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Media News
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Written by Maury Brown
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Thursday, 24 March 2011 10:22 |
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 Go to a ballgame, and there’s nothing worse than having to leave your seat during the action. Let’s face it, Murphy’s Law comes into play, and the roar you hear from the concourse has to cursing under your breath as you ask yourself, “What’d I miss?”
Standing in line for concessions can certainly have you missing part of, or possibly a whole inning.
Fear not, mobile technology is coming to the rescue.
Case in point, the Milwaukee Brewers announced today that they have partnered with Austin, Texas-based Bypass Lane, who specializes in smartphone apps to allow you to order food and beverages by pre-ordering and paying for your grub right from your seat. The good thing is, Bypass Lane develops for a broad range of devices (iPhone, Android, Blackberry OS6, Dell Mobile, and Palm).
The app allows you to see the menu offerings that are at the concessions stands near your seat, place your order and pay for it using Bypass Lane’s secured payment platform. The nice thing is, you get a text message when your order has been filled and is on the way to being delivered.
The App is available via iTunes App Store on the Bypass Lane website.
They’ve said for years that technology is designed to make life easier. That’s debatable, but being able to order from your seat at the ballgame is a clear win for fans. Now, about that line for the restroom. The day there’s an app for that....
SPECIAL BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK REPORTS:
The Labor Battle in the NFL. See BizOfFootball.com for details
 Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey, as well as a contributor to FanGraphs and Forbes SportsMoney. He is available for hire or freelance. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.
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Written by Joe Tetreault
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Tuesday, 19 October 2010 08:54 |
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NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, and WEEI Sports Radio, New England’s top rated sports radio station, announced today that they have entered into a programming partnership to simulcast The Dennis and Callahan Show on weekday mornings live from 6 am to 9 am. Beginning November 16, 2010, The Dennis and Callahan Show will be available on NESN in New England and across the country on NESN National.
"This programming partnership brings together the two most popular sports media companies in New England in a way that we think complements the strengths of each organization," said Sean McGrail, NESN’s President and CEO. "We have worked closely with WEEI for several years to produce the annual Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon. We now look forward to working with WEEI on a daily basis to bring The Dennis and Callahan Show to our television audience."
"We're excited because this is the next logical step in our progression as a powerful brand, giving us the ability to provide our great content far and wide," said Julie Kahn, Entercom New England’s Vice President, New England Market Manager. "We’ve built an unprecedented regional radio network, we stream our radio content worldwide via the web, we have original web content, mobile streaming…and now we will be available regionally and nationally on TV Nobody in our business offers what we do the way we do…and this NESN partnership impressively expands on that."
NESN will install four remotely controlled HD cameras in WEEI’s studio in Brighton, MA and fiber the feeds back to the NESN HD Television Center in Watertown, MA where NESN will direct the four feeds and add graphics. In addition to the live simulcast every weekday morning, NESN will also replay The Dennis and Callahan Show in primetime on NESN National. A one-hour "Best of Dennis & Callahan" is also planned for late night. The partnership also includes regular appearances by WEEI personalities on NESN’s Red Sox pre-game shows and other sports programs.
"Dennis and Callahan have achieved tremendous success in morning drive on WEEI, and this new partnership with NESN provides the perfect opportunity to expand their footprint across the region. NESN is the ideal partner for us given the incredible power of its reach across New England, and the combination of our two networks will make this new project an instant hit." said Jason Wolfe, Entercom New England’s Vice President of AM Programming.
"This is a natural fit for NESN. Dennis & Callahan is the 'go-to' show in the morning for sports and entertainment," said Joel Feld, NESN Executive Vice President, Programming and Executive Producer. "Passionate hosts, loyal fans and no holds-barred discussion. NESN viewers get that with our Red Sox, Bruins and other sports and lifestyle programming so this is a logical way to enhance how we entertain our audience."
Dennis and Callahan were paired together on WEEI in October of 1997 from 10 am to noon and after immense success, were shifted to morning drive in September of 1999 where they’ve been ever since. The show made an immediate impact in the market and has consistently been the #1 rated morning show in Boston.
The move provides NESN with morning program that is differentiated from the looped morning highlights show that directly competed for viewers with ESPNNEWS. Simulcasts have been employed by other cable networks, notably MSNBC who simulcasted "Imus in the Morning" as a morning show while it was broadcast on WFAN-AM out of New York. YES has simulcasted WFAN's "Mike and the Mad Dog" program and its successor show "Mike'd Up" in the afternoon drivetime slot.
