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ESPN Keeps Distance as Pat McAfee Releases Polarizing Album With Colleague Support
8 days ago•Source: EssentiallySports
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NBA expands broadcast TV slate to a record 71 games in 2026-27
The NBA’s second year of its new media rights deal adds a record 71 regular-season broadcast windows (up from 62), placing it second to the NFL in broadcast coverage. NBC gains 11 windows (to 50) while ABC drops to 21; Peacock/NBCSN exclusive windows fall to 31. ESPN/ABC total remains 80, Prime Video 67. Overall, 71 of 228 national games will be on broadcast TV (about 31%), with NBC adding Opening Night tripleheaders and a Presidents Day doubleheader, and Sunday Night Basketball expanding to 16 games across nine dates. ABC will broadcast Christmas Day games plus a January 30 quadrupleheader, while there’s no NBA game on Super Bowl Sunday; ABC will host a rare Oscars Sunday doubleheader on March 14.
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CBS Signals Exit From the Romo Era After Arrest and Suspension
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Rebecca Lowe Steals the Spotlight as Zlatan Bows Out of Fox's World Cup TV Run
Fox’s World Cup finale is celebrated as Rebecca Lowe anchors a star‑studded studio with Zlatan Ibrahimović delivering a memorable farewell, turning early tensions into on‑air chemistry that helped Fox deliver a Super Bowl‑like broadcast across three countries, ending with a montage that underscored Lowe’s pivotal role.
Netflix’s Derby Debut Finds Its Swing in the Final Round
Netflix’s first MLB Home Run Derby broadcast had a rocky start with on-field promos, but improved as the night went on, buoyed by a solid booth and a dramatic finish in which Jordan Walker beat Kyle Schwarber. Netflix secured a three-season, $50 million-per-year rights deal for Opening Night, the Derby, and the Field of Dreams, raising questions about its ability to drive non-NFL sports viewership even as the broadcast delivered a memorable ending.
Inside the NBA Takes Center Stage for First-Ever Finals Coverage on ABC
Inside the NBA will handle pregame, halftime and postgame coverage for the NBA Finals on ABC for the first time, after ESPN licensed the show from Warner Bros. Discovery; the move, paired with strong postseason ratings boosted by the New York market and Victor Wembanyama, is expected to help drive Finals viewership. The article also notes a 15.9 million viewer Game 7 of the Western Conference finals (peaking at 22.2 million), along with a credential-revocation controversy involving reporter Scott Agness over Caitlin Clark injury reporting, and several other sports media tidbits.
Prime's Game 7 Tests Streaming’s Reach in the NBA Spotlight
Sports Media Watch analyzes the NBA's decision to air a second‑round Game 7 on Amazon Prime Video, framing it as a litmus test for streaming’s ability to attract marquee viewership and comparing Prime’s performance with traditional broadcast windows on ABC/NBC. The piece notes NBC’s strong Sunday‑night numbers and situates Prime within the broader shift of league rights toward streaming, suggesting a typical Game 7 could land in the 6–7 million viewer range (with occasional higher peaks), illustrating the ongoing tension between revenue‑driven streaming deals and broad audience reach.
Skip Bayless’s First Take Return Isn’t Nostalgia — It’s Morbid Curiosity
Sean Keeley argues that Skip Bayless’s Friday reunion on First Take with Stephen A. Smith isn’t a nostalgic revival but a modern nostalgia play aimed at a ratings pop. The piece contends the Embrace Debate era left little lasting cultural impact, with few iconic moments or memes, and the reunion reads more like curiosity sparked by ESPN’s past than a meaningful, desired return.
Prime Video inks Duke college basketball three-game neutral-site slate
Prime Video will exclusively stream three Duke men's basketball neutral-site nonconference games per season, marking its first foray into college sports. The inaugural schedule features Duke vs. UConn in Las Vegas (Nov. 25), Duke vs. Michigan at Madison Square Garden (Dec. 21), and Duke vs. Gonzaga in Detroit (Feb. 20), with Prime Video producing all games. Duke will also participate in ESPN-owned neutral-site events in 2027‑28 and 2028‑29 as part of the deal, expanding Prime Video's live-sports portfolio.
CBS Sports Drops Betting Angle After Sorsby’s Gambling Addiction Disclosure
CBS Sports removed a gambling-odds angle from its coverage of Brendan Sorsby’s departure from Texas Tech after the QB disclosed a gambling addiction and sought treatment; the piece had tied his absence to FanDuel odds, prompting backlash. Sorsby reportedly placed thousands of bets and now faces an uncertain 2026 season as he focuses on treatment, highlighting the tension between sports betting’s industry growth and concerns about addiction and media ethics.
Tomlin to NBC as top studio analyst on Football Night in America
Mike Tomlin, who stepped down after a 19-year run as Steelers coach, is set to join NBC’s Football Night in America as a top studio analyst, joining Maria Taylor and Jason Garrett in a revamped pregame show. NBC aims to refresh the program after dismissing Tony Dungy, with Fox also showing interest, as networks renegotiate NFL rights; Tomlin’s move solidifies his status as a premier NFL TV voice and leaves open the possibility he could return to coaching someday.
Stephen A. Smith Under Fire for Sports Knowledge Gaps
OutKick writer Bobby Burack argues that Stephen A. Smith shows thin command of sports across MLB, college basketball, NFL, and beyond, citing a drawn‑out UNC coaching suggestion for Kenny Smith, misstatements about players, and criticism from peers like Jeff Goodman and Josh Hart. The piece suggests ESPN pays him for star power rather than expertise and notes moments of disengagement (solitaire during the NBA Finals) as the busy spring sports calendar—NCAA Tournament, MLB, Masters, and the NFL Draft—approaches.
ESPN Buys NFL Network, Promising Synergy and a New MNF Schedule
ESPN’s purchase of NFL Network has been approved, with plans to keep NFL Network as a separate brand while blending top talent from both networks to create new synergies; a major change will be removing Monday Night Football doubleheaders in favor of a single MNF game per week with a scheduled lineup on NFL Network. The digest also covers NBC’s Sunday Night Basketball debut, a Black History Month post omission controversy, Marshawn Lynch on Bill Maher’s podcast, Puka Nacua’s throwback social post, and a preview of this week’s SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast with Bryan Curtis and Sal Licata.