal with the Rose Bowl.

Michael looks at Erin Andrews’ departure from ESPN.

Sports Business Journal has a sampling of what some sports business and sports media figures addressed to the graduating Class of 2012 at the nation’s colleges and universities.

At the Sherman Report, Ed Sherman explores the strange dispute between the Arizona Diamondbacks and TV voice Daron Sutton.

Ed also notes some media bashing of Chris Berman a few months in advance of his Monday Night Football debut.

Stuart Kemp of the Hollywood Reporter writes that the BBC has launched a new Facebook app to allow UK users to watch the Olympics online.

John Eggerton from Broadcasting & Cable says the Supreme Court has let stand a lower court ruling throwing out the FCC fine against CBS for the infamous Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction during the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show. Man, that was a long time ago.

Tim Baysinger of B&C says NASCAR Digital Media has hired five executives in advance of the sport’s takeover of its digital rights from Turner Sports next year.

Jason Dachman of Sports Video Group notes ESPN’s X Games production evolution.

The Nielsen Wire blog ponders the question of whether NBA Draft picks can do well in marketing products.

Deadline reports that ESPN’s ratings for the EURO 2012 semifinals this week are way up from EURO 2008.

One more week of writing, “CNBC’s Darren Rovell”. Today, CNBC’s Darren Rovell writes that with less than a month to go until the Olympics, a major ticket dispute has erupted.

Joe Favorito notes how Delta Airlines’ sponsorship of English Premier League team Chelsea shows that the company wants to go outside of the US to gain awareness.

Sports Media Watch has a look at some of NBC’s Olympic assignments for London.

The Big Lead notes that ESPN and Bill Simmons removed a potential offensive part of his NBA Draft diary that is way too long for anyone to read.

Ryan Yoder of Awful Announcing has the winners and losers from Thursday’s night’s NBA Draft coverage on ESPN.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe writes about a documentary on an Olympic hopeful who is attempting to gain a spot on the US women’s gymnastics team.

Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette talks with the Voice of the Worcester Tornadoes minor league baseball team.

Jerry Barmash at Fishbowl NY talks with WFAN’s Mike Francesa on whether he’ll return to the station when his contract expires in two years.

Phil Mushnick in the New York Post is not happy about Chris Berman calling Monday Night Football.

Ken Schott from the Schenectady Gazette notes that local sports anchor Andrew Catalon gets another Olympics assignment.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union notes that the NBA Draft’s ratings on ESPN were down from the year before.

Pete looks at 25 years of WFAN.

Ken McMillan from the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record analyzes the NBC Olympic assignments.

Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call talks about the later start time for the NFL national Sunday afternoon game.

Keith has some fun facts about WFAN’s 25th anniversary.

Jonathan Tannenwald of Philly.com says Philadelphia Union voice JP Dellacamera will be calling Olympic soccer games for NBC.

DCRTV’s Dave Hughes in Press Box says the Baltimore Orioles’ ratings on MASN are up.

Dan Steinberg from the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog has the Nationals’ radio ratings.

Jim Williams at the Washington Examiner speaks with NBC’s Phil Liggett about the Tour de France which kicks off this weekend.

South

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald culls media opinions regarding the Heat’s chances to repeat.

Jimmie E. Gates of the Jackson (MS) Clarion Ledger says a lawsuit against ESPN over a 30 for 30 documentary can proceed in state court.

David Barron from the Houston Chronicle says the Rockets are changing radio stations.

David writes the person who helped launch Houston’s original regional sports network will be part of the team that launches the city’s newest RSN.

Mel Bracht in The Oklahoman says a local sports radio network will be slightly affiliated with the new CBS Sports Radio.

More links later.

UPDATE, 9:20 p.m.: Time for more linkage.

Midwest

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Bob Wolfley says Fox has replaced Daron Sutton from this Saturday’s Arizona-Brewers game.

Robert Channick of the Chicago Tribune says WMAQ sports anchor Mike Adamle who’s been on leave from the station is expected to return soon.

Paul Christian in the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin goes over the NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2012 series.

West

John Maffei of the North County Times talks with TBS’ Cal Ripken about the MLB All-Star Game.

Jim Carlisle in the Ventura County Star rails against the current format of the All-Star Game.

Jim reviews some of this week’s sports media news in his notebook.

Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times says the NFL has laid down guidelines for the league to return to the nation’s second biggest market.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News isn’t thrilled about NBC pulling tape delayed shenanigans for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Tom has more notes in his blog.

And we are finally done.

