Will MLB’s Big Four national TV carriers, recalibrate their schedules, over react and load up on Mets telecasts featuring Juan Soto, the highest paid player in professional sports?
Believe it or not, there are casual fans who were just made aware of Soto through the well-publicized billionaires sweepstakes conducted by his agent Scott Boras. The offer-by-offer media coverage helped Soto transcend the sport, attracting fans mesmerized by entertainers and the intrigue surrounding their staggering big moolah deals.
Thanks to the baseball media’s coverage of Soto’s financial machinations, there is going to be a new pool of casual fans who will be ripe for the taking and helpful in actually juicing MLB’s national TV ratings.
Last season, with Soto and Aaron Judge working for the Yankees, the Bombers’ appearances on Turner, ESPN, Fox and Apple TV were maximized. And yet, year after year, no matter their star situation, the Yankees national TV presence was dominant, fueled mostly by the organizations rich tradition and consistency.
Soto moving from the Bronx to Queens, trailed by a procession of armored cars filled with cash, should alter that formula, at least for the 2025 season. That may be a huge leap to take. Yet considering how high expectations will be for the Mets, a legitimate one.
And it’s a blessing for commissioner Rob Manfred. Both Judge and Shohei Ohtani, are the faces of baseball. Adding Soto’s $765 million mug to his radar-like batting eye moves him to higher ground, another level of superstar status — and pressure.
While Judge and Ohtani stir baseball’s drink, the mega contract brings a new storyline to Soto’s seven-year MLB career. He will enter the season a curiosity. The big contract will put added weight on his shoulders. His ability to deal with the pressure is now baked in to the Soto script. A script MLB’s TV partners can’t resist.
The TV suits also will load up on the Mets because they can’t help themselves. In that respect they are no different than the NFL. A couple of years ago the NFL’s TV Gnomes, with visions of Aaron Rodgers dancing in their skulls, stacked the primetime deck with Jets games. You all know how that turned out.
Locally, Soto’s move to the Mets might elevate SNY’s ratings for game telecasts, but won’t “steal” significant viewership from the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network the way Steve Cohen “stole” Soto from the Bombers.
SNY’S CLOWN SHOW
A variety of Gasbags made the Mets’ Juan Soto signing more about them than the player himself. This was no surprise.
Like (Screaming) Sal Licata. He used his role as host of SNY’s “Baseball Night in New York,” to (on the air) enter the studio wearing a crown and a cape screaming something about “King Cohen.” He also said: “I told you so….this is the greatest day of my life!”
Apparently, SNY suits now endorse a double standard. One for their “Baseball Night in New York” host and another for its other baseball voices who are not cheerleaders and are likely allergic to clown shows.
FOULING OUT
It appears when TNT’s “Inside the NBA” moves to ESPN in the 2025-26 season, it will be more than a “licensing” agreement. The Bristol Faculty is already preparing to put its stamp on the show.
On Tuesday’s “Inside” episode, TNT agreed to stage a free-throw shooting contest Saturday, featuring ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, on “Inside” prior to the NBA Cup semi-final in Las Vegas
This only solidifies the notion SAS, and other members of ESPN’s NBA roster, will participate on “Inside” when it moves to ESPN next season.
The ESPN Faculty has experience when it comes to messing up its own NBA pregame offerings. So now its sights are set on grander “achievements:” Like wrecking TNT’s critically acclaimed “Inside the NBA.”
What a business!
DOWN ON BASEBALL
Further evidence ESPN has little-to-no use for baseball came on “Get Up” Monday, when the show relied on Rex Ryan and Shannon Sharpe to analyze the Mets out-spending the Yankees to acquire Juan Soto.
Sharpe/Ryan are football analysts, albeit ones who are well versed in a variety of sports. Nonetheless when ESPN is paying veteran baseball reporters — Buster Olney and Jeff Passan to name a couple — who are plugged into the Soto negotiations why go with football guys to analyze the deal?
This was embarrassing. Was it also another bread crumb on the road to ESPN parting company with MLB?
AROUND THE DIAL
Was looking forward to the three Gasbags (Michael Kay, Don La Greca, Pete Rosenberg) who made up the cast of 880-ESPN’s “The Michael Kay Show,” to finally cross the finish line and head to the start of their “new” programs, which debut in January 2025. Good luck to all involved. Nonetheless, finally, the self-aggrandizement, and recounting the good old days, will temporarily “end” 22 years of tantrums and thin-skins. Haven’t heard this much self-serving schmaltz since Mike (Sports Pope) Francesa embarked on his first Phony WFAN Retirement Tour. … As part of its transition to a sports-first agenda, VICE TV will present a six-part docu-series on Rick Pitino (Pitino: Red Storm Rising) and another on John Calipari (Calipari: Razor’s Edge). Calipari’s series is produced by Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions. … Despite him following Bill Belichick to North Carolina, Mike Lombardi will finish out the season making NFL picks with SXM’ s Christopher (Mad Dog) Russo on Fridays. … If Belichick decides to do the kind of media thing he did this season, his Carolina coach’s show might actually be entertaining. Don’t hold your breath. … Then again it will depend on the questions the team friendly hosts ask. … Fox’s cameras spent a lot of time focusing on Joe Schoen during Saints-Giants. Was the GM providing cover for CEO/ co-owner John Mara?
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DUDE OF THE WEEK: RICK PITINO
His fashion statement to honor and recognize former St. John’s coach Lou Carnesecca were genuine and sweet. The creativity also won’t soon be forgotten.
DWEEB OF THE WEEK: GREG BYRNE
The whining by the Alabama Athletic Director when the Crimson Tide was bypassed for the CFP was epic. It was so over the top that X (aka Twitter) followers had a ball deflating his argument.
DOUBLE TALK
What Mike Francesa said: “If I left radio the way he [Aaron Rodgers] is leaving football I’d throw up.”
What Mike Francesa meant to say: “I had one fake retirement. I had one phony retirement tour. I even had a second retirement.”