Source: NESN
 Joe Tetreault is Managing Editor of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He can be contacted here through The Biz of Baseball
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Written by Joe Tetreault
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Tuesday, 24 August 2010 08:48 |
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Regional Sports Networks, as highlighted yesterday in Pete Toms' weekly column, and as we're seeing in the leaked financial documents have become vital sources of revenue for many professional baseball clubs. Among the pioneering RSNs is NESN, the joint venture of the Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins and one of the most successful regional cable networks on the dial. NESN has gained a reputation for innovation in reaching audience through programming that is sports-related, but not sports-centric. And wouldn't you know, they are at it again.
NESN announced yesterday they are launching a lifestyle program modeled after MTV's successful "Cribs" program, but that focuses solely on prominent New England athletes and sports figures. The NESN series takes an important lesson from current economic conditions by also examining the philanthropic efforts of the figures profiled. The series is slated to premier on September 3rd, 2010.
Part of NESN’s new Made in New England programming lineup, “After The Game” is produced by Linda Pizzuti Henry and Kelly Boullet of Nacho Mama Productions. Pizzuti Henry and Boullet bring a combination of Hollywood production experience and insider Boston sports knowledge to get fans the rare access they crave to their favorite athletes. Each athlete shares his/her favorite non-profit and why it deserves their as well as viewers' attention.
The first episode features Tim Wakefield walking viewers through his Florida home, explaining how he became the famous Red Sox knuckle-baller, and sharing why he takes time to support Space Coast Early Intervention Center and Pitching in for Kids-- his primary philanthropic commitments. Wakefield has been nominated by the Red Sox seven times for the Roberto Clemente which is presented annually to a player who demonstrates the values Clemente displayed in his commitment to community and understanding the value of helping others.
Future episodes will center on the Bruins' Patrice Bergeron, The Patriots' Matt Light, David Ortiz, skier Bode Miller, Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner, Boston Breakers forward Kristine Lilly, former Boston College star Doug Flutie among other sports figures. The show aims to help highlight both the lifestyle of these local celebrities who have worked hard but also the good they do by giving back. Show sponsor Hess Corporation has pledged to grant $5,000 to each athlete’s featured charity.
Red Sox fans will famously tune into to just about anything related to the club. Past NESN efforts at building an audience included Sox Appeal, which lasted two seasons as a Red Sox fan focused dating reality show where a fan went spent two innings with three different "dates" before deciding during the seventh inning stretch with whom he or she would want to continue the evening.
Joe Tetreault is Managing Editor of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He can be contacted here through The Biz of Baseball
Follow Joe Tetreault on Twitter
Follow The Biz of Baseball on Twitter
Follow the Business of Sports Network on Facebook |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Friday, 28 March 2008 08:52 |
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 For those interested, Washington Times sports business reporter Tim Lemke is conducting a chat regarding the new Nationals Park. As noted on the chat site:
Nationals Park formally opens this weekend with an exhibition game between the Nats and Orioles on Saturday, followed by the official home opener on Sunday night against the Braves.
The Washington Times' sports business reporter Tim Lemke will host a live chat on Friday at 1 p.m. to talk about what to look for, how to get there and, of course, answer any questions from fans. He'll also be happy to answer any other questions related to ticket sales, concessions, sponsorships or other sports business matters.
Click here to go to Lemke's chat
OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK
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Written by Maury Brown
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Thursday, 07 February 2008 09:58 |
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 Had enough (already) of being bombarded with the presidential race? Need some comedy? Like collectibles? Upper Deck released the following today. I'm torn... It's either the Gore/Knoblauch or the "Wild Card" of Jon Stewart and Bill O'Reilly reenacting the infamous Robin Ventura/Nolan Ryan brawl, or Fred Thompson as Babe Ruth, or... Forget it, they're all great. - Maury Brown
Select each of the cards below to see in full detail What true-blooded American doesn’t like baseball? And who doesn’t have an opinion regarding the country’s ever-changing political climate? Well, in its most recent baseball card product launch, the Upper Deck Company has married the two hotbeds of debate by producing a very unique “Presidential Predictor” card set. The illustrated parodies show several of the top candidates in rare form by tying each one of them to a pivotal moment or personality from baseball’s rich history.
“This was a unique concept developed to bring some timely and very topical humor to our first baseball card product of the season, “ said Kerri Stockholm, Upper Deck’s director of Sports Marketing. “We think the cards are entertaining and we’re hopeful that the candidates will also get a kick out of their cards.”
The candidates’ cards, inserted at a rate of 1:8 packs in Upper Deck’s 2008 Series One Baseball release, are hitting store shelves now. So with the Presidential election heating up and MLB Spring Training games scheduled to start in less than three weeks, the timing couldn’t be better.