NHL Enhances The Playoff Experience With Digital Content & Social Networking

As the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs start, the league is introducing new digital content featuring Barry Melrose of NHL Network and ESPN, a highlights video hosted by MTV Canada VJ AJ Sovani, Facebook plus improving the Gamecenter app for mobiles and tablets.

The videos will feature highlights and analysis. The NHL will also utilize Foursquare for check-ins at Playoff venues. In addition, the league has a launched a Facebook Stanley Cup page as a way to increase its social networking presence.

Here’s the press release from the National Hockey League offices.

NHL ANNOUNCES NEW DIGITAL OFFERINGS TO ENGAGE FANS AROUND THE 2012 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Highlights Include Daily Video Shorts Starring Barry Melrose & MTV Canada’s A.J. Sovani, Official Stanley Cup Facebook Page & Predictive Gaming App for Mobile Phones and Tablets

NEW YORK (April 10, 2012) –  The National Hockey League has developed a number of new digital products and touch points for the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs to provide fans numerous ways to celebrate the most exciting time of the NHL® season.

“Hockey fans know that the Stanley Cup Playoffs represent hockey at its best, but we needed to provide ways to help them stay engaged long after their favorite team has been eliminated,” said NHL chief operating officer John Collins. “We are building on our success in social and digital media to keep hockey fans engaged, while attracting casual fans and creating new opportunities for our partners to activate around the Stanley Cup Playoffs.”

Daily Digital Video Shorts
New this year to the post-season, the League will produce twice-daily, seven-day-a-week digital video shorts aimed to inform, engage and entertain all fans – from those who are new to the sport to the most avid hockey fan. The two- to three-minute videos, which begin appearing tomorrow and continue throughout the entire run of the Stanley Cup® Playoffs, will come in two editions: the “Stanley Cup Countdown,” which will be released after the night’s games are completed, and an afternoon edition that will be known as “Melrose’s Place.”

“Stanley Cup Countdown” is a fast-paced, high-energy video hosted by MTV Canada VJ Aliya-Jasmine “A.J.” Sovani, showcasing highlights and the top must-see moments from the night. These moments will not just be the obvious best plays of the night on the ice, but also could include moment such as player pranks, wacky goal celebrations, a fan resembling their favorite player or celebrity sightings.

“Melrose’s Place” features Barry Melrose of the NHL Network and ESPN, providing commentary on the water-cooler moments of the Playoffs, along with his take on the night’s upcoming match-ups.

Every video will end with Stanley Cup Playoffs broadcast tune-in information so fans are sure to know where to go to see all the action.

“Stanley Cup Countdown” and “Melrose’s Place” will be distributed through all NHL platforms, including NHL.com™, NHL Network™, NHL Mobile™, NHL Social™ (Twitter / Facebook) and other key third-party League digital syndication partners.

NHL Social™

The NHL has increased its number of social media followers by 211% the past three seasons and is poised to deliver a number of new Stanley Cup-themed applications and shareable experiences, many of which will be the first of their kind.

The NHL also is pleased to announce that the most recognizable trophy in sports – the Stanley Cup — now has its own Facebook page (Facebook.com/StanleyCup.) Fans are encouraged to “friend” the Cup and explore its page, which will offer the trophy’s history and folklore, fun facts and updates on the Cup’s whereabouts from the road.

The following is a list of additional new features from NHL Social being introduced for the #StanleyCup (official hashtag):

