CynopsisSports

Good morning. It’s Thursday January 24, 2019 and this is your first early morning Sports briefing.

ESPN iced a deal with Aspen Snowmass to continue to host X Games Aspen through 2024 in a five-year deal. Aspen has been home to the winter edition of X Games since 2002 and by the end of the new accord, the X Games will have been in Aspen Snowmass for 23 consecutive years. ESPN’s X Games Aspen 2019 will celebrate the world’s top action sports athletes January 24-27, including more than 75 Olympians, as they return to the biggest stage in action sports, competing in 17 disciplines televised across ESPN, ABC and ESPN2.

“Aspen Skiing Company, in partnership with the local community, have been critical to the success of the X Games throughout our first 18 years,” said Tim Reed, X Games vice president. “The local support creates a special environment that all of the athletes, sponsors, staff and fans love. Aspen is truly a special community and we could not be happier to commit to another five years.”

PROGRAMMING

Johnny Miller will call his final broadcast next Saturday (Feb. 2) during NBC Sports’ live third round coverage of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, following nearly 30 years spent as the network’s lead golf analyst. The broadcast will celebrate Miller’s three decades in the 18th tower through special tributes and reflections during third round coverage from the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona. NBC Sports’ plans to celebrate Miller’s career during Saturday’s third round coverage will center around dedicated tributes, reflections and other elements, including:

Anecdotes from PGA TOUR players (past and present) offering perspective on Miller’s impact on the sport and how it’s covered on television.
Reflections on Miller from fellow sports broadcasters across the industry.
A “thanks for the memories”-style tribute from other NBCUniversal personalities.
A special acknowledgment from Dan Hicks, Miller’s broadcast partner since 2000, on the symbolism of the Waste Management Phoenix Open being the analyst’s final broadcast.
Retrospective elements from Miller’s broadcast career, including memorable sequences, occasional divisive moments, and other highlights over the past 29 years.

NBC Sports Group will also offer fans a “sneak peek” of PGA TOUR LIVE on NBC Sports Gold today will the opening round Featured Groups coverage of the Farmers Insurance Open airing simultaneously live on Golf Channel starting a noon. Thursday’s Featured Groups coverage on GOLF Channel will precede the network’s traditional live tournament coverage at 3p in a move to give viewers a glimpse at the video subscription platform available for purchase in the United States

Meanwhile, CBS Sports mapped out its 2019 golf coverage plans including the season’s first two major championships, The Masters and PGA Championship, back-to-back in April and May. CBS Sports also broadcasts 17 PGA TOUR events this year, including the TOUR’s new Midwest swing events, Rocket Mortgage Classic and 3M Open in addition to the first World Golf Championships FedEx St. Jude Classic in July. Coverage begins this weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open on Sat. from 3-6p, and Sunday from 3-6:30p. Jim Nantz serves as anchor of the network’s golf coverage. Production will see, in conjunction with Toptracer, Virtual Eye, SwingVision and Smartcart, CBS use different technology to enhance the storytelling and viewer experience. Throughout the year, the Network will bring viewers inside-the-ropes for a unique experience using green technology for putting, bunker cams, more enhanced audio and drone technology, as well as more in development stages.

ESPN added more spice to its coverage plans for the 2019 Pro Bowl, with programming running across four different networks – ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ABC and Disney XD, which enters the fray for the first time. The telecast will feature in-game audio of the Pro Bowl quarterbacks and captains, all of whom will wear microphones. Other planned enhancements include C360 cams on the goal posts, Ref cams and Line-to-Gain cam. DisneyXD’s coverage will include the Pro Bowl Skills Showdown tonight at 9p, while stars from Disney Channel will share their own Pro Bowl experience with fans on social media and will make personal appearances including during the ESPN telecast and celebrity flag football game.

ESPN reports that Saturday’s top-5 matchup between Virginia and Duke delivered a Nielsen reported audience of 3,764,000 viewers, making it the most-watched college basketball game across all networks this season. The audience peaked at 4,980,000 viewers in the telecast’s final minutes of the game. Season-to-date, men’s college basketball on ESPN and ESPN2 is up 8%.

NBA TV will debut Game Night Monday with doubleheader action on Jan. 28 pitting the Warriors/Pacers at 7p and Hawks/Clippers at 10:30p. The all-new Game Night Monday presentation will include a number of additive features to the telecast, including next-generation graphics and analysis with real-time overlays featuring updated statistical information. Additionally, "box-and-one" displays – with iso camera angles focused on key players alongside full-court game action – instant replays shown with live action, and increased "all-access" content will be part of the innovative game presentation.

A call to arms! (Well your eyes anyway). Cynopsis Sports is looking for a few more judges for this year’s Cynopsis Sports Awards! Sign up and help determine the industry’s champions, and join other experts in this time-honored role, all from the comfort of your computer. The judging process will take place from Feb 12 – 19 (click here to sign up). PS… Get your entries in now!

