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By Pat Evans
Fox Sports and the U.S. Golf Association are ending their 12-year, $1.2 billion media rights deal seven years early. The broadcast deal includes the U.S. Open, which is scheduled to start on September 17 after being postponed in June.
NBC Sports, which previously held the rights before being outbid by Fox in 2015, is acquiring the rights from the network and will assume the remainder of the deal through 2027. NBC is also expected to pay just $37 million per year – Fox had been paying $93 million per year.
Broadcast News
— Without live sports, U.S. advertising revenue fell 31% in May year-over-year while April was down 35%. Without the NBA playoffs, WarnerMedia saw a 45.5% ad revenue drop, while ABC and ESPN parent Disney saw its ad revenue drop 39.6%.
— Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick is working with writer-director Ava DuVernay on a six-episode Netflix series called “Colin in Black & White.” The show will detail his teenage years growing up as a Black child in a white adopted family.
— DAZN CEO Simon Denyer is leaving his position, and will reportedly be replaced by current DAZN Chief Revenue Officer James Rushton. The shakeup comes as DAZN has worked to raise money, withheld rights payments for content not delivered, and furloughed staff.
— ESPN announced the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog-Eating Contest will air live for the 17th straight year on July 4. However, it will be held at a private location on Coney Island in front of no fans.
