Almost six years after splitting the company to unlock value, Madison Square Garden Entertainment said it has agreed to combine with MSG Networks in a tax-free exchange of shares.

The recombination is expected to bolster MSG Entertainment, which includes Madison Square Garden arena, Radio City Music Hall and other venues that have been hit hard as the pandemic has shut down the concert business. The entertainment unit is building a state-of-the-art facility in Las Vegas -- MSG Sphere at the Venetian -- which is scheduled to open in 2023. The company also has said it plans to build a second MSG Sphere in London, pending necessary approvals.

The company said the combination of the entities’ media, digital and venue assets should help MSG Entertainment capture a greater share of the burgeoning sports gaming business. Some analysts have estimated sports gaming could become a $12 billion business by 2025.   MSG Networks controls two regional sports networks -- MSG Network and MSG Plus.

“MSG Entertainment is actively executing a plan designed to grow the Company beyond its established collection of assets into one that is pioneering the next generation of entertainment,” MSG Entertainment CEO Andrew Lustgarten said in a press release. “We have always believed in the value of live sports and look forward to welcoming MSG Networks back into the fold as part of a transaction that we are confident would enhance our financial flexibility and set the stage for continued growth and value creation.”

The deal is expected to close in the third quarter. Moelis & Company LLC and The Raine Group are serving as independent financial advisors and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is serving as independent legal counsel to the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of MSG Entertainment. LionTree Advisors LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC are serving as independent financial advisors and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is serving as independent legal counsel to the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of MSG Networks. Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is serving as legal counsel to the Dolan family.

The two companies were originally part of Cablevision Systems Corp. which spun off MSG -- including its professional sports teams and regional sports networks unit -- in 2010. In 2015, the assets were split into The Madison Square Garden Co., which included the teams and concert venues, and MSG Networks, housing the RSNs. In 2020 The Madison Square Garden Co. split again into MSG Entertainment, housing its concert venues, and MSG Sports, which included its professional sports teams. Cablevision was sold in 2016. MSG Sports continues to be a separate entity.

According to the deal, MSG Networks shareholders will receive 0.172 shares of MSG Entertainment Class A or Class B stock for each share of MSG Networks they own. 

While ESPN marks the Chicago Bulls’ Last Dance, MSG Networks plans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the New York Knicks’ first championship.

The network is re-airing game film of Game 5 (in a one-hour special) and Game 7 of the NBA finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, and is featuring 30-minute biographical features on team members including Dick Barnett, "Dollar" Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, Walt “Clyde” Frazier, captain Willis Reed and head coach Red Holzman. The MSG Vault special about Game 5, in which Reed was injured, airs tonight (May 7) at 6:30 p.m. EST and Friday at 11 a.m. The Game 7 replay airs Friday at 5:30 and 9 p.m.

On Thursday, the network will feature an interview with Barnett on MSG 150 at Home at 5 p.m.

That will be followed at 5:30 p.m. by To the Rafters: 1970 Retirement Ceremonies, a new one-hour program featuring each jersey retirement ceremony from the championship team. Barnett’s No. 12, Bradley’s 24, DeBusschere’s 22, Frazier’s 10 and Reed’s 19 hang from the ceiling at the Garden.

On May 8, a half century after Reed came back from the Game 5 injury to inspire the Knicks to beat the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7 of the finals, MSG is set to air MSG 150 at Home: Knicks 50th Anniversary Special, a round table discussion with forward and former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley; Frazier, now a broadcaster, and Reed, the team’s center, hosted by Mike Breen at 5 p.m.

The 50th anniversary features will be re-run in prime time on Friday.

The Madison Square Garden Co. said its board of directors has approved a plan to separate the company into two distinct entities -- one focused on entertainment, the other on sports -- setting an April 17 deadline for the transaction.

Madison Square Garden first announced its plans to separate into MSG Entertainment (which would include iconic venues like Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theater) and MSG Sports (including its professional sports teams the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers) in 2018. 

According to MSG, the spin-off is a tax free distribution to shareholders. On April 17, MSG shareholders of record as of April 13 will receive one share of MSG Entertainment Class A or Class B common stock for every share of MSG Class A or Class B common stock they own, respectively. 

The decision to go ahead with the spin-off comes as companies and sports leagues are grappling with the COVID-19 virus, which has hit entertainment venues and sports arenas hard as Americans are urged to stay at home to prevent the spread of the virus. MSG, while noting the unprecedented times, said it was confident the transaction will be completed successfully.

