beIN SPORT USA speculation thread

Time for me to take more punishment from the peanut gallery.

31 days left before the launch of beIN SPORT 1 (ONE) and beIN SPORT 2 (DOS) in the U.S. on August 1.

While the programming lineup of beIN SPORT 2 is more than sufficient (La Liga heaven with a smattering of Serie A), beIN SPORT 1 still needs a lot of work, as its programming lineup at launch (a mix of La Liga, Serie A, and Ligue 1) is relatively weak.

The tender for U.S. rights to English Premier League is expected to take place in August. Sources have told me "between the lines" that the incumbent partnership of FOX Sports Media Group and ESPN, Inc. have recruited Univision Deportes as reinforcement. FOX-ESPN-Univision is expecting a rival bid from a partnership of beIN SPORT USA/Qatar Media Corporation and NBCUniversal Media's NBC Sports Group and Telemundo Media. This will be war.

--

Because beIN SPORT will use big time international soccer to target male viewers ages 18-34, female studio host candidates (including the "update desk" during half time of live matches, which will be made of transparent plexiglass) with experience are valued over male studio host candidates of comparable qualification.

For beIN SPORT 2 in Spanish, we already know that Imagina U.S. VP Antonio Briceño has reached out via Twitter to Venezuelan swimsuit/lingerie model María del Valle, who currently anchors the evening edition of Central FOX on FOX Deportes (and FOX Sports Latin America North Cone) 5 nights a week (Sundays-Thursdays or Mondays-Fridays).

@MariadelValle16

I also understand that Mexican sports news anchor/reporter Aline Arnot is under serious consideration due to a combination of youth and experience. Arnot has 3 years of experience with TV Azteca and Azteca América. Arnot reported from South Africa during World Cup 2010, from Arlington, Texas during Super Bowl XLV, and London during the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final. Arnot can be seen in the U.S. regularly, as she anchors Deporte Caliente on Azteca América on Mondays-Fridays at 11pm ET/PT, 10pm CT/MT.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aline-Arnot/114483213587

@alinearnotm

--

Antonietta "Toni" Collins is NOT available, as she is under contract with Univision Deportes Network through the 1st quarter of 2015.

--

No shortage of candidates for studio host of beIN SPORT 1 in English, as I understand that Candy Reid (former anchor/reporter of World Sport on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International) and Terri Leigh (former anchor of FOX Soccer Report on FOX Soccer and FOX Sports World Canada) have applied.

@CandyReidsports

@Terristlouis

beIN SPORT USA is also expecting an application from Real Madrid TV presenter Kay Murray, who is currently anchoring Euro 2012 coverage for Astro in Malaysia. Murray was the Madrid-based freelance correspondent for FOX Soccer's coverage of the 2011-2012 UEFA Champions League. Interesting note: Murray no longer bleaches her hair blond as she did when she last appeared on FOX Soccer in April, as she has decided to go brunette instead.

@KayLMurray

Of all the candidates I listed above, Reid is the only one with an U.S. passport. The rest will all need P-1 visa sponsorship.

Two obvious male candidates are in the mix for beIN SPORT 1: Max Bretos (a Miami native whose contract with ESPN, Inc. expires on December 31) and Terry Baddoo (former anchor/reporter of World Sport on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International who will be working with CCTV International during London 2012.)

@mbretosESPN

@terrybaddoo

==

The primary soccer commentary team for beIN SPORT 1 is expected to be Phil Schoen and Ray Hudson.

@PhilSchoen

beIN SPORT 2 is expected to use a rotation of freelance soccer commentators, including FOX Deportes/FOX Sports Latin America UEFA Champions League match announcers Luis Omar Tapia and Eduardo Biscayart.

@LuisOmarTapia

@DonBisca

 

I was told by a source that Kasey Keller has declined a potential opportunity to be a studio pundit for beIN SPORT 1. Keller would have been under very serious consideration, both because of his experience with ESPN during Euro 2012, as well as his playing career which included EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, MLS and the USMNT.

