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NEW YORK — Super Bowl LXI is 2.5 years away. But ESPN has already started game-planning how it will produce and televise its first Big Game, noted president of content Burke Magnus. Since its founding in 1979, ESPN has dreamed of landing a Super Bowl. During the most recent NFL rights negotiation, ESPN finally cracked the Big Game rotation, scoring the rights to two Super Bowls after the 2026 and 2030 seasons. ESPN’s first two Super Bowl telecasts will be simulcast on sister Disney network ABC. (ABC televised 2006’s Super Bowl XL in Detroit, but that game was produced under the aegis of the old ABC Sports.)
ESPN never does anything halfway. Magnus said the network wants to cover the Super Bowl like it’s never been covered before when the day finally arrives Feb. 14, 2027. The game will also be played in Disney’s backyard in Los Angeles.
Start with the primary Super Bowl telecast itself. One of the reasons ESPN lured Troy Aikman and Joe Buck away from Fox with five-year contracts worth a whopping $95 million and $65 million, respectively, was their Super Bowl gravitas. They called six Super Bowls at Fox, more than any broadcast duo outside of the late John Madden and Pat Summerall. They’re the best NFL announce team in the business, in my book.
Alternate Telecasts and Pregame Ambitions
Then there are Peyton and Eli Manning. Magnus “for sure” wants the Super Bowl–winning brothers to create a ManningCast on ESPN2. Besides the Mannings, ESPN will also likely offer a “MegaCast”-like slate of viewing options, similar to its approach with the College Football Playoff national championship. Given the critical acclaim for Disney’s Toy Story Funday Football telecast last season, I think it’s a lock that the Mouse House will offer a kids-focused version of the Big Game.
ESPN is also exploring new ideas that haven’t been tried by Super Bowl broadcasters Fox, CBS, and NBC. Since CBS’s Super Bowl pregame programming ran seven hours, I asked Magnus for the over/under on ESPN’s first Super Bowl pregame show. He laughed. “Seven days,” he said.
Meanwhile, Magnus has created a full-time job that might get a few clicks on LinkedIn. Namely, ESPN is seeking a vice president of the Super Bowl, whose only job will be everything and anything related to ESPN/Disney’s production of Super Bowl LXI.
“It was very, very important to me that we had a person, and a small team of people built around this leader, who are fully dedicated,” explained Magnus. “As I like to say, get out of bed every morning thinking about that Super Bowl—and only that. So that they can keep everything moving in that direction. Because really what we want to do is bring everything that the Walt Disney Co., ESPN, ABC, etc., have—and bring it all to coverage of that game. We want to redefine what covering a Super Bowl looks like. We have, in many ways, the luxury of not having an imprint in people’s minds of what that might look like since we haven’t ever been there.”
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Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
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Stephen A. Smith addressed his ongoing contract negotiations with me Tuesday. Before our interview, ESPN’s Magnus and chairman Jimmy Pitaro unequivocally told me they want to re-up the face and voice of ESPN. Magnus added he’s open to Smith’s desire to more directly cover the NFL à la his childhood idol Howard Cosell. “Stephen A. is a bona fide superstar. He’s so versatile. He’s so hardworking. He brings a built-in audience that’s very, very loyal. And he’s created a real juggernaut in First Take,” he said.
But after interviewing Smith, my take is this negotiation might not be quick or easy. Smith told our audience ESPN made an offer, and he counteroffered, as he seeks to become the highest-paid talent at ESPN. (That title is currently held by Aikman at $18 million annually.) But consider his accomplishments. He’s been No. 1 in his time slot for an eye-popping 12 years in a row. First Take just ran off 23 consecutive months of year-over-year growth. As executive producer of the show, Smith personally recruited Shannon Sharpe and has nurtured emerging talents like Monica McNutt, Marcus Spears, Dan Orlovsky, and Kimberley A. Martin. He also gave Chris “Mad Dog” Russo a late-career jolt.
Yes, Smith loves ESPN and Disney. He has great relationships with Pitaro and Disney boss Bob Iger, and is now working closely with Magnus. But he spoke enthusiastically about the business potential of his eponymous YouTube show/podcast as well as his owned and operated production company, which has several projects ongoing in Hollywood.
Stephen A.’s Alternatives
After ably filling in for Jimmy Kimmel, Smith could take over the comedian’s late night show on ABC. Or pursue further acting opportunities on top of his role as Brick on General Hospital. Don’t forget, NBC Sports and Amazon Prime Video will begin their NBA coverage with the 2025–2026 season. I could see either, or both, backing up the Brink’s truck to try to hire Smith for their new hoops coverage. He also told the Los Angeles Times he’s been approached by several mainstream news outlets about on-air contributor roles. In other words, Stephen A. has options—lots of them. ESPN may have to overwhelm him with an offer he can’t refuse.
