Tag: Fox

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is tackled by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards (57) during the second quarter in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Feb. 12, 2023. Nfl Super Bowl Lvii Kansas City Chiefs Vs Philadelphia Eagles

Nielsen: 113M watched Super Bowl, No. 3 TV broadcast of all time

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Super Bowl LVII earned an average TV audience of 113 million people, Nielsen reported Monday, making it the third most-watched Super Bowl on record and the third most-watched television broadcast of all time.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles came up just shy of the record of 114.4 million viewers, on average, that watched the New England Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX in February 2015.

Super Bowl LI, the Patriots’ famed 34-28 comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons in February 2017, hit 113.7 million for Fox between network and streaming, making Chiefs-Eagles Fox Sports’ second most-watched broadcast ever.

About 106 million viewers watched Super Bowl LVII on Fox and Fox Deportes, and the other seven million utilized streaming platforms that factored into the total.

It represents a modest bump over last year’s Super Bowl between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals, which reported 112.3 million viewers on average.

Rihanna’s halftime show drew an average of 118.7 million viewers, Nielsen said, making it the second most-watched Super Bowl halftime performance on record.

The average of seven million streams made Super Bowl LVII the most-streamed Super Bowl to date, Fox said.

Predictably, Kansas City and Philadelphia were the top two metered markets for the broadcast, followed by Cincinnati, Detroit and Pittsburgh.

Final Nielsen data is expected to be released Tuesday.

–Field Level Media

As time almost expires, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer looks on to the clock during the fourth quarter at TIAA Bank Field Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021 in Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the San Francisco 49ers during a regular season NFL game. The 49ers defeated the Jaguars 30-10. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Jki Cp Jags 49ers 09

Urban Meyer returns to Fox’s college football pregame show

Posted on | by Field Level Media

After a forgettable 11-month stint in the NFL, former college head coach Urban Meyer is returning to one of his old gigs.

Fox announced Friday that Meyer will be back with the “Big Noon Kickoff” Saturday morning show for the 2022 college football season, joining Brady Quinn, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and host Matt Stone.

Meyer appeared on the show in 2019 and 2020 before taking the head coaching post with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jaguars fired Meyer on Dec. 16 after a series of behavioral blunders off the field. After a last-second loss in a “Thursday Night Football” game at the Cincinnati Bengals, Meyer — who is married — didn’t fly back home with the team and was later seen on video with a woman closely dancing on him in a bar in Columbus, Ohio.

Meyer denied reports that he called his coaching staff losers and demanded they “defend” their resumes to him. On Dec. 15, the Tampa Bay Times reported that Meyer kicked former Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo in the leg during a pregame stretch in the preseason.

In a report published Dec. 15, Lambo said he responded to Meyer’s kick with “Don’t you ever f–king kick me again!” And his response was, “I’m the head ball coach, I’ll kick you whenever the f–k I want.”

The report soon led to Meyer’s firing. The Jaguars were 2-11 at the time.

Before Jacksonville, Meyer was best known as a college head coach who won three national championships, two at Florida (2006, 2008) and Ohio State (2014).

Off-the-field controversies did crop up during his college career, though, the most serious coming in 2018 when it was reported Meyer turned a blind eye to domestic violence allegations against one of his assistant coaches. Ohio State placed Meyer on administrative leave and eventually suspended him for three games.

Meyer cited personal health reasons when he retired from both Florida in 2010 and Ohio State in 2018.

He said on a podcast appearance in April that he planned to return to “Big Noon Kickoff.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 9, 2021; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks tight end Greg Olsen (88) warms up prior to a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen to lead Fox 2022 NFL team

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt and analyst Greg Olsen will lead Fox Sports’ top broadcast team for the 2022 NFL season.

Veteran reporters Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi, plus rules expert Mike Pereira, will complete the team for Fox, which will televise Super Bowl LVII from Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 12.

The move had been expected but wasn’t announced until Tuesday.

“We’re thrilled to have this team steward our industry-leading and award-winning coverage as we embark on our 29th NFL season, highlighted by our 10th Super Bowl,” Fox Sports executive Brad Zager said Tuesday.

The Fox team will make its regular-season debut on Sept. 11 from Minneapolis, where the Minnesota Vikings will face the Green Bay Packers.

Burkhardt and Olsen, a three-time Pro Bowl selection during his 14-year NFL career, will replace the top Fox broadcast team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. They have reunited at ESPN to make up the lead team for “Monday Night Football.”

Burkhardt and Olsen were Fox’s No. 2 broadcast team last season.

Buck and Aikman are coming off 20 seasons calling NFL games for Fox. They will make their “MNF” debut on Sept. 12 when the Denver Broncos face the Seattle Seahawks.