Outdoor Sportsman Group Networks, in partnership with Outdoor Media Group, recently launched Sportsman Channel Canada. “Outdoor Sportsman Group is extremely excited to welcome our neighbors to the north with programming that encapsulates the heritage and traditions of the Canadian people,” Outdoor Sportsman Group President and CEO Jim Liberatore said. “Creating a network in Canada was a natural progression for our business and we couldn’t be happier that Sportsman Channel Canada has launched.”

Pac-12 Networks has officially launched two new weekly podcasts as part of its “Inside Pac-12 Basketball” program. “Inside Pac-12 Men’s Basketball,” hosted by Mike Yam and Don MacLean and produced by Adam Stanco, debuts a new episode each Monday featuring special guests including Pac-12 coaches, student-athletes and personalities from across the nation. “Inside Pac-12 Women’s Basketball,” hosted by Ashley Adamson and Mary Murphy and produced by Colleen Farrell will drop new episodes on Tuesdays, featuring special guests alongside in-depth analysis of women’s hoops across the Conference.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

THE 8^TH ANNUAL CYNOPSIS SPORTS MEDIA AWARDS

This program is dedicated to celebrating the work of talented producers, hosts, sponsors and executives alike, and saluting the initiatives that drove audiences and turned sports viewers into fans this past year. With over 40 categories to choose from, you can be confident that your work will be evaluated in the best light. Industry leaders will be gathering on April 25th in NYC to watch as winners are announced, and the best of the best are celebrated in style, so save the date!

GET STARTED

SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTION

Cadillac has been named the Official Vehicle of the PGA of America, PGA Championship, KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and KPMG Women's PGA Championship in a three-year agreement. The partnership includes onsite activation rights and hospitality for Cadillac at these major Championships, as well as media buys on both CBS and ESPN, which will televise future PGA Championships. Vehicle fleets will also be provided for players, while Cadillacs will also be prominently on display at each of the Championship Shops for spectators.

X Games Aspen 2019 is adding three new sponsors to its event from Jan. 24-27 with Great Clips, Pacifico and Wendy’s joining the list of official sponsors with returning brands Harley-Davidson, the Jeep brand (exclusive automotive sponsor), Monster Energy, SoFi and The Real Cost (FDA). GEICO will once again serve as the official music stage sponsor. The event is also supported by returning brands Nobis, Polaris and Timbersled.  

ESPN’s 12th annual V Week for Cancer Research set a new record, helping raise more than $8.3 million for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, marking a rise of 83% year-over-year. “The 2018 V Week was ESPN’s most successful year yet. We are honored to share stories of determination and perseverance from sports fans such as Purdue alumni, Tyler Trent who helped raise much needed funds for innovative cancer research,” said Kevin Martinez, vice president of ESPN Corporate Citizenship. “We’re so appreciative of the continued support from the teams, leagues, corporate sponsors and ESPN fans who rally around the cause.” Over the past 12 years, V Week fundraising has totaled over $30 million for cancer research.

Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village has entered into a multi-year agreement with energy company Constellation that includes the naming rights for The Constellation Center for EXCELLENCE, a component of the $889 million Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village project under way in Canton. Constellation will be the exclusive energy provider to the Village and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Chicago Fire Soccer Club and Motorola announced a three-year partnership agreement, naming the Chicago-based mobile communications company the official jersey partner of the Club. Throughout the term of the partnership, Motorola will be prominently featured on the front of the Chicago Fire's match jerseys and training apparel. Through this partnership, the Fire will utilize Motorola smartphones and accessories to produce captivating, player-driven social and digital media content.

DIGITAL, DATA & TECH

Whistle acquired New Form, a digital entertainment studio based in Los Angeles. According to the announcement, Whistle and New Form expect to realize “meaningful synergies through combined owned and operated IP franchises which drive billions of watch-time minutes, shared content creation capabilities within sports and entertainment, and increased access to top talent through Whistle’s creator network and the companies’ respective CAA affiliation.”

Sportradar and Arkadium unlocked a multi-year exclusive partnership designed to “revolutionize” the way that fans interact with sports data online. The partnership, which marries Sportradar’s worldwide real-time sports data, with Arkadium’s interactive AI product, InHabit, will for the first time deliver AI-powered visualizations of sports data to millions of fans around the world. “

ESPORTS

In this week’s edition of Cynopsis Esports…

ELEAGUE’s new goals
NBA 2K League hits international waters
WorldGaming’s Stocks talks bull market
Intel Challenge return is a GO
Esports’ energy drink bubbles
Crackle adds Six to lineup
Twitter’s Year in Esports
Network Next gasses up
LEC’s brand fans
G2 Esports picks up pair

THE MAIN EVENT

Check out Karate Combat Hollywood on UFC Fight Pass today at 3:30p.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

The Cynopsis TV Award & Rising Stars Gala Luncheon

FEB 6 | 12PM – 2PM | The Yale Club, NYC

The Cynopsis TV Awards gala luncheon is a chance to cheer outstanding achievement over the past year in content, campaigns and more. We can't wait to spotlight the work that's been done by the groundbreaking Cynopsis TV Awards nominees, as well as the Rising Star honorees, who make it their business to stay ahead of the curve. We hope you can join your colleagues in NYC for this exciting event!

