Connect with us
blank

Sports TV News

Michele Tafoya to Work 300th NFL Game This Weekend

Michele Tafoya will serve as the sideline reporter for her 300th NFL regular-season game this Sunday.

Avatar photo

Published

on

blank

NBC’s Michelle Tafoya is set to break a record for the company this Sunday. Michele Tafoya will serve as the sideline reporter for her 300th NFL regular-season game – a primetime NFL record.

Sunday marks the 45th Cowboys regular-season game that Tafoya will work, ranking Dallas as the team she has covered most in her 18 seasons on the NFL sidelines (2011-present with NBC, 2006-10 with ESPN, 2004-05 with ABC).

This weekend also marks her 16th regular-season game featuring the Washington Football Team, and her fifth Dallas-Washington matchup. In all, Tafoya’s NFL regular season sideline reporting has taken her to 42 stadiums, with Sunday’s trip to AT&T Stadium her personal-high 19th at the venue.

Here is a report on Tafoya’s time on the NFL sidelines in the regular-season.

Most games by stadium:

Stadium, Location# of Games
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX19*
Heinz Field, Pittsburgh18
Empower Field at Mile High, Denver16
Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA15
Lambeau Field, Green Bay15
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia15
Lumen Field, Seattle15

Most Games by team:

NFL club# of Games
Dallas Cowboys45*
Green Bay Packers42
New England Patriots37
Philadelphia Eagles34
Pittsburgh Steelers34

Most games by matchup:

NFL club# of Games
Cowboys-Eagles12
Cowboys-Giants11
Ravens-Steelers9
Bears-Packers7
Packers-Vikings7

Tafoya’s future with NBC is up in the air, as she is expected to be done as a sideline reporter for the network after the season. It is unclear at this point if the company has other plans for Tafoya going forward in a different role.

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

Sports TV News

Diamond Sports Group Makes Rights Payment to San Diego Padres

Earlier reports on the matter claimed that Bally Sports San Diego loses $20 million per season on the current deal with the Padres.

blank

Published

on

blank

Diamond Sports Group has reportedly made its rights fee payment to the San Diego Padres, which averted triggering a clause in the contract that would revert the clubs television rights back to MLB.

Earlier this month, Diamond Sports Group — which operates the Bally Sports-branded regional sports networks — admitted it had not paid the Arizona Diamondbacks. Reports then surfaced that in bankruptcy proceedings, the company would look to get out of its contracts with the Padres, Cincinnati Reds, and Cleveland Guardians in addition to the Diamondbacks.

Earlier reports on the matter claimed that Bally Sports San Diego loses $20 million per season on the current deal with the Padres.

During a Wednesday appearance on 97.3 The Fan, the team’s flagship radio home, Padres CEO Erik Greupner said he had been given assurances that payment would be given to the team before the grace period deadline eclipsed, which was at 11:59 PM tonight.

San Diego’s Opening Day is tomorrow, and had the cable channel failed to make its payment, MLB has previously said it would step in to produce and distribute any games that had seen disruptions due to the downfall of either the Bally Sports or AT&T SportsNet regional sports networks.

Sports Business Journal reports Diamond Sports Group was motivated to make its rights fee payment to the Padres due to the team’s likelihood of on-field success in 2023. With star players like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Xander Bogaerts, and Yu Darvish, the team is expected to be a World Series contender.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

blank

Barrett Media Writers

Copyright © 2023 Barrett Media.