Notable names in the “Presidential Predictor” set include, from the Democratic side, Barack Obama and John Edwards; and from the Republicans: John McCain, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson. A few other surprise candidates and political personalities are also showcased in the collection including Al Gore being tagged out by reigning U.S. President George W. Bush in a funny portrayal of Yankee second baseman Chuck Knoblauch’s phantom tag of Boston ’s Jose Offerman during the ’99 American League Championship Series.
Other parodies include John McCain and Ted Williams, a pair of decorated war veterans who served their country proudly; John Edwards’ portrayal of Archibald “Moonlight” Graham, both healthcare advocates, the latter who appeared as a right fielder in a single MLB game for the New York Giants (June 29, 1905); Fred Thompson blending with Babe Ruth, two larger-than-life characters who have appeared on the silver screen; and Rudy Giuliani as overzealous Yankee fan Jeffrey Maier whose infamous eighth-inning catch of Derek Jeter’s long fly ball in Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS tied the score, 4-4, before the Yankees went on to win the pennant and their first World Series title since 1978.
Collectors who pull any of the Presidential Predictor cards from packs will have the opportunity to win a trip for two to throw out the “presidential” first pitch at an official Major League Baseball game during the 2009 season. They simply need to type in the static code(s) found on the backs of the cards at www.presidentialpredictor.com to gain entry into an Upper Deck Baseball sweepstakes. The top prize will be open to all collectors who register the winning candidate’s trading card. Source: Upper Deck |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Saturday, 20 October 2007 08:39 |
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 Hot on the heels of the news that former ESPN personality Dan Patrick would be heading to Sports Illustrated comes word that columnist Rick Reilly plans to leave Sports Illustrated when his contract expires at the end of next month. As reported by Neil Best of Newsday:
It is not entirely clear where Reilly is headed, but ESPN is considered a probable landing spot. Reilly, 49, has been at SI since 1985, and his popular weekly column appears at the end of the magazine.
As further reported by Richard Sandomir of the NY Times: ESPN would not offer details about what Reilly would do. The company spokesman Mike Soltys and Reilly’s agent, Janet Pawson, said discussions were continuing. “There’s nothing to announce,” Soltys said.
Seems a bit of switching chairs is underway as the announcement of Patrick coming over to SI was announced Thursday.
Maury Brown is the founder and president of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football and The Biz of Basketball (The Biz of Hockey will be launching shortly). He is also a contributor to Baseball Prospectus.and is an available writer for other media outlets. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted here. |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Thursday, 18 October 2007 10:52 |
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 Just a few short months removed from ending his 18-year relationship with ESPN, Dan Patrick is moving over to Sports Illustrated.
The unique deal that will have Patrick across multiple media platforms. SI will also be assisting with Patrick’s personal website. As reported by Mediaweek: As part of the new deal, Patrick will begin writing a weekly column for the magazine starting in January, and will also at some point begin a daily blog on SI.com’ s community site FanNation.com. Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated will take over the management and ad sales operations for DanPatrick.com, which will eventually feature live and archived Web casts of The Dan Patrick Radio show – which was recently relaunched by the Chicago, Ill.-based startup The Content Factory. Sports Illustrated writers will also begin making regularly scheduled appearances on the radio show as part of the new partnership.
Asked what Patrick’s columns will be about, don’t look for the average. “This should be dangerous,” said [Sports Illustrated group editor Terry McDonnell]. “You can count on that.”
Maury Brown is the founder and president of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football and The Biz of Basketball (The Biz of Hockey will be launching shortly). He is also a contributor to Baseball Prospectus. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted here. |
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Written by The Staff
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Thursday, 10 May 2007 09:15 |
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 Baseball broadcasting legend Ernie Harwell returns to the booth Thursday, May 24 as guest commentator on FSN Detroit’s telecast of the Detroit Tigers-Los Angeles Angels game at Comerica Park. Coverage begins at 12:30 PM with TIGERS LIVE, followed by the 1:00 PM FSN has an encore presentation of the game that evening at 7:00. game.
Harwell is subbing for FSN analyst Rod Allen who will be in Arizona to attend the high school graduation of his son, Andrew. Harwell, who retired following the 2002 season after 42 years of broadcasting Tigers games, will work alongside FSN play-by-play announcer Mario Impemba. This marks the second time Harwell has pinch-hit for Allen – the first was June 1, 2003 when the Tigers hosted the New York Yankees. That day began with Roger Clemens’ attempt at career victory No. 300, but turned into what remains the longest game in Comerica Park history (10-9 Yankees victory in 17 innings). The 89-year-old Harwell, who entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981 as the recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, made guest appearances on radio and television broadcasts last fall during the Tigers trip to the American League playoffs and World Series, as well as the 2005 All-Star Game at Comerica Park. |
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