Sunday Night Football Exec Producer Ebersol Could Be New Golf Channel Boss
by Ryan Ballengee on Aug 24, 2010 2:09 PM EDT
in Golfiness
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PrintYou may or may not know the name of Dick Ebersol. As Faith Hill belts out the Sunday Night Football theme song, his name passes through the credits as the Executive Producer. Ebersol is much more than the man behind SNF at NBC, where he has a killer track record as a sports producer.
Now with the NBC-Comcast merger nearing completion, and hopefully for the parties involved, FCC approval, the forces of nature of shaking out how such an organization might look.
Sports Business Journal's John Ourand reports this week on an Ebersol sighting in Orlando at Golf Channel headquarters.
NBC Universal Sports and Olympics Chairman Dick Ebersol was spotted in Orlando on Wednesday taking a tour of Golf Channel’s operations, according to several sources. Ebersol flew in and out of the Golf Channel’s headquarters the same day, a trip that increased speculation that Comcast will pick the longtime media executive to oversee the merged company’s sports channels, including Versus, Golf Channel and Universal Sports, as well as NBC Sports.
Who knows how the bureaucracy would work underneath Ebersol - currently Chairman for NBC Universal Sports and Olympics - were he to get the job, but it appears that Comcast would seek to centralize management of their sports networks - something not truly done today.
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The Sunday Night Football theme has lyrics ? I didn’t remember that. Oh well – as long as Faith Hill is on screen. :-)
Could be interesting with Ebersol in command. He’s not afraid to pull the trigger and fire people – but his hires haven’t been very good, either.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
And Ebersol managed to somehow get his daughter cast on SNL for a few years.
That took some finagling, for sure.
Christine Ebersol. She was a very bland cast member many years ago,
when her dad was in charge.
I'll give the bureaucracy a shot
Of course, everything I am about to say is conjecture and opinion…
First, you can assure yourself either Ebersol or a trusted subsitute (if Ebersol wants to concentrate on the Olympics) will be the Executive VP of Sports, looking over all NBC/Comcast sports channels and properties.
The Golf Channel name and logo will probably stay the same, and they will have a presence in Orlando (BTW, Versus I believe will have a name change; NBC Sports or some version including the peacock). Ultimately, TGC will have more and more content from either the studio space NBC currently has in New York or from new space carved out specifically for the new NBC/Comcast sprots conglomerate. TGC personnel will be used on the home channel and to feed the NBC Sports channel.
The big change I predict is PGA Tour coverage of NBC events (Players, Bay Hill, etc) moves from Golf Channel to the artist formerly known as Versus. NBC/Comcast is going to want to pump up the Versus presence and live content is going to be needed. Not to mention NBC/Comcast isn’t going to be too keen on Feherty and The PGA Tour won’t complan as more people are going to watch the ESPN competitor.
Also, be prepared for Olympic preemptions in 2012 just like USA, CNBC and MSNBC.
As for non-live tournament coverage, say goodbye to any on-air talent with non-NBC responsibilities (Faldo, Oosterhuis). Tim Rosaforte may also be gone as NBC/Comcast will choose a writer that works for the company both on television and on the web. John Feinstein will figure out a way to burn the NBC/Ccomcast bridge like he did with ESPN. Kelly Tilghman may be moved to whatever SportsCenter clone NBC Sports puts out.
I predict Golf Channel (the dumped the “The” earlier this year) will stay in Orlando. That’s where a LOT of the players live. It’s in effect the home of the PGA Tour, that is, if you consider Pontre Vedra Beach up where the PGA Tour HQ is (as well as a lot of other Tour players) as part of the Orlando sphere of influence. As they say, if you want to catch fish, you go where the fish are.
Secondly, I really doubt that Comcast will dilute their GC brand by moving coverage to other channels, unless there is two or three channel feed coverage. Moving it around creates viewer confusion.
Don’t know if Comcast will change Versus name. There already is a NBC Sports Channel.
by Charles Boyer on Aug 24, 2010 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions
I screwed up the sentence
but weeks when CBS has the tournament coverage, I don’t think an NBC/Concast property is going to want to have CBS guts.
As for Orlando, I don’t think the studio space will be abandoned. But I do think a number of shows that don’t depend on local guests will come from New York.
I predict Versus as a name is dead.
silly question – but who owns who ? I thought Comcast owned NBC…or is it the other way around ?
xxx Golf Channel went grammatically incorrect three seasons ago – that’s when I started using xxx :-)
TN – do you think they’ll come up with a better name than Versus ? A lot of people thought the LPGA and the NHL had fallen off the face of the earth when they were doing the coverage. It’s a “premium” channel in a lot of markets.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
In theory, it is a merger
In reality, Comcast is buying NBC.
As for being a premuim channel, Comcast will use their combined power to demand Versus not only moved to the basic tier but to better channels on cable/satellite systems nationwide.
Any Change
Would be good change for TGC, WE HOPE. I get Versus Channel and watch Sat Night Bull Riding, PBR and occasionaly a UFC fight.
I hope TGC cleans house.
"pain is only weakness leaving the body"
Better Channels on Satellite?
What’s better about 206 (ESPN) than 603 (Versus) on DirecTV? FWIW, Versus is in the sports tier of channels. Not at all hard to find, especially is someone can press the guide button.
by Charles Boyer on Aug 24, 2010 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions
If I am a sports fan with DirecTv (which I am)
I start with 206. I scroll up and get the other ESPN channels, MLB Network, NFL Network, NHL Network, NBA Network, Golf Channel, Big Ten Network. I have to make a specific decision to go to 603, which I won’t do if I am channel surfing.
I am sure NBC/Comcast moving Versus to the low 200s on DIrecTV is on the list of things to do.
You can bet that DirectTV will be jumping through hoops to please Comcast, especially after Comcast’s carriage contract dust-up last year with DirecTV kept Versus dark until just before the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
by Charles Boyer on Aug 24, 2010 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions
That is why you merge
So you have more leverage with your partners. Comcast didn’t have much leverage. NBC/Comcast has much more.
TN often makes good, insightful points, and is
always very civil. Same goes for OMP. Makes for good reading.
OK, I'll bite...
what’s Sunday Night Football? and more importantly,,,,I don’t really care….STUB
It’s football played on Sunday night. That oughta clear things up! :-)
by Charles Boyer on Aug 24, 2010 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions
I know, I know. I’m only here to help!
When Stub gets curious about what College Football Saturday is all about on ESPN, just know I am ready to lend what little expertise I have.
by Charles Boyer on Aug 24, 2010 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions
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