• Virtual Beard App – Through Facebook and NHL.com, fans of all ages and genders will finally be able to participate in the grand tradition of growing a playoff beard. By uploading a photo to the virtual beard app and declaring fandom for a particular NHL team, a beard will begin to appear on the fan’s face in the picture. The beard will continue to grow as their favorite team moves on to the next round. If their team is eliminated from the Playoffs, they are then able to shave their virtual beard. If a fan would like to declare their allegiance for another team who has continued on to the next round while their first choice team hasn’t, they may do so and continue to grow their playoff beard.
• Fan Photo Mosaics – In the coming weeks, fans will be asked to share photos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram showcasing their passion for a team while tagging the photos with the team name in a hashtag along with the official secondary hashtag for the Stanley Cup Playoffs — #BecauseitstheCup. The uploaded photo will then be aggregated into a Stanley Cup-shaped mosaic that brings together fans from all over the world and is shareable through Facebook pages and personal websites.
• Locker Room Postcards – In the vein of good-natured ribbing between fans of rival teams, Facebook users will be able to send sarcastic sympathy postcards to friends after their team is eliminated from the Playoffs.
• FourSquare – In October 2010, the NHL became the first sports league to have a full-time, dedicated presence on Foursquare.  Today, the NHL and FourSquare are utilizing that partnership to engage and promote the Stanley Cup Playoffs. By “checking in” to a Playoff game, hockey fans can find other fans and locations to watch a game, while unlocking a Stanley Cup Badge – the League’s first official “badge” available through the platform. Additionally, fans who check in at the Stanley Cup fountain in Times Square between April 11 – 13 will receive a special offer – buy one hat, get the second hat half off – at the NHL Store located on the corner of 6^th Avenue and 47^th Street in New York City.
• Playoffs Facts – Molson Canadian will extend its bottle back label’s Playoffs Facts program to Facebook and Twitter, allowing fans to “like” and share interesting stats and timely facts related to this year’s Stanley Cup run.
• Twitter Aggregator App – This is an app for Facebook that tracks the mentions of every Stanley Cup game online and through social platforms. As each team battles it out on the ice, they will also compete online through this app for the title of “Noise Leader” of the game. The team that has the most mentions online will be named the “noisiest” making them the winner. Now when fans root for their team through social networks, they also are rooting them on to win through this online match-up.

NHL Mobile

NHL GameCenter™, the League’s best-in-class global mobile product developed for smart phones and tablets through multiple carriers, has been updated for the post season to offer a deeper experience to feed fan’s insatiable appetite for Playoff content and serve as a companion when watching live NHL games. Under the newly added “Playoffs” tab on NHL GameCenter, the first thing fans will see are the daily video shorts – “Stanley Cup Countdown” and “Melrose’s Place” – as well as round-by-round matchups with tune in information. Additionally the app will provide free audio for Playoff games for the first time ever.

Also a first, the NHL will offer customers of the NHL GameCenter Premium™ App the ability to stream live Stanley Cup Playoff games that air on NBC (not including NBC Sports Network game broadcasts.) This app was enhanced during the regular season and now features the following:

• Star Cam feed: NBC broadcast bonus camera angles catch all the action
• NBC Sports’ “Inside the Glass”™ analysis from the national network broadcasts: additional insight and information about the action from the coach’s or the bench perspective
• Key In-Game Replays not available during the live on-air broadcast on NBC
• NHL Network’s signature show, NHL On the Fly™
• Weekly “Frozen Moment” montage, capturing the iconic moments and history in the making available on demand
• Weekly “NHL Plays of the Week” video on demand

According to Nielsen, 88% of tablet owners in the U.S. have used their handheld device in the past month while watching TV. To complement this growing trend, the NHL will be rolling out the predictive gaming app NHL® PrePlay during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The first-of-its-kind to be introduced by a major professional sports league, the app allows fans to play along while watching live Playoff game broadcasts by earning points for correctly predicting the outcomes of on-the-ice actions before they actually happen. Fans can guess who will win a face-off, kill a penalty or ultimately come out victorious for bragging rights against friends around the world playing along on their mobile phones and tablets. NHL® PrePlay is the latest in second-screen experiences that not only sustain viewership, but also promote it by making the TV-watching experience interactive.

That’s it for this post.

Attempting A Friday Megalink Post

This week has been hellish for me and I apologize for not being able to post as much as I would like. I’ve been away from my computer for most of the day and by the time I get home, I’m tired and don’t want to update the blog.

Well, with me already done my errands for today, I’ll give you some linkage that has been seriously lacking this week.

Of course, there’s the Weekend Viewing Picks which you can peruse.

National

Michael Hiestand of USA Today says Jim Rome is hoping to make a splash as he prepares to launch his new daily show on CBS Sports Network.

Reid Cherner of USA Today’s Game On! blog says perpetually angry ESPN college basketball analyst Doug Gottlieb is throwing his hat into the Kansas State coaching ring.

The Associated Press was on hand to witness Root Sports Northwest’s production of the Seattle Mariners-Oakland A’s regular season openers in Japan without actually traveling to the Far East.

Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim has more thoughts on the numerous conflicts of interest in tennis broadcasting.

Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand has Fox Sports’ statement on its carriage dispute with Time Warner Cable over Fox Sports San Diego.

John profiles legendary sports television producer Don Ohlmeyer.

Around the Rings has the press release regarding the European Broadcasting Union obtaining the rights to the World Cups in 2018 and 2022.

ESPN Ombudsman Jason Fry of the Poynter Institute says college basketball analyst Bob Knight should not be allowed to live by his own rules when he’s on TV.

