The main headlines in sports media this week include the fallout from shocking allegations of sexual harassment in a lawsuit filed by a former employee against Fox Sports, as well as updates on the NFL’s TV ratings following the conclusion of the 2024 regular season. Let’s dive into the latest stories from across the industry, including a major development that dropped Friday morning.
Latest Sports Media News (Jan. 10)
Venu Sports Scrapped Ahead of Anticipated Launch
Venu Sports, the proposed joint sports streaming venture between ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery, officially canceled its launch plans on Friday morning.
“After careful consideration, we have collectively decided to discontinue the Venu Sports joint venture and not move forward with launching the streaming service,” said the companies in a joint statement.
“In an ever-evolving marketplace, we believe the best approach is to focus on enhancing our existing products and distribution channels to better meet the needs of sports fans.”
The companies expressed gratitude to the Venu team for their work to date, assuring support for staff during the transition.
Al Michaels “Leaning Heavily” Towards Returning to TNF
Speculation swirled about Al Michaels potentially retiring from broadcasting after Amazon Prime Video’s playoff game on Saturday night, but the legendary play-by-play announcer shared that he’s leaning towards returning to Thursday Night Football in 2025.
“I’m leaning very heavily in that direction, yes,” Michaels said when asked about next season on the Sports Media with Richard Deitsch podcast.
He added, “I want to make sure, number one, that I’m healthy enough, which I am right now. I also want to ensure I still have the passion for it — and I know I do. Those two factors are key.”
Lions Among Most-Watched NFL Teams in 2024
After winning their first NFC North division title in franchise history last season, the Detroit Lions continued to build on that momentum in 2024, finishing with a 15-2 record and earning their first-ever first-round playoff bye.
As the team solidifies its place as an NFC powerhouse, its popularity has surged.
According to Front Office Sports, the Lions appeared in four of the 20 most-watched NFL games this season, tied for the most with the Cowboys, Packers, and Ravens.
Their Thanksgiving matchup against the Chicago Bears drew 37.5 million viewers, marking their most-watched game of the season. Additionally, their season finale against the Minnesota Vikings became NBC’s third-most-watched game since acquiring Sunday Night Football rights in 2006.
Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki to Join Amazon’s NBA Studio Show
Amazon Prime Video announced that former NBA stars Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki will join its new NBA studio show as analysts next season.
Taylor Rooks, a feature reporter for Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football, will serve as the host of the show.
As part of its 11-year agreement with the NBA, Amazon will broadcast 66 games per season, including the NBA Cup quarterfinals, play-in games, the first two rounds of the playoffs, and one of the conference finals matchups in six of the 11 years.
