Just weeks after losing its long-held national TV rights to the NBA, Turner made several key announcements this week signaling its intention to stay relevant in the live televised sports business.

First, the Warner Bros. Discovery unit locked up a key on-air talent, announcing that NBA Hall of Fame basketball star Charles Barkley will stay on Turner’s TNT network, even after his long-running studio show, Inside the NBA, seems destined to depart with the league after the upcoming 2024-25 season.

At the same time, Turner’s truTV announced the five week “Banana Ball World Tour” in partnership with the  Savannah Bananas, a Harlem Globetrotters-like exhibition baseball team and social media sensation with almost nine million followers on TikTok.

Under the agreement, the network will broadcast five consecutive live Friday night Savanna Bananas "games," played between the weeks of August 16 - September 13.

Also Read: NBA Closing In on $76 Billion in TV Money Over 11 Years … With No TNT

This all comes after the NBA chose to leave TNT following next season in favor of new national TV deals with NBCUniversal and Amazon, as well as its renewed rights agreement with Disney/ESPN. (Warner Bros. Discovery has sued the NBA for breach of contract, claiming it indeed matched Amazon’s $1.7 billion-a-season offer and should have retained TV rights.)

Analysts predict that the loss of the NBA could cost TNT as much as $600 million in annual profit.

Now, it looks like the network is attempting to cobble together its sports programming through myriad alternative live-sports sources.

In May, for example, Turner agreed to sublicense select College Football Playoff games from Disney/ESPN, entering the collegiate gridiron business for the first time. 

That was followed by a June decision by Turner to license U.S. TV rights to pro tennis’ French Open. 

The Savannah Bananas, whose entertainment style revolves around dancing players, flaming baseball bats and a "fans first" motto, have the impressive record of selling out every home game they’ve played since 2017

The team has yet to share revenue figures from 2024, but as of 2023 it had made more than $10 million in annual sales.

As for Barkley and Inside the NBA, Sports Illustrated reported that  WBD may transition its show, led by Barkley, into a multi-sport variety program, in which the hosts discuss other leagues that TNT owns the rights to.

“My deal is 10 years, $210 million,” Barkley previously told The Athletic. “Turner has to come to me ASAP and they have to guarantee my whole thing, or they can offer me a pay cut,which there is no chance of that happening and I’ll be (a) free agent.”

It now appears that the network has renewed its commitment to Barkley, and will continue to feature him in future sports programming.

“I love my TNT Sports family,” said Barkley in a statement. “I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them both on the shows we currently have and new ones we develop together in the future.”

Charles Barkley, co-host of Inside the NBA on TNT, said he is leaving the television business after the 2024-25 season amid speculation that the drama network will soon lose its NBA television rights deal.

Also Read: Is Charles Barkley's Retirement Declaration Believable … or Bluff?

Barkley, a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and one of the most recognizable personalities in TV sports, said Friday during NBA TV's postgame coverage of the Dallas Mavericks’ victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the NBA Finals that he will end his television career, regardless of whether TNT renews its NBA rights deal. The Warner Bros. Discovery-owned network reportedly will lose its current TV rights agreement with the league to NBCUniversal when the new NBA TV deals are announced shortly.  The reported new NBA TV rights package, worth $75 billion, will include distribution partners Disney, NBCUniversal, and Prime Video.

“There's been a lot of noise around our network the last few months. I just wanna say, I've talked to all of the other networks, but I ain't going nowhere other than TNT,” Barkley said. “But I have made the decision myself, no matter what happens, next year is gonna be my last year on television.”

A member of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, Barkley co-hosts Inide The NBA show — which airs during halftime and after TNT NBA game telecasts — along with Ernie Johnson Jr., Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith. The show has also been inducted into the B+C Hall of Fame. 

TNT in a statement called Barkley a “broadcasting icon,” adding that the network looks forward to “further discussion of our future plans with him.”

Barkley's announcement comes as the NBA Finals on ABC is averaging 11.57 million viewers, which is even with the first three games of the 2023 Denver Nuggets-Miami Heat finals. Game 4 ratings were not available at press time.

ESPN tips off its NBA Finals coverage tonight (June 6) on ABC with hopes that the Boston Celtics-Dallas Mavericks title matchup will attract both hardcore and casual hoops fans.

The league enters the finals after overall NBA playoffs ratings dropped 11% to 4.10 million viewers across ABC, ESPN TNT and NBA TV compared to last year, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by SportsMedia Watch. 

Despite declining NBA playoff ratings, ESPN VP of acquisitions Matt Kenny believes that the Celtics-Mavericks matchup is a marquee battle between two teams with several superstars: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown of the Celtics and Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving of the Mavericks. 

Also Read: NBA Closing In on $76 Billion in TV Money Over 11 Years … With No TNT

“We couldn’t be happier with the storylines that have presented themselves for the finals,” Kenny said. “Obviously, Boston has been tremendous for several years now, and then you had an incredible playoff run by the Dallas Mavericks. We think the Celtics and Mavericks are going to be a lot of fun for fans.”

ABC will look to top the 11.64 million viewers generated by last year’s NBA Finals, in which the Denver Nuggets beat the Miami Heat in five games. Kenny says with both teams taking different paths to get to the NBA Finals — the Celtics were prohibitive favorites to win the Eastern Conference. while the Mavericks were mostly underdogs in the West — the series offers a contrasting scenario for viewers. 

“We always like to say that fans are very smart, and opportunities like this where you have genuine heat and genuine star power on a national stage should generate genuine interest in the series,” Kenny said. 

Headlining a new Finals announcing team for ABC is veteran play-by-play announcer Mike Breen along with two new analysts, J.J. Redick and Doris Burke, the first woman to announce an NBA Finals on television. Burke, who has announced the NBA Finals on ESPN Radio since 2020, said the appeal of young players like the Celtics’ Tatum and the Mavs’ Doncic should draw fans to the series.

“I don’t know what the ratings are going to say,” Burke said earlier this week during an NBA Finals conference call. “I can only tell you that I could not be more excited that two young stars are on the stage with an opportunity to grow viewership.”

The NHL’s march to the Stanley Cup Final, the UFC 302 pay-per-view event and the final week of the UFL’s regular season highlight the list of live TV sports events airing during the first weekend of June. 

The NHL playoffs continue on Saturday with ABC’s telecast of Game 6 of the New York Rangers-Florida Panthers Eastern Conference Final, with the Panthers holding a 3-2 lead. On Sunday, TNT will televise Game 6 of the Dallas Stars-Edmonton Oilers Western Conference Final, which is tied at two games apiece heading into Friday night’s action.

In the octagon, ESPN will distribute the UFC 302 mixed martial arts pay-per-view event featuring the main event bout between lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier. 

On the football field, the UFL’s final regular season weekend takes place with ESPN airing Saturday’s Michigan Panthers-Birmingham Stallions game and Fox airing the San Antonio Brahmas-St. Louis Battlehawks game. On Sunday, ESPN will televise the Arlington Renegades-D.C. Defenders contest, while Fox carries the Houston Roughnecks-Memphis Showboats game. 

On the racetrack, Fox on Saturday will air the NASCAR Truck Toyota 200 race. On Sunday, USA Network will televise the IndyCar Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix race and FS1 will air the NASCAR Cup Enjoy Illinois 300 race. 

On the links, NBC will offer weekend final-round coverage of the U.S. Women’s Open, while CBS and Golf Channel air the PGA’s Canadian Open tournament. 

While it appears very possible that TNT will end up losing its NBA rights starting in 2025, the Warner Bros. Discovery channel isn't done with sports.

TNT Sports just entered into a sublicensing agreement with ESPN that will put two College Football Playoff first-round games on TNT for the next five years. 

Additionally, starting in 2026, when ESPN's extension with the CFP kicks in, TNT will also have rights to quarterfinals matchups. 

“We’re delighted to reach this agreement with ESPN, providing TNT Sports the opportunity to showcase these College Football Playoff games on our platforms for years to come,” said Luis Silberwasser, chairman and CEO of TNT Sports. “TNT Sports aims to delight fans and drive maximum reach and engagement for these marquee games.”

Also read: ESPN Signs 6-Year, $7.8 Billion Extension for the Expanding College Football Playoff Tournament

ESPN has been the exclusive broadcast partner of the CFP since 2015, when the four-team tournament replaced the Bowl Championship Series as the sole arbiter of college football’s highest-echelon national championship. 

In March, ESPN signed a six-year, $7.8 billion deal to remain the main TV partner for the expanding College Football Playoff.

Starting with the upcoming 2024-25 season, the CFP will expand from a four-team to a 12-team format, and ESPN's coverage will expand along with it, starting with the final two years of its current contract and continuing through the six-year extension. 

Disney-owned ESPN will now have exclusive rights to the entire plus-sized CFP, which includes all rounds of the expanded playoff. ESPN will have exclusive rights to all four first-round games, as well as three quarterfinals and two semifinals matchups that will be added to the network's existing New Years Six bowl package, with legacy bowl games once again doubling as CFP quarterfinal and semifinal matchups. 

The initial rounds will be followed by Disney’s exclusive presentation of the championship game, which will be simulcasted on ABC starting in 2027. 

With ESPN's CFP plate growing from three games to 11, the new deal allows the network to sublease games, starting in the amended final two years of the contract. 

Here's how the format will shape up for the next two seasons, courtesy of the NCAA:

Live sports programming continues to deliver huge ratings for TNT and ESPN as both networks dominated last week’s primetime cable ratings chart.

TNT averaged 3.2 million viewers for the week of May 13-19 to top all cable networks for the fourth straight week, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News. The network was bolstered by its May 19 coverage of the Minnesota Timberwolves-Denver Nuggets Game 7 NBA Western Conference semifinals telecast, which averaged 7.5 million viewers.

NBA and NHL playoffs-fueled ESPN finished second for the week with 2.2 million viewers, followed by Fox News' 1.9 million viewers and MSNBC’s 1.1 million watchers.

HGTV pulled into fifth place with 647,000 viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel (637,000 viewers), INSP (606,000), TBS (525,000), USA Network (522,000) and History (512,000).

Fox News posted its 19th straight win on the total day chart with 1.2 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (831,000), TNT (797,000), ESPN (771,000) and CNN (471,000), according to Nielsen. 

HBO will extend its Hard Knocks NFL documentary franchise into the offseason with the July 2 debut of Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants, the network said Wednesday at the Warner Bros. Discovery upfront presentation.