Related:MSG Networks and Knicks Chief James Dolan Tests Positive for COVID-19 

“While our industry is currently going through a difficult period, we are confident in the enduring strength and value of our businesses,” Madison Square Garden executive chairman and CEO James Dolan said in a press release. “Today’s approved spin-off is the result of many months of preparation, and we believe it will set the stage for long-term success for both MSG Sports and MSG Entertainment.”

After the spin-off is complete Dolan will serve as executive chairman of MSG Sports and as executive chairman and CEO of MSG Entertainment. Andrew Lustgarten is expected to serve as president and CEO of MSG Sports and as president of MSG Entertainment.

MSG also offered an update on the ongoing construction of its MSG Sphere complex in Las Vegas. Construction on the venue has been temporarily suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak.

“The company remains committed to building a state-of-the-art venue in Las Vegas and looks forward to quickly and efficiently resuming construction as soon as practicable,” MSG said in a press release. “As a result of this delay, the company does not expect to achieve its goal of opening the venue in calendar year 2021.” 

Madison Square Garden Co. said it is moving forward with the planned spin-off of its sports and entertainment companies, filing a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday that names current MSG president Andrew Lustgarten as CEO of its pure-play sports entity, Madison Square Garden Sports.

Madison Square Garden first proposed the spin-off in 2018. Madison Square Garden Entertainment will house Madison Square Garden arena, Radio City Music Hall, The Beacon Theater, and several other entertainment venues. Madison Square Garden Sports will be the home of its professional sports teams the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, Westchester Knicks, Hartford Wolf Pack, Counter Logic Gaming and Knicks Gaming. MSG’s executive chairman and CEO James Dolan will continue to oversee team operations for the Knicks and Rangers.

The deal is still subject to final league and MSG Board approval.

“We look forward to the pending separation of our sports and entertainment businesses, which will better enable the two companies to pursue their own unique strategies, while providing our shareholders with the ability to more clearly assess the value of each company,” Dolan said in a press release. “Over the last six years, Andy has helped guide MSG through an unprecedented period of change. I am confident that his considerable experience in developing strategic relationships and new opportunities will quickly help position the new sports company as one of the world’s leading sports organizations.”

Following the completion of the spin-off, Dolan is expected to serve as executive chairman of the sports company and as executive chairman and CEO of the entertainment company. Lustgarten will also serve as president of the entertainment company.

“MSG Sports will be made up of some of the most celebrated and iconic brands in all of sports, and I look forward to working with the entire organization to ensure we continue to deliver excellence across our operations,” Lustgarten said in the press release. “As a standalone entity, the sports company will be well-positioned to maintain its strong and steady financial performance, driven by our Knicks and Rangers franchises, and to deliver exceptional value for our shareholders.”

The Madison Square Garden Co. filed its Form 10 Registration Statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission Tuesday, the latest step in its plans to spin off its entertainment business into a separate publicly traded entity next year.

MSG has said the proposed separation of the sports and entertainment business would be structured as a tax-free spin-off to all MSG shareholders. After the deal is closed, holders of MSG common stock would maintain their current economic interest in both the sports and entertainment businesses.

Related: Madison Square Garden Updates Potential Spin-off Plans 

MSG announced the intention to split last year and the separation is expected to unlock value for shareholders by creating a steady, stable pure-play sports company and an entertainment company that would capitalize on growth opportunities, mainly through venue expansion. The Dolan family would maintain majority voting control of both the sports and entertainment companies through their ownership of Class B shares.

According to MSG, the pure-play sports company would include:

• The New York Knicks professional NBA franchise and its development team, the Westchester Knicks;

• The New York Rangers professional NHL franchise and its development team, the Hartford Wolf Pack;

• Knicks Gaming, the official NBA 2K esports franchise of the New York Knicks, and a majority interest in Counter Logic Gaming, a leading North American esports organization;

• MSG’s professional sports team Training Center in Greenburgh, NY.

The entertainment company would include the Madison Square Garden arena, Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre in New York; the Forum in Inglewood, California; and The Chicago Theatre.

The company is also currently building a new venue -- MSG Sphere -- in Las Vegas, expected to open in 2021. A second MSG Sphere is slated for London.

The entertainment company would also include MSG’s bookings business; productions, which includes the Radio City Rockettes and the Christmas Spectacular; majority interests in Tao Group Hospitality and Boston Calling Events; and about $1 billion in cash.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and PJT Partners LP continue to serve as financial advisors and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP continues to serve as legal advisor.