We'll wait until after London 2012 to see whether any of the female soccer analysts being employed by NBC Sports will be of sufficient quality to be considered for beIN SPORT 1 as studio pundits. I am aware of interest by beIN SPORT in the services of Brandi Chastain, but she lives in San Jose and she is now a mother of a young son so weekly travel to Miami may be a significant issue for her (as it was for Kasey Keller.)

 

beIN SPORT 2 should not be a difficult sell to MSOs because U.S. Hispanic viewers want to watch FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF every week. GOLTV and ESPN Deportes both drew well enough in the U.S. Hispanic market in the past 3 seasons.

beIN SPORT 1 will be a very difficult sell to MSOs in the next 12 months because of its weak programming lineup at launch.

Serie A and Ligue 1 averaged 54000 and 53000 viewers on FOX Soccer respectively during the 2011-2012 season, and no Nielsen Television Index (NTI) general market viewership data is available for La Liga because neither GOLTV nor ESPN Deportes subscribed to the NTI general market ratings system.

The 2 most important MSOs to get on board are DIRECTV and Comcast.

Time Warner Cable will be a very tough nut to crack, despite a potential point of leverage beIN SPORT has with Time Warner Cable's new Time Warner Cable Deportes regional sports network in Southern California.

 

If beIN SPORT 1 were to start a news program on weeknights, then someone with Jeremy St. Louis' experience, work ethnic, and organizational skills would be under serious consideration as News Director or VP of News. Jeremy would have to work 3 times as hard as he has ever worked if he were interested in such a challenge.

 

It'll be interesting to see whether Kay Murray really wants to trade Madrid for Miami.

BBC Look North did a feature story on Kay Murray, who is originally from Middlesbrough, England.



Murray has gone brunette, as you can see from the latest photo of her at the studio of Astro in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from Friday morning (less than 24 hours ago.)

 

Another photo of the studio show for Astro's English-language sports channel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, taken less than 24 hours ago.

From left to right:

Jason Dasey (former sports anchor on KUSA-TV 9 Denver, former anchor of World Sport on CNN/Sports Illustrated & CNN International in Atlanta, former anchor of SportsCenter on ESPN Asia in Singapore, and former anchor of SportsCenter on ESPN Australia and ESPN Africa in Bristol, Connecticut.)

Kay Murray

Dietmar Hamann (former German international who recently managed Stockport County)

Peter Barnes (studio pundit for Astro's coverage of the English Premier League since 2010; former left winger for Man City, Man United, NASL Tampa Bay Rowdies, etc.)

 

La Liga on ESPN2 did so badly to the point where ESPN decided to turn the last 3 telecasts on ESPN2 in May 2012 into "ESPN Deportes on ESPN2" programming "stunts" with 100% Spanish-language commentary and 80% Spanish-language advertising (only English-language advertising was from the U.S. Armed Forces.)

Furthermore, ESPN2 didn't even bother with the Copa del Rey final on Friday May 25. That one was exclusive to ESPN Deportes and ESPN3.com even though ESPN, Inc. spent good money to ship Fernando Palomo and Mario Kempes from Bristol, Connecticut to Madrid.

==

What does make sense: putting the two Barcelona vs Real Madrid clásicos in 2012-2013 on NBC Sports Network (or CNBC if NBCSN were not available due to college football) via time buy as publicity events for beIN SPORT USA.

A 2.5-hour block (including proper 25-minute pre-match studio show with studio host and at least one studio pundit in addition to Phil Schoen and Ray Hudson in the booth, plus one or two reporters at the stadium) on NBC Sports Network on Saturday or Sunday afternoons should be available at deep discount, at no more than $100,000 for the entire block.

Expect the LFP to publish the 2012-2013 La Liga fixture list by no later than the week of July 9-13, if history were to repeat itself again.

Ultimately, Youssef will decide what he wants to do. Imagina U.S. executives can only provide input but cannot make any programming decisions for beIN SPORT USA on their own.

 

I understand that both beIN SPORT 1 and beIN SPORT 2 will be produced in 1080i HD.

The MSOs will decide whether they want to offer either channel in HD.