SEATING IS LIMITED – REGISTER YOUR TEAM TODAY

ON THIS DAY in 1950: Jackie Robinson signs the highest-paying contract in Dodgers history ($35,000).

In the Know: Who is the Patriots’ all-time career sack leader? (Email chris-sports@cynopsis.com with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city.)

Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question: How may rings are in an Olympic archery target? Answer: There are five colors but 10 rings. Kudos: John Ferlazzo/London; Michael Ritz-Northwestern Mutual/NY; Lorrie Shilling/El Segundo; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Federal Credit Union/Burbank; Jaymz Wooden-Bottelsen American Dart Lines/Santa Maria

Later -- Chris

Chris Pursell @VegasandVine
Diane K Schwartz Senior Vice President Media Communications Group	Roberta Caploe Publisher @robertacaploe	Cynopsis Ad Sales Mike Farina \| 203-218-6480 VP, Sales	Albert Nassour \| 917-545-3129 Director, Strategic Partnerships	Cynopsis Job Listings Sales Trish Pihonak \| 203-899-8459 Director of Operations

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JOB OF THE DAY

SENIOR DIRECTOR, DISTRIBUTIONS OPERATIONS

Viacom
NYC

Lead role as mgr of ops for DBD incl oversight of (i) current & future new media product deployments such as addressable advertising w/dist partners (ii) Viacom’s linear signal dist (iii) business solutions & associated business processes.

Apply HERE

SR DIR INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS/Univision/Miami: Direct/ coordinate dvlpmnt/execution of comprehensive, measurable, strategic comm plans to meet Univision’s bus objectives. Generally, 10+yrs exp corp comm public affairs, employee comm or related areas, incl exp mngmnt/supervisory capacity. Full info HERE (2/7)

TEAM MARKETING DIRECTOR/XFL/8 roles/8 Markets (NYC, Dallas, Houston, Saint Louis, DC, LA, Seattle, Tampa): Dvlp/implement a comm & media relations strategy on local & regional level. BS/BA req’d 5+ yrs exp corp comm, PR or mktg roles w/specific exp in sports, media and/or ent industries. Full info HERE (2/7)

SENIOR DIRECTOR, DISTRIBUTIONS OPERATIONS/Viacom/NYC: Lead role as mgr of ops for DBD incl oversight of (i) current & future new media product deployments such as addressable advertising w/dist partners (ii) Viacom’s linear signal dist (iii) business solutions & associated business processes. Apply HERE (2/6)

SR MGR, MULTIPLATFORM RESEARCH/E! Entertainment/Universal City CA: Candidate will leverage linear & digital performance metrics to dvlp strategies for optimizing viewership & monetization for E!’s ent content across platforms. Min 5 yrs of exp; knwldge of both TV digital analytics pref’d. Full info HERE (2/5)

MANAGER, PROGRAMMING/Stadium/Chicago: Want to bring your programming ideas & concepts to life & onto every media platform around? Create/develop show concepts, build presentations to highlight those great ideas & assist pitching them. Knwldg of sales/prod processes; exp w/project budgeting a must. Full info HERE (2/5)

RESEARCH ANALYST/Fox Broadcasting/NYC: Provide key metrics & analyses to all FBC. Focus is on primetime ent & responsibilities incl creating & distributing daily rating reports. Generate Fox programming estimates & preparing highlights for publicity. Some Nielsen (NPower & NNTV) knowlg req’d. Full info HERE 2/1)

MANAGER, ON-AIR PLANNING/Crown Media Family Networks/LA: Develop and implement on-air inventory utilization strategies. Oversee and implement promotion optimization tools. Min 3 years exp. promotional scheduling. Apply HERE (2/1)

MANAGER, CONSUMER MARKETING/Crown Media Family Networks/LA: Develop and manage consumer marketing initiatives. Day to day management of marketing campaign timelines and deliverables. Manage consumer sweepstakes, synergy initiatives, and SVOD mktg opportunities. Apply HERE (2/1)

DIRECTOR, DISTRIBUTIONS OPERATIONS, DIST & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT/Viacom/NYC: Lead role as mgr of ops for DBD incl oversight of (i) current & future new media product deployments such as addressable advertising w/dist partners (ii) Viacom’s linear signal dist (iii) business solutions & associated business processes. Apply HERE (1/31)