The series will follow the Giants organization as it prepares for its 100th season, HBO said. It will follow the team’s front-office moves from January to July, from the NFL Scouting Combine through free agency, the NFL draft and team minicamps.

Hard Knocks: Offseason joins Hard Knocks shows that follow NFL teams in preseason training camps and as well as during the season. “We are beyond thrilled that the New York Giants have opened their doors to the Hard Knocks cameras for the first time ever,” HBO Documentaries executive VP Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller, and HBO Sports Documentaries VP Bentley Weiner said in a statement. “The NFL offseason is a fascinating period that we've always wanted to explore and we can't wait to show football fans everywhere what NFL Films has been capturing behind the scenes at the team's headquarters.”

In other Warner Bros. Discovery sports news announced at the upfront, TNT Sports said it will launch its new NASCAR package on June 28, 2025, with the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart racing event. 

The announcement follows the creation of a new NASCAR In-Season Tournament that will run during TNT’s five summer races. The winner will receive a $1 million purse, said the network. 

NBA and NHL post-season coverage leads the list of live TV sports events airing on cable and linear channels this weekend. 

ABC on Saturday will televise game three of the Boston Celtics-Cleveland Cavaliers series, with teams splitting the first two games. ABC will also air Game 3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder-Dallas Mavericks series, which is tied at one game each.

On Sunday afternoon, ABC will air Game 4 of the New York Knicks-Indiana Pacers, with the Knicks up two games to none heading into Friday night’s action. TNT will air Game 4 of Denver Nuggets-Minnesota Timberwolves, with the defending champion Nuggets down two games to none going into Friday night’s game.

On the ice, TNT on Saturday will air a pair of Game 4 matchups between the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche. TBS on Sunday will feature Game 4 telecasts from both the Florida Panthers-Boston Bruins series as well as the Edmonton Oilers-Vancouver Canucks series. 

On the baseball diamond, ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast will feature National League East rivals the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets.

On the links, CBS will air weekend coverage of the Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament, while on the racetrack NBC on Saturday will televise the Sonsio Grand Prix IndyCar race. 

ESPN and TNT Sports are betting that an NBA playoffs mix of new entrants and traditional powerhouses will help drive viewership of the league’s postseason games. 

Following this week’s play-in tournament, the next phase of the NBA postseason tips off this weekend with all 16 playoff teams playing across TNT, ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. Sports programmers point to the infusion of new teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder — the top seed in the Western Conference — as well as the Eastern Conference qualifiers Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers, as an opportunity to draw in new viewers while increasing the interest for hard-core fans. 

Also Read: NHL, NBA Playoffs Begin; Haney-Garcia PPV Boxing Event: What’s on This Weekend in TV Sports 

“The teams that are supposed to be in the playoffs are there, and it should be really competitive,” Warner Bros. Discovery Sports chief content officer Craig Barry said. “It’s great to see new teams like the Orlando Magic start to rise up and to see teams like the New York Knicks back in the playoffs, while still having the defending champion Denver in the mix as the team to beat. It’s great that the league continues to evolve and become more competitive.” 

ESPN head of event and studio production Dave Roberts also said the lineup of playoff teams offers viewers new faces and competitive matchups, particularly in the Western Conference. 

“What’s great about this is you have a host of new stars coming aboard, whether it's Oklahoma City and Minnesota Timberwolves, and of course the Lakers are right there as well,” Roberts said during a recent ESPN NBA Playoffs media conference call. 

The NBA is hoping to top last year’s playoffs audience of 5.4 million viewers across ABC, ESPN and TNT, which was the most-watched playoffs in five years, according to the league.

The league is coming off two straight nights of double-digit ratings increases for the play-in tournament. TNT’s Tuesday night coverage of the Los Angeles Lakers-New Orleans Pelicans and Golden State Warriors-Sacramento Kings telecasts averaged 3.98 million viewers across TNT and TruTV, up 37% from the 2023 play-in games, according to Sports Media Watch. 

Wednesday’s Miami Heat-Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks-Chicago Bulls games on ESPN averaged 3.25 million viewers, up 25% from last year’s play-in games, according to Sports Media Watch.

WBD’s Barry said TNT Sports is up to the task of educating viewers on the new playoff entrants throughout its coverage of the postseason. “We’re in the business of storytelling, so this is an opportunity to tell some fresh stories about some of these teams that are coming into the playoffs,” he said. “We spend so much time talking about the Celtics, Lakers and Warriors, so for our guys it’s a fresh take for them because some of these teams don’t appear on our air too often. This is a great opportunity to breathe in some fresh air with our coverage and watch these very talented teams compete.” 

AMC will air the fourth and final season of post-apocalyptic drama Snowpiercer months after TNT canceled it. 

AMC Networks acquired the rights to all four seasons of the series, the first three of which aired on TNT from 2020-2022 before its cancellation this past January. AMC and AMC Plus will run the first three season later this year, with season four debuting sometime in 2025. 

The series, based on the graphic novel series by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette as well as a 2013 film of the same name, follows the exploits of human survivors on a perpetually moving train seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland. The series stars Jennifer Connelly, Daveed Diggs, Sean Bean, Rowan Blanchard and Alison Wright.

The Tomorrow Studios-produced series is executive produced by Paul Zbyszewski, Christoph Schrewe, Marty Adelstein, Beck Clements, Alissa Bachner, Matthew O’Connor, Ben Rosenblatt, Scott Derrickson, Bong Joon Ho, Miky Lee, Jinnie Choi, Park Chan-wook, Lee Tae-hun and Dooho Choi. 

“Snowpiercer is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride with a loyal fanbase — similar to the passionate fandoms we serve across our biggest franchise series — and a welcome addition to AMC and AMC Plus,” AMC Networks and AMC Studios executive VP of original programming Ben Davis said in a statement. “We look forward to giving viewers an opportunity to binge the first three seasons later this year, in anticipation of the arrival of a remarkable fourth season helmed by Paul Zbyszewski and this stellar cast, which will premiere in 2025.”

Fox News Channel’s coverage of the South Carolina Primary helped the news network complete a sweep of the primetime and total day charts for the month of February.

Fox News averaged 2.1 million viewers in primetime for the week of February 19-25 for its sixth straight win, topping second place TNT, which averaged 1.6 million viewers for the week, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News. 

Fox News was paced by its February 24 South Carolina Primary coverage, along with its February 20 Town Hall event featuring Laura Ingraham and former President Trump, which averaged 3.3 million viewers.  

MSNBC finished third for the week with 1.4 million viewers, followed by ESPN with 861,000 viewers, and HGTV, which pulled in 791,000 viewers. 

TBS was sixth with 735,000 viewers, followed by History (718,000 viewers), CNN (677,000), Hallmark Channel (613,000) and INSP (611,000).

Fox News held on to first place on the total day chart with 1.3 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (949,000 viewers), CNN (549,000), ESPN (460,000) and TNT (434,000), said Nielsen. 

Fox News was the most-watched cable network in primetime and total day for the first full week of February as it continues to pile up ratings victories in 2024. 

The cable news network averaged 2 million viewers for the week of February 5-11 for its fourth straight win on the chart, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News. MSNBC was a distant second with 1.3 million viewers, followed by HGTV’s 749,000 viewers, History’s 731,000 viewers, and ESPN’s 670,000 watchers.

TBS finished sixth with 645,000 viewers, followed by INSP (626,000), TNT (596,000), Hallmark Channel (571,000) and USA Network (569,000). 

On a total day basis, Fox News averaged 1.3 million viewers for the week, blowing away competition from MSNBC (846,000 viewers), CNN (462,000), ESPN (455,000), and HGTV (433,000), reported Nielsen. 

All Elite Wrestling enters 2024 with ratings and business momentum as it gears up for talks on a new TV carriage agreement.

AEW, which launched in 2019, drew 15.6 million viewers in 2023 across its three weekly television shows on Warner Bros Discovery’s TBS and TNT — AEW Dynamite, which airs Wednesdays on TBS, and Rampage and Collision, airing Fridays and Saturdays, respectively, on TNT. 

With strong 2023 returns on its pay-per-view events as well as record-breaking international live gate performances, the company — led by its CEO, general manager and head of creative Tony Khan — is in position to successfully compete in a crowded pro wrestling ring led by category leader WWE.

Khan, who outside the ring serves as chief football strategy officer of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars and as general manager and sporting director of soccer’s Fulham F.C. of the English Premier League, recently spoke to Multichannel News about AEW’s plans going into the new year.   

MCN: Has the AEW brand met your expectations since its launch in 2019? 

Tony Khan: It’s been an incredible first four-plus years for AEW. As we approach year five, we’ve accomplished so much in the world of pro wrestling and there’s still so much we can still do. We’ve expanded from two hours of weekly television to five hours; from one weekly program on Wednesdays to three weekly programs on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. We’ve gone from being on TNT to being on both TBS and TNT every week, 52 weeks a year. We’ve expanded internationally toward Canada and did one of the biggest live gates in the history of Canada with [pay-per-view event] Forbidden Door. One of the biggest accomplishments ever in wrestling was our AEW All In event held at Wembley Stadium last summer where we sold more than 81,000 tickets. It’s the most tickets ever sold for any wrestling show in history on record and it was also a huge success on pay-per-view. So there is a lot of really awesome stuff happening and for us, it’s an exciting time. We’re approaching our media rights renewal window and that’s a massive opportunity for us for all the growth we’ve had since our launch. 

MCN: As you approach media rights negotiations, is AEW considering expanding into the streaming arena somewhere down the line?

TK: We have a great library of content as we explore future distribution opportunities. Along with AEW content, I acquired Ring of Honor, which features thousands of hours of footage and trademarks. Given our library, we have an amazing opportunity to launch on a streaming platform.

MCN: What has made the AEW brand so popular for both audiences and potential distributors? 

TK: We have a lot of the best wrestlers in the world in AEW, and we have a great, knowledgeable fan base that is very passionate about wrestling. There has been a great base for AEW on Wednesday night since our launch and we’ve been able to expand it into Fridays and Saturdays. Our pay-per-view business has grown over the years significantly, and the loyalty of our pay-per-view customers and the strength of that business is, in my opinion, a testament to the great connection we have with the AEW wrestling fans who are so engaged with our brand each week. 

MCN: When you initially launched, the clear leader in the pro wrestling ring was the WWE. Four years later, how does the AEW brand match up with WWE? 

