Monthly Archives: April 2011
A Break In the Action
Every year the staff at Sports Media Journal takes a break for a well deserved R&R. Well that break is now.
We will be away from SMJ for the next week and a half. We will have an edition of the Sports Media Weekly Podcast on Thursday, but no show next week.
Thank you for all your support!
SMJ Inbox- April 11, 2011
It’s a brand spankin’ new week, time to peek into the Sports Media Journal Inbox…
Masters Ratings Second Highest in Ten Years- CBS is reporting that the ratings for the final round of the Masters averaged a 10.4. Even though it fell below last year’s 12.0 rating, it is still the second highest rated final round for the network in the last ten years.
Masters Online Also Scores Big- CBS is also reporting that its Masters Live product on CBSSports.com saw a 33% increase in traffic with time spent viewing online averaging 72 minutes per viewer.
NBC Sports Group Prepares for Coverage of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs- NBC Sports Group has announced that it will have blanket coverage of this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs on NBC, Versus, and various local Comcast SportsNet outlets. NBC begins coverage this Saturday with Game 2 between the Phoenix Coyotes and the Detroit Red Wings at 1pm ET. NBC returns Sunday at 3pm ET with coverage of Game Three in the series between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers.
Versus will kick-off the playoff season with a triple header Wednesday night beginning at 7pm ET with Game 1 of the Coyotes and Red Wings, followed, in progress, with Game 1 of the Rangers at Washington, then capping the night off with Game 1 of the Chicago Blackhawks at Vancouver Canucks at 10pm ET.
Sirius-XM has Horse Racing Triple Crown Covered- Sirius-XM Radio has announced that it will broadcast all three races of the Triple Crown this spring. Coverage of all three races, The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness, and The Belmont will begin at 5pm ET on Sirius Channel 126 and XM Channel 243.
Sports Media Weekly Podcast No. 51- April 8, 2011
We are a day late for this week’s edition of the Sports Media Weekly Podcast.
Ken Fang of Fangs Bites and I look at the ratings for both the Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Tournaments on CBS and ESPN respectively, noting that both championship finals ratings were flat as compared to 2010.
We also look at the early coverage of the Masters, and whether CBS should continue to earn the favor of the tournament in gaining broadcast rights year in and year out.
We also look ahead to early summer as the International Olympic Committee looks to award US television rights to the 2014 and 2016 Olympics…
And we wrap up by applauding the coverage of former CNN sports anchor Nick Charles and his battle with bladder cancer.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
SMJ Inbox- April 7, 2011
It’s Masters Time…As the tournament gets underway, let’s look at what’s in the Sports Media Journal inbox…
NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship Viewership Up- ESPN reports that an average of 3.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the championship game of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. That number is up from the 3.5 million viewer average last year. The entire tournament viewership was up 16% over 2010.
Sunday MLB on TBS From Atlanta This Weekend- TBS will be traveling to Atlanta for this week’s Sunday MLB on TBS telecast between the Phillies and Braves. Coverage begins at 1:30pm ET.
New ESPN App Available for iPhone and iPad- ESPN has launched “WatchESPN” app for Time Warner, Bright House, and Verizon Fios customers. The app will give subscribers access to content on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com.
SMJ Inbox- April 6, 2011
Time for another look into the Sports Media Journal inbox…
Mulder Joins ESPN as Baseball Analyst- Former Major League pitcher Mark Mulder has joined ESPN as a baseball analyst. The two time all-star will debut on Baseball Tonight this Friday at Midnight ET.
Four New Editions of ESPN’s Year of the Quarterback to Air in April- Four new shows under ESPN’s Year of the Quarterback series will debut in April. One will focus on the drafting of Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady, two on quarterback prospects for the upcoming NFL draft, and a Sports Science program looking at the science behind some of the quarterbacks available for the 2011 draft.
Five New Episodes on Tap for the Next Edition of E:60- The next edition of ESPN’s E:60 news magazine program debuts on April 12th at 7pm ET. One will spotlight Red Sox free agent Carl Crawford and another will look back at Tucson shooting victim Christina Taylor Green. There will also be a story on how boxer Francisco Rodriguez lost his life in the ring but ended up saving four people. Another will focus on how caddies in Mumbai get to play their own form of golf. And the finale will be a look at the arrest of Brazilian soccer star Bruno de Souza.
Yanks/Red Sox and Phillies/Braves on Fox Saturday Game of the Week- The Yankees at Red Sox will be viewed by 84% of the country in this week’s Fox Saturday Game of the week. Joe Buck, Tim McCarver, and Ken Rosenthal will have the call. Matt Vasgersian and Eric Karros will call the Phillies at Braves. Both games start at 1pm ET.
NBC Has Red Wings/Blackhawks in NHL Season Finale- This Sunday NBC will telecast the Detroit Red Wings at the Chicago Blackhawks in the final game of the 2010-2011 NHL regular season. Game time is 12:30pm ET.
NFL Network Readies NFL Draft Coverage- The NFL Network is working to produce more than 38 hours of live programming leading up the the 2011 NFL Draft. Among the programs will be Mike Mayock’s 2011 Mock Draft, to air Wednesday, April 27th at 8pm ET. The network also plans to produce draft programming for NFL.com.
