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Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
ESPN host Monica McNutt makes explosive live TV mistake mixing up Barry Sanders jersey with Shedeur Sanders on First Take
ESPN anchor Monica McNutt erred rather clearly while live on the program on Friday, August 15, 2025. First take on Co-host Stephen A. Smith and McNutt greeted comedic actor Druski to the set. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Druski walked in wearing a blue jersey of Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders. But Monica McNutt, who normally covers basketball, confidently told him the jersey was connected to Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders. The live mix-up quickly became awkward and caught the attention of sports fans everywhere. Monica McNutt confuses Barry Sanders with Shedeur Sanders during First Take The awkward moment happened live on ESPN when Monica McNutt said to Druski, 'The jersey. Let's get into it because this obviously ties to one Shedeur Sanders.' Druski politely corrected her, replying, 'No, no, no. This is Barry Sanders.' The fault of the announcers was clear to any viewer, as Barry Sanders was a member of the Detroit Lions, and he is often regarded as among the top running backs in NFL history. The colors of his team were blue and white, whereas the orange, brown, and white of Cleveland constitute the colors of Browns jerseys. Monica McNutt issued an on-air apology, but the clip was published online and spread quickly. Stephen A. Smith seemed aware of the error, staying composed as the exchange unfolded. On Saturday, August 16, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy shared his reaction on X, writing : 'This is next level stupid here.' Fans quickly joined the conversation, with many calling the incident one of the most awkward live TV moments of the week. Also Read: Monica McNutt faces past criticism over Caitlin Clark comments Monica McNutt has come under public attack before now. McNutt discussed WNBA star Caitlin Clark and why he thought she had gotten so much notice in an interview with BBC host Katty Kay in March 2024. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now McNutt suggested that Caitlin Clark's race and Midwestern roots played a big role in her popularity. She said, 'Caitlin represented, and again, some of this to me probably is not fair to her… she was a white girl from the middle of America. And so she represented a whole lot to a lot of people, whether that is truly what she prescribed to or not.' Her remarks caused backlash. Sports writer Bobby Burack, from Fox-owned called McNutt a 'fool' and questioned whether she was deliberately stirring racial debates or simply unaware. Opinions on Caitlin Clark's celebrity keep dividing the country from liberal and conservative viewpoints. Monica McNutt's recent misidentification of Shedeur Sanders with Barry Sanders has thrust her once again into the public eye, demonstrating how rapidly live television events may go viral and draw national interest.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Monica McNutt makes explosive live TV mistake mixing up Barry Sanders jersey with Shedeur Sanders on First Take
ESPN anchor Monica McNutt erred rather clearly while live on the program on Friday, August 15, 2025. First take on Co-host Stephen A. Smith and McNutt greeted comedic actor Druski to the set. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Druski walked in wearing a blue jersey of Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders. But Monica McNutt, who normally covers basketball, confidently told him the jersey was connected to Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders. The live mix-up quickly became awkward and caught the attention of sports fans everywhere. Monica McNutt confuses Barry Sanders with Shedeur Sanders during First Take The awkward moment happened live on ESPN when Monica McNutt said to Druski, 'The jersey. Let's get into it because this obviously ties to one Shedeur Sanders.' Druski politely corrected her, replying, 'No, no, no. This is Barry Sanders.' The fault of the announcers was clear to any viewer, as Barry Sanders was a member of the Detroit Lions, and he is often regarded as among the top running backs in NFL history. The colors of his team were blue and white, whereas the orange, brown, and white of Cleveland constitute the colors of Browns jerseys. Monica McNutt issued an on-air apology, but the clip was published online and spread quickly. Stephen A. Smith seemed aware of the error, staying composed as the exchange unfolded. On Saturday, August 16, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy shared his reaction on X, writing : 'This is next level stupid here.' Fans quickly joined the conversation, with many calling the incident one of the most awkward live TV moments of the week. Also Read: Monica McNutt faces past criticism over Caitlin Clark comments Monica McNutt has come under public attack before now. McNutt discussed WNBA star Caitlin Clark and why he thought she had gotten so much notice in an interview with BBC host Katty Kay in March 2024. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now McNutt suggested that Caitlin Clark's race and Midwestern roots played a big role in her popularity. She said, 'Caitlin represented, and again, some of this to me probably is not fair to her… she was a white girl from the middle of America. And so she represented a whole lot to a lot of people, whether that is truly what she prescribed to or not.' Her remarks caused backlash. Sports writer Bobby Burack, from Fox-owned called McNutt a 'fool' and questioned whether she was deliberately stirring racial debates or simply unaware. Opinions on Caitlin Clark's celebrity keep dividing the country from liberal and conservative viewpoints. Monica McNutt's recent misidentification of Shedeur Sanders with Barry Sanders has thrust her once again into the public eye, demonstrating how rapidly live television events may go viral and draw national interest.