Madison Square Garden Co. said its board of directors have unanimously approved an earlier proposal to separate the company into two separate sports and entertainment businesses.

Madison Square Garden announced last year a plan to separate its sports and entertainment businesses. On Thursday the company said it has revised the structure of the split, adding that now the entertainment company would not retain an equity interest in the sports company. The proposed separation is still expected to be completed in Q1 2020.

The company had previously been exploring a plan to spin-off about two-thirds of its economic interest in its sport businesses to shareholders, with the entertainment company retaining an approximate one-third interest in the sports company.

MSG said it has made “significant” progress on plans to create state-of-the-art venues -- called MSG Sphere -- with the first expected to open in Las Vegas in 2021. A second MSG Sphere planned for London is moving through the planning process, now expected to run into 2020 and MSG said it is “focused on incorporating learnings from its Las Vegas project in London.”

With the timeline for the London project extended, MSG said it believes the entertainment unit has the “financial flexibility to pursue its venue expansion plans without the need for the retained equity interest in the sports company.”

“The spin-off would create two distinct companies for MSG shareholders, each with a defined business focus and clear investment characteristics,” MSG executive chairman James Dolan said in a press release. “One company would be a leader in live entertainment that would take advantage of significant opportunities to grow rapidly within the changing entertainment landscape. The other entity would be a sports company with marquee assets that would enjoy steady growth and strong free cash flow."

The pure-play sports company would include:

• The New York Knicks NBA franchise and its development team, the Westchester Knicks;
• The New York Rangers NHL franchise and its development team, the Hartford Wolf Pack;
• Knicks Gaming, the NBA 2K esports franchise of the New York Knicks, and a majority interest in Counter Logic Gaming; and
• The Training Center in Greenburgh, NY.

In addition to its planned MSG Sphere venues, the entertainment company would include:

• New York’s Madison Square Garden, Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre; the Forum in Inglewood, Calif; and The Chicago Theatre;
• MSG Bookings, which books live sporting events like college basketball and professional boxing;
• MSG Productions, which includes the Radio City Rockettes and the Christmas Spectacular;
• Majority interests in hospitality group TAO Group and Boston Calling Events, producer of New England’sBoston Calling Music Festival; and
• Approximately $1 billion in cash on hand.

Completion of the transaction would be subject to various conditions, including league and final MSG Board approval. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and PJT Partners LP serve as financial advisers and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP serves as legal adviser.

Sports streaming service DAZN said its decision to take a knee and delay the start of its Nov. 2 Canelo Alvarez-Sergey Kovalev boxing match until after the end of the competing UFC 244 event actually garnered additional signups for its event. 

DAZN officials said the sports streaming service teamed with the UFC to delay the start of DAZN's light heavyweight championship boxing event at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena until after 1 a.m. on the East Coast. As a result of the delay, DAZN executive vice president North America Joseph Markowski said a "significant" number of fight fans signed up for the $20 per month DAZN service after watching the Nate Diaz-Jorge Masvidal UFC 244 main event bout, although he would not reveal specific numbers. 

“We worked directly with [UFC president Dana White] to stagger the fights in an effort to serve the largest possible number of those fans,” said Markowski. “We agreed that the UFC fight would go first. Ultimately we saw a significant surge in subscription signups and audience growth between the end of the UFC fight and the beginning of Canelo's fight." 

While UFC fans watched Masvidal defeat Diaz after a controversial stoppage on cuts three rounds into their much-anticipated fight, DAZN subscribers were forced to endure a more than 90-minute delay between the co-feature — a first round knockout by emerging lightweight boxer Ryan Garcia — and the main event.

UFC president Dana White, speaking during the UFC 244 post-fight press conference, said that DAZN and the MGM called him Saturday night and requested to show the UFC 244 main event to boxing fans at the live venue who were waiting for the Alvarez-Kovalev fight to begin.

“We got it worked out … to the point where fans could see both fights,” White said.

Alvarez — fighting in the third bout of an exclusive 11-fight deal with DAZN — eventually knocked out Kovalev in the 11th round to take the light heavyweight championship belt.

Several industry observers believe that DAZN's move relegated the sport of boxing to second class status compared to mixed-martial arts.

Markowski dismissed any criticism of its move, adding that DAZN would do it again if a similar situation occurred in the future.

