ESPN Updates Ratings Numbers for BCS Championship– Following its announcement this morning, ESPN reports that last night’s BCS Championship Game between Alabama and Notre Dame had the second biggest audience of all time on cable television. The game had a 17.5 national rating with an audience of 26.3 million viewers. The number one program on cable was the 2011 BCS Championship with a rating of 17.8 and audience of 27.3 million viewers.
Seahawks/Redskins Scores Big for Fox- Fox Sports reported today that Sunday’s NFC Wild Card match-up between the Seahawks and Redskins earned the network a rating of 21.5 and an audience of 38.1 million viewers, up 24% over Fox 2012 Wild Card game between the Giants and Falcons.
NBA Double Header on TNT– TNT will present its first NBA double header of the year this Thursday. At 8:00p.m. ET the NY Knicks take on the Indiana Pacers with Marv Albert, Reggie Miller and Craig Sager on the call. At 10:30p.m. ET Kevin Harlan, Steve Kerr and David Aldridge will call the Miami Heat at Portland Trail Blazers.
Cremins and Cleaves Join SiriusXM Radio– SiriusXM Radio announced today that former head coach Bobby Cremins and former star point guard Mateen Cleaves will join its roster of hosts. The pair will be featured on SiriusXM’s daily show, Inside College Basketball, which will make its season premier on Friday, January 11th, and air every weekday from 12:00 – 3:00 pm ET throughout the season on SiriusXM College Sports Nation (channel 91). Hosts returning to the show for another season include former coaches Bruce Pearl, Steve Lappas, Tom Brennan, college basketball insider Jeff Goodman and broadcaster Jason Horowitz.
Big Ten Network/MediaCom Communications Expand Reach of BTN2Go– The Big Ten Network (BTN) and MediaCom Communicaitons announced today that MediaCom customers in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and parts of other Midwestern states will now have access to BTN2Go, a live 24/7 multi-platform extension of BTN. BTN2Go on is available via four platforms: website, iPad, iPhone and Android devices.
Sportfolio Returns to Bloomberg TV– There will be a new edition of Sportsfolio tomorrow on Bloomberg TV. This edition of the show, hosted by Rick Harrow, will look at the details of the recently completed NHL labor deal with Tom Laidlaw, a former NHL player and now a licensed NHLPA agent. The show will also look at the business aspects in the restructuring of the NCAA FBS Championship system as well as a discussion with Spike TV President Kevin Kay and Bjorn Rebney, CEO of the Bellator Fighting Championships and San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer weighs in on Barry Bonds’ Hall of Fame candidacy.
US Ski Team 36 on NBC Sports Network this Weekend– The next in NBC Sports Network’s series of spending 36 hours with an athlete continues this weekend as the network follows Olympic champion Ted Ligety in the 36 hours leading up to one of the most important Audi FIS World Cups of the year in Alta Badia, in the heart of the Italian Dolomites. US Ski Team 36 debuts Sunday at 3:30p.m. ET.
The National Heads-Up Poker Championship Returns to NBC and NBC Sports Network– NBC and the NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) will once again be the home of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship. Coverage begins March 14th at 9:00 p.m. ET on NBCSN. NBCSN will have additional coverage on March 2st and March 29th with the tournament shifting to NBC on April 6th, April 13th, and April 20th.
Time for our Super Bowl week edition of the Sports Media Weekly Podcast. One day later than usual but still packed with information!
Sports Media Journal 