Business Insider
05-08-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Why ESPN and Fox don't want their new streamers to be massive hits
Fox stayed out of the streaming wars for years. Now it's jumping in with Fox One, its $20-a-month service that launches August 21. But if you're going to wait until years after everyone else to start streaming, you probably have pretty big ambitions. Right, Lachlan Murdoch? Nope! "Our aspirations for Fox One subscribers are modest," the Fox CEO told investors on Tuesday, adding that the company will be making a "measured investment" in the service. Translation: Please don't make too much of this. OK. What about Disney, which is finally launching its ESPN streamer for $30 a month in the next few weeks? Disney holds its quarterly earnings call Wednesday morning, so we'll have to wait until then to officially compare hype levels. But my educated hunch is that CEO Bob Iger will also go out of his way not to over-promise the prospects for that service: When ESPN unveiled its years-in-the-making launch plans in May, it was at a very low-key event, devoid of almost all glitz. The difference between these launches and the ones we saw at the beginning of the streaming wars, six or seven years ago, is quite striking. Back then, big media companies rolled out new services with a galaxy of high-wattage stars, and tripped all over themselves to explain how much they were spending to catch up with Netflix. New subscribers would pour in by the tens of millions a year, they promised. And yes, they'd lose a bunch of money along the way. But if you've been paying attention to the streaming business over this time, the change is quite understandable. Back in the early days of streaming, media companies thought Wall Street would reward them if they copied Netflix's "grow like crazy, figure out profits later" strategy. Instead, investors decided they didn't want growth at all costs, and pushed streamers to run their businesses like … businesses. Which is partly why Murdoch reminded investors Tuesday that Fox One will be very cheap to launch, since there's nothing on the service that isn't already on existing Fox-owned channels. But the other part of the messaging reflects the other reality at Disney and Fox: They would both like people to buy streaming services from them — but only if it doesn't cut into their old business of selling cable TV subscriptions. That's because while cable TV is dying — (Would you like to buy a cable TV network? Make an offer!) — it still remains very profitable for the companies that sell it. That's why both ESPN and Fox officials take great pains to explain that they don't think the services they're selling will convince a cable TV subscriber to cut the cord. Instead, they argue, this is for people who don't already have pay TV. This isn't subtext. It's right out in public. "We do not want to lose a traditional cable subscriber to FOX One, and we're doing everything we can to make sure, as much as humanly possible, that that's the way we market, and that's the way we plan the business," Murdoch told investors three months ago. You can also see the needle-threading in the pricing for these services: In the past, new streamers launched at $10 a month or less, hoping to grab lots of market share. Now, Fox and Disney are coming in at double and triple that, at least in part so that they don't undercut the pricing of much bigger bundles sold through traditional cable. So who might actually buy this stuff? We'll see. ESPN's service might appeal to college football fans, since the service has deals to show lots of games from marquee teams and leagues. NFL fans may be a little more frustrated, since ESPN will only have a slice of the season's games. And as for Fox One: In theory, you might have people signing up to get Fox's weekly lineup of NFL games. But it seems most likely that the service is meant primarily to appeal to "people who like Fox News but either don't get cable or want to ditch cable and just get Fox News." If it's the former group, Murdoch will be happy. But if it's from the second …
Axios
19-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Sports rights boom lifts media companies beyond major broadcasters