Scott Soshnick and Steven Church of Bloomberg Businessweek says the Los Angeles Dodgers sale was sparked by media rights.

Alex Ben Block of the Hollywood Reporter says former Sony Pictures head Peter Gruber who’s part of the new Los Angeles Dodgers ownership group could bring a new attitude towards marketing the team.

Jon Lafayette of Broadcasting & Cable has Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott calling rights fees for college football are undervalued.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says NESN National is being launched in Indianapolis.

Tim Nudd at Adweek says Chrysler is unveiling four new follow ups to its “Halftime in America” Super Bowl spots during various events this weekend including the NCAA Final Four and Mad Men.

Adweek’s Mike Shields writes ESPN.com is partaking in Facebook’s Open Graph, but with some restrictions.

Jason Del Ray at Advertising Age notes that CBS/Turner brought in its highest sales revenue ever for March Madness Live.

Ronnie Ramos at the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center says March Madness has been enhanced by social media and the digital experience.

The Brothers Yoder at Awful Announcing cast the upcoming Anchorman sequel using ESPN’ers. This is good.

Ben Koo at AA is not a huge fan of the overhead shots employed by CBS/Turner for the NCAA Tournament.

Dan Fogarty at SportsGrid says the Los Angeles Times feels there’s one person who could spoil the new ownership for the Dodgers.

Ahmed Yussuf at EPL Talk gives a first-hand account of following the English Premier League from Australia.

Sports Media Watch says last weekend’s rain-shortened NASCAR on Fox event did not do well in the ratings.

Joe Favorito asks if ‘The Hunger Games” could give archery a boost in time for this summer’s Olympics.

Jason McIntyre at The Big Lead reports that Joe Posnanski is leaving Sports Illustrated.

Ty Duffy at The Big Lead says the potential Fox cable sports network may not knock down ESPN, but could give it a run for its money.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell talks about two rival Hollywood agencies representing Tim Tebow simultaneously.

Bob’s Blitz says WFAN’s Craig Carton browbeat former Tiger Woods swing coach Hank Haney to the point where he hung up.

Brandon Costa of Sports Video Group says CBS returns to New Orleans where it began its Final Four journey 30 years ago.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe says ESPN MLB analyst Curt Schilling is facing hypocrisy calls after he criticized his former Red Sox team this week.

Chad adds some thoughts on Schilling and on NESN’s Jenny Dell that didn’t make his column.

Bruce Allen of Boston Sports Media Watch writes in SB Nation that a Tiger Woods in contention is good for The Masters^® and its TV partners.

Bob Tedeschi of the New York Times reviews this year’s edition of the MLB At-Bat app.

Richard Sandomir from the Times examines the Dodgers sale.

Anthony Riemer of Newsday looks at Jeremy Lin’s lunch with the sacked ESPN.com editor who unwittingly made a racial slur last month.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post feels Fox Sports’ Jimmy Johnson should not be advocating violence. I don’t think he did, Phil, but continue to hate everything, ok?

Justin Terranova of the Post has five questions for former Tennessee and current Sirius XM analyst Bruce Pearl on the Final Four.

The Albany Times Union’s Pete Dougherty has the ESPN MAC football schedule.

Pete has CBS excited about this year’s Final Four.

Jane Kwiatkowski of the Buffalo News says this is a tough time for the local TV sportscast.

Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call looks at a local PBS documentary on the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Laura Nachman says Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia is ready for Phillies baseball.

Dan Steinberg at the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog says the Fox sitcom “Raising Hope” gave another of many Capitals references.

Jim Williams from the Washington Examiner talks with MLB Network’s Mitch “Wildi Thing” Williams.

South

David Barron from the Houston Chronicle writes that the Houston Open should be helped by a lot of interesting storylines.

David says Jim Rome is getting ready for his CBS Sports Network closeup.

David writes that Texans running back Arian Foster is taking his show to the team’s radio flagship station.

In The Oklahoman, Mel Bracht has ESPN’s MLB analysts predicting the upcoming season.

Mel says there will be plenty of baseball available in the Oklahoma City market.

Mel reports a local radio station has flipped to being a full-time ESPN Radio affiliate.

Mel writes that a local radio sports director has been laid off thanks to Clear Channel.

Midwest

Elton Alexander of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer says New Orleans has provided CBS with plenty of Final Four excitement.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer says a local TV station plans to ride the Kentucky train for as long as possible.

