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Andrew Fillipponi: ‘Maybe Netflix Will Pick Up Pirates, Penguins’

“This is my public service announcement: I don’t have answers for you.”

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The imminent demise of AT&T SportsNet in Denver, Houston, and Pittsburgh has left many Major League Baseball fans wondering where the games for their favorite teams will be televised as Opening Day approaches. 93.7 The Fan host Andrew Fillipponi said he has no answers to those questions.

Warner Bros. Discovery — parent company of AT&T SportsNet — is exiting the regional sports network, giving the Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, and Pittsburgh Pirates until March 31st to negotiate a deal to reclaim their local television rights. MLB’s Opening Day is scheduled for March 30th, and as it approaches, Fillipponi admitted he doesn’t see an ideal landing spot for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“There are no clear answers. It doesn’t sound like anything’s definitive,” Fillipponi said. “People are freaking out. ‘What if I don’t have cable? Is every cable channel gonna pick it up? Do I need to buy something extra for the remainder of the Penguins season? For the home stretch? For the first round of the playoffs? Do I need to go into my pocket and pay more? Where are these games gonna be?’

“There’s a lot of putting out fires here,” said Fillipponi, as he made mention of a recent interview Pirates owner Bob Nutting gave to The Athletic, assuring fans their games would still be televised. “‘Hey, don’t worry. The games will be on. We don’t know yet where they’re gonna be. We’ll tell you soon, but we can’t tell you right now. I wish I had answers! People are coming up to me — I was at a bar Saturday — I’m just making up stuff. ‘Where are the rest of the Penguins games gonna be? The Spice Channel! Where are the Pirates games gonna be? AppleTV, I don’t know!” I have no clue how that’s gonna work.”

The PM Team host then joked that Netflix could be an option for the dispatched franchises.

“This is my public service announcement: I don’t have answers for you. I know where the games can be heard…I guess this is good for us. Our relationship with the Pirates hasn’t changed. Where the games will be in a month? I have zero clue. Maybe they’ll be on Netflix. Netflix wants to get into sports. Maybe Netflix’ll pick up the Penguins and Pirates. Everyone’s got a Netflix account, or they pirate it or steal it or borrow it from somebody else.”

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Dan Patrick: NBC Created ‘Something That Was Brilliant’ With Flex Scheduling

“Networks were so upset that NBC would go ‘Hey, you know what? We’re gonna take that game and we’re gonna have it on Sunday night.’ Then FOX and CBS would be scrambling there.”

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Roger Goodell wants flex scheduling to come to Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football package. It could happen this season, but we won’t know for sure until May after league owners decided to table a vote on the proposal. On Wednesday, FOX Sports Radio’s Dan Patrick joined the chorus of critics calling it a bad idea.

Patrick said that the league always prioritizes revenue. If it were thinking about the fans, this isn’t something that would even be discussed.

The idea of flex scheduling was first introduced for NBC’s Sunday Night Football package in 2006. The goal was to make sure the prime time TV package could deliver high quality games every week.

“NBC did something that was brilliant where they were able to flex Sunday night games,” Patrick said. “Everyone wanted it.”

While the fate of flex scheduling for Thursdays remains up in the air, we do know that flex scheduling is coming to Monday Night Football on ESPN this season. Patrick, who worked for NBC when the practice was introduced, said that it always took care of one broadcast partner by screwing others.

“Networks were so upset that NBC would go ‘Hey, you know what? We’re gonna take that game and we’re gonna have it on Sunday night.’ Then FOX and CBS would be scrambling there.”

Dan Patrick suggested that perhaps Amazon’s Prime Video doesn’t deserve the same treatment as NBC or ESPN. Far fewer people watch the Thursday night game than any other primetime NFL contest.

Whether or not flex scheduling comes to Thursday Night Football, Patrick says it does not guarantee to change the package’s reputation for delivering largely unappealing games.

“I’ve long said it’s crazy to say you have to play Sunday and then turn around and play Thursday and we’d always go ‘Man, these Thursday games aren’t good,’” he concluded. “Well, was it the matchup or just the quality of play?”

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106.7 The Fan Extends Deal to Remain Washington Nationals Flagship

“We’re looking forward to continuing to serve as the home for everything Nats for the foreseeable future…”

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106.7 The Fan has announced it has reached a multi-year extension with the Washington Nationals to remain as the MLB club’s radio flagship.

Nationals fans will continue to hear game broadcasts on the station, and those living inside the club’s broadcast territory will be able to stream the radio broadcasts on the Audacy app.

“Opening Day is finally here and we’re thrilled to celebrate the return of baseball season by extending our partnership with the Washington Nationals,” said Audacy Washington D.C. Senior Vice President and Market Manager Ivy Savoy-Smith. “We’re looking forward to continuing to serve as the home for everything Nats for the foreseeable future and give the team’s fans a front row seat to the action on the field and top storylines throughout the year.”

The Nationals have called 106.7 The Fan home since the 2011 season. Beyond game broadcasts, the station will welcome Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo to The Sports Junkies every Wednesday at 9:00 AM throughout the season. The station will also air segments titled “Nats Insider”, hosted by broadcaster Dan Kolko that feature player interviews and features. Those segments will air all along the Nationals Radio Network.

“We couldn’t be happier to partner with Audacy in bringing Nationals fans even more of the interviews and exclusive access they love,” said Lerner Sports Group COO Alan H. Gottlieb. “From in-depth interviews with execs and top players, to off-the-field profiles and more Spanish and English bilingual content than ever before, Audacy offers a comprehensive look at our ball club from all angles.”

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Sports Radio News

Todd Markiewicz Departing 97.1 The Fan

“He has left an indelible mark in the Columbus market and within the sports/talk radio world by building The Fan with excellent programming, dominant ratings, and overall market share.”

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Longtime 97.1 The Fan Vice President and Market Manager Todd Markiewicz has announced he is leaving the sports radio station.

Markiewicz has been named the President of the 1870 Society, a Name, Image, and Likeness collective working with Ohio State athletics and Learfield to devise NIL strategy, fundraising, and logistics.

In an internal memo, Tegna Columbus President and General Manager John Cardenas credited Markiewicz for helping to establish the brand as “the powerhouse sports station in the country. He has left an indelible mark in the Columbus market and within the sports/talk radio world by building The Fan with excellent programming, dominant ratings, and overall market share.”

Markiewicz joined the station in 2010. Under his leadership, 97.1 The Fan has routinely ranked as the highest-rated station in the Columbus market.

His final day with the station will be Friday, May 26th.

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