TK: I think it’s a great time for wrestling because over the last several years, both companies have grown. AEW is a challenger brand [to the WWE], and it’s an exciting time for wrestling. When we got into the industry, I believe it was unquestionably a monopoly. I’m working very hard to grow and sustain AEW as a challenger brand, and it’s been a lot of fun putting on great wrestling every week. I think the arrival and debut of AEW has helped create a market around wrestling that has helped both of the major domestic wrestling promotions. For us at AEW, we’re really happy that we've been able to grow our business and expand our pay-per-view calendar and have such great results.

MCN:  Along with wrestling, you also have business interests in the NFL and soccer. Do you have a preference for a particular sport?

TK: I love all the stuff I’m doing, but they’re different. They have great qualities and strength. I love working in wrestling; but I also love being a part of the Premier League with Fulham F.C. and the work we’ve done to get the team to where it is today. I love being a part of the NFL with the Jaguars and the great fans in Jacksonville and the turnaround the team has had over the last couple of years and being a part of it. It’s all so fun for me and they’re all very different. 

Fox News Channel looks to end the year on a high note after posting its second straight weekly sweep of the primetime and total-day ratings charts.

The news network averaged 1.8 million viewers during the week of December 4-10, besting ESPN’s 1.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News. The news network was paced by its December 5 Hannity Town Hall special featuring former President Donald Trump, which drew more than 3 million viewers, according to Nielsen. 

MSNBC finished third with 1.2 million viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel’s 1.1 million viewers and TNT’s 816,000 watchers.

History was sixth with 701,000 viewers, followed by Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (687,000 viewers), HGTV (665,000), USA Network (627,000) and INSP (579,000).

Fox News averaged 1.1 million viewers on a 24-hour basis, beating out MSNBC (779,000 viewers), ESPN (666,000), Hallmark Channel (664,000) and CNN (427,000), according to Nielsen. 

Fox News’ Ron DeSantis-Gavin Newsom political debate helped the news network retake the top spot on both the primetime and total day charts.

Fox News averaged 1.9 million viewers during the week of November 27 to December 3, surpassing last week’s chart leader ESPN’s 1.7 million viewers, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News. The news network's November 30 DeSantis vs. Newsom: The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate special averaged 5.4 million viewers across its live airing and repeat telecast to pace its ratings performance.

Hallmark Channel finished in third place with 1.2 million viewers, followed by MSNBC’s 1.1 million viewers and History’s 714,000 watchers. HGTV was sixth with 765,000 viewers followed by USA Network (671,000 viewers), Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (644,000), TNT (595,000) and Discovery Channel (569,000.)

On a total day basis, Fox News topped all networks for the 10th time in the last 11 weeks with 1.1 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (772,000), ESPN (709,000), Hallmark Channel (702,000) and CNN (448,000), according to Nielsen.  

The inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament continues tonight (December 4) with a field of eight teams set to play single-elimination games to determine the semi-final and final-round participants to battle for the title later this week in Las Vegas.

TNT tipped off knockout-round tournament coverage Monday night with the Boston Celtics-Indiana Pacers and New Orleans Pelicans-Sacramento Kings games. ESPN on Tuesday airs the New York Knicks-Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns-Los Angeles Lakers games.

The winning teams will faceoff on Thursday (December 7), with ESPN televising the first semi-final game at 5 p.m. (ET) and TNT airing the second game at 9 p.m. (ET). ABC will air the in-season tournament final on December 9.

Teams not qualifying for the quarterfinal round will play games on December 6 and 8. Teams that lose in the quarterfinals will play each other later in the week, according to the league.

The month-long NBA in-season tournament has been a ratings success thus far for the league and networks. ESPN averaged 1.58 million viewers for six Friday tournament games in November, up 24% from the same period last year, according to SportsBusiness Journal. TNT averaged 1.32 million for four tournament games, up 7% from the network’s Tuesday night November average, according to SBJ.  

ESPN and TNT executives are betting that the NBA’s first-ever in-season tournament will deliver an early-season ratings slam dunk. 

The in-season tournament, which debuts November 3, is the first for one of the four major U.S. sports leagues — the WNBA stages a similar Commissioner’s Cup in-season tournament. All 30 teams will participate in the five-week tournament to crown a champion on December 9.

Here’s what fans should know about the tournament: 

• Each of the 30 teams has been placed in one of three randomly drawn divisions within the Eastern and Western Conferences based on their won-loss records from the 2023-23 season.
• Teams will play four “group play” games against other teams in their division on Tuesday and Friday nights, except Election Day, November 7. TNT will air two tournament games each Tuesday, while ESPN will televise two Friday night tournament games. 
• Every team will play the other four teams in their group once, with the winners of the six groups and one wild card team from each conference advancing to the quarterfinal “knockout rounds” on December 4 and 5.
• Teams that don’t reach the quarterfinal round will play two games on December 6 and December 8. The semifinal round will occur on December 7, while the four teams that lose in the quarterfinals will face each other on December 8. 
• The two semifinal-round winners will play in the Championship Game on December 9 in Las Vegas. 
• All statistics from the in-tournament games will count toward the regular season, except the championship game. 

During each tournament game, the NBA will feature a team-specific tournament floor design for each home team. The players will also wear their City Edition uniforms during tournament games.

ESPN VP of production Tim Corrigan said the new floors and the unique uniforms will give the play-in games a different look than regular-season contests. Still, it will be up to the networks to educate the fans about the new tournament.

“Our No. 1 thing is we’ve got to educate people because it’s new,” Corrigan said during a Wednesday conference call. “Like anything new, we have to keep talking about the education of the event.”

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports executive VP and chief content officer Craig Barry expects fans to eventually gravitate to the tournament once they learn more about the format. He pointed to similar growing pains for the league’s postseason play-in format that launched in 2020, which was initially criticized by some but now has become a major draw for the league.

“Some of the best games in the playoffs have come from the play-in games because the one-and-done games are incredibly competitive,” he said. “We appreciate the passion that the NBA has around this. You can’t be afraid to try new things, and the fact that a primary sports league is doing something like this speaks to the progress not only in the sports landscape but in the media landscape.”

ESPN NBA analyst J.J. Redick also downplayed any potential criticism of the tournament, saying that the games will not alter the regular-season schedule except the tournament finals. The two finalists will play 83 games instead of 82 and individual player statistics will not count. 

“These are regular-season games that actually count twice,” he said. “They’re counting toward the In-Season Tournament, but they are also counting toward your regular season record and playoff record. Those games are going to be played anyway.”

TNT and ESPN tip off coverage of the NBA’s regular season this week with high viewership expectations, given the league’s overall appeal with fans and the introduction of an in-season tournament.

The pro hoops league tips off its 2023-24 campaign after averaging 1.6 million viewers during 2022-23, which was flat compared to 2021-22, according to SportsBusiness Journal.

While the NBA playoffs hit a five-year high with an average of 5.47 million viewers, the average of 11.65 million viewers for the five-game Denver Nuggets-Miami Heat NBA Finals was down 6% from the six-game 2022 Boston Celtics-Golden State Warriors finals, according to SportsMedia Watch. 

TNT starts its NBA season October 24 with a doubleheader featuring the defending champion Denver Nuggets taking on the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns against the Golden State Warriors. Overall, TNT will air 65 regular-season NBA games, including its Martin Luther King Day doubleheader and its February All-Star Weekend coverage.

ESPN and ABC will air 100 games starting October 25, including the traditional five-game Christmas lineup. ABC recently added five Wednesday-night games in January, mostly to help fill its primetime lineup due to the ongoing Hollywood actors strike.

“We’re ready to go this season,” ESPN head of event and studio production David Roberts said on a conference call. “This season is going to be a very interesting season just because of all the balance throughout the league, and we’re ready to document that story, which is going to be a season-long series of just great storytelling throughout the year.” 

New to this year’s campaign is the NBA In-Season Tournament, which will launch in November. The 30 NBA teams will play four games within randomly drawn, five-team groups within their conferences. The winning teams will advance to single-elimination rounds until a champion is crowned. TNT and ESPN will televise the in-season tournament games.

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports chief content officer Craig Barry said the tournament adds to an already intriguing regular season that features a new crop of rookies, including first-round pick Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs.

“Any time that you can create a certain amount of urgency within the season, especially within the regular season, the players and the fans are going to respond to that,” he said. “[The in-season tournament] is a priority for the NBA and is obviously a priority for us and our other broadcast partners.”

ESPN and TNT are hitting the ice with opening-week coverage of the 2023-24 National Hockey League season with high expectations for year three of the networks’ seven-year TV deals with the league. 

TNT tonight (October 11) drops the puck on its 2023-24 season with a doubleheader which includes the game between the Chicago Blackhawks and rookie phenom Connor Bedard and the Boston Bruins, part of a 62-game regular season schedule that also features New Year’s Day coverage of the NHL Winter Classic featuring the Seattle Kraken and defending champion Vegas Golden Knights. 

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports chief content officer Craig Barry said TNT will look to continue to mesh the action on the ice with technology to offer both hard-core and casual hockey fans a unique viewing experience. 

Also Read: Bankrupt Diamond Officially Announces Bally Sports Schedules for the NHL’s Panthers and Lightning

“We really want to lead into the data opportunity with puck speed and player tags to see what more we can do to drive the narrative,” he said. “We also want to try some new things as well as we move forward and think about how to apply technology for a better fan experience.”

Barry also pointed to the opportunities streamer Max’s new sports tier can provide to supplement TNT’s coverage, including potential alternative game feeds. “We like the simulcast approach where you can watch on TNT or you can watch on Max — the ability to stream games creates a lot more flexibility,” he said. “There are some options for alternative feeds that we can explore.”  

Line Changes at Disney Nets

ESPN Tuesday night (October 10) launched its 2023-24 NHL coverage with a tripleheader. Overall, 34 games will be televised on ESPN and 16 contests will air on Disney broadcast sibling ABC. Another 50 games will stream on ESPN Plus.

ESPN senior manager of programming and acquisitions Eric Loh said this year’s regular-season TV schedule is equally balanced between cable/broadcast and streaming, providing exposure for the league on both platforms. That’s a major change from the 75 streaming and 25 linear telecasts the network offered in 2021, the first year of the contract.

“We have worked to continuously remind people that ESPN is the home of hockey over the past three years, so we’ve done that by changing up the balance of linear and [streaming] to try to reflect our commitment to the game throughout the regular season,” he said. 

Among the highlights of the season is ESPN’s February 17 and 18 coverage of the NHL Stadium Series from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, featuring the Philadelphia Flyers-New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers-New York Islanders games. 

Also, ESPN and the NHL on October 24 will offer 16 games featuring all 32 teams, with games starting at staggered start times to give hockey fans an opportunity to sample every game across ESPN and ESPN Plus. In addition, ESPN2 will feature a “Frozen Frenzy” whip- around show, similar to the NFL’s RedZone channel, providing live look-ins as games are played. 

“We will do our best to create an NHL Red Zone-style show that takes you around from game to game, highlighting all of the goals, hits and saves of the night and creating a frenzy that everyone enjoys on Sunday afternoons with the NFL,” he said. 

Sure, cord-cutting has whittled linear TV audiences to the bone in recent years. But if you're Warner Bros. Discovery, the company that somehow convinced the broader video business that low EBIDTA losses on streaming equate to the same thing as having a profitable future, winning the ratings race in that shrunken, post-apocalyptic world is still meaningful. 

Take Wednesday’s WBD press release, which touted three primetime occasions in the second quarter during which its linear channels controlled 60% or more of the adult 18-49 linear cable TV audience. 

The conglomerate said that since March, its networks group, which includes Discovery, Food Network, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, TBS, TNT, TLC, Adult Swim and OWN, also delivered 16 nights with more than a 50% share of cable viewing among adults 18-49. 

“Our popular group of networks attracts more than one-third of all cable viewers 25-54 each night,” Kathleen Finch, chairman and chief content officer for WBD's U.S. networks group, said in a statement. “In the second quarter, our viewers came for sports, their favorite series and brand-new originals which premiered all quarter long and kept our ratings and audience share high.”    

Leading the way was TNT’s coverage of the NBA playoffs, with the pro hoops league enjoying its biggest postseason audience in five years across national TV partners. TNT led the cable TV primetime universe in Q2 adults 25-54, 18-34, 18-49, as well as people 2-plus.

Other highlights:

• On TBS, off-net series The Big Bang Theory remained cable’s No. 1 acquired show among adults 25-54, 18-49 and P2+.
• Led by 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way, TLC ranked as the No. 2 nonsports cable network among  adults 25-54, women 25-54, adults 18-49 and women 18-49.
• Discovery Channel owned three of the top 10 unscripted cable series in primetime among men 25-54: Gold Rush, Naked & Afraid: Last One Standing and Deadliest Catch.
• ID ended the second quarter as the year-to-date No. 1 nonsports cable network in total day among women 25-54.
• OWN’s Love & Marriage: Huntsville was Saturday night’s top original series across linear broadcast and cable among African-American adults and women 25-54, and African-American women 18-49.

According to Nielsen’s popular market monthly viewing share tracker “The Gauge,” linear cable went from controlling 36.5% of all U.S. TV viewing in May 2022 to just 31.5% a year later. The viewer erosion in linear cable is far quicker than even broadcast. 

Then again, we can make all the glib jokes we want to about WBD’s newfound dedication to linear cable under the regime of David Zaslav. But as TVREV analyst Alan Wolk wrote in Next TV last week, linear TV — dilapidated in reach as it might be — is still where the ad money is. 

MSNBC and Fox News last week ended TNT’s seven-week run at the top spot of the cable primetime chart, while also finishing in the top two spots on the total day chart.

MSNBC and Fox News both averaged 1.5 million viewers for the week of June 5 to June 11 to top all cable networks, according to Nielsen figures supplied by Fox News. In fact, according to TV Newser's A.J. Katz, MSNBC edged out Fox News, averaging 1,520,857 primetime viewers to 1,504,429 for Fox News, ending a 120-week win streak for Fox News. ESPN finished third on the chart with 1 million viewers, followed by TNT’s 923,000 viewers and INSP’s 795,000 watchers.

Rounding out the most-watched networks in primetime for the week were HGTV (764,000 viewers), History (704,000), CNN (677,000), Hallmark Channel (654,000) and USA Network (646,000).

On a 24-hour basis, Fox News led all networks for the 23rd consecutive week with 1 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (932,000 viewers), CNN (491,000), ESPN (444,000) and HGTV (406,000), according to Nielsen.  

This weekend's lineup of live TV sports events begins on the ice Saturday with Game Four of the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Vegas Golden Knights will look to take a commanding three games-to-one lead over the Florida Panthers in Game Four of the Stanley Cup Finals on TNT. After taking a two games-to-none lead, the Golden Knights lost to the Panthers in overtime this past Thursday.  

On the racetrack, Fox on Saturday will air the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown. On the tennis court, NBC Saturday morning will air the French Open women’s finals match between top-ranked Iga Swiatek and Karolina Muchova. On Sunday morning NBC will air the French Open men’s finals. 

In the boxing ring, ESPN will televise a junior welterweight title fight between Teofimo Lopez and WBO champion Josh Taylor. Also Saturday DAZN will stream an IBF flyweight championship bout between champion Sunny Edwards and Andres Campos.

In the octagon, ESPN PPV will distribute the UFC 289 event featuring a main event bout between women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes and Irene Aldana.  

The USFL will launch week nine of its regular-season on Saturday with the Michigan Panthers-Pittsburgh Maulers game on Fox and the New Orleans Breakers-Memphis Showboats on NBC. On Sunday, NBC will air the Birmingham Stallions-Houston Gamblers game, while Fox will televise the Philadelphia Stars-New Jersey Generals contest.

On the links, CBS and Golf Channel will offer final round weekend coverage of the Canadian Tour PGA Open. 

Also: The CW’s LIV Golf Lineup Will Continue Amidst LIV-PGA Merger

On Sunday Fox will televise the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup race. On the baseball diamond, Peacock will stream the Arizona Diamondbacks-Detroit Tigers game, while ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast will feature a game between longtime American League rivals the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. 

TNT topped the primetime cable ratings charts for the seventh straight week on the strength of its Memorial Day NBA Playoffs telecast.

TNT averaged 2.1 million viewers in primetime for the week of May 29-June 4 to top all cable networks, according to Nielsen ratings provided by Fox News Channel. The network was bolstered by its May 29 coverage of Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, which drew 11.9 million viewers — the third-most-watched NBA game in TNT history.

Fox News finished second for the week with 1.3 million viewers, followed by MSNBC’s 991,000 viewers and ESPN’s 884,000 watchers. INSP pulled into fifth place with 789,000 viewers, followed by HGTV (784,000 viewers), Investigation Discovery (714,000), History (652,000), Hallmark Channel (643,000) and USA Network (613,000).

On a 24-hour basis, Fox News bested all cable networks for the 22nd consecutive week, averaging 1 million viewers. MSNBC finished second with 665,000, followed by TNT (554,000 viewers), ESPN (445,000), and HGTV (427,000).

The live TV sports calendar for the first weekend in June starts on the ice as TNT drops the puck on the NHL Stanley Cup Finals. 

TNT, along with TBS and truTV, will carry Game One of the Florida Panthers-Vegas Golden Knights NHL Stanley Cup series. The Warner Bros. Discovery-owned networks will air every game of the NHL finals after ABC aired last year’s Colorado Avalanche-Tampa Bay Lightening Stanley Cup series.

Also: TNT Hopes Its First Stanley Cup Finals Will Maintain Hockey’s Ratings Momentum

The NBA Finals continue on ABC Sunday night as the Miami Heat look to even up its series with the Denver Nuggets after losing the first game on Thursday. 

On the baseball diamond, Peacock Sunday morning will stream the St. Louis Cardinals-Pittsburgh Pirates game, while ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast will feature long-time interleague rivals the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Week eight of the USFL Football league begins Saturday with coverage of the Houston Gamblers-Pittsburgh Maulers game on USA Network and the Philadelphia Stars-Birmingham Stallions on NBC. Sunday’s action includes Fox’s telecasts of the Memphis Showboats-New Jersey Generals and Michigan Panthers-New Orleans Breakers games. 

On the links, CBS and the Golf Channel will offer weekend coverage of the final rounds of PGA Memorial golf tournament, while on the tennis court NBC and Tennis Channel will offer live coverage of the French Open.

In the octagon, ESPN on Saturday will televise a UFC Fight Night card featuring a main event bout between flyweights Kai Kara-France and Amir Albazi.  

TNT tomorrow (June 3) will drop the puck on its first Stanley Cup Finals with the hope fans will watch the games between the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers in the same big numbers as they have throughout the NHL playoffs.

The series will be exclusively on cable, with Warner Bros. Discovery-owned TNT, TBS and truTV simulcasting games beginning with Saturday’s Game 1 in Las Vegas. TNT will air the Stanley Cup Finals in three of the seven years covered by the NHL television deal reached in 2021. It alternates with The Walt Disney Co.-owned ABC, which aired last year’s finals. 

The NHL hopes to extend to its strong postseason ratings performance thus far. The first three rounds of the NHL playoffs averaged 1.14 million viewers across ESPN, ABC and TNT, up 2% from last season, according to Nielsen numbers reported by SportsMedia Watch.  

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports executive VP and chief content officer Craig Barry said that the company is approaching the Stanley Cup finals with the same “authentic DNA” that it used for its coverage throughout the 2022-23 NHL season, as well as for its NBA regular season and postseason coverage.

“We understand our obligation to the hard-core fan, but more importantly we understand our equal obligation to the casual fan, and that is one of the primary differentiators in our coverage,” he said. “We do that by emphasizing the intersection of sports and culture.”

Barry added that he’s not concerned about hockey fans not being able to find the games on cable, adding that the network’s ratings success will mostly be determined by the play on the ice. 

“In the fragmented media landscape, people are becoming more accustomed to finding their sports and events on different platforms, and fans appreciate the best coverage and experience regardless of network,” he said. “These are two terrific teams who deserve to be in the finals. Like all great series, the success of this Finals will be determined by the competition and the stories that unfold.” 

As for TNT's NBA playoffs coverage, Barry said the network's strong ratings performance benefited from appealing matchups and great storylines throughout the postseason. Overall, TNT’s playoff games averaged 4.7 million viewers, up 14% from last year, according to SportsMedia Watch. 

TNT's May 29 Game 7 coverage of the Boston Celtics-Miami Heat Eastern Conference Finals averaged 11.9 million viewers, making it the third-most-watched NBA game in TNT history. 

“Sports are most certainly matchup driven, but with the addition of great storylines and unique and special moments within the series, fans become more emotionally attached to the coverage,” Barry said. 

TNT premieres the thriller drama The Lazarus Project, about a secret organization that has harnessed the ability to turn back time whenever the world faces the threat of extinction, Sunday, June 4. It has been a long wait for the series, which was initially lined up to debut January 23. 

The series was acquired from Sky Studios in late 2022. There are eight episodes. Paapa Essiedu, Anjli Mohindra, Tom Burke, Caroline Quentin and Rudi Dharmalingam are in the cast. 

Executive producer Johnny Capps told B+C the show is “a crazy love story” about George, who’s in love with a woman, loses the woman, and needs to turn back time to get her back. Essiedu, who played Kwame in I May Destroy You, portrays George. 

“It’s a very original premise, to see a love story done in this way,” Capps said. “It’s a great action thriller. It’s very topical, it’s very funny, and it’s got fantastic characters.”

The series follows George, the latest recruit to the secret Lazarus Project. He wants to turn back time to reunite with the woman he loves, but Lazarus won’t let him do it unless the threat of global extinction exists. “Now George must choose to stay loyal or go rogue as he faces the question of: if you had the power to rewrite your past, what would you sacrifice to do it?” asks TNT.  

The pilot sees George wake up and discover that time has turned back and undone the events of the past six months. He thinks he’s lost his mind, but then is approached by folks from The Lazarus Project. He must decide if he’s willing to work with them. 

The Lazarus Project is shot in Europe. Urban Myth Films produces the show in association with Sky Studios. Executive producers, with Capps, are Julian Murphy and Joe Barton. Paul Gilbert is executive producer for Sky Studios. 

Capps called Barton “a genius writer” who can “find humor, pathos and emotion” in a nuclear armageddon. Barton directed every episode. 

Capps cited Groundhog Day as an influence on the show. He promised “a jigsaw puzzle each episode,” and all together, “a great piece of escapist television.”

A TNT spokesperson had said earlier this year that pushing the premiere back several months would allow TNT to better support the series. Scripted dramas on TNT have been uncommon of late. 

A review in The Guardian, before The Lazarus Project premiered in the U.K. last year, said, “It is stuffed with good performances, knotty problems and is compelling enough to keep even those of us who, much as we may wish otherwise, don’t quite understand what’s going on coming back for more.”

TNT rode the end of its coverage of the NBA and NHL conference championship playoff rounds, leading up to each league’s finals, to another win in the primetime cable ratings during the final full week of May. 

TNT averaged 3.2 million viewers during the week of May 22-May 28 to top all cable networks for the sixth straight week, according to Nielsen figures supplied by Fox News Channel. TNT was propelled by its Boston Celtics-Miami Heat NBA Eastern Conference finals coverage, with the May 27 Game 6 of the series averaging 8.7 million viewers. 

TNT will air the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, pitting the Vegas Golden Knights against the Florida Panthers, starting this Saturday (June 3). 

ESPN finished second for the week with 1.8 million viewers, powered by 8.2 million viewers tuning into its May 22 coverage of Game 4 of the Denver Nuggets-Los Angeles Lakers NBA Western Conference finals. The NBA Finals between the Heat and Nuggets begins Thursday night (June 1) on ESPN sister network ABC. 

Fox News finished third for the week with 1.3 million viewers, followed by MSNBC with 1.1 million viewers and HGTV with 781,000 watchers. INSP was the sixth most-watched network for the week with 693,000 viewers, followed by Discovery Channel (630,000 viewers), History (576,000), TLC (567,000) and Hallmark Channel (539,000).

Fox News took top honors in the total day category for the 21st consecutive week with 1 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (734,000 viewers), TNT (703,000), ESPN (599,000) and HGTV (420,000), according to Nielsen.  

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports said that TNT’s coverage of Game 7 of the National Basketball Association’s Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics drew 11.9 million total viewers, up 21% from a year ago when the same teams played a Game 7.

The telecast market TNT’s third most-watched NBA game ever.

TNT covered the Eastern Conference Finals, which averaged 7.4 million viewers, up 6% in audience from last year and the highest-rated game in 10 years.

The series started with Miami taking the first three games, setting up the potential for a sweep, which would have been a financial disaster for TNT. Networks sell commercials based on a five-game series. A sweep means only four games worth of inventory airs, minimizing the ad revenue potential. 

Boston battled back, taking the next three in a row, setting up Warner Bros. Sports for an ad revenue windfall, despite Miami’s lopsided 103-84 Game 7 victory.

The Western Conference Finals ended in a sweep for The Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN and ABC. The Denver Nuggets will play the Heat in the NBA Finals, which begin Thursday night on ABC. 

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports’ coverage of Game 7 peaked with an average of 14.2 million viewers from 10-10:15 p.m. ET. It was the most-watched program Sunday night across all of cable.

Boston’s last-second win Saturday night in Game 6 averaged 8.7 million viewers, the most watched Eastern Conference Finals ever on TNT.

Overall, TNT’s 2023 NBA Playoffs coverage has led the network to win the night on cable in primetime 24 times, while propelling the network to cable’s top ranking in primetime over the past five weeks.

Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge debuted on NBC May 30. The show sees Hot Wheels superfans turn a toy car from their past into the life-sized car of their dreams. The winner will see their creation become an official Hot Wheels die-cast car.

The show “builds on the success of Lego Masters,” said executive producer D.J. Nurre, who also exec produces the Lego show, both on behalf of Endemol Shine North America. Hot Wheels parent Mattel was keen to do an unscripted show and Ultimate Challenge was born. 

The show isn’t just for gearheads, Nurre said, but for “the kid in all of us” who can imagine what their boring, everyday ride might look like with, say, flames painted on the sides or a skull on the hood. 

Some contestants are gearheads, he added, but most are not. “They don’t have to have spent their entire life tinkering in the garage to participate in the show or enjoy the show,” Nurre said. 

The contestants are hardly all male. “It’s really exciting to bring the female superfans on and allow them to bring the feminine point of view,” Nurre said. That’s not about flowers and butterflies, he added: “Some made their cars way more aggressive, more bad-ass, than the boys did.”

Rutledge Wood, whose resume includes covering NASCAR, hosts Hot Wheels. Nurre said Wood is well suited for the role. “He was the biggest kid on the set,” Nurre said. “He did not lose his enthusiasm even for one second.”

‘Lazarus’ Reborn on TNT

TNT will premiere thriller drama The Lazarus Project on June 4. The show, about a secret organization that has harnessed the ability to turn back time whenever the world faces the threat of extinction, aired in the U.K. late last year. There are eight episodes. 

The series follows George, the latest recruit to the secret project. When a freak accident harms someone close to George, Lazarus won’t let him turn back time to undo it unless there is the threat of global extinction. 

“At the end of the day, it’s a crazy love story,” Johnny Capps, executive producer, said. “It’s a very original premise, to see a love story done in this way.”

Paapa Essiedu, Anjli Mohindra, Tom Burke and Caroline Quentin are in the cast. The idea came from exec producer Joe Barton. Capps promised a “thriller jigsaw puzzle in every episode.”

“It’s very topical, it’s very funny and it’s got fantastic characters,” he added. 

Asked about influences, Capps mentioned Groundhog Day. 

Scripted dramas on TNT are uncommon, but Capps believes the partnership looks strong. He said, “We’re thrilled to work with American partners who are very like-minded.”

TNT and ESPN’s NBA and NHL playoffs coverage kept both networks at the top of the primetime charts last week.

TNT averaged 2.9 million viewers for the week of May 15 to May 21 to top all cable networks for the fifth straight week, with ESPN finishing second with 2.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen figures supplied by Fox News Channel. 

Both networks were bolstered by strong viewership performances from NBA Playoffs telecasts. ESPN drew 7.1 million viewers for its May 16 Game 1 coverage of the LA. Lakers-Denver Nuggets Western Conference Finals series, while TNT drew 6.4 million for its May 21 Game 3 coverage of the Boston Celtics-Miami Heat Eastern Conference finals series. 

Fox News finished third for the week with 1.4 million viewers, followed by MSNBC with 1.1 million viewers and INSP with 770,000 watchers. Rounding out the top 10 most watched cable networks was HGTV (701,000). History (660,000 viewers), TLC (631,000), Hallmark Channel (593,000) and Discovery Channel (570,000).

Fox News was the most-watched cable network on a total day basis, averaging 1 million viewers. ESPN was second on the chart with 829,000 viewers, followed by MSNBC (715,000), TNT (665,000) and HGTV (403,000), according to Nielsen.   

This weekend’s lineup of live tv sports events starts on the basketball court as the WNBA tips off its 2023 season.

The league, which is coming off a strong ratings run during its 2022 campaign and which welcomes back star Brittney Griner after her detention in a Russian prison, will feature two Saturday games on ABC pitting the Atlanta Dream against the Dallas Wings, and the defending league champions Las Vegas Aces against the Seattle Storm.    

In the NBA, ABC will air Game 3 of the Western Conference championship between the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers, with Denver up two games to none in the series. On Sunday, TNT will air Game 3 of the Boston Celtics-Miami Heat Eastern Conference championship series.

On the ice, TNT will televise Game 2 of the Florida Panthers-Carolina Hurricanes NHL Eastern Conference Finals while ABC on Sunday will air Game 2 of the Dallas Stars-Vegas Golden Knights Western Conference Finals. 

In the boxing ring, ESPN Plus Saturday will distribute a pay-per-view card headlined by the Devin Haney-Vasiliy Lomachenko undisputed lightweight championship fight. ESPN Plus will also distribute a Saturday UFC Fight Night card featuring a main event women’s strawweight bout between Mackenzie Dern and Angela Hill. 

On the baseball diamond, Peacock on Sunday will stream the New York Yankees-Cincinnati Reds game, while ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast will pit  the Cleveland Indians against the New York Mets. 

ESPN and CBS will offer final round weekend coverage of the PGA Championship golf tournament, while Fox on Sunday will air the Professional Bowlers Association’s Super Slam Cup tournament. 

On the football field, week six of the USFL season kicks off Saturday with USA Network's telecast of the Pittsburgh Maulers-Memphis Showboats game while Fox airs the Birmingham Stallions-Michigan Panthers matchup. Sunday’s action includes FS1’s New Orleans Breakers-Philadelphia Stars telecast and Fox’s New Jersey Generals-Houston Gamblers game. 

On the track, NBC on Saturday will air The Preakness Stakes, the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown. 

TNT will bring pro wrestling to Saturday nights with the launch of AEW: Collision while TBS will add more comedy with a reimagining of the classic series The Joe Schmo Show, Warner Bros. Discovery said Wednesday during its upfront presentation to advertisers in New York .

The two-hour AEW: Collision live series will join Friday series AEW: Rampage on TNT’s lineup, featuring such AEW wrestlers as Miro, Samoa Joe, Thunder Rose, Powerhouse Hobbs and Andrade El Idolo, according to TNT. Two other weekly AEW series, AEW: Dynamite and reality-themed series AEW: All-Access currently air on TBS.

“We’re doubling down on wrestling with AEW: Collision which gives fans two more hours every week,” Turner Networks, ID and HLN linear and streaming president Jason Sarlanis said in a statement. “AEW’s roster of talent has expanded so quickly that we felt it needed another night to bring our audience the epic rivalries, unforgettable matches and stars they love to watch. Adding Collision to our programming mix on TNT will allow us to satisfy the massive demand we’ve felt from our hardcore fanbase and be the ultimate complement to AEW: Dynamite on TBS.”

In other WB Discovery programming news, TBS will look to amp up its comedy lineup with a new version of the former Spike TV series The Joe Schmo Show. 

The series, hosted by Cat Deeley, will debut in 2024 and follow the premise of the original series by making a regular guy believe that he’s competing on a reality show, but in reality all the participants are a cast of improv comedians, said the network. The series ran on Spike TV, now Paramount Network, for three seasons beginning in 2003. 

“When The Joe Schmo Show launched 20 years ago, it was ahead of its time,” Sarlanis said. “In rebooting this classic for a modern, savvy audience, it gives us the opportunity to comment on the often absurd and hilarious tropes of reality television in ways our viewers will love.”

The Joe Schmo Show will be produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and Fly on the Wall, with original series creators Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. 

The Mother’s Day weekend lineup of live tv sports action begins on the pro football field as ABC airs in primetime the upstart XFL pro football league’s Championship game featuring the Arlington Renegades and the D.C. Defenders. 

The second round of the NBA Playoffs winds down as the Philadelphia 76’ers and the Boston Celtics meet Saturday on ABC in a pivotal Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. 

On the ice, ESPN on Saturday will air a Game 6 NHL Playoffs contest featuring the Dallas Stars, who will look to close out its second round series against Seattle Kraken. On Sunday ESPN will air Game 6 of the Edmonton Oilers-Vegas Golden Knights series, with the Golden Knights up three games to two.

On the racetrack, NBC on Saturday will televise the GMR Grand Prix IndyCar Series race and on Sunday will air the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Motul Course de Monterey race. 

On the baseball diamond, Peacock on Sunday morning will stream the L.A. Angels-Cleveland Guardians game, while ESPN will televise the St. Louis Cardinals-Boston Red Sox game as part of its Sunday Night Baseball telecast. 

On the links, CBS and Golf Channel will offer final round weekend coverage of the AT&T Byron Nelson Classic PGA tournament, while the CW offers live Saturday and Sunday coverage of the LIV golf tournament in Tulsa. 

Both ESPN and Showtime will feature boxing cards Saturday night, with ESPN offering the Janibek Alimkhanuly-Steven Butler WBO middleweight title fight and Showtime airing the Rolando Romero-Ismael Barroso WBA interim junior welterweight title bout. In the octagon, ABC will air a UFC heavyweight main event bout between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Jailton Almeida. 

Fox on Sunday will air final round coverage of the Professional Bowlers Association’s Players Championship. On the soccer field, USA and Peacock will air nine Premier League games throughout the weekend. 

The busy lineup of live TV sports events airing during the first weekend of May begins Saturday in the boxing ring as super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez battles contender John Ryder in a DAZN-distributed pay-per-view event. 

Also on PPV Saturday, ESPN Plus will distribute the UFC 288 fight card featuring the main event bout between bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and former champion Henry Cejudo.

The NBA Playoffs continue Saturday on ABC with Game 3 of the New York Knicks-Miami Heat and the Golden State Warriors-LA Lakers series. On Sunday, ESPN will air Game 4 of the Boston Celtics-Philadelphia 76’ers series, while TNT telecasts Game 4 of the Denver Nuggets-Phoenix Suns series.

On the ice, the second round of NHL playoffs continue Saturday on TNT with Game 2 of the Edmonton Oilers-Vegas Golden Knights series. On Sunday TBS will air a tripleheader of Game 3 contests featuring the Carolina Hurricanes-New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs-Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars-Seattle Kraken series.

NBC on Saturday will televise live the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race. On the links, CBS will televise final round coverage of the PGA Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament. 

TNT will launch the second season of its true crime anthology series Rich & Shameles$ on Sunday (May 7).

The series, which documents the successes, failures, thrills and miseries that accompany wealth in the world of sports, will open its sophomore campaign with a look at the financial ups and downs of controversial NBA champion and All-Star Dennis Rodman, said the network. Rich & Shameles$ premieres Sunday after TNT’s NBA playoffs coverage.

Also: Star Power Drives TNT’s NHL, NBA Playoff Ratings Push, Says WBD’s Craig Barry (Q&A)

Other episodes in the series explore stories surrounding WWE superstar Hulk Hogan, former NFL linebacker Eric Naposki, and late NBA star Lorenzen Wright, said TNT. 

TNT continues to build ratings momentum heading into its second-round coverage of the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League playoffs. 

Coming off its most-watched first-round NBA playoffs coverage in five years, TNT’s May 2 coverage of Game 1 of the Los Angeles Lakers-Golden State Warriors Western Conference semifinals drew a cable-record 7.4 million viewers. Through Tuesday night, TNT’s NBA postseason coverage has averaged 3.8 million viewers, up 10% compared to last season, Nielsen reported.  

On the ice, Game 7 of the Boston Bruins-Florida Panthers first-round Stanley Cup playoff series drew 3.2 million viewers to TNT, making it cable’s most-watched first-round game of all time. Overall, TNT averaged 959,000 viewers for its first-round coverage, the most-watched first-round NHL playoffs on cable of all time and up 18% from last year, according to Nielsen.

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports chief content officer Craig Barry, who oversees operations and technology for sports content airing on TNT, TBS and TruTV, spoke with Multichannel News about the network’s fast ratings start to the NBA and NHL postseason. Barry also talks about WBD Sports’ efforts to integrate sports and entertainment through technology and the popular talent found on shows such as Inside the NBA. 

MCN: Are you surprised by the strong ratings performance of the opening rounds of the NBA and NHL playoffs on TNT and to what do you attribute the network’s fast ratings start?

Craig Barry: I’m pleasantly surprised. I think that you're seeing really competitive games both in NBA and NHL playoffs — there’s been a number of overtime games that have really attracted viewers. In the NBA, in particular, you have powerhouse teams in the running. Whenever New York, Los Angeles, Golden State, Miami are in the playoffs, it just feels like the planets are aligned and people are generally really interested. Sports is always matchup-driven at its core. It doesn’t matter how good of a job we do on the production, it's driven by the teams that people love and that the fans love to watch.

MCN: How do you see sports content fitting into the overall programming strategy from TNT and TBS? 

CB: I don't want to speak for the entertainment side of the business, but what I'll say is they are great supporters of sports and it's part of their programming strategy. They can strategically program their entertainment programming around sports — I can tell you five years from now when the playoffs are happening, when March Madness is happening, when the [NBA and NHL] All-Star games are happening. They’ve been great partners.

MCN: WBD Sports has been successful in melding sports with entertainment through shows like Inside the NBA. How important is that in terms of attracting both hardcore and non-sports viewers?  

CB: There’s an intersection between sports and culture that we want to make sure that we understand and serve. We understand the obligation to the hard-core fan, but we also believe in an equal obligation to the casual fan. We look at creating an on-ramp for the casual fan to come in and watch and to be entertained and informed, while creating as much access to the game and to the players on the court or field. 

There are a lot of companies that believe there’s a specific box that you work in, and this is the way to do things. We believe in the individuals that work here, and we believe in and what they bring, as individuals, to the table. We love the kind of authentic output that comes from that. It's not always perfect, but it’s always authentic and that's important. We’ve become well-known for taking that imperfection and turning it into something special. 

MCN: How do you see the TV sports industry evolving in the near future, particularly on the technology side?

CB: That’s an interesting question. The streaming of sports rights content is obviously in the forefront. Being able to deliver your product where the fans are is the most important objective. If your fans don't have cable, make sure you're creating an opportunity on a direct-to-consumer product for your brand, like in our case Max or Bleacher Report. 

I think that's the most important part about streaming — it’s not necessarily differentiating yourself with the presentation, although that's a big part of it. It's first making sure that you can reach that scale of fan and consumer, regardless of where they are. I also feel like one of the largest disruptors is not necessarily just streaming, but also the cost efficiency of content. There are so many platforms calling for so much scale that we have to find ways to create more content at a high-quality level, but where we can scale to various platforms and make sure that we can sustain a model of efficiency while we’re doing that. 

I don’t care if you're a sports network, an entertainment network or a streaming platform, I think everybody sees the demand for content consumption as so large  that in order to be successful in this business you absolutely have to find a model where you have economic efficiencies in the way that you create and distribute content.

The first round of the NBA and NHL playoffs proved to be ratings gold for TNT and ESPN as both networks finished at the top of the cable primetime ratings chart last week.

TNT averaged 3.2 million primetime viewers during the week of April 24 to April 30 to top the chart for the second straight week, according to Nielsen. ESPN averaged 2.3 million viewers to finish second for the week with 2.3 million watchers. 

Fox News Channel finished third with 1.4 million viewers in the first week following the loss of its primetime news show Tucker Carlson Tonight after Carlson's departure from the network. MSNBC finished fourth with 1.2 million viewers.

History was fifth with 798,000 viewers, followed by HGTV (773,000), INSP (740,000), TBS (715,000), Hallmark Channel (656,000), and CNN (622,000).

Fox News won for the 16th straight week on the total day chart with an average of 1 million viewers, followed by TNT (883,000 viewers), ESPN (822,000), MSNBC (784,000), and CNN (451,000), Nielsen reported. 

The first round of the NBA playoffs served gave both TNT and ESPN a ratings boost last week, with both finishing among the top three most-watched basic-cable networks in primetime.

TNT averaged 2.7 million viewers in primetime during the week of April 17-23, topping all cable networks and ending Fox News Channel’s three-week run in the top spot, according to Nielsen. ESPN finished third for the week, averaging 1.5 million viewers.

Fox News fell to second place with 2 million viewers, with cable news competitor MSNBC finishing fourth with 1.1 million watchers. TBS was No. 5 with 806,000 viewers.

Rounding out the top 10 most-watched networks in primetime were HGTV (788,000 viewers), History (780,000), INSP (725,000), Hallmark Channel (682,000) and USA Network (663,000).

Fox News extended its total day winning streak to 15 straight weeks with an average of 1.2 million viewers, followed by TNT (932,000 viewers), MSNBC (735,000), ESPN (595,000) and HGTV (447,000), reported Nielsen.   

About five months ago, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav loudly questioned his conglomerate’s intention to renew its $1.2 billion-a-year NBA national TV rights contract when expires at the end of the 2025 playoffs. 

“We don't need the NBA,” Zaslav said.

Well, someone should tell the WBD PR department, which proudly trumpeted a week ago Sunday’s (April 16) primetime ratings performance, driven by two first-round NBA playoff matchups, as the “best night ever” across WBD’s various cable channels. 

Bolstered by the Los Angeles Clippers' 115-110 game 1 defeat of the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets 109-80 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, WBD said it controlled 61% of viewership of adults 25-54 and 64% of viewing for adults 18-49 from 7 p.m.-11 p.m. 

The Clippers-Suns game averaged more than 5 million viewers. And two NBA primetime cablecasts just led prime time this past Sunday, too, albeit with slightly lower total audience performances. 

Based on Nielsen measurement of viewers 25-54 during that primetime window, WBD “owned all 10 of the top-performing shows for April 16:

1. TNT – NBA Playoffs (Clippers vs. Suns)
2. TNT – NBA Playoffs (Nuggets vs. Timberwolves)
3. TLC – 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way
4. Discovery – Naked and Afraid
5. HGTV – Home Town Takeover
6. HGTV – Home Town Takeover Sneak Preview
7. TBS – The Big Bang Theory
8. TBS – The Big Bang Theory
9. Discovery – Naked and Afraid: Solo
10. TLC - Seeking Brother Husband

“More than any other media company, we offer audiences everything they want to watch on any given night,” Jon Steinlauf, chief U.S. ad sales officer for Warner Bros. Discovery, said in a statement. “From the biggest live sports events to the most-watched lifestyle networks, and everything in-between, our programming features stories that connect and inspire audiences everywhere.”

The live TV sports lineup for a busy April weekend begins in the boxing ring as Showtime distributes a much-anticipated pay-per-view boxing event featuring undefeated lightweights Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia. 

The Davis-Garcia fight is the second PPV boxing event for Davis this year and the fourth overall for the category so far in 2023. Davis-Garcia will be distributed by In Demand, PPV.com and DAZN PPV for a suggested retail price of $84.99. 

On the ice, the NHL winds down the first round of its postseason with a Saturday tripleheader of game three’s on TBS including the Vegas Golden Knights-Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs-Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche-Seattle Kraken contests. Also, ABC will air game three of the New Jersey Devils-New York Rangers matchup.

On Sunday, TBS will air game four coverage of the Dallas Stars-Minnesota Wild and Edmonton Oilers-Los Angeles Kings series, while game four of the Carolina Hurricanes-New York Islanders and Boston Bruins-Florida Panthers matchups will air on TNT.

On the court, the first round of the NBA playoffs continue on Saturday afternoon with the Philadelphia 76’ers looking to close out the Brooklyn Nets in game four of their series on TNT, while the Phoenix Suns look to go up three games to one over the Los Angeles Clippers, also on TNT. ESPN will air a primetime doubleheader featuring two game three matchups – The Miami Heat-Milwaukee Bucks and the Memphis Grizzlies-Los Angeles Lakers. Both series are tied at one game apiece.  

On Sunday, ABC will air game four of the Cleveland Cavaliers-New York Knicks and Sacramento Kings-Golden State Warriors playoff series, while TNT will air game four of the Boston Celtics-Atlanta Hawks and the Denver Nuggets-Minnesota Timberwolves series.

Peacock on Sunday will launch its 19-game MLB Sunday Leadoff live streaming baseball package with the Philadelphia Phillies-Colorado Rockies game. ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast will pit the New York Mets against the San Francisco Giants.  

Also on Sunday CBS will offer championship round coverage of the Professional Bull Riders' Great Northwest Invitational event, while Fox will televise the Pro Bowlers Association’s World Series of Bowling championship.

Fox News remained the most watched network in primetime and total day last week despite competition from the start of the National Basketball Association playoffs. 

Fox News averaged 2.1 million viewers in primetime for the week of April 10-April 16 for its third straight win in the category, according to Nielsen. The NBA's post-season play-in tournament boosted TNT to second place with 1.5 million viewers and ESPN to fourth place with 1.1 million watchers. MSNBC finished third with 1.2 million viewers.

HGTV finished fifth with 963,000 viewers, followed by INSP (728,000 viewers), History (717,000), Hallmark Channel (696,000), USA Network (570,000) and Food Network (564,000).

Fox News dominated the total day charts for the 14th consecutive week, averaging 1.3 million viewers and topping MSNBC (798,000 viewers), ESPN (606,000), TNT (550,000) and CNN (449,000), reported Nielsen. 

Also: Fox News Admits Making False Claims As It Settles Dominion Systems Lawsuit

 This weekend’s list of live TV sports events begins Saturday on the basketball court with the start of the NBA Playoffs. 

After a week of play-in games to determine the final four playoff teams, the NBA’s first round, best-of-seven post-season series begin Saturday afternoon on ESPN with the Brooklyn Nets against the Philadelphia 76’ers, the Atlanta Hawks facing the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks meeting the Cleveland Cavaliers. ABC will round out Saturday’s action with the Golden State Warriors-Sacramento Kings telecast.

On Sunday, ABC will televise the L.A. Lakers-Memphis Grizzlies contest, while TNT offers up a tripleheader beginning with the L.A. Clippers-Phoenix Suns clash. Also slated for Sunday on TNT is the Milwaukee Bucks game against the winner of Friday’s Chicago Bulls-Miami Heat play-in contest, and the Denver Nuggets matchup against Friday’s Oklahoma City Thunder-Minnesota Timberwolves winner. 

Football fans will have two spring leagues to watch as the USFL kicks off its second season Saturday alongside week nine of the XFL's inaugural season. Fox on Saturday will televise USFL matches featuring the Philadelphia Stars and Memphis Showboats and the New Jersey Generals against the Birmingham Stallions, while NBC on Sunday will carry the Houston Gamblers-Michigan Panthers contest and FS1 will air the Pittsburgh Maulers-New Orleans Breakers game. 

On the XFL front, ABC on Saturday will televise the Vegas Vipers-Houston Roughnecks matchup while ESPN2 tackles the Orlando Guardians-San Antonio Brahmas game. On Sunday, ESPN will air the Arlington Renegades-D.C. Defenders game and the Seattle Sea Dragons-St. Louis Battlehawks contest.  

On the links, CBS and Golf Channel will televise weekend final round coverage of the PGA RBC Heritage golf tournament, while on the bowling lanes Fox and FS1 will offer weekend coverage of  the PBA World Series of Bowling tournament.

USA, Peacock and NBC will continue its weekend Premier League coverage with a total of nine live games across Saturday and Sunday. Fox on Sunday will air an MLS contest between LAFC and LA Galaxy 

On the racetrack NBC on Sunday will televise the Grand Prix of Long Beach IndyCar race, while FS1 televises the NASCAR Cup NOCO 400 race. On the baseball diamond, ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball contest will feature the Texas Rangers against the Houston Astros. 

The National Basketball Association will begin its play-in tournament Tuesday night (April 11) as eight teams look to secure their ticket to the first round of the league’s traditional playoffs bracket.

The play-in tournament, first introduced by the league during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, pits eight teams seeded seven through 10 after regular-season play from the Eastern and Western Conferences.

TNT on Tuesday will air the games between the seventh and eighth seeds in the Eastern Conference (Miami Heat-Atlanta Hawks) and the Western Conference (Los Angeles Lakers-Minnesota Timberwolves). The winner of each game automatically advances to the playoffs. 

One Wednesday, ESPN will televise the games between the ninth and 10th seeds in the East (Toronto Raptors-Chicago Bulls) and the West (New Orleans Pelicans-Oklahoma City Thunder). The loser of each game will automatically be eliminated from the playoffs. 

On Friday, TNT will air the game between the loser of Tuesday’s Miami-Atlanta contest and the winner of Wednesday’s Toronto-Chicago game.  ESPN will air the game between Tuesday’s Lakers-Minnesota loser and Wednesday’s New Orleans-Oklahoma City winner. The winners of each game will advance to the playoffs. 

The NBA is hoping to increase interest in its postseason with the play-in tournament. The league averaged 2.4 million viewers for last year’s four-game play-in round, according to published reports.

The prestigious Masters PGA golf tournament highlights the list of live sports events taking place during Easter weekend.

CBS will offer late round coverage of the Masters tournament from Augusta National Golf Club throughout the weekend. Friday’s second round of the tournament was suspended due to rain with Viktor Hovland, John Rahm, Sam Bennett and Brooks Koepka all vying for the top spot on the leaderboard. 

ESPN's Thursday coverage of the tournament's first round was viewed by an average of 2.5 million viewers, according to the network. 

In the boxing ring, ESPN on Saturday will feature a lightweight boxing matchup between Shakur Stevenson and Shuichiro Yoshino, while Showtime will feature a junior middleweight bout between champion Sebastian Fundora and Brian Mendoza. 

In the octagon, ESPN Plus will distribute the UFC 287 pay-per-view match between middleweight champion Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya.  

On the ice, ABC will offer an afternoon NHL tripleheader including the Pittsburgh Penguins-Detroit Red Wings and Vegas Golden Knights-Dallas Stars afternoon games, followed by the New Jersey Devils-Boston Bruins primetime matchup.

Fox on Saturday will televise the Wood Memorial horse racing event, while on Sunday the network will televise the NASCAR Cup Food City Dirt Race event.  

ESPN will air a XFL doubleheader featuring the Vegas-St. Louis and Arlington-Orlando games. On Sunday ABC will air the Houston-San Antonio game, while ESPN2 will carry the D.C.-Seattle contest.

USA, NBC and Peacock will televise a combined 10 Premier League soccer games over the weekend, while TNT on Saturday will televise the women’s soccer game between the US team and Ireland.

The NBA regular-season concludes Sunday with two national game telecasts on ESPN (Atlanta Hawks-Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz-L.A. Lakers). Also Sunday, ESPN will televise the San Diego Padres-Atlanta Braves Sunday Night Baseball contest.

Fox News Channel withstood a challenge from March Madness-heavy TNT and TBS to remain at the top of the primetime and total-day charts last week, according to Nielsen.