John says a couple of long-time local radio veterans got the ax due to Clear Channel cost cutting.

John writes that a radio documentary on late Cincinnati Reds voice Waite Hoyt airs this weekend.

The Indianapolis Star says Butler coach Brad Stevens will be a guest analyst for CBS on the Final Four.

Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes the Brewers have extended their radio rights deal with their long-time flagship station.

Bob says a local sportscaster is back to work after a long illness.

Bob tells us that Marquette coach Buzz Williams will also be a guest analyst on CBS this weekend.

Paul Christian of the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin writes that CBS loves New Orleans at Final Four time.

Dan Caesar at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says 20 Cardinals games won’t be seen by AT&T U-Verse subscribers this season.

Dan writes that the defending champions Cardinals will be in the national spotlight quite a few times this season.

West

Jay Posner at the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Fox Sports San Diego is not optimistic of getting a deal with two cable providers in time for Padres opening day.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star has ESPN’s MLB analysts praising Magic Johnson’s presence with the Dodgers.

Jim was surprised that Kentucky-Louisville wasn’t the nightcap for the Final Four.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says Lakers fans are enjoying having guest analysts on radio broadcasts this season.

Tom talks with Jim Rome about his CBS Sports Network show.

Tom has more on Rome in his blog.

Canada

The usually uninformed Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail says CBC Sports appears to be rudderless as it heads into a new NHL negotiation.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog has the viewership numbers for Canadian sports television from last week.

And that will conclude the megalinks.

Bringing Out The Mid-Week Linkage

Let’s do our linkage for today. It’s going to snow in Southern New England so I’m doing this early in case I have bug out later.

Starting with USA Today’s Michael Hiestand, we learn that ESPN will be streaming its Championship Week games on Facebook, but not everyone will be able to see the games.

Gregg Rosenthal of Pro Football Talk through John Ourand of Sports Business Journal writes that former Indianapolis Colts GM Bill Polian will join ESPN in a couple of weeks.

At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Michael Bradley advises NBC Sports Network to stay the course and not panic in the wake of low ratings out of the box.

Eric Fisher at Sports Business Daily has the skinny on MLB Advanced Media’s unveiling of the new At Bat mobile app.

Stephen Galloway at the Hollywood Reporter has a fascinating update on cable television pioneer and Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner.

Eriq Gardner from the Reporter writes that former college athletes suing the NCAA over the use of their likenesses in video games and attempting to get information from TV contracts, have been sanctioned by the judge presiding over the case.

John Eggerton of Broadcasting & Cable says the National Association of Broadcasters has told the FCC to keep the antiquated NFL blackout rule in place.

Tim Baysinger at B&C notes the NFL has moved its regular season opening game back one day to accommodate the Democratic National Convention.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says after some early momentum, TNT saw rating drops for its NBA All-Star Weekend.

Wendy Davis at MediaPost writes that streaming service Justin.TV and YouTube are being sued for illegally showing a boxing pay-per-view fight.

All Access notes that CBS Radio’s WJFK has signed to remain the DC affiliate for Virginia Tech sports.

Greg Doyel of CBS Sports wants to know why ESPN is allowing Bob Knight to show his clear disdain for Kentucky.

The Mansfield (CT) Patch picks up a story from Kenneth Best who went behind the scenes when ESPN’s College GameDay visited the UConn campus last weekend.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times looks at Twitter’s newest darling, NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski.

The Long Island Tennis Magazine says ESPN2 will air the annual BNP Paribas Showdown on tape delay with an MSG Network replay following a day later.

Ken McMillan from the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record says the NFL regular season opener has been pushed back one day to accommodate President Obama.

Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog notes that the Nationals’ Bryce Harper has deleted his Twitter account.

The Winston-Salem (NC) Journal remembers a local sports anchor who passed away this week.

Deven Swartz of WGHP-TV also remembers Rich Brenner who was a beloved member of the community.

WGHP also has a special section devoted to Brenner.

Amanda Kelley at the Myrtle Beach (SC) Sun-Times says ESPN Radio is changing stations.

Luther Campbell, formerly of 2 Live Crew, in the Miami New Times accuses ESPN’s Skippy Bayless of race baiting.

Jon Solomon at the Birmingham (AL) News writes that the SEC’s member schools are reluctant to expand to 9 conference football games, but the league’s TV partners are seeking more inventory.

Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says the Daytona 500 did well in primetime for Fox, but ratings are down from last year.

Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune says the Padres are wondering why MLB is taking so long to approve its rights deal with Fox Sports.