“There are finite Saturday nights over the course of the year, and occasionally there will be clashes,” Markowski said. “We’ll always work on behalf of our existing and potential subscribers to maximize the audience for every DAZN broadcast.”

Azoff Music Management said it has agreed to purchase Madison Square Garden’s 50% interest in joint venture Azoff MSG Entertainment for $125 million, a deal that comes as the group of iconic entertainment venues readies a split of its sports and entertainment assets.

After the deal is complete, Azoff MSG Entertainment will be renamed the Azoff Company. Both Azoff Company and MSG have simultaneously entered into multi-year consultancy agreements where Azoff will continue to advise MSG, including on the Forum and MSG Sphere initiative, which includes announced plans to build state-of-the-art venues in Las Vegas and London.

MSG and Azoff formed Azoff MSG Entertainment joint venture in 2013.

Madison Square Garden announced plans to split its professional sports teams The New York Knicks, The New York Rangers and others from its iconic entertainment venues like Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theater in June. The company filed documents with the Securities & Exchange Commission regarding the split earlier this month and expects to complete that transaction in the first half of 2019.

“I am extremely proud that my partner, Jim Dolan, and I built an innovative company which always put the artists’ and songwriters’ interests first,” Azoff, chairman and chief executive officer, The Azoff Company, said in a statement. “The Azoff Company will build on this foundation of positive disruption and artist advocacy: we will continue to challenge antiquated parts of the entertainment business on behalf of artists and fans. The Azoff Company is proud to renew our commitment to the Forum and MSG’s transformative vision for the best possible, live entertainment experience.”

MSG announced its plans for MSG Sphere in February. The first MSG Sphere venue in Las Vegas, MSG Sphere at The Venetian, is expected to open during fiscal 2021, followed by a second MSG Sphere venue, to open approximately one year later in London.

“Irving has been a valued business partner and we know that he will continue to enjoy incredible success in his company and in his continued role with us. This evolution of our relationship comes at a time when we are working to align all areas of our business to support our goal -- the creation of next-generation venues that will transform the live experience,” said Madison Square Garden Co. executive chairman and CEO Jim Dolan in a statement. “We will continue to rely on Irving’s relationships and expertise to help bring that vision to reality.”

J.P. Morgan served as financial advisor to MSG and Centerview Partners served as financial advisor to Azoff Music Management. 

Madison Square Garden Co. filed documents with the Securities & Exchange Commission Thursday, moving forward with its plan to separate its sports businesses from its concert and entertainment venues.

Madison Square Garden said in June that it was considering a split of its professional sports teams from its concert venues.

The company said the split would “enable investors to more clearly evaluate each company’s assets and future potential, while providing both companies with increased strategic flexibility to pursue their own distinctive business plan and capital allocation policy.”

Madison Square Garden, headed by former Cablevision Systems CEO James Dolan, has been down this road before. In 2010, MSG, including the teams, were spun-off from Cablevision Systems. In 2015, the assets were split again, into Madison Square Garden -- which included the sports teams and venues -- and MSG Networks, which houses its regional sports channels MSG and MSG-Plus.

The Dolan family sold Cablevision to Altice in 2016.

The company said the separation would be structured as a tax-free spin-off to all MSG shareholders. Upon completion of the deal, those shareholders would receive a pro-rata distribution equal to a two-thirds economic interest in a pure-play sports company. The remaining common stock would be retained by the live entertainment company and is expected to be used to raise capital and/or exchange for the common stock of the entertainment company.

The Dolan family would maintain majority voting control of both companies through their ownership of Class B shares. The spin-off is expected to be completed in the first half of 2019.

According to MSG, the pure-play sports company would include:

• The New York Knicks professional NBA franchise and its development team, the Westchester Knicks;

• The New York Rangers professional NHL franchise and its development team, the Hartford Wolf Pack;

• The New York Liberty professional WNBA franchise, for which the Company is exploring a sale;

• Knicks Gaming, the official NBA 2K esports franchise of the New York Knicks, and a majority interest in Counter Logic Gaming, a leading North American esports organization; and

• A professional sports team Training Center in Greenburgh, NY.