“They have their vision—and I have mine,” Smith said. “If it’s aligned, we’ll work it out. If it’s not, then decisions have to be made. I’m a big boy and I accept the fact that sometimes you don’t get what you want. You certainly sometimes don’t get it from whom you want to get it from. If it comes to a decision where I have to move on, I’ve prepared myself mentally and emotionally to be able to do that. I don’t want it to come to that. Because I am very happy at ESPN doing what I do. I love doing First Take every weekday at 10 a.m. I love the other opportunities that can potentially present itself at the Worldwide Leader. But I’m a human being. And everybody wants to be wanted.”
Smith has helped drive tenfold growth in First Take’s revenue over the past 12 years. He feels entitled to his share. “This is the United States of America. I’m not going to apologize for being a capitalist. I expect to get paid,” said Smith. “I’m not apologizing for that to anybody. I’m going to work my tail off. I will strive to be the best that I can be. I will put in the hours. I will produce results to the best of my ability. And those results are what I’m going to look at to define my worth.”
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Three more takeaways I didn’t want anyone to miss coming out of the summit:
Afternoon Daypart Helped Drive NBC’s Olympics Success
Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, has earned a well-deserved victory lap for his company’s superlative coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics. From Mike Tirico and Snoop Dogg’s coverage from the City of Light to Scott Hanson’s addictive Gold Zone, it was NBC’s biggest Olympic triumph since London in 2012.
For decades, NBC relied on a strategy of holding back coverage of the biggest events for prime time. But NBC embraced live coverage of big events during afternoon viewing time in the U.S. The strategy paid off big time, noted Lazarus. Now NBC’s poised for another huge Olympic success in Los Angeles in 2028. As Lazarus told Front Office Sports editor-in-chief Dan Roberts: “Our prime-time ratings were a little bit higher—like 10% higher than we thought they’d be—but our afternoon live ratings were through the roof. And it really captured people’s attention and became part of the cultural dialogue.”
Charles in Charge
Charles Barkley recently declared he’s sticking with TNT Sports despite overtures from ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video. But Sir Charles has been known to change his mind. And by his own admission, remaining loyal to his longtime employer will cost him $100 million. In a perfect world where Barkley does decide to test TV free agency, both ESPN’s Magnus and NBC’s Lazarus are interested in hiring the superstar analyst. “The entire industry is interested in Charles. He’s really that special,” said Magnus. NBC’s Lazarus would also pick up the phone. “If he were to be available, certainly we’d be talking to him,” he said.
Scripps Wants the WNBA Back
Look for Scripps Sports to sign a new WNBA rights deal. During Tuned In, Scripps Sports president Brian Lawlor recounted the company’s successful relationship with the league, which includes a weekly Friday night game. Lawlor told me he “absolutely expects and hopes” to forge a long-term relationship with the W. But the days of media companies picking up rights to women’s sports on the cheap is rapidly coming to an end. “I’m guessing we’re going to have to open up our wallet a little bit more,” said Lawlor.
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A TV executive and “Tuned In” reader emailed about my review of Tom Brady’s first regular-season broadcast as Fox Sports’ No. 1 NFL analyst.
“I thought he was fine. Better than fine given he just parachuted in, picked up a mic, and got going. … He’ll get better on the technical end quickly I imagine as the Fox Sports production team will provide the highest level coaching, and, as we all know, he’s pretty coachable. I doubt sincerely they were bothered by his debut, and they’re confident they’ll help him get where they believe he can be. … Always bet on those guys,” he wrote.
To critics harping on Brady’s monster $375 million, 10-year deal, the executive noted Brady’s also being paid to serve as a corporate “ambassador” for Fox Corp. In the end advertisers will always want to meet him. That’s a “strategic intangible from a business perspective I wouldn’t discount!” he noted.
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- Despite the hubbub over a sex tape on Instagram, ESPN tells Front Office Sports that Sharpe will be back at work as usual on First Take on Monday. “I threw my phone on the bed, engaged in an activity,” Sharpe explained Wednesday night on his YouTube show “Nightcap,” which he cohosts with Chad Ochocinco. “I did not know IG Live. I’ve never turned IG Live on so I don’t know how it works and all of sudden my other phone is going off.”
- Former ESPNer Michelle Beadle had the best reaction to the stream, which featured a woman named “Michelle” having sex off-camera: “It was not me,” tweeted Beadle, along with a smile emoji.
- Brady will call his second regular-season game with play-by-partner Kevin Burkhardt as the Saints visit the Cowboys on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
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