 

For those of you who haven't watched Deporte Caliente on Azteca América, you can watch a sample video clip of anchor/reporter Aline Arnot from the episode on Tuesday June 26.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k1uLs7wZihLaHj3aenl

 

Anyone who underestimates what Youssef is capable of doing in a relatively short period of time needs to think again.

According to Mexico-based ESPN Deportes/ESPN Dos reporter John Sutcliffe, Mexican National Team star Giovani Dos Santos is negotiating a transfer from Tottenham Hotspur FC of EPL to Málaga CF of La Liga.

Málaga CF is owned by Sheik Abdullah Al-Thani, a distant relative of the Emir of Qatar, Sheik Hamad Al-Thani.


http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/blogs/index?entryID=1555197&name=John_Sutcliffe&cc=3888

--

I understand that Youssef became aware of the value of Giovani Dos Santos to the overall beIN SPORT USA business, specifically the relationship between beIN SPORT USA and Time Warner Cable (particularly the new Time Warner Cable Deportes regional sports network in Southern California), earlier this week.

Qatar does not fool around. When Qatar decides to go after someone for a specific purpose, Qatar goes after that person.

 

Giovani Dos Santos had been linked mostly with Atletico de Madrid, with Sevilla also showing interest.

Most of the British media outlets on Fleet Street believed that Giovani was headed for Atletico de Madrid.

Malaga makes more sense for Giovani than either Atletico de Madrid or Sevilla when you consider the Qatar Media/beIN SPORT USA/Time Warner Cable Southern California angle.

Mexican National Team stars make at least twice their endorsement money from the U.S. than from Mexico.

The Los Angeles TV market has more Mexicans than Guadalajara.

 

The world feeds for La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, World Cup, and Euro 2012 are all 1080i/25fps.

Don't know about the world feeds for EPL, but BSkyB is 720p/50fps.

ESPN (ABC) and FOX Sports Media Group are both 720p/60fps.

NBC Sports Group (including Comcast SportsNet regional networks), CBS, Turner, Univision, Telemundo, and beIN SPORT USA are all 1080i/30fps.

 

Qatar Media does have deep enough pockets to wait until August 2013 if Qatar Media wants a MSO to carry either both beIN SPORT 1 and 2 or neither.

I do know that DISH would prefer beIN SPORT 2 only with a satellite-exclusive time period (either 12, 18, or 24 months.) If DISH were to maintain that demand, then DISH won't have beIN SPORT 1 or 2 for a while.

Qatar Media's leverage with Comcast is EPL (with a possible time swap so that NBC Sports Group can put 2nd pick BIG EAST events on beIN SPORT 1 after 7pm ET in exchange for beIN SPORT being able to program NBC Sports Network and CNBC on Saturdays at 10am or 11am ET.)

Qatar Media's leverage with Time Warner Cable is La Liga, specifically La Liga matches involving Mexican National Team stars: Andres Guardado has signed with Valencia, and Giovani Dos Santos is now apparently headed for Malaga (instead of Atletico de Madrid or Sevilla.)

 

Time Warner Cable Deportes needs soccer programming that appeal to Mexican-Americans living in Southern California.

Unfortunately for Time Warner Cable Deportes, Liga MX is not available. Univision has locked up homes games for 12 teams, Telemundo has Chivas home games for one more season (and Chivas might switch to Mundo FOX if Telemundo does not want to lose more money), and Azteca America has no more games to sublicense (1 match each week has been sublicensed non-exclusively to ESPN Deportes and FOX Deportes.)

La Liga matches involving Mexican stars represent LEVERAGE for beIN SPORT USA vs Time Warner Cable.

beIN SPORT USA can now demand priority placement of beIN SPORT 1 (in expanded basic or digital basic) and beIN SPORT 2 (in expanded basic or Spanish-language digital basic) on Time Warner Cable around the U.S. in exchange for letting Time Warner Cable Deportes sublicense 1 La Liga match each week involving Valencia (Andres Guardado) and whatever club (i.e. Malaga) that Giovani Dos Santos were to land.