The live entertainment company would include:

• Madison Square Garden, The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre; the Forum in Inglewood, CA; The Chicago Theatre; and the Wang Theatre in Boston;

• Its bookings business, including the bookings of live sporting events such as college basketball and professional boxing, the results of which are currently reported as part of the Company’s MSG Sports segment;

• Productions, which includes the Radio City Rockettes and the Christmas Spectacular, the nation’s number one live family holiday show;

• Majority interests in TAO Group, a world-class hospitality group, and Boston Calling Events, producer of New England’s preeminent Boston Calling Music Festival;

• Strategic entertainment joint ventures -- Azoff-MSG Entertainment and Tribeca Enterprises;

• An approximately one-third economic interest in the pure-play sports company; and

• Approximately $1 billion in cash on hand.

The live entertainment company would also continue to move forward with plans to create state-of-the-art venues – called MSG Sphere. The first MSG Sphere is expected to open in Las Vegas in fiscal 2021, followed by a second MSG Sphere in London approximately one year later.

J.P. Morgan and PJT Partners continue to serve as financial advisors and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP continues to serve as legal advisor.

MSG Networks stock rose more than 8% Tuesday after a report in the New York Post said the sports network's chief, James Dolan, was "sounding out" possible buyers, a list that could include Verizon Communications.

MSG Networks, which includes regional sports channels MSG Networks and MSG Plus, carries games from the NBA's New York Knicks and NHL’s New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders. In a report Tuesday, the Post, citing unnamed sources, said Dolan was “gauging interest” in a possible sale with some of his friends, including Guggenheim Partners executive chairman Alan Schwartz, a noted media dealmaker who also sits on the board of Madison Square Garden Co., the arena where the Knicks and Rangers play. Dolan, executive chairman of MSG Networks, also serves as executive chairman of Madison Square Garden Co.

The Post said there was no guarantee a deal would happen, but named Verizon Communications as a possible suitor.

Verizon could be on the hunt for content assets as its chief telecom rival, AT&T, moves closer to cementing its $108.7 billion purchase of Time Warner Inc. The Post said AT&T also is looking for RSN properties to add to the five it already owns, but may want to hold off until after its Time Warner deal closes.

The news sent MSG Networks stock skyward. Shares traded as high as $24.85 each (up 8.3% or $1.90 each) in earlier trading Tuesday and closed at $24.40 per share, up 6.3% or $1.45 each.

A sale of the networks wouldn’t be out of the question. Many analysts speculated that the MSG channels could go up for sale after the company was split in 2015. In that deal, MSG was split into MSG Networks and the Madison Square Garden Co., which houses the sports teams, the Madison Square Garden arena, and other venues like Radio City Music Hall, The Forum and The Chicago Theater.

Four marquee boxing and UFC pay-per- view events over the next two months could salvage what has been an otherwise weak year for the category.

After generating more than $500 million in revenue last year — some $400 million from just the May 2, 2015 Floyd Mayweather- Manny Pacquiao welterweight title fight — the live PPV-event category has garnered less than half of that take through the first 10 months of 2016, industry sources said.

Distributors hope a flurry of big PPV events in November and December will help pad the category’s revenue take. The latest addition to the PPV category is the Dec. 30 return of UFC star Ronda Rousey to the octagon, more than a year after her shocking loss to Holly Holm in last November’s UFC 193.

UFC CARRYING THE LOAD

The show joins UFC’s Nov. 12 PPV event from New York’s Madison Square Garden, which will feature popular UFC fighter Conor McGregor. In Demand senior vice president of programming and business development Mark Boccardi said that the appearance of Rousey and McGregor in two of the final three UFC PPV events -- the MMA outfit will also distribute its UFC 206 event on Dec. 10 -- will cap off what has been one of the most lucrative years for the UFC in terms of PPV revenue, although he would not disclose specifics.

“Clearly, this is a year where the UFC is helping the entire category,” Boccardi said. “Everyone sees that boxing is down — we had no Mayweather and one Pacquaio fight so far [this past April against Timothy Bradley Jr.] — so the UFC’s really strong performance is good for the overall health of the business. The events feature two tentpole athletes for PPV in Rousey and McGregor — the two are by far the biggest UFC PPV stars — and the crossover appeal that Ronda has you can’t overstate.”

Related > UFC: Too Legit to Quit

Two high-profile PPV boxing events will also take place within two weeks of each other in November. This Saturday ([Nov. 5) Pacquiao will step into the PPV ring for a fight against WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas, while Nov. 19 will pit Sergey Kovalev against Andre Ward in a battle of undefeated light heavyweight boxers.

Boxing promotion company Top Rank, which is distributing the Pacquiao-Vargas fight, isn’t concerned about cannibalization, given the back-to-back-to-back marquee PPV events, company president Todd duBoef said.