Major sports events benefit media companies beyond the main rights holders, executives from Fox-owned Tubi and Roku Media told Axios at an event in Cannes on Wednesday. Why it matters: The value of sports rights have soared as media companies bid for assets they hope will retain audiences in a competitive landscape. What they're saying: The interest in athletes can drive interest in related programming. "One thing we know about Gen Z audiences is they care as much sometimes about these athletes, the stories behind the athletes — what we call shoulder content and programming — as they do the live event," Tubi CEO Anjali Sud said. Roku can help audiences track down games and their favorite programming as the "front door to television," said Charlie Collier, president of Roku Media. "Before Caitlin Clark blew up, we absolutely made sure that we got our viewers to those games on ION. It wasn't our rights, but it was absolutely our right to elevate that pop cultural moment," Collier said. Zoom in: Tubi is investing more in this type of content with a Naomi Osaka documentary slated for August and a docuseries on NFL No. 1 draft pick Cam Ward. "I think it's just recognizing that beyond the die-hard sports fans, there are people who are in it for the culture, and we access some of that with compelling stories and content and build that momentum," Sud said. What to watch: Sud said Tubi would be interested in acquiring its own live sports rights beyond what Fox already has "if we could make the math work." "But it's very expensive today, and I think it's a hard strategy in this current environment to scale," she said.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Fox Weather Taps Sponsors to Help Keep Viewers After Storms Pass
Fox Weather executives know the outlet's audience will tune in when severe conditions hit their region. Now they are working on ways to get them to stick around when conditions are calm. On Wednesday, the broadband outlet will feature a 'Beach House' scene sponsored by lifestyle fashion outlet Tommy Bahama, which is known for its summer clothes and beachwear. Viewers will get to see the retailer's flagship New York store. 'We are continuing to do the show we would have done in the studio,' says Jason Hermes, vice president of marketing and client partnership sales, during a recent interview. 'But we are doing it from a backdrop' that will put viewers in mind of kicking off the summer. More from Variety Martin Scorsese's 'The Saints' Gets Second Season at Fox Nation Let Us Pray: Fox News Opens Interactive Cathedral to Boost Martin Scorsese's 'Saints' Fox Nation Aims to Make Name in Faith-Based Programming With 'God. Family. Football.' This isn't Fox Weather's first foray into weaving advertisers into its programming. Earlier in the year, the outlet tapped outdoors retailer Eddie Bauer to sponsor 'Ski House' settings, and Hermes says there is an effort to focus on football tailgates in the fall that could use a central sponsor. At Fox Weather, part of Fox News Media, the new sponsored segments are seen as something that can keep viewers coming even when news isn't in breaking mode, which may contain worrisome images of severe weather. 'A lot of brands are very skeptical running commercials around news and not being able to control what's going on' says Hermes. 'But there are things we can control that are still editorially driven.' Fox Weather has placed new emphasis in recent months on retaining viewers who first visit due to breaking news, says Sharri Berg, president of the media outlet. The outlet keeps correspondents on the ground in areas affected by weather after winds and rains have stopped, she says, so they can tell the story of how communities rebuild. 'That's been a big differentiator for us,' she notes. 'We don't parachute in and leave.' Fox Weather launched in 2021, a bid to capture the interest of viewers as extreme weather events like hurricanes, tornadoes and heat spikes are projected to become more common. There are plenty of weather-news options for consumers, who have long been familiar with Allen Media's Weather Channel. Fox, however, built Fox Weather with modern media users in mind; the service is available on outlets ranging from YouTube TV to Amazon Fire, as well as a mobile app. At times, Fox Weather is simulcast on Fox-owned TV stations and even Fox Business and Fox News. Neither Tommy Bahama or Eddie Bauer is the biggest of video advertisers, but the four-year-old Fox Weather captured the interest of marketing executives by offering to align their messages with seasonal events to help drive sales. Media outlets that have yet to reach full maturity often have the capacity to test things for sponsors that more established venues would not. In 2005, for example, a cable network once known as VH1 Classic hooked consumer-products giant Procter & Gamble by letting it run both vintage and modern adds for its Pepto-Bismol during a program that featured both old and current videos from pop musicians. The network, then owned by Viacom, let kosher foods manufacturer Manischewitz sponsor a Passover-themed program that featured Jewish rock stars sitting around a Passover Seