September 3, 2024

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DirectTV attacked ESPN’s strategy today as Disney channels remain blacked out on the cable distributor. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro responded by saying the carrier had ‘no vision.’

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]], and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

DirecTV Standoff With Disney Intensifies Ahead of ‘MNF’ Kickoff [[link removed]]

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

As far as DirecTV is concerned, don’t expect a quick end to its carriage impasse with ESPN parent company Walt Disney Co.

During the third day of a blackout on the No. 3 U.S. pay-TV distributor [[link removed]], the satellite carrier said the upcoming season start of Monday Night Football on Sept. 9 does not represent any impetus to striking a deal [[link removed]]. Last year, the beginning of MNF helped pave the way to a new carriage deal between Disney and Spectrum parent company Charter [[link removed]], the nation’s largest carrier. But DirecTV insists no such dynamic is in the offing.

“This is not a run-of-the-mill dispute. This is not the kind of dispute where we’re haggling over percentage points on a rate. This is really about changing the model. … It’s more existential for us,” said DirecTV CFO Ray Carpenter. “We’re not playing a short-term game. We need something that is going to work for the long-term sustainability of our video customers. The resolve is there.”

Carpenter’s comments were part of a conference call held early Tuesday with financial analysts. The session was partly a reiteration of DirecTV’s ongoing push to strike a new carriage deal with Disney that includes more channel flexibility, smaller bundles, and lowered pricing for consumers [[link removed]]. But DirecTV went further at multiple points, accusing Disney of de-emphasizing its linear channels to push consumers toward its streaming services, and in many cases forcing consumers to pay twice for similar content.

“Disney intends to exploit the pocketbooks of our customers, and other pay-TV customers, to fund and support their [direct-to-consumer] apps, while they shift their investment away from linear channels,” Carpenter said. “They’re not charging enough to make money on the DTC platforms and asking the pay-TV customers to pay for it. … So it’s hard for me to understand how all of this leads to the creation of value. Longer-term, this just seems to be a path that is detrimental to the entire industry and the ecosystem that supports it.”

Bristol Retort

Disney and ESPN, not surprisingly, took strong issue with DirecTV’s comments. In particular, the accusation of devaluing linear content flies directly in the face of an aggressive run this year for the sports media giant that includes new rights deals with top-tier events and leagues including the NBA, College Football Playoff, and US Open, among many others, as well as prior pacts with the NFL and SEC that included expanded rights.

“With DirecTV, there has been no vision. There has been no plan that has been put in front of us,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said Tuesday on CNBC. “There’s been some name-calling. … This is their tactic. This is their playbook.”

SPONSORED BY AT&T BUSINESS

Explore the Future of Fan Experiences

The 2024 AT&T Innovation Exchange [[link removed]] in Las Vegas offered a visionary look at the future of fan experiences in sports and entertainment.

Key figures, including L.A. Clippers Chairman Steve Ballmer and AT&T CEO John Stankey, unveiled how cutting-edge technologies—like AI-driven fan engagement and immersive VR—will transform arenas like the Intuit Dome. Panels featuring leaders from the NBA, Disney Parks, and Cosm emphasized the importance of blending innovation with emotional connection, ensuring fans remain at the heart of every experience.

The event also spotlighted the explosive growth of women’s sports, with the WNBA leading the charge. Discover how AT&T is enabling the next generation of sports fandom.

Read [[link removed]] the full story.

Is Portland Set to Become the WNBA’s 15th Team? Here’s What We Know [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It appears Portland will get a WNBA team after all.

The WNBA is expected to grant Portland the league’s 15th franchise [[link removed]], according to Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. The news comes nearly a year after talks between the WNBA and local entrepreneur Kirk Brown to grant Portland a team broke down in the 11th hour [[link removed]].

The Bhathal family, owners of the NWSL’s Portland Thorns, will lead the ownership group of the team that is expected to join the league in 2026.

The official announcement of the Portland-based WNBA franchise is expected on Sept. 10. The team’s name has yet to be confirmed. Portland’s WNBA team from 2000–2002 was named the Fire, but it’s unclear whether the moniker will carry over to the new team.

Aggressive Expansion

It’s no secret that the WNBA is in the middle of exponential growth, largely driven by the arrival of its 2024 draft class headlined by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. Attendance is up double-digit percentages for all 12 teams [[link removed]], viewership numbers [[link removed]] are the highest in two decades, and in July, the WNBA, together with the NBA, signed a $2.2 billion media-rights deal [[link removed]].

League expansion is just another sign of growth, and a team in Portland would be the third franchise announced in the last 12 months after the Golden State Valkyries, who join the league in 2025, and a still unnamed Toronto club [[link removed]] that will enter in 2026.