DAILY DOC SERIES KICKS OFF

Top Rank recently turned to the Web to promote the fight. The network last week launched ALL IN: Pacquiao-Vargas, a daily documentary series on Top Rank’s Facebook page and Twitter feed that it said will give boxing fans an inside look at each fighter’s daily preparations.

Related > Building Boxing's Next PPV Champ [subscription required]

HBO will push the lion’s share of its promotional efforts for the Kovalev-Ward fight to the week before the event in an effort to avoid the marketing noise from the Pacquiao-Vargas and UFC 205 events. While there is a concern about potential cannibalization of viewers, HBO vice president of programming Tony Walker said the network is confident its event would appeal to boxing fans looking for a competitive matchup between undefeated fighters.

“There are some [cannibalization] concerns, but we think our fight is of a quality that will make people watch it,” Walker said.

“So this is Christmas/And what have you done …”

AMC’s answer to that question, posed in “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, is an all-star concert honoring the late Beatle, who would have turned 75 this past Oct. 9.

The show, produced with Blackbird Presents and emceed by Kevin Bacon, took place Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. A two-and-a-half-hour version airs Saturday, Dec. 19, as Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) on AMC.

The Wire assumed AMC’s corporate ties to MSG played a role, but programming executive Joel Stillerman said Blackbird’s Keith Wortman brought the idea to AMC, booked the building and got the performers (including Steven Tyler, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson and The Roots) without any such help.

AMC, though, had put out the word earlier this year that it was on the lookout for nonfiction programming “against a filter of things that feel event-like,” either in the form of documentary series like The Making of the Mob or live happenings like concerts.

“We thought [Lennon] was the right artist to do this with, and it was the right time,” Stillerman, president of original programming and development for AMC and SundanceTV, told The Wire a few days after the show.

While under discussion for several months, the concert event was fairly recently greenlit, Stillerman said. The theater, though, was filled that festive Saturday night with Lennon fans who bought tickets and others, including The Wire, invited as guests.

The house band, led by Don Was and Greg Phillinganes, was tight and the performances felt spontaneous — sometimes very much so. Only one song had to be done twice, to fi x a lighting issue during Spoon’s lively “Hey Bulldog.”

Stillerman, who worked on many live shows at MTV and as an independent producer before joining AMC, said the whole thing was remarkably drama-free. “Everybody just felt like they seriously wanted to be there for one reason, which was to honor a guy that they loved and who was hugely influential on them.”

“Happy Xmas” is definitely on the menu — performed by Aloe Blacc, Sheryl Crow and Peter Frampton — and Stillerman thought it was a highlight of the show. The Wire also enjoyed Willie Nelson’s “Imagine,” Blacc’s “Watching the Wheels” and the Brandon Flowers (of The Killers) version of “Instant Karma,” among others.

“We’re happy we did this,” Stillerman said, asked if viewers should expect more concerts from the home of The Walking Dead. “We love sort of defying expectations at AMC and trying things that are a little out of our comfort zone. I really think we got very fortunate with a night that felt like it had the right spirit, that had some great moments, that had some great emerging artists step up and blow people away in a very unexpected way. If there’s an opportunity to try and replicate that, we will, but no plans right now.”

— Kent Gibbons

Keeping Eyes On the Ball

Old acquaintances may be forgot, but media outlets with bigger plans than budgets should not forget that there is a free feed — hosts included — of the New Year’s Eve festivities in New York’s Times Square.

The Times Square Alliance is again teaming with Countdown Entertainment to provide a “clean” uninterrupted, HD satellite/fiber feed for domestic and international television outlets, broadcasters, cable networks and websites.

The feed will be hosted by Allison Hagendorf and three correspondents will cover the action, from the ball-raising ceremony to stage performances to the dropping of the ball at midnight.

Why is it free? “This is a public-private partnership … No one pays a ticket to come into Times Square, and we want to make it available to the broadcasters covering the event for free, too,” Countdown Entertainment president Jeff Straus told The Wire. That extends to cable operators and webmasters as well.

— John Eggerton

Madison Square Garden Co., said it has named Donna Coleman executive vice president and chief financial officer. Coleman had been serving as interim CFO since May, after former CFO Sean Creamer resigned.  She will report directly to MSG president and CEO David O’Connor.