Fox News averaged 1.9 million viewers for the week of March 13-20 to garner its eighth-straight win in primetime, according to Nielsen. TNT finished a close second with 1.8 million viewers, followed by TBS’s 1.7 million viewers and truTV’s 1.1 million watchers. All three networks benefited from early round coverage of the March Madness NCAA men’s college basketball tournament.

MSNBC finished fifth for the week with 1.1 million viewers, followed by HGTV (935,000 viewers), INSP (742,000), FS1 (739,000), History (722,000) and ESPN (710,000).

Fox News topped the total day chart for the 10th straight week with 1.2 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (695,000 viewers), TBS (655,000), TNT (607,000) HGTV (495,000), said Nielsen. ■ 

This weekend’s lineup of live TV sports telecasts begins on the baseball field as the World Baseball Classic continues with games on Saturday and Sunday.

Team USA will take the field for the international baseball tournament on Saturday against Great Britain on Fox and on Sunday against Mexico on FS1. Overall Fox, FS1 and FS2 will air 15 World Baseball Classic games over the weekend. 

Also: Fox Sports Steps to the Plate with World Baseball Classic Coverage

On the NBA court, ABC on Saturday will air a primetime game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Golden State Warriors, and ESPN on Sunday will televise the N.Y. Knicks-L.A. Lakers contest. 

On the racetrack, Fox on Sunday will air the NASCAR Cup United Rentals Work United 500 race. On the ice, ABC on Saturday will televise the Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins game, while on Sunday TNT will air the N.Y. Rangers-Pittsburgh Penguins matchup.

March Madness will officially kick off Sunday with CBS’ live airing of the NCAA Men’s college basketball tournament selection show, and ESPN’s live telecast of the Women’s college basketball tournament selection show. 

The XFL tees up week four of its inaugural pro football season Saturday with an FX doubleheader featuring the Houston Roughnecks-Orlando Guardians and San Antonio Brahmas-Seattle Sea Dragons games. On Sunday, ESPN2 will air the Arlington Renegades-St. Louis Battlehawks and the Vegas Vipers-D.C. Defenders contests.

On the soccer field, Peacock and USA will air nine Premier League soccer games over the weekend. In the ring, Showtime will air the Tim Tszu-Tony Harrison junior middleweight title fight.■ 

Fox News Channel defended its weekly primetime ratings crown from a fast break by the NBA All-Star Game-fueled TNT, according to Nielsen.

Fox News averaged 2.1 million viewers for the week of February 13-19 for its fourth-straight primetime win, the ratings agency reported. TNT finished second with 1.5 million viewers, aided by the 4.5 million viewers that tuned into the February 19 NBA All-Star Game telecast. 

MSNBC finished third with 1.1 million viewers, followed by HGTV’s 904,000 viewers and ESPN’s 838,000 watchers. History was sixth with 769,000 viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel (763,000), INSP (675,000), USA Network (669,000) and TBS (664,000), said the network. 

Fox News topped the total day chart for the sixth-straight week with an average of 1.4 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (727,000), HGTV (472,000), ESPN (467,000) and CNN (461,000), Nielsen said. ■  

The lineup of live TV sports events taking place over the President’s Day weekend starts on the hardwood with TNT’s coverage of the NBA All-Star Weekend festivities.

On Saturday TNT will offer primetime coverage of the NBA All-Star Saturday Night events, including the skills, three-point and slam dunk contests. On Sunday night TNT and TBS will provide live coverage of the annual NBA All-Star Game, featuring the league's recently crowned all-time leading scorer LeBron James.  

On the race track, Fox will feature Sunday afternoon coverage of NASCAR’s Daytona 500 auto racing event. On the links, CBS and Golf Channel will offer weekend coverage of the PGA Genesis Invitational golf tournament. 

The men’s college basketball lineup of top-ranked teams playing on Saturday includes top-ranked Alabama meeting Georgia on the SEC Network, fourth-ranked UCLA battling California on the Pac-12 Network and fifth-ranked Kansas taking on ninth-ranked Baylor on ESPN. On Sunday, second-ranked Houston plays Memphis on ESPN, while third-ranked Purdue meets Ohio State on CBS.

Several of the top women’s college basketball teams play on Sunday, including top-ranked South Carolina meeting Ole Miss on SEC Network, second-ranked Indiana battling Purdue on BTN, and fifth-ranked LSU traveling to Florida on SEC Network.  On Monday, third-ranked Stanford plays No. 16 UCLA on ESPN2.

On the ice, ABC will televise the NHL's Stadium Series outdoor game between the Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes from Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina. 

In the boxing ring, PPV.com on Saturday will distribute the BLK Prime-produced fight between former four-division champion Adrien Broner and Michael Williams Jr., while DAZN will distribute the WBA featherweight title bout between champion Leigh Wood and challenger Mauricio Lara.  

ESPN and ABC on Saturday will kickoff the inaugural season of the upstart XFL pro football league. ABC will offer the Vegas Vipers-Arlington Renegades game while ESPN and FX will simulcast the primetime matchup between the Orlando Guardians and the Houston Roughnecks. 

Also: Disney Looking to Expand XFL Sponsor Roster as Season Kicks Off

On Sunday, XFL game telecasts include the St. Louis Battlehawks-San Antonio Brahmas contest on ABC and the Seattle Sea Dragons-D.C. Defenders matchup on ESPN.■ 

The slump in the advertising market didn’t stop Warner Bros. Discovery from selling out its inventory across the NBA’s All-Star Weekend.

“We’re sold out,” Jon Diament, executive VP for ad sales at WBD, said. “This is the best year we’ve ever had.”

Diament said that in addition to official league sponsors–big names long associated with the NBA like Kia, State Farm and AT&T, this year’s All-Star weekend has 20 new advertisers in the lineup.

Those advertisers are in categories including beer, tech, auto, movies, telcos and snack.

“All those big blue-chip type advertisers for sports are back in a pretty big way,” Diament said.

Last year, the NBA’s All-Star Weekend generated $27.3 million in ad revenue, according to Kantar. The All-Star Game itself garnered $9.3 million, with 30-second spots going for $65,847. The pregame All-Star Tip-Off Show brought in another $5.4 million.

One advertiser stepping up big time this year is Nike’s Jordan Brand. That’s Jordan as in Michael Jordan, who played in a couple of All-Star games during his career as the GOAT of the NBA.

Jordan Brand will be the presenting sponsor of the pre-All Star Game draft during which team captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo select their squads. The first 30 minutes of the TNT telecast will also be streamed live on the Bleacher Report app.

Jordan Brand is also sponsoring the Rising Stars game on Friday and Cartoon Network Special Edition: NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest on Sunday.

Diament said WBD encourages advertisers to sponsor events across the weekend and across platforms. WBD is selling NBA All-Star inventory on cable, digital and streaming platforms, plus live events in Utah, where the game is being held. Many of those live, in-person events get televised, he added.

“We are having a lot of fan activations. It’s a very sophisticated plan that we put together with many of our sponsors,” Diament said.

In one activation, Shaquille O’Neal, the NBA legend who is now part of TNT’s Inside the NBA crew, will demonstrate AT&T’s 5G service from the arena floor.

O’Neal and the rest of the Inside the NBA cast — Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson and Golden State Warriors player Draymond Green — will be host a simulcast of the game on TBS similar to ESPN’s NFL Monday Night Football “Manningcast.”

Other key sponsorships include:

• Kia is presenting the All-Star Game.
• Carmax will present the 90-minute All-Star Tip-Off Show.
• AT&T is presenting the second NBA HBCU Classic on Saturday.
• State Farm is presenting All-Star Saturday Night, with the Kia All-Star Skill Challenge, the Starry 3-Point Contest and the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest.
• The “NBA on TNT American Express Road Show” takes place in downtown Salt Lake City on Thursday. 
• And B/R Utah on Sunday features a Skills Challenge presented by State Farm.

At this year’s All-Star Game, one of the announcers will be female hoops legend Candace Parker.

“Sports is the new primetime,” he said. Very few NBA sponsors are looking to reach men exclusively as female viewership of big games is substantial. “Most of the advertisers are just looking for adults at this point.”

Diament noted that with the confetti barely cleaned up from the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory in Super Bowl LVII, many of the advertisers in the All-Star game will be showing of their Super Bowl ad campaigns.

With the NFL season over, the NBA All-Star Game is the first in a series of big events coming up for Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, including the NBA playoffs, the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, NCAA March Madness and the beginning of the Major Leauge Baseball season.

“It’s the kickoff to our company’s dominance in sports in the second quarter,’ Diamant said, adding that it was too soon to gauge the strength of the second-quarter market. “We encourage advertisers to buy all season long, and second quarter is really significant for us.” ■

The live TV sports lineup for the first weekend of February starts on the ice and the gridiron as the National Hockey League and the National Football League play their respective All-Star contests.

On Saturday ABC will feature the NHL All-Star Game from South Florida featuring a total of 44 players from the NHL’s four divisions. On Sunday, the National Football League gathers its best players for the NFL Pro Bowl All-Star competition in Las Vegas on ABC. This year for the first time the league’s All-Stars will participate in a series of flag football games.

On the pro basketball court, ESPN2 on Saturday afternoon will air the Los Angeles Lakers-New Orleans Pelicans matchup as Lakers’ star LeBron James moves closer to breaking the all-time NBA scoring record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.  TNT will also televise Tuesday's Lakers-Oklahoma City Thunder game and Thursday's Lakers-Milwaukee Bucks games. 

ABC on Saturday night will air the Dallas Mavericks-Golden State Warriors game, while on Sunday ESPN will air the Philadelphia 76’ers-New York Knicks contest. 

Also on Sunday Fox will rev up the upcoming NASCAR season with a live telecast of the NASCAR Cup Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum in Los Angeles.

USA, Peacock and NBC will offer nine Premier League games over the weekend.

Saturday’s schedule of Top ten-ranked men’s college basketball teams includes top-ranked Purdue meeting Indiana on ESPN, second-ranked Tennessee against No. 25 Auburn on ESPN, fourth–ranked Alabama facing LSU on ESPNU and fifth-ranked Arizona playing Oregon State on the Pac 12 Network. 

Other games include No. 6 Virginia-Virginia Tech (ESPN2), No. 7 Kansas State-No. 10 Texas (ESPN2), No. 8 Kansas-No. 13 Iowa State (ESPN) and No. 9 UCLA-Washington State (Pac-12 Network).■