Connect with us
blank

Sports TV News

ESPN Takes College Gameday To Disney World For Week 0

“Due to Disney policy, fans will not be allowed to bring in signs or flags for the broadcast.”

blank

Published

on

blank

The eyes of the sports world will be focused on Disney World next Saturday, as Florida and Miami square off in “Week 0” from Mickey’s backyard in Orlando.  With the rest of Division 1 football starting over Memorial Day weekend, ESPN has the whole day to themselves, and they intend to capitalize.

The all Sunshine State showdown between the longtime rivals will be the first to wear the ESPN CFB150 Showcase Game of the Week label, a brand the worldwide leader will stick with throughout college football’s 150th season.  College GameDay will be live from Magic Kingdom Park – which should be interesting as the crew will only have one FBS game outside of Florida vs Miami to preview. 

This year marks the 26th season for the 11 time Sports Emmy Award-winning program, and the first time it’ll broadcast from Disney World.  That makes the Magic Kingdom the 85th location in GameDay’s history. 

There is something though that will make the first College GameDay of 2019 different from any other. Due to Disney policy, fans will not be allowed to bring in signs or flags for the broadcast. That means it will be Mickey Mouse that brings the incredible streak of Washington State fans bringing their team’s flag to College GameDay to an end.

The 3 hour program will likely stock up with plenty of features (including Lee Corso cruising around Disney World) and big picture discussions over a number of college football story lines.  A couple hours after GameDay wraps up, ESPN will broadcast the Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff between Samford and Youngstown State leading into the Florida-Miami showdown at 7 pm ET.

Die hard Florida fans will have the option of clicking over to the SEC Network to check out SEC Nation Presented by Dr Pepper from 5 to 7 pm ET to preview the game with Laura Rutledge steering and Tim Tebow, Marcus Spears and Paul Finebaum providing analysis.  The combined 5 hours of pregame coverage between ESPN and the SEC Network ultimately kicks off a season that will feature more than 1,000 football games on the family of networks.  

As if there wasn’t enough coverage of the Week 0 matchup – the ACC Network, which launched two days prior, will offer up their All ACC Watch Party: Miami vs. Florida, where former Hurricanes Mark Richt and Jon Beason will have insight into the game from Bristol.  Former All-American Miami linebacker Jonathan Vilma will contribute from the game in Orlando.  

Sports TV News

Holly Rowe Signs Long-Term Extension With ESPN

“I feel like I am living my best life and I am so grateful to ESPN for letting me keep doing this.”

blank

Published

on

blank

ESPN reporter Holly Rowe has signed a multi-year extension to remain with the company.

Rowe works as a sideline reporter for ESPN/ABC’s coverage of college football — including the College Football Playoffs, the WNBA, women’s college basketball, and the Women’s College World Series, among other high-profile assignments.

“I feel like I am living my best life and I am so grateful to ESPN for letting me keep doing this,” Rowe told The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch.

Earlier this year, Rowe was named the 2023 Curt Gowdy Media Award winner from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for her electronic media work.

Rowe joined ESPN in 1998, and signed her last contract extension with the network in 2018 shortly before she announced she had undergone her final chemotherapy treatment in August of that year after a melanoma diagnosis in 2016.

According to Deitsch, Rowe’s contract was set to expire next month.

Continue Reading

Sports TV News

Mike Florio: The NFL Will Have Games 7 Days a Week & Will Expand To Make it Happen

“So if you wanna increase the total number of games so you can have games Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Friday night, Saturday night, at some point you need more teams to get more games.”

Jordan Bondurant

Published

on

blank

Could you picture NFL games on every night of the week from September to January? ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio thinks it’ll happen in his lifetime.

In an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, Florio said it’s inevitable that we’ll see the league play games every night.

“I think sooner than later we’re gonna have Tuesday Night Football, we’re gonna have Wednesday Night Football,” he said. “It’s gonna be hopefully in my lifetime a seven day a week, primetime event. There’s too much money to be made.”

“I would love to have football on every night of the week,” Florio added. “It would be nice to have a night or two off. Like Friday night and Saturday night would be nice, but I’d be fine with Tuesday and Wednesday.”

How does Florio think the NFL will get to the point of playing seven days a week during the season? Expansion. And the league has already expressed interest in establishing franchises in Europe.

“I think they’re gonna start moving that number from 32 to in time 34, 36, 38 eventually 40,” Florio said. “Quarterbacks is the key. Is there ever gonna be enough quarterbacks to have 40 NFL teams? But I think that would be the ultimate maximum number.”

Even McAfee added that an 18th NFL regular season game will be coming sooner rather than later. Florio said in order to justify the need for one more game, expansion is the answer.

“When it comes to the inventory, 18 games is the most they’re gonna get away with,” Florio said. “So if you wanna increase the total number of games so you can have games Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Friday night, Saturday night, at some point you need more teams to get more games.”

“If the money’s there to be made by the owners, they’ll deal with it,” he added.

Continue Reading

Sports TV News

Nick Khan: We Hope Pat McAfee Wants To Do More With WWE

“The world is his oyster.”

Jordan Bondurant

Published

on

blank

Pat McAfee continues to be on hiatus from his obligations to WWE. As the media star and father-to-be weighs options for the future of his daily sports show and other dealings, WWE’s CEO wants McAfee to keep wrestling in the mix.

Appearing on The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, WWE CEO Nick Khan said with the company’s signature live event this weekend, WrestleMania, don’t expect McAfee to show up like he did in January at the Royal Rumble.

“We have no plans to have him there this weekend,” Khan said.

Co-host Andrew Marchand asked how WWE handles talks with McAfee, who is believed to be ending his relationship with FanDuel two years into a four-year $120 million contract. WWE has a relationship with NBCUniversal, with WWE Network and its massive library of content being absorbed into Peacock in 2021. McAfee has since been replaced at the SmackDown announce table by former WWE superstar Wade Barrett.

“The world is his oyster,” Khan said. “He’s 36 years old and look at his relevancy factor when you talk to young children, as I have two young children. When I talk to them it’s often McAfee, McAfee, McAfee. That’s what’s in the wheelhouse for them. So if you look at any of the traditional buyers, what do they want? They want a young, diverse audience. What does McAfee bring? He brings a young, diverse audience.”

Khan noted how McAfee tends to not get overly political or controversial with his show and how he’s developed relationships with athletes like Aaron Rodgers and gives them a platform to speak freely without condemnation.

“He’s not looking to annihilate anybody, or crucify them,” he said. “He’s looking to have good content, and his content has been terrific. He’ll determine ultimately where he wants his home to be. And our hope is that he does more with us.”

Continue Reading
Advertisement

blank

Barrett Media Writers

Copyright © 2023 Barrett Media.