Madison Square Garden split its sports teams, entertainment venues and regional sports networks earlier this month in a transaction that created two separate publicly traded entities. Madison Square Garden includes professional sports teams the New York Knicks, The New York Rangers and the New York Liberty as well as noted entertainment venues like Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and The Beacon Theater. MSG Networks includes regional sports networks MSG Network and MSG Plus.

Coleman had previously served as executive vice president of corporate financial planning and control at Cablevision Systems for more than 15 years before retiring in December 2014. Prior to that she served as  senior vice president of corporate financial planning and control from 2011 to 2012, after serving as senior vice president of planning and operations for more than 10 years.

“We are extremely pleased that Donna has agreed to stay at MSG,” O’Connor said in a statement. “Over the last five months, Donna has proven to be an invaluable member of the team, helping to guide the company through our recent spin-off. With her considerable financial and operating experience, we are confident that she is the ideal executive to help lead the company as we implement our ambitious plans to build on our tremendous legacy."

Coleman will be responsible for strategic financial insight on all facets of the business, helping prioritize opportunities and drive value creation. Additionally, she oversees all of MSG’s financial and accounting matters, including forecasting, budgeting and financial planning and analysis, as well as the company’s treasury, investor relations, tax and risk management functions.

“I am thrilled to be at MSG during such an important time for the company,” Coleman said in a statement. “We have worked hard over the last several months to position MSG for its next chapter. I look forward to working with the management team and employees across the company to ensure we continue to deliver excellence across our operations, and pursue strategic growth initiatives that will allow us to expand our leadership position and create long-term shareholder value.”

Madison Square Garden Co. said it has completed the planned split of its sports and entertainment properties into two separate publicly traded companies – Madison Square Garden and MSG Networks.

MSG announced plans for the split last October. As part of the deal, Madison Square Garden now includes entertainment venues like the Madison Square Garden arena, Beacon Theater, Radio City Music Hall, The Forum in Los Angeles, the Chicago Theater and others and professional sports teams the New York Knicks, the New York Rangers and the New York Liberty and trades on the New York stock exchange under the symbol “MSG”. MSG Networks, which trades on the NYSE under the symbol “MSGN” includes regional sports networks MSG and MSG Plus.

Officially, Madison Square Garden was spun out of the former Madison Square Garden, with the remaining entity renamed MSG Networks.

The split was made as a tax-free distribution, with shareholders of the former Madison Square Garden Co. receiving one share of MSG for every three shares of Madison Square Garden Co, they hold. That distribution was completed on Sept. 30.  

MSG Networks debuted on the NYSE on Oct. 1, opening at $20.15 per share. The stock was down about 11% ($2.15 each) in early trading, priced at $17.85 per share. MSG stock was priced at $159.63 each in early trading Thursday, up 5.7% ($8.63 per share).

Much of the notable President’s Day weekend programming is airing live from New York, at a uniquely relevant time, with networks giving viewers on-air and online tastes of the city’s cultural diversity.

From Lincoln Center to Rockefeller Center, Madison Square Garden to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center (and back again), TV network and production teams are running all over town to cover the runways of Fashion Week, the show ring at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the NBA 2015 All Star Weekend and the 40th anniversary of cultural institution Saturday Night Live.

The most anticipated is Sunday’s three-and-a-half hour SNL40, NBC’s on-air birthday party for the show that made “Live from New York” an iconic phrase. Originally scheduled to last three hours, NBC said late Thursday the special would go an extra 30 minutes; the network then continued over the next few days to announce a growing A-list of returning cast members and favorite hosts who will join the show.

In addition to ample advance coverage on NBC’s local affiliates and national news programs, SNL40 has benefitted from buttress marketing; NBC released an SNL app on Thursday, while the Tribeca Film Festival announced it will open its 14th annual edition on April 15 with the SNL documentary Live From New York.

The live broadcast begins at 8 p.m. (ET) Sunday (Feb. 15) from Studio 8H at 30 Rock, following a 7 p.m. live red-carpet lead-in hosted by the Today team.

SNL40’s red carpet-worthy all-star line-up rivals the NBA’s All-Star roster, which hits the court 30 minutes later across the river and across the cable dial on TNT and TBS. The Turner networks are simulcasting the 64th NBA All-Star Game at 8:30 p.m., with Marv Alpert, Reggie Miller and Chris Webber calling the game from Barclays Center. That follows a live pre-game concert on TNT at 6 p.m. (ET) and the pre-game show at 7 p.m. (ET). TNT also has its own Saturday night live line-up tonight (Feb. 14) with NBA Tip-Off at 8 p.m. (ET) and All-Star Saturday Night at 9 p.m., both originating from New York.

ESPN and TNT got the live coverage of the NBA All-Star Weekend going on Friday night (Feb. 13), with the sports network’s 7 p.m. (ET) broadcast of the Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game 2015 from MSG and TNT’s 9 p.m. broadcast of the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge from Barclays Center.

Back at Madison Square Garden, a wholly different kind of competition will unfold live on CNBC Monday night (Feb. 16). As the three-day weekend winds down, the evening portion of the 139th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show gets underway at 8 p.m. (ET) with Best of Breed judging of the hound, toy, non-sporting and herding groups. Perennial voice of the show (this is his 26th year) David Frei and NBC Sports analyst Mary Carillo will co-host, with NBCSN’s Kelli Stavast reporting from the floor.

The same crew is back Tuesday night (Feb. 17), when USA has the live broadcast of the finale, including the sporting, working and terrier groups plus Best in Show. Meanwhile, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days, Westminster will livestream judging of all 192 breeds — taking place at Piers 92 and 94 on the Hudson River — on its website and via the 2015 Westminster Show App for Android and iOS devices.

FoxSports 1 is also going to the dogs. On Sunday at 12 p.m. (ET), it will air taped coverage of the championship round in Westminster’s 2nd Annual Masters Agility Championship, which takes place Saturday at Pier 94. The network’s Justin Kutcher and Jennifer Hale, along with dog behaviorist Cesar Millan and dog agility trainer and competitor Terry Simons, will call the event.

Meanwhile, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, E! Entertainment’s newly unified News & Digital unit is covering the catwalk at New York Fashion Week, where it kicked off its live coverage on Feb. 12 and will continue through Feb. 18. E! Online is livestreaming exclusive runway shows at its Fashion Week microsite and the nightly E! News is taping on-location under the tents at Lincoln Center. Additionally, Fashion Police will tape a special episode in New York to air Monday night at 9 p.m., and the network is producing an on-location Secrets of Fashion Week special to air next Thursday (Feb. 19) at 8 p.m.

Madison Square Garden literally buzzed Thursday night, as more than 7,400 rock fans armed with kazoos supplied by Cablevision CEO Jim Dolan’s band JD & The Straight Shot, smashed a record previously held by a crowd of British opera lovers.

Dolan, whose band opened for the Eagles at MSG Sept. 18, had previously said if the crowd was able to break the record for Largest Kazoo Ensemble, previously set by the BBC in 2011 at London's Royal Albert Hall, he would donate $100,000 to the ALS Association.

According to MSG, 7,422 concert-goers buzzed along to the Straight Shot’s rendition of Governor’s Blues, which includes a kazoo solo by Dolan, officially shattering the previous record of 5,190 who hummed along to Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries and Eric Coate’s  Dambuster’s March.

Dolan and his band took the stage at 7:15 p.m. Sept. 18 and later were joined by such celebrities as New York Knicks stars Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire, New York Rangers all-star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and tennis legend John McEnroe to play Governor’s Blues. After a brief tutorial by Dolan on how to play the instrument – it apparently is more involved than just whistling, Steve  – fans joined in.

“I’m honored to make this donation to ALS, and very proud that Eagles fans came together to make this moment happen,” Dolan said in a statement. “I want to thank Carmelo, Amar’e, Henrik and John for taking the time and having so much fun with us on stage, and to the fans at The Garden on Thursday for making this such a memorable event for an important cause.”

Dolan first announced his intention to break the kazoo record after submitting to an ALS Ice Bucket Challenge from former New York Knicks star Patrick Ewing. After Dolan literally took the plunge, he said he would donate $100,000 to ALS if he could shatter the kazoo mark on Sept. 18.

ALS, which has raised more than $114 million through the Ice Bucket Challenge, was grateful for Dolan’s support.

“We are grateful to James Dolan and his band JD & The Straight Shot for this very generous donation and the awareness he has helped raise for this important cause,” said Dorine Gordon, President and CEO of the ALS Association Greater New York Chapter in a statement. “The Ice Bucket Challenge has been a true phenomenon and we are grateful for the outpouring of support that our organization has received. We have a long way to go to reach our goal of finding a cure for this devastating disease. We continue to not only push for research but also to make treatments and care accessible and affordable for all ALS patients as well as the families of those living with ALS right here in the NY/NJ area.”