Sports News...

[TNmavol]

Top Stories​

Dan Lovinger, president of ad sales and partnerships at Comcast Corp.'s NBCUniversal, said the company is essentially sold out of advertising units for NBC's telecast of Super Bowl LVI, save for a few spots it is holding back until closer to the game, but that there is still "some work to be done" on sales for the Beijing Winter Olympics. The company expects to generate $500 million in ad revenue on Feb. 13, when it airs both the Super Bowl and live Olympic coverage, a day it has dubbed "Super Gold Sunday." (Sportico) The NFL averaged approximately 30.2 million viewers for its six-game wild-card slate from Saturday through Monday, up 24 percent from last year's Saturday and Sunday games. ViacomCBS Inc.'s broadcast of the San Francisco 49ers' win over the Dallas Cowboys was the most-watched wild-card game in seven years, averaging 41.5 million viewers in the late Sunday afternoon window. (Sports Business Journal) The University of Michigan said it reached a $490 million settlement with more than 1,000 people who accused an athletic department doctor of sexual abuse that allegedly took place in the 1970s. The payout, one of the largest by an American university to settle abuse claims, comes three years after a former student wrote to Michigan's athletic director to report the alleged misconduct. (The New York Times)

MEDIA

NBC won't send sports announcing teams to 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to COVID-19 Christine Brennan, USA Today As the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games approach and COVID-19 concerns mount, NBC Sports will not send any of its announcing teams to China, a spokesperson told USA TODAY Sports Wednesday afternoon. NFL viewership is rebounding … but it comes with an asterisk Bill Shea, The Athletic The NFL and TV networks are rightfully chest-thumping a bit, citing the league's best audience numbers (17.1 million viewers per game in the regular season) since 2015. But there is a caveat that doesn't get much attention: out-of-home viewing. Super Bowl Alert: Big Box Retail Buys In, Kia Returns, Travel Places Its Bets Jeanine Poggi, Ad Age Kia is returning to the Big Game after sitting out last year. Meanwhile, Sam's Club is looking to get out of the shadow of its giant sibling Walmart with its first-ever Super Bowl commercial starring Kevin Hart. Jim Nantz will call Farmers Insurance Open from site of AFC championship game — wherever that is Todd Kelly, Golfweek As Nentz points out, the AFC Championship game "will be the most-watched show on the CBS Television Network for the calendar year of 2022," and thus the network needs their main voice at the football game. LIV Golf adds David Hill as production consultant Mark J. Burns, Sports Business Journal Saudi-backed LIV Golf Investments is adding former longtime Fox Sports exec David Hill as a consultant to the organization's production team. Hill, who previously served as President of Fox Sports and helped launch the NFL on Fox during his 40-year career.

NFL NFL's Response in Gruden Case Tries to Sack Lawsuit as Frivolous Michael McCann, Sportico The NFL on Wednesday answered deposed Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden's interference and negligence lawsuit by arguing the former Raiders coach's case is baseless and illogical. In a motion to dismiss, the league ridiculed Gruden as "painting himself as the victim in a fictional story." Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians fined $50K for striking safety Andrew Adams Jenna Laine, ESPN Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians has been fined $50,000 by the NFL for swiping his hand at safety Andrew Adams' helmet during the wild-card game against Philadelphia on Sunday. Arians was attempting to move Adams, who was trying to pull a player out of a pile after a muffed punt by Jalen Reagor, which would have drawn a penalty.

COLLEGE SPORTS

At the NCAA convention, a new constitution is only the beginning for college sports leaders Nicole Auerbach, The Athletic On Thursday, the NCAA's membership will ratify a new constitution, a tangible and necessary step in a reform process that was first broached last summer. But it's also only the first step. NCAA adopts new policy for transgender athletes The Associated Press The NCAA has adopted a sport-by-sport approach for transgender athletes, bringing the organization in line with the U.S. and International Olympic Committees. Transgender participation for each sport will be determined by the policy for the sport's national governing body, subject to review and recommendation by an NCAA committee to the Board of Governors. Early returns on NIL for Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers come amid questions John Canzano, The Portland Oregonian The NCAA is poking around the University of Oregon, asking questions about its relationship with the newly formed third-party entity called Division Street, Inc. UO says it's cooperating with the NCAA. Cornell AD Expected to Depart CollegeAD Sources tell CollegeAD that Andy Noel is not expected to return as Cornell's Meakem Smith Director of Athletics and Physical Education. Noel has led the Big Red since being appointed to his role in 1999.

---Morning Consult
GBO
Ma

 

[lawvol]

This is premium content. Please subscribe to view.

 

[volsarebest]

This is premium content. Please subscribe to view.