Warner Bros. Discovery Bows Out Of The RSN Business
Welp! Well, that didn’t take long.
Last week we discussed how fragile the regional sports network ecosystem was with the potential bankruptcy of the Diamond Sports Group, the parent company of Bally Sports.
Now comes word that Warner Bros. Discovery has indicated to its team partners that it wants out of the RSN business.
WBD is the parent company of AT&T Sports Net and has three regional networks in its arsenal located in Colorado, Texas, and Pennsylvania. It also has a minority stake in the Seattle, Washington-based Root Sports channel.
All in all, WBD has a footprint that also covers Oregon, Nevada, and Utah and has rights to 10 teams from the MLB (Astros, Mariners, Pirates), NBA (Rockets, Blazers, Jazz), and NHL(Penguins, Kraken, Golden Knights).
WBD has told the teams that it has until March 31 to agree on taking their rights back. Failure to do so would result in the channels filing for Chapter 7, a liquidation filing.
It is making nice by allowing the teams to continue using its equipment and staff for game production for the remainder of their respective seasons.
WBD is blaming the “well-known challenges that the entire RSN industry is facing” for its decision to bail out.
The media conglomerate has become frugal since new ownership was installed last year, and the RSNs may not be viewed as a critical asset within its inventory. So it’s using the fragile state of RSNs as an easy excuse to get out.
WBD still showcases all three leagues on a national level on TNT and TBS, and every penny it saves will definitely count as it looks to retain its precious NBA rights, which will be up for negotiation in 2024.
(Yahoo! Sports, Sports Business Journal)
RECAP
Former MSNBC Anchor And CNN Contributor Carlos Watson Arrested
Ozy CEO and co-founder Carlos Watson was arrested on Thursday and charged with multiple counts of fraud. The arrest happened in New York City, and he is being charged with conspiracy to commit securities fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Watson pleaded not guilty to all counts and bonded out after posting $1 million. Ozy’s business operations were scrutinized in 2021 after one of its executives impersonated a YouTube executive during a Goldman Sachs conference call. Watson responded to his arrest by saying, “I am deeply disappointed by the government’s actions yesterday. I am not now and never have been a “con man.” Watson was an MSNBC anchor in 2003 and 2009 and a political analyst for CNN for the 2004 presidential election. (New York Times, Carlos Watson/Twitter, TVNewser, )
Could CNN Be Pairing Charles Barkley With Gayle King?
“I just want to help the company because, obviously, it is a shit show right now.” Those words were spoken by former NBA player and current Inside the NBA analyst Charles Barkley while revealing that CNN has approached him to host a primetime show. CNN is still looking at ways to fill its vacated 9 pm ET slot and is sorting through various options, including having Barkley host a show. Barkley indicated that the show he would host on CNN would be done with CBS News’ Gayle King, who CNN’s Chris Licht also approached. “We don’t have anything set in stone. I’m only considering it because of my respect for Gayle,” Barkley said. There seem to be conflicting reports on how exactly CNN would use Barkley and King, with one report saying that they would each host separate shows on separate nights of the week. (New York Post, Puck)
Netflix’s New Docuseries Will Take On NFL Quarterbacks
The success of Netflix's Drive to Survive has given the streamer more confidence in doing sports docuseries. After taking on the fringe sports market with F1, tennis, and golf, it is going mainstream by charging after the U.S.’ most popular sport, the NFL. Netflix will debut Quarterback, which zeroes in on the most important position in the game. The series follows three starting quarterbacks during the season and captures their lives outside of work. Featured quarterbacks include the current Super Bowl champ and MVP Kansas City Chief's Patrick Mahomes, Minnesota Viking's Kirk Cousins, and the Atlanta Falcons’ Marcus Maroita. The docuseries will premiere in the summer and is being produced by NFL Films, Mahomes’ 2PM Productions, and former NFL QB Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions. Manning has found new joy in retirement as a media producer. (Front Office Sports)
QUICK RECAP
Jorge Ventura joins NewsNation as an Atlanta-based correspondent. (TVNewser)
Otto Bell named CNN's new SVP and chief creative officer. (CNN Press Room)
Nawal Al-Maghafi joins BBC Newsnight as an international correspondent. (BBC News Press Team/Twitter)
NBC News’ Lester Holt receives Larry Foster Award for integrity in public communication. (TVNewser)
CBS News’ Gayle King receives the 94th Walter Cronkite Award. (CBS Mornings/Twitter)
CNN’s Shimon Prokupecz wins George Polk Award. (CNN Communications/Twitter)
ABC News’ Robin Robert receives Sol Taishoff Award for excellence in broadcast journalism. (TVNewser)
Ukraine Coverage: How did the news networks cover the first anniversary of the war? (TVNewser)
Ukraine Coverage: CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell broadcasts her show from U.S.S. Nimitz. (Variety)
Ukraine Coverage: CNN's audience raises more than $8 million in aid. (CNN Press Room)
Ukraine Coverage: TV time devoted to covering the conflict drops significantly. (The Washington Post)
Don Lemon: Is he a problem for CNN? (Poynter)
Don Lemon: CNN's current troubles still do not mean it is for sale. (Vanity Fair)
Don Lemon: It’s all quiet from him as he returns to CNN This Morning. (The Daily Beast)
Don Lemon: He has been given a final warning by CNN. (TMZ)
Don Lemon: CNN keeps the drama off-screen. (Variety)
Jen Psaki’s new MSNBC show to debut on Sunday, March 19. (TVNewser)
Check out AppleTV Plus’ MLS League Pass new studios. (Sports Video Group)
Where Aaron Rodgers goes will determine which games will receive marquee spots on TV. (Sports Business Journal)
Warner Bros. Discovery posts Q4 loss, merged streaming service to debut in the spring. (MediaPost)
Will Dominion's lawsuit against Fox News finally stop them? (The Guardian)
CNBC's new evening show Last Call to premiere Wednesday, March 8, at 7 pm ET. (TVNewser)
Warner Bros. Discovery's David Zaslav endorses CNN's Chris Licht’s move for balance. (The Wrap)
Netflix cuts its subscription prices in 30 countries. (The Wall Street Journal)
CNN stands with Spectrum News 13 after one journalist died and another injured in Orlando shooting. (CNN Communications/Twitter)
Fox News’ Fox and Friends reaches 100 weeks as most-watched cable news morning show. (Forbes)
NBA's All-Star Game ratings drop to historic lows. (Front Office Sports)
How HBO and HBOMax's Casey Bloys keeps generating hits. (Variety)
Could AppleTV Plus be the next destination for Pac-12 football? (New York Post)
What Fox News will look like after the Dominion lawsuit. (Columbia Journalism Review)
Could NFL quarterback Matt Ryan be headed to TV? (Awful Announcing)
Who was the source of Fox News’ baseless election claims? (NPR)
BBC News presenters can relax their dress code. (Deadline)
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A MarkHenry Media LLC publication - Issue #114 - 2023