While expansion opens the door for long-term revenue—including the potential to add more games to the regular-season schedule—it also adds a short-term boost because of the expansion fee. Valkyries owner Joe Lacob, who owns the NBA’s Warriors, paid $50 million to join the league. Toronto franchise owner Larry Tanenbaum paid $115 million [[link removed]], according to the Associated Press, though the expansion fee was only a portion of that figure.

An infusion of capital is important for a league that, despite steady growth even before this year, is still in a shaky financial state. The Washington Post reported in June that WNBA is still losing tens of millions of dollars a year. [[link removed]]

Calculated Risk

FOS graphic

The WNBA is aiming to have 16 franchises by 2028, so there’s still one more open slot. The league last had 16 franchises from 2000–2002.

However, expansion franchises always come with financial risk, and perhaps no league should be more aware of that than the WNBA. Since its inception in 1997, six franchises have already shut down, the Aces and Wings franchises have relocated twice, and the Connecticut Sun relocated once.

EVENTS

Front Office Sports’ inaugural Tuned In sports media summit will come to life Sept. 10 as a one-day event in New York City. Led in part by senior media reporter Mike McCarthy, this event will feature intimate discussions with leaders from ESPN, NBC, YouTube, Roku, and more.

Register now [[link removed]].

LOUD AND CLEAR Have Name, Will Travel

Cleveland Browns

“This partnership makes us an anchor investor, whether it’s the existing stadium or a new home.”

—Steve Steinour, chairman, president and CEO of Huntington Bank, on being the new stadium naming rights sponsor of the Browns. On Tuesday, the team announced a 20-year deal to rename their home venue Huntington Bank Field, despite their current lease expiring in 2028. Financial terms weren’t disclosed, but the name will remain even if the Browns build a new stadium. The franchise has received public pushback [[link removed]] on a $2.4 billion plan to move out of downtown and build a dome in suburban Brooke Park.

STATUS REPORT Three Up, One Down

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

49ers ⬆ The defending NFC champions agreed to a deal with star offensive tackle Trent Williams (above), ending a holdout that lasted all of training camp. He should be available for the team’s season opener on Sept. 9 against the Jets. The deal comes days after the 49ers secured a deal with wide receiver Bradon Aiyuk, another sign of the franchise’s willingness to stretch out contract disputes [[link removed]] with its star players.

Volleyball ⬆A crowd of 14,035 watched the State Farm Women’s College Volleyball Showcase on Sunday at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. No. 1 Texas beat No. 3 Wisconsin, while No. 5 Stanford defeated No. 18 Minnesota in matches that aired on Fox and FS1. The sport’s reach has been growing since last year when 92,003 fans packed Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium for Volleyball Day—making it the highest-attended women’s sports event [[link removed]] in history.

Florida State ⬇ A year after going undefeated, the Seminoles have started the 2024 season 0–2 following Monday’s 28–13 loss to Boston College. The tough start highlights off-field distractions the team has faced since getting snubbed from the College Football Playoff last year, most notably its ongoing lawsuit against the ACC [[link removed]].

Miami ⬆ While the Seminoles navigate a tough start, things look a lot brighter for their ACC rivals in South Florida. The Hurricanes demolished Florida, 41–17, and are poised for a strong season with Cam Ward under center. Credit also goes to the school’s NIL collective Canes Connection, which has a goal of raising about $10 million a year [[link removed]]to fund the team.

SPONSORED BY 3D DIGITAL VENUE

The Ticketing Evolution

In 10 years, what will you use to get into a ballpark, stadium, or arena for a game, and what will the experience look like once you’re in? The answer isn’t so clear, and the only thing everyone agrees on is things could look dramatically different.

Join us Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. ET for Future of Sports: Ticketing [[link removed]], supported by 3D Digital Venue.

From new technology and utilizing consumer data to QR codes, NFC chips, and fingerprint scans, all of the changes will get their moment at our latest virtual summit featuring industry experts fluent in ticketing innovation.

Register now [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters Sunday’s USC–LSU game averaged 9.2 million viewers [[link removed]], capping off ABC’s second most-watched Week 1 slate ever, despite the DirecTV blackout. Miles Brajewski and Jayci Simon won Team USA’s first-ever badminton medal [[link removed]] in Olympics and Paralympics history. Prime Video released the official trailer for a new docuseries called Evolution of the Black Quarterback. Take a look [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks ‘Threads Just Doesn’t Have The Juice’: NFL Writers On Brazil’s Twitter Ban [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]NFL journalists, often heavy Twitter users, head to a country where it's banned. Plaintiffs Appeal After $4.7 Billion NFL Sunday Ticket Verdict Tossed [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]The move was expected after a judge threw out a landmark verdict. Pac-12, Mountain West Won’t Extend Football Partnership to 2025 Season [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]The Pac-12 was unwilling to agree to the existing fee structure. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Or Moyal [[link removed]], Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]]

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