Brady Green at Awful Announcing has the video of Rich Eisen’s annual 40 yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Andrew Bucholz at AA notes that Captain Blowhard is complaining about something no one cares about.

At the Bleacher Report, Dan Levy looks at the sexism one San Diego sports anchor threw at Danica Patrick and the reaction since.

John Daly of the Daly Planet reviews Fox’s performance at the Daytona 500.

John also explores ESPN’s Brad Daugherty inexplicably coming down hard on driver Brad Keselowski for Tweeting during the Daytona 500.

John Gennaro of the Bolts from the Blue blog looks at how the new Fox Sports San Diego will affect sports fans.

Congratulations to CNBC’s Darren Rovell who now has a baby daughter to take care of. She wasn’t even a day old when Darren signed her up for Twitter.

[blackbirdpie url="http://twitter.com/darrenrovell/statuses/174684002865774593"]

And then Darren told us that he signed her up for other social networking services and bought her domain name. Darren? Put down the smartphone and walk away slowly.

[blackbirdpie url="http://twitter.com/darrenrovell/statuses/174686172033990656"]

And we’ll end it there for today.

Some Quick Thursday Links

Ok, going to attempt some linkage here. Quite busy, but I’ll try to sneak some stuff for you.

Eric Fisher of Sports Business Daily looks at the new $3.99 charge for the new March Madness Live app for the NCAA Tournament.

R. Thomas Umstead of Multichannel News/Broadcasting & Cable also writes about the new March Madness Live app.

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch talks with ESPN’s Ron Jaworski about being removed from the Monday Night Football booth.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio has the impression that ESPN’s Jon Gruden didn’t agree with the decision to take Jaws out of the MNF booth.

Former New York Times columnist George Vecsey is now on Twitter and he’s a bit apprehensive about it.

Glenn Davis at SportsGrid is confused about yesterday’s Colin Cowherd interview with Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit cover girl Kate Upton.

Timothy Burke at Deadspin has audio of CNBC’s Darren Rovell explaining his Valentine Day’s proposal to Kate Upton.

Maury Brown at the Biz of Baseball says not every local MLB deal is equal and fair.

Anthony Crupi from Adweek notes that CBS El Capo di Tutti Capi Les Moonves predicts record ad rates for Super Bowl XLVII which will be aired on the Tiffany Network next year.

Adweek has a video with NASCAR CEO Brian France on the upcoming Sprint Cup season.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life Magazine says thanks to the Super Bowl, NBC leads the February sweeps by a 2-1 margin over CBS.

Sam Eifling of The Big Lead talks with a Memphis sports radio host who kept grinding and has been rewarded with national recognition.

At the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Ronnie Ramos talks about how to maximize your Facebook and Twitter strategies.

Also at the National Sports Journalism Center, Eric Deggans of the Tampa Bay Times cautions traditional media about falling into prejudicial traps when writing about Jeremy Lin.

Karen Hogan of Sports Video Group explains the logistics for CBC’s Hockey Day in Canada.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says one sporting goods chain is going all in for Jeremy Lin.

Kevin Lincoln at the Business Insider’s Sports Page notes that Time Warner Cable is sending out small refund checks for those missing MSG Network.

WEEI’s Kirk Minihane lists the best and worst Boston TV announcers.

The Boston Herald’s Inside Track found Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez going through the ESPN “Car Wash” yesterday.

To the Worcester Telegram & Gazette where Bill Doyle gets Comcast SportsNet Celtics sideline reporter Greg Dickerson to talk about epilepsy and Tourette syndrome which have plagued him.

Over to the New York Times’ Richard Sandomir who looks into ESPN’s Monday Night Football personnel move.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union has the New York Mets Spring Training TV schedule.

Ken McMillan of the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record posts the Yankees Spring Training TV and Radio schedules.

Ed Barkowitz at the Philadelphia Daily News says Jaws being taken off Monday Night Football doesn’t mean the end for him at ESPN.

From the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog, Dan Steinberg says DirecTV has added Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic’s overflow channel in HD, finally.

Jim Williams at the Washington Examiner says a two man booth will benefit Monday Night Football.

Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times writes that local sports radio talk show host is out of a job today.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle says Astros voice Milo Hamilton may be retiring after this season, but the team won’t be losing him altogether.

The Houston Astros website has an entire section devoted to Hamilton’s career including some of his most famous radio calls.

Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says the Brewers will be featured at least six times on Fox’s Saturday baseball package.

Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times says the NHL finally has a TV partner which is fully promoting the league.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News has reaction to Bob Ryan’s announced retirement from the Boston Globe.

Barry Wilner at the San Jose Mercury News gets some details of the new Pac-12 Network from league commissioner Larry Scott.

Blogs and reporters are constantly receiving public relations pitches. Here’s one regarding Jeremy Lin and it’s a bit over the top.

Sports Media Watch notes that the 2012 MLB on Fox schedule is reduced from last year due to the 2012 Olympics.

SMW says Golf Channel set a ratings record last Sunday.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog has the sports TV viewership numbers for last week.

Mike Silva of the Sports Media Watchdog has a review of the new CBS Radio Mike Francesa Show app.

Joe Favorito says the Phoenix Suns are using the Samsung Galaxy tablet on the sidelines.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media has the numbers for the NHL on NBC Sports Network from early this week.

Ben Koo at Awful Announcing notes that ESPN is not tiring of the Jeremy Lin overkill.

Lou Clinton at 38 Cliches is rooting for former Red Sox announcer Jerry Trupiano.

And that’s where we’ll end it. Enjoy your Thursday.

Coming On With Some Sunday Links

Let’s do some links on this Sunday.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says Golf Channel scored a couple of rating records for Day One of the Presidents Cup.

Mike writes that Time Warner Cable has signed a long-term deal to air Los Angeles Galaxy games starting next season.

Mike says Facebook is offering a live stream today of Tony Stewart’s car during the NASCAR finale in Miami.

Steve Coogan of USA Today’s Game On! blog writes that ESPN’s Lee Corso had to apologize after firing off an F bomb during his picks segment on yesterday’s College GameDay.

Writing for the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times says TV is playing catchup to print journalists on the Penn State story.

Andrew Gauthier of TVSpy says Miami TV station WFOR prevented a Dolphins blackout for today.

Ben Koo at Awful Announcing notes that ESPN’s Erin Andrews was in good humor after being given the Gatorade drenching following the massive Baylor upset of Oklahoma.

Cork Gaines from the Business Insider Sports Page says ESPN’s reign over sports television will be threatened starting January 2.

Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe leaves his usual NHL post to tell us that he enjoys watching the dogs on NBC on Thanksgiving Day over football.

Jack Bell of the New York Times says Fox Sports continues to show a commitment to soccer with another football-football doubleheader today.

Phil Mushnick at the New York Post warns the NBA not to cancel the season.

New York Real Estate’s City Biz notes the role one broker had in helping NBC Sports find a new home in Connecticut.

Steven Goff of the Washington Post isn’t a fan of having the MLS Cup starting past 9 p.m. Eastern time.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner talks with NFL on Fox sideline analyst Tony Siragusa.

Jon Solomon from the Birmingham (AL ) News wonders if college basketball will gain popularity in the wake of the NBA Lockout.

David Morrison of the Opelika Auburn (AL) News says College GameDay heads to the Iron Bowl on Saturday.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle looks at the Lee Corso swearing incident.

Gilbert Requena of the Chronicle writes about College GameDay’s first visit to the University of Houston campus.

Chris Baldwin from CultureMap Houston chronicles GameDay’s visit to the area and the catcalls Erin Andrews had to endure during the broadcast.

At the Daily Oklahoman, Mel Bracht notes that ESPN’s Joe Tessitore got to call a lost weekend for Oklahoma football teams on successive nights.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Packers fans will hear plenty from Fox’s Joe Buck and Troy Aikman over the next three weeks.

Dan Caesar from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams may have a horrible on-field record, but they are pulling viewers to the TV set.

Marsha Hoffman of the Council Bluffs (IA) Daily Nonpareil writes that a local native is producing motorsports for ESPN.

And we’ll end the linkage here.

Doing The Tuesday Links

I need to get these up quickly as the NBC/NHL conference call will occur at 1 p.m. today. I won’t be able to monitor it, but I do hope to provide details as they become available. Lots of links to get to.

The major news of the day thus far is NBC’s renewal of its agreement with the NHL. It means NBC and Versus will keep the rights to the league and it’s for 10 years/$200 million. Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo’s Puck Daddy tells us what it all means.

Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand who has been tremendous in reporting this story has the full details of the new agreement between NBC/Comcast and the NHL.

Anthony Crupi says NBC/Comcast has won its first battle in what should be many against Disney/ESPN.

Barry Pachesky of Deadspin puts the NBC/Comcast contract with the NHL into perspective.

