Games
As part of a brand-new multiyear deal made public on Tuesday, Pat McAfee’s programme will move to ESPN.
In 2019, McAfee first joined ESPN as a college football authority for its Thursday night video games. In 2015, he returned to the network and joined the “College GameDay” crew in addition to moderating various alternate discussions of ESPN video games, including the CFP National Championship.
That will still happen, but McAfee’s programme is the one that has generated the most buzz. In 2016, it debuted on satellite radio, and in 2019, it gained popularity when it began streaming. The show has actually spent the previous three years primarily on YouTube, but starting in the autumn, it will move to ESPN, the ESPN YouTube Channel, and ESPN+ as part of the network’s afternoon roster. It will probably air following “First Take” and start at noon ET.
McAfee is leaving a four-year position at FanDuel that, according to the New York Post, is worth $120 million.
Aaron Rodgers’ weekly appearances on the McAfee programme throughout the football season, including his announcement of his planned trade to the New York Jets, are well-known, but so is his frequent use of blasphemy. During ESPN’s Tuesday meeting with advertisers, McAfee said he wouldn’t swear “almost as much,” but the structure and layout of the show would remain the same regardless of its new location.
McAfee said, “We ain’t changing a dang thing. Every additional word is excellent to proceed. Since it’s already in the middle of the day, we won’t be doing that, but everything else will be fantastic.
A documentary series on Serena Williams and four key games for the next college football season were also announced by ESPN.
Production on “In the Arena: Serena Williams” has already started, following the “Man in the Arena: Tom Brady” series in 2021. The 10-part Brady series focused on each of the seasons in which Brady led his team to the Super Bowl.
The quantity of parts for the Williams series has not yet been disclosed by ESPN. Williams won 23 song titles in grand slam competitions, but according to ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, that will not affect the episodes.
“We’ll add a few things here, but it’s going to be great. Pitaro said, “I’m probably as excited about that as I am about any movie we have in development right now.
Williams was also present for the conversation. Gotham Chopra will serve as the series’ director, and ESPN, Religion of Sports, Brady’s 199 Productions, and Williams’ and Caroline Currier’s Nine Two Six Productions are all involved in the co-production.
For the second consecutive year, ABC will broadcast the Labour Day weekend college football matchup between Florida State and LSU. On September 3, the evening video game will be played in Orlando, Florida.
On September 9, Texas and Alabama will face off in an ESPN video game. In addition to Notre Dame’s virtual game against Clemson on November 4, ABC will once more broadcast the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma from Dallas on October 7.
The Walt Disney Company’s entire programme for marketers on Tuesday included the ESPN conversation as one component. Prior to the switch to a united debate a number of years ago, ESPN and other networks owned by Disney had separate programmes.
Rita Ferro, president of Disney marketing sales and alliances, said that the change from eight different events to one resulted from marketers’ desire to organise fewer big events.
The conversation took place in the midst of layoffs at the Walt Disney Company, which includes ESPN. Disney CEO Bob Iger announced in February that the company would eliminate 7,000 jobs or reduce 7,000 duties through attrition.
The first of two rounds of cuts to ESPN occurred last month. Over the summer, there will also be a wave of cuts that affect on-air talent, which will be accomplished through non-renewal of contracts, buyouts, or cuts.
“The past couple of weeks have truly been difficult. I think people are planning on getting through this month and regrouping,” Pitaro said. We live in a world where fewer families are subscribing to traditional television. Business is under strain as a result.
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