September 9, 2024

Read in Browser [[link removed]]

FUELED BY

The Jets and 49ers play in hours. But there’s seemingly no deal on the horizon between DirecTV and Disney. We get into why that’s the case.

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

DirecTV vs. Disney: ‘MNF’ Kickoff Nears As Carriage Dispute Heats Up [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Deadlines often spur action during tense negotiations, but in the case of DirecTV and ESPN parent company Walt Disney Co., not so much.

As of Monday afternoon and with just hours to go before the start of Monday Night Football with a highly anticipated Jets-49ers Week 1 clash on ESPN, there is still no deal. Differing from the last-minute dealmaking a year ago between Disney and Charter Communications [[link removed]], DirecTV remains locked in its effort to “change the model” between programmers and pay-TV distributors [[link removed]].

That effort hit a higher gear over the weekend as the company filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission, accusing Disney of not negotiating in good faith.

“Disney has refused to allow DirecTV to offer ‘skinnier bundles’ of programming—unless DirecTV also meets related minimum penetration requirements designed to make the provision of such skinny bundles effectively impossible or prohibitively expensive,” DirecTV’s complaint reads in part.

DirecTV, meanwhile, is also pushing its subscribers to streaming services FuboTV and Sling as a way to watch sports while the carriage impasse with Disney continues, offering $30 credits to consumers who elect to do so. Those offers are in combination with a $20 bill credit the company previously offered [[link removed]]. DirecTV subscribers can now elect to take a total $30 credit on their linear TV bills, toward the streaming services, or in some combination of those options.

The company is seeking to further turn up the pressure on Disney by using Steamboat Willie, a prominent former Disney cartoon character, as the basis of a new advertising campaign [[link removed]] highlighting the carriage dispute. Steamboat Willie entered the public domain earlier this year.

Back at Disney

Negotiations between the two sides continued all weekend and into Monday. As kickoff for the Jets and 49ers approaches, though, there are still multiple issues unresolved, sources tell Front Office Sports.

“We urge DirecTV to stop creating diversions and instead prioritize their customers by finalizing a deal that would allow their subscribers to watch our strong upcoming lineup of sports, news, and entertainment programming, starting with the return of Monday Night Football,” Disney said in a statement.

Different Dynamics

The return of MNF, one of the top-rated programs in all of U.S. television, is no doubt something any carrier would like to have, and the Jets are again playing in the opener. But there is perhaps less pressure on DirecTV to strike a new carriage deal with Disney than what existed with Charter a year ago.

Charter’s Spectrum is a dominant entity in the New York pay-TV market, holding about 1.5 million area subscribers at the time of last year’s negotiations, and the high-profile debut of quarterback Aaron Rodgers as the Jets’ starting quarterback was a factor throughout those talks.

DirecTV, conversely, is a smaller player in the nation’s largest media market, due in no small part to the many skyscrapers and multi-family and apartment buildings that have constrained satellite dish penetration there. Of DirecTV’s roughly 11 million subscribers, an amount only in the low- to mid-six figures is believed to be in the New York area.

As a result, the singular prospect of New York–area fans missing out on the Jets opener on DirecTV doesn’t carry as much weight.

FUELED BY GATORADE

Meet The Women Taking Over the NFL

In the latest episode [[link removed]] of FOS Explains, multimedia reporter Derryl Barnes explores how women are transforming football from agents and coaches to influencers and flag football stars. This episode spotlights trailblazers like Kristin Juszczyk, whose viral custom game-day jackets—worn by Taylor Swift—led to a 2,000% spike in online searches for custom NFL jackets. Now Kristin has teamed up with Gatorade to celebrate women in football with an exclusive capsule collection.

We also dive into the stories of agent Nicole Lynn, coach Jennifer King, flag football star Diana Flores, and broadcaster Maria Taylor, all of whom are shaping the future of the game. These women aren’t just part of the NFL; they’re shaping its future.

Watch the full episode [[link removed]].

NFL Banks Big on Jets to Drive 2024 Viewership: Will Rodgers Deliver? [[link removed]]

The Record

Aaron Rodgers (above) will make his long-awaited return to an NFL field on Monday Night Football when the 49ers host the Jets, a team the league is once again counting on in a big way to drive viewership this season.

Last season, New York was featured in four prime-time broadcasts and a Black Friday game, after Rodgers tore his Achilles four plays into his Jets debut on MNF. This fall, Monday’s matchup on ABC and ESPN in San Francisco is the first of six prime-time games featuring New York—all within the season’s first 11 weeks. The Jets also have a stand-alone Sunday morning game window on NFL Network for an international contest.

Week 1: At 49ers (MNF) Week 3: Patriots (Thursday Night Football) Week 5: Vikings (London stand-alone) Week 6: Bills (MNF) Week 7: At Steelers (Sunday Night Football) Week 9: Texans (TNF) Week 11: Colts (SNF) The Rodgers Impact

When the 2024 NFL regular-season schedule was released in May [[link removed]], the league’s VP of broadcast planning, Mike North, said he felt like the Jets “kind of owe us one,” after going 7–10 in the middle of the national TV spotlight following the injury to Rodgers.