Keara Dowd of Aerys Sports says ESPN really wanted to get the NHL back.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail says NBC/Comcast will have increased rights to the NHL with the new 10 year deal.

And in a related note, PBS’ Nightly Business Report had a segment on Comcast’s purchase of NBC and wanting to gain a big foothold in sports.

Back to Wyshynski, he gives us the best of NESN’s Jack Edwards from last night’s Game 3 of the Boston Bruins-Montreal Canadiens series. Jack was more over the top than usual.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today says for Generation Y, sports is about getting together, not necessarily competing against each other.

Also from USA Today, Sean Leahy notes that despite the lockout, the NFL is pressing ahead with plans to release its 2011 regular season schedule tonight.

Sean speculates on some of the NFL’s marquee games for this season.

Sean says Joe Theismann has tweeted (since removed) that he is indeed out of the NFL Network Thursday Night Football booth.

Back to the Sports Business Journal and Terry Lefton who notes that the NFL continues with its Draft even as the lockout continues.

John Ourand and David Broughton of Sports Business Journal report that San Antonio reigns over the local TV ratings for the league.

Over at Multichannel News, Mike Reynolds says the NBA on TNT’s opening Sunday NBA Playoff tripleheader drew 36% more viewers than the year before.

Anthony Crupi from Adweek says the big TV ratings for the opening weekend of the NBA Playoffs means more revenue for ESPN and Turner Sports.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life writes that the NBA’s postseason ratings could set a record.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell talks with someone in the know about the Feds’ crackdown on offshore poker websites.

Sports Business Daily looks at ESPN’s decision to drop all poker advisertising.

Cam Martin from SportsNewser says ESPN is going to be dropping all poker advertising and related programming for the foreseeable future.

Ben Koo of Awful Announcing tells us what ESPN’s decision on poker advertising and programming means to the niche sport.

Russell Scibetti from the Business of Sports shares his thoughts on the Feds’ crackdown on poker websites and what it means for the networks that air poker.

Emmett Jones of Sports Business Digest notes that Pittsburgh is on top of the local NHL TV ratings heap.

The great Maury Brown from the Biz of Baseball says MLB’s TV partners are bullish about ad revenue for this season.

The New York Times’ Richard Sandomir writes about ESPN posting the endorsement deals made its announcers and analysts.

ESPN has announced that the extremely insufferable Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News will host a one hour daily show for ESPN Radio in New York. I refuse to link to any stories about this. You’ll thank me later.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union notes the early postseason ratings for both the NBA and NHL.

Dejan Kovacevic at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette talks about the Penguins being number one in the local NHL TV ratings.

John Steigerwald of the Washington (PA) Observer-Reporter who wrote the incendiary column last week about Giants fan Bryan Stow who is still in a coma after being beat up by two Los Angeles Dodgers fans, tries to explain himself this week and claims everyone across the country is to blame for misunderstanding his original incendiary column.

To Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner who says the NBC Sports Group outdueled three other networks for the NHL.

Jerry Ratcliffe of the Charlottesville (VA) Daily Progress writes about the bond between Fox NFL Sunday co-horts and odd couple Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long.

Rick Bozich from the Louisville Courier-Journal feels ESPN owes the University of Kentucky an apology.

Ryan Clark of the Cincinnati Enquirer notes that ESPN’s Bob Knight should be fired for remarks he made about the Kentucky basketball program.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman previews one segment on tonight’s HBO Real Sports program.

Mark Dawidziak of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer says a local man will get a shot at his dream to work for ESPN.

Diane Pucin from the Los Angeles Times looks at the new NBC/NHL deal.

TV Sports Jobs looks at 10 Worst Acting Performances in sports movies.

The great Bob’s Blitz blog has the ratings for WFAN and ESPN Radio New York for last month.

Pressdog notes the ratings for ESPN2′s airing of last weekend’s NASCAR Nationwide race.

The Canadian Sports Media blog feels CBC’s curling coverage ain’t what it used to be.

Sports Media Watch says TNT is off to its best start ever for an NBA postseason.

SMW says ESPN had good numbers for its NBA Playoffs opening tripleheader.

And SMW notes ABC had really good numbers for its opening two games of the NBA Playoffs.

Another post from Russell Scibetti, this time in the Business Insider Sports Page, where he noticed that MLB.com has stopped its free streaming of a game a night on Facebook.

Joe Favorito says in addition to promoting team pride, NBA and NHL Playoff teams might want to attach a worthy cause as well. I like this idea.

OK, lots of links and lots of stories. I think we’ll end it there.