FOS PM: Steelers-Titans Postponed

September 30, 2020

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The NFL suffers its first COVID-19 related game postponement, while YouTube TV says it will drop Fox regional sports networks tomorrow.

Steelers-Titans Postponed

Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL is postponing the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans set for Sunday, Oct. 4 following a COVID-19 outbreak within the Titans’ organization.

The league said the game is being rescheduled to Oct. 5 or 6 to “allow additional time for further daily COVID-19 testing and to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel.”

Four Titans players and five team personnel tested positive in tests returned on Sept. 29 and 30, causing the team to initially shut down all in-person activities through Oct. 3. The Minnesota Vikings — who played the Titans on Sept. 27 — have also canceled in-person meetings as a precaution.

All of the Vikings’ tests from Sept. 28 and 29 came back negative. They are scheduled to play the Houston Texans on Oct. 4.

LeBron Goes Universal

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James and business partner Maverick Carter’s production outlet The SpringHill Company has a new four-year, first-look deal with Comcast’s Universal Pictures. The company previously had a deal with Warner Bros.

Development got underway two years ago on an untitled Universal and SpringHill Entertainment movie based on the book “Shooting Stars” by James and “Friday Night Lights” author Buzz Bissinger. With Warner Bros, SpringHill made the upcoming highly-anticipated animated feature “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” set to premier in July 2021.

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YouTube TV Drops Fox RSNs

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Live TV streaming platform YouTube TV is dropping 21 Sinclair-owned Fox regional sports networks on Oct. 1. Fox’s RSNs are the local telecast destination for 14 MLB teams, 17 NBA teams and 13 NHL teams.

The service had negotiated an extension with Sinclair in February to keep the RSNs through the end of the postponed NBA, MLB and NHL seasons, but that deal is “expiring” with those seasons coming to an end.“

This was a difficult decision made after months of negotiations,” YouTube TV said in a Twitter thread. “We hope we can bring FOX RSNs back in the future.”

Other Headlines

Serena Williams withdrew from the French Open with an Achilles injury and suggested she would not play in another tournament in 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the clay event began just 13 days after the US Open.
Las Vegas Raiders players are under investigation by the team for not wearing masks at a charity event held by tight end Darren Waller.
NASCAR added new races and stops to its 2021 Cup Series schedule, including the first dirt race since 1970.
In an open letter citing turf injury data, NFLPA President JC Tretter called on all NFL franchises to change their field surfaces to natural grass.

Market Movers

The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 329 points today as stocks rose on the hopes of another coronavirus relief package. Here’s a look at how sports-related stocks performed.

Up:

Big 5 (NYSE: BGFV) gained 16.15%

Vista Outdoor Inc. (NYSE: VSTO) gained 5.65%

DraftKings (NYSE: DKNG) gained 5.56%

Down:

Nautilus (NYSE: NLS) dropped 5.43%

Collectors Universe (NYSE: CLCT) dropped 2.90%

Daktronics (NYSE: DAKT) dropped 2.70%

Realife Tech and The COVID Safety Hub

Realife Tech is an experience automation platform that connects disparate systems, creating a 360-degree view of fans, which enables automated personalization across digital touch points and ultimately enhances the fan experience.

Join us on October 8 at 1 PM ET as Joe Londergan and Finn Walsh of Realife Tech discuss this technology and how venues and clubs from the Premier League, MLS, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Swiss Super League are using it for mobile ticketing, contactless mobile ordering, contact tracing, crowd management, personalized safety feeds, and more.

Featured on FOS

In season 15 of Marcedes Lewis’ NFL career, the tight end is going from the football field to his business endeavors seamlessly. On Sept. 27, he scored a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints, and two days later, launched an app he developed in collaboration with Ready Games.

Subscription-based sports streaming platform FloSports has a new, exclusive multi-year global streaming partnership with mid-level professional hockey league the ECHL. The company sees an opportunity to create original content for hockey’s ‘passionate’ fan base.

What does the future of stadiums in a post-pandemic world look like? While executives offered differing opinions, they were all in agreement that fan experience at stadiums will look markedly different.

What To Watch

NBA Finals Game 1: LeBron James and Anthony Davis look to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to its first NBA title since 2010 while Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo look to cap off a surprising season for the Miami Heat with its fourth Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

How to watch:

9:00 p.m ET on ABC

Betting odds:

Lakers -4.5 || ML -110 || O/U 217.5