David McDavid Getting Ready to Buy Thrashers, Hawks & PHILLIPS ARENA?

Once he was a rumored possible owner of the Hornets when they were still here in Charlotte . . Now, it looks like he is getting close to buying the Hawks, Thrashers, & PHILLIPS ARENA from AOL/Time Warner (no more sports for them it looks like . . The only thing they will have left is the Braves, and Ted Turner might try to buy them back sooner rather than later). I'll bet this whole transaction will take about $600-700 million at least . .


David McDavid: New Owner of the Hawks, Thrashers & PHILLIPS ARENA

 

Not So Fast...

There is competition for the sports teams.

Dave Checketts is in the houze...

If the first deal goes through, it's not out of the question for Ted Turner to buy the Atlanta Braves and broadcast them on Fox Sports Net or a new regional channel not unlike Comcast SportsNet in DC and Phila. Comcast is the dominant cable operator in Atlanta (not exclusive, however) and their could be a brand extension or merger with National Sports Partners/Fox Sports Net South.

This could mean that Fox Sports Net Carolinas/Robert Johnson's channel could actually happen with content from the Carolinas region plus NASCAR and the regular FSN South feed could feature the Braves full-time of which Ted Turner and Comcast own parts of.

Imagine Fox Sports Net Carolinas with the new Charlotte basketball team, the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Carolina Cobras for programming and FSN and NASCAR filler time.

The Carolinas Sports Report with Jim Noble, Steve Burns, Gary Williams (WFNZ), and Paul Butler (Fox18).

Must See Sports TV.

Prediction of new NBA team broadcasters:

Tim Brando, Mike Gmininski (TV), Dave Jageler, Gil McGregor (Radio), and Gerry V will move back here. Steve Martin could also move back, but Bob Licht stays in NO.

 

Uh oh . . . Ol SDS is having another vision again!!!!!!!

Concerning programming for a new Charlotte based Regional Sports Network, I just remembered that the YES NETWORK in NYC simulcasts WFAN's 'Mike & The Mad Dog' show (they have TV cameras in the studio like the IMUS IN THE MORNING Show on MSNBC). YES Network has a close relationship with Infiinity Broadcasting; WCBS-88AM has the radio rights, WCBS-TV handles the over the air broadcasts (games that aren't show on YES) and the MIKE & THE MAD DOG on YES show . . . .

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm, Bob Johnson's BET network is owned by who ? ? ? Don't they own several stations here in CLT? Isn't one of them a sports talk station? I can easily see the MORNING SPORTS PAGE being aired on CAROLINA SPORTSNET . . . . Then in afternoon drivetime, you would have PRIMETIME w/THE PACKMAN (Packman is looking to air his show on cable tv eventually, right ? ? ? ?). After PRIMETIME ON CAROLINA SPORTSNET, have a 30 min. pregame show for the new NBA team . . . I think this could happen . . .

 

sds70

My vision has to do with the official split of the 2 Fox Sports Net South feeds (actually there are 3, with the Nashville Predators for certain areas of Tennessee and possibly North Alabama).

The Atlanta/Nashville feed would either be combined with Turner's Atlanta Braves and Comcast Cable (a major player in Atlanta, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Huntsville, Mobile, Augusta, Savannah, and other smaller areas). That is where I get the Comcast SportsNet SE brand/Fox Sports Net. The Hawks and Thrashers will be sold to someone else, which may create a network to use ESPN Regional a.k.a. Cox Sports Television in NO.

Comcast has already teamed up with Infinity Broadcasting in Atlanta to do expanded Falcons programming along with Gannett's WXIA 11 Alive.

FalconVision

The other half of Fox Sports Net has the Carolina Hurricanes. I don't think this market can support 2 sports channels, so it would behoove Robert Johnson and Viacom to purchase the FSN South Carolinas feed to have a localized FSN that can also use TimeWarner Cable (the player in Charlotte, Columbia, Triad, and the Triangle) and local Infinity broadcasting stations to provide NBA and NHL programming. If the channel is not named TimeWarner Sports or something to that effect, they have a better chance getting carriage on other cable companies (Comcast in Charleston, Charter in the Upstate and WNC).

I can understand, but don't agree with why News14 is exclusive to TimeWarner (50% ownership by the parent of NBC6 has plenty to do with that). but Viacom doesn't have a sports channel and would be stupid to do nationally or regionally, the infrastructure isn't there and the're already 2 players in that market ESPN and Fox.