CAMPAIGN ANALYST/AD Council/NYC: Monitor/analyze a breadth of data, incl traditional media data, website data, social media data. BA deg mktg analytics or data analysis pref’d 2-4 yrs mktg analysis. Apply HERE (1/31)

ASSISTANT MANAGER, PR & SOCIAL MEDIA/AD Council/NYC: Ensures that assigned studies have appropriately trained staff, necessary supplies, and necessary forms or electronic systems for data collection. Excellent writer w/Min 1-2 yrs exp conducting public relations & social media programs. Apply HERE (1/31)

MGR, INTEGRATED MARKETING/TENNIS CHANNEL/NYC: Provide mktg support to Ad Sales team (all locations) & help dvlp/activate/execute strategies to monetize innovative multi-platform mktg solutions. Minimum 3-4 yrs exp @ ad agency, media co, sales organization focusing on client services req’d. Full info HERE (1/30)

MANAGER, CONTENT DISTRIBUTION, THE AMERICAS/LEGO/LA: Help to develop and foster strong relationships with key existing networks and content platforms. 5+ yrs exp in a content distribution/sales or content strategy role. Understanding of various forms of media. Full info HERE (1/30)

TRAFFIC COPY COORDINATOR/OVATION TV/NYC: (FT freelance) Tech-savvy person w/willingness to learn, a cooperative attitude, att to detail & strong ability to meet changing deadlines in a fast paced- envir. creating house numbers for on air promo and added value elements. Full info HERE (1/30)

NEWSY MEDIA SALES PLANNER/NYC: Work directly w/Sales & AdOps teams to ensure schedule runs as ordered & traffic issues are resolved. Mng nat’l sales proposals, prepare post analysis for clients & resolve contract discrepancies. 2-4 yrs exp in a multi-media sales co, or ad agency pref’d. Familiarity w/rsch products incl Nielsen & MRI. APPLY HERE (1/29)

NBC SALES ENABLEMENT DIRECTOR, SALES OPERATIONS/NBCU Tech Ops/NYC: Empower sales, traffic, research, finance and marketing users across our division to work at peak performance. Min 5 yrs in a similar lead customer support/training function, or a related vendor role. Full info/apply HERE (1/29)

MARKETING COORDINATOR/Cynopsis Media/Norwalk: Temp to hire. Play a critical role in mktg dept for Cynopsis (B2B publisher TV industry). Support mktg team incl event & email plan’g. BA deg mktg/comms. 1-4 mktg exp. Word Press/Excel skills/Event exp a +. Resume to Jenn@cynopsis.com HERE (1/29)

Sr. FILM & TV DISTRIBUTION ACCOUNTANT/Second Screen, Inc/LA: Exp'd part-time contractor to set up a system & execute a full report in the quarter after we launch nationally. Potential to join us long term. 7-10 yrs in film or TV distribution with at least 2 years in digital or OTT. Full info/apply HERE (1/26)

DIR AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT & OPERATIONS/NBCUniversal/NY: seeking someone to build and engage audiences across digital, emerging and TV platforms. Work with leaders in research, mktg, edit, engineering, sales and bus dev to implement a strat to retain/monetize audiences. 5 yrs exp in digital audience dev/mktg, BA/BS degree, some travel. Full info/apply HERE (1/26)

TEAM LEADER/CheckpointXP/Detroit: Visionary leader, w/exceptional orgnztnl skills to build/grow the division. Previous exp in brdcast radio & as mktg/promotions dir or event planner a +, but not required. Strong knwldg of Esports/gaming world; strong contacts & networking are a plus. Resume HERE (1/26)

MGR, BENEFITS/A+E/NY: Mng the admin of co-wide Health & Welfare and Retirement plans/programs. Lead contact w/insurance brokers & benefit providers. Point person for employee/vendor questions. 6+ yrs of HR Benefits mgmt exp. Strong tech aptitude w/advanced Excel skills. Workday exp preferable. Apply HERE (1/25)

CLIENT SOLUTIONS COORDINATOR/Telepictures Productions Inc. - WB/CA: Seeking a Client Solutions Coordinator for the TPX Ad Sales department. Responsible for assisting in the dev of cross platform mktg campaigns that generate advertising revenue for TMZ, TMZ Sports and toofab.com. 3+ years in account/project management, marketing or ad sales. Full info/apply HERE (1/25)

SENIOR DIRECTOR CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT/NBC Sports/Golf Channel/Orlando: Develop marketing strategies to drive viewership, consumption & revenue goals across various Golf Channel platforms. 10+ yrs mrkting exp in Media, TV or Sports. Full info/apply HERE (1/25)