The NFL’s broadcast partners evidently feel the same way. North said there was high interest in New York games when creating the schedule. “Everybody was looking for an early-season Aaron Rodgers opportunity,” he said. The prime-time schedule gives ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video two shots at the Jets each.

In the Bay Area, where Rodgers played collegiately, his presence is driving significant interest, too. “The game was definitely going to be in high demand, regardless,” 49ers chief revenue officer Brent Schoeb said on Monday’s episode of Front Office Sports Today [[link removed]]. “But the fact that it’s our home opener on Monday Night Football, we’re pretty much all sold out of everything, including all standing-room-only tickets.”

Monday Night Madness

Last season, the average NFL audience was up 7% [[link removed]] over 2022 to 17.9 million viewers per game. The biggest boost came from MNF, which was up 29% to a 17.4 million viewership average, in large part thanks to ABC simulcasting all 18 weeks of the regular season alongside ESPN, due to the Hollywood writers and actors strikes, 11 more games than it did the prior season.

This fall, ABC is scheduled to simulcast only seven MNF games, and one broadcast will be an ESPN+ exclusive stream. NFL viewership on Monday nights will likely dip this season, due to those shifting logistics.

Travis Hunter Signs NIL Deal With United Airlines [[link removed]]

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Front Office Sports keeps you updated on the latest NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals shaping college sports. Here’s who is cashing in now:

Athlete: Travis Hunter Sport: Football School: Colorado Brand: United Airlines

The deal: Colorado’s dual-threat cornerback and wide receiver is partnering with United Airlines to promote its new flight routes between popular college towns [[link removed]]. Hunter (above), a projected top pick in the 2025 NFL draft [[link removed]], will appear in social media spots throughout the season, and he released his first post for the partnership recently with a video on Instagram [[link removed]].

Last season, United Airlines partnered with former USC quarterback Caleb Williams, who was picked No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL draft by the Bears. Hunter is fourth on On3’s NIL 100 [[link removed]] with a valuation of $2.7 million.

STATUS REPORT Three Up, One Down

Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Mavericks ⬆ The defending Western Conference champions agreed to a multiyear media-rights deal with Tegna weeks after the team cut ties with Diamond Sports Group [[link removed]], the parent company of Bally Sports. The move to over-the-air TV means that about three times as many people will be able to watch the majority of Dallas’s games, the team announced, though it’s still unclear what the long-term financial ramifications will be [[link removed]].

NWSL ⬆ The league surpassed 1.5 million in total attendance for the 2024 season Sunday, the first time it has ever hit that milestone. The achievement comes a week after it had passed its attendance record for a season of 1.42 million. The NWSL is averaging 11,500 fans per game this year and is on track to breach the two million in total attendance [[link removed]] before the end of the season.

Columbus Clingstones ⬆ The Double-A affiliate of the Braves announced its official name Friday [[link removed]], a tribute to the Peach State—clingstones and freestones are two primary categories of peaches. The city last had a minor league baseball team in 2008, and it will welcome the Clingstones in 2025 following the relocation of the Mississippi Braves. The Atlanta Braves will have one of MLB’s most tightly clustered sets of farm clubs, with all four of their affiliates to be located within 150 miles of Atlanta.

Chelsea ⬇ There is a rift between the Premier League club’s American co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, the majority shareholder headed by Behdad Eghbali, and each is trying to buy out the other’s share and take full control of the club. The two sides worked together to acquire the club for $5 billion in 2022 [[link removed]].

FUELED BY GATORADE

Fueling the Future of Football

Gatorade [[link removed]] is joining forces with fashion designer Kristin Juszczyk for an exclusive capsule collection [[link removed]] that sits at the intersection of culture, sports, and fashion.

Dropping Sept. 12 on the Gatorade site, this limited-edition release showcases Kristin’s unique design approach, with elements that pay homage to flag football and the rising influence of women in the sport. The collaboration aims to fuel the future of football by celebrating the contributions of women on and off the field.

Be the first to shop the new limited-edition capsules, designed in collaboration with Kristin Juszczyk. The full collection [[link removed]] is coming Sept. 12.

Conversation Starters Nike paid tribute to Alex Morgan, who announced her retirement [[link removed]] last week and played her last professional game Sunday. Take a look [[link removed]]. Cosm, which provides a sports viewing experience similar to the Sphere in Las Vegas, aired Saturday’s Texas-Michigan at its Dallas location. Watch it here [[link removed]]. Netflix announced a new docuseries on Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers that premieres Dec. 17. Check out the trailer [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks Stephen A. Smith Eyes Monday Night—and Record Contract [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Smith is the face of ESPN, and soon, maybe its highest-paid talent. Tyreek Hill Could Target Miami-Dade Police With Lawsuit [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]Hill’s agent tells FOS legal action is a possibility. Matt Ryan Would Like to Re-Introduce Himself [[link removed]]by Jake Kring-Schreifels [[link removed]]The QB turned broadcaster says he’s not the boring guy you know. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]] Edited by Or Moyal [[link removed]], Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here [[link removed]].

Update your preferences [link removed] / Unsubscribe [link removed]

Copyright © 2024 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

460 Park Avenue South, 7th Floor, New York NY, 10016