Terms of the Buck-Aikman deal with ESPN were not released. However, the New York Post reported Buck was in line to receive a five-year deal worth between $60 million and $75 million. The Post reported that Aikman received a five-year, $92.5 million contract to jump to ESPN.

Olsen is keeping the seat warm for Tom Brady, who will become Fox Sports’ lead NFL analyst when his playing career ends. Fox did not release terms of his contract, but he has agreed to a 10-year, $375 million deal — the most lucrative in sports broadcasting history — according to the New York Post.

Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback, will return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his 23rd NFL season this year.

–Field Level Media

Former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer is transitioning to the studio as a Fox Sports college football analyst. Fiesta Bowl Kickoff Luncheon Urban Meyer

Urban Meyer says he plans to return to Fox studio show

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Urban Meyer is preparing a return. Not to coaching, but to the broadcast world.

The former college head coach who badly bombed in his NFL stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, told “The Tim May Podcast” that he plans to again be part of the Fox Sports studio show.

Meyer was on the show — “Big Noon Kickoff” — in 2019 and 2020 before taking the Jaguars’ gig.

“I love Fox. I love their team and their guys,” Meyer said on the podcast this week. “There’s nothing that’s been finalized yet, but I plan on going back and doing it. I really enjoyed that.”

Meyer, 57, was fired from Jacksonville after a series of embarrassing incidents as well as poor on-field performance. The Jaguars were 2-11 when he was released, meaning Meyer lost more times in 13 NFL games than he did in seven seasons at Ohio State, where he was 83-9 from 2012-18.

Meyer won three national championships, two at Florida (2006, 2008) and one at Ohio State (2014). He owns a 187-32 record as a college head coach counting his time at Bowling Green and Utah.

Among the incidents with the Jaguars last season was the one when Meyer didn’t fly back home with the team after a last-second 24-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 30 on “Thursday Night Football.” Instead, the married Meyer was seen on video with a woman closely dancing on him in a bar in Columbus, Ohio.

In December, Meyer denied reports that he called his coaching staff losers, and he also downplayed an incident with receiver Marvin Jones in which the veteran confronted the coach. Meyer also said anyone who was leaking information would be fired.

The final nail was provided by former Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo, who told the Tampa Bay Times that Meyer kicked him in the leg during a preseason stretching workout session.

In a report published Dec. 15, Lambo said he responded to Meyer’s kick with “Don’t you ever f–king kick me again!” And his response was, “I’m the head ball coach, I’ll kick you whenever the f–k I want.”

The Jaguars fired Meyer hours after Lambo’s allegations.

Tim May is a former writer for the Columbus Dispatch who covered Meyer during his tenure as Ohio State coach.

–Field Level Media

Kevin Burkhardt of Fox Sports and Frank Thomas film a video at the Field of Dreams movie site outside of Dyersville, Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021. Fieldofdreams37 Jpg

Report: Fox to name Kevin Burkhardt No. 1 NFL announcer

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kevin Burkhardt is replacing Joe Buck as the No. 1 NFL play-by-play caller for Fox Sports, the New York Post reported Monday.

Fox has yet to pair a color analyst with Burkhardt, who worked with former NFL tight end Greg Olsen on the network’s No. 2 team in 2021.

Burkhardt is finalizing a new contract with Fox, the Post reported. The network has the rights to broadcast two of the next three Super Bowls, beginning with Super Bowl LVII next Feb. 12 in Glendale, Ariz.

He would replace Joe Buck, who with broadcast partner Troy Aikman recently left Fox for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” each securing multiyear, multimillion dollar contracts.

Burkhardt, 48, was working at a Chevrolet dealership in 2003 when he decided to make a final push at a sports broadcasting career and got a part-time job doing sports updates at WCBS-AM radio in New York.

His local radio career blossomed to include calling independent league baseball games, then he moved on to jobs that included New York Jets reporter with WFAN Radio and Mets sideline reporter for SNY before joining Fox.

He has served as Fox’s MLB studio host and a baseball play-by-play announcer.

–Field Level Media

Jan 28, 2020; Miami, Florida, USA; Fox Sports broadcaster Joe Buck speaks with the media during Fox Sports media day at the Miami Beach convention center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Buck leaving Fox for ESPN, according to his wife

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Lead football and baseball play-by-play announcer Joe Buck is leaving Fox Sports for ESPN, his wife, Michelle Beisner-Buck, wrote on Instagram on Friday.

Reports were circulating that Buck was closing in on a deal to become ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcaster and Beisner-Buck, of course, had insider knowledge as she shared the news. Buck will rejoin his long-time Fox partner Troy Aikman at ESPN.

“Ohhhhhh Emmmmmm Geeeeee!!! Welcome to the @espnnfl Fam, Fam!!!!!!! I love you so much (Joe Buck) — Insanely proud and excited that you and (Troy Aikman) are going to be the new voices of Monday Night Football!!!!” Beisner-Buck wrote.

“… This is going to be life-changing for our family. Forever grateful to (Fox Sports) and the almost 30 years Joe spent there. Change is hard, but change is good. This change is also historic. There is no one better than Joe and Troy calling NFL games, and I am so thrilled that they get to continue doing what they do best, TOGETHER.”

Buck, who turns 53 in April, has been Fox’s No. 1 NFL play-by-play announcer since 2002 and has called six Super Bowls. He also has been a staple on the network’s baseball coverage and has called 24 World Series.

The New York Post reported Buck was in line to receive a five-year deal between $60 million and $75 million.

The Post reported that Aikman received a five-year, $92.5 million contract to make the jump to ESPN. The deal with the Hall of Fame quarterback hasn’t been formally announced.

Buck started with Fox in 1994. At age 25, he became the youngest full-time play-by-play announced on NFL games. He has teamed up with Aikman since 2002.

–Field Level Media

Aug 13, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Koda Martin (60) in the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hardiman-USA TODAY Sports

NFL moves Week 17 Cards-Cowboys game to later kickoff

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The NFL on Thursday pushed the Jan. 2 game between current NFC division leaders Dallas and Arizona to a later kickoff.

The Cowboys will now play the Cardinals in Arlington, Texas, at 4:25 p.m. ET instead of 1 p.m. ET.

The Week 17 contest will be televised on FOX and will likely be the network’s national game of the week.

The only other change to the Week 17 schedule involved the Las Vegas Raiders’ game against the Colts in Indianapolis. The contest is still scheduled for 1 p.m. ET but will now be televised on FOX.

–Field Level Media

Jan 30, 2020; Miami, Florida, USA; A general view of the FOX logo on Ocean drive in South Beach Miami prior to Super Bowl LIV between the San Francisco 49ers at Kansas City Chiefs. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Announcer Dick Stockton retires after 55 years

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Record-setting play-by-play announcer Dick Stockton is retiring after a 55-year career.

He made the announcement Thursday in a news release issued by FOX Sports, where he’s worked the past 27 years.

“I’ve decided to step aside, enjoying the many memorable events I’ve been blessed to cover, and ready to enjoy doing more things away from the broadcast booth,” Stockton, 78, said. “My 27 years at FOX Sports have been the most rewarding … but I feel there is a time to call it a day and allow the many younger broadcasters the chance to develop their careers, just as I had the opportunity years ago. I have nothing but indelible memories of being part of the sports landscape for over seven decades and will now sit back and watch the future of sports broadcasting unfold.”

Stockton has called at least 1,545 games on network television in the four U.S. sports leagues, which FOX said in a news release is the most of any broadcaster.

He also worked college basketball for FOX and other networks.

“Dick’s contributions to FOX Sports began on day one of our existence and will be felt for years to come,” said Eric Shanks, the network’s CEO and executive producer. “He is a cornerstone of this company whose legacy, talent and hard work helped build the NFL on FOX brand. Growing up as a sports fan, I knew his voice signified a big game, but later working with him, I realized just how big and irreplaceable that voice truly is. Dick will be greatly missed, and we at FOX Sports wish him the best in retirement.”

Stockton, whose career began in 1965 in local radio and TV in his hometown of Philadelphia, is a member of the National Sports Media Association’s Hall of Fame.

He also spent 17 years at CBS Sports and nearly two decades with Turner Sports, announcing NBA and MLB games. He’s called everything from the Olympics to boxing, and he also was the play-by-play announcer for the Oakland Athletics and Boston Red Sox.

He was on the call of six Super Bowls for NFL Network’s international broadcast.

–Field Level Media

Apr 8, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops yells to his players during the spring game at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Bob Stoops joining Fox pregame show

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Nov 8, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Lions defensive back Mike Ford (38) tackles Minnesota Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn (17) in the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is joining Fox’s pregame show, the New York Post reported Monday.

The 2000 season national championship coach will replace Urban Meyer on the show, “Big Noon Kickoff.” Meyer was recently hired as coach of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

The 60-year-old Stoops retired from coaching shortly before the 2017 season. He was named as part of the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class in January.

Stoops is the winningest coach in Oklahoma history and compiled a 190-48 record in 18 seasons. He won 10 Big 12 titles and was named coach of the year on six occasions.

He won 10 or more games 14 times, including an 11-2 mark in his final season in 2016.

Stoops coached the XFL’s Dallas Renegades in 2000 and went 2-3 before the season ended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Stoops joins former college football stars Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and Brady Quinn on the show. Rob Stone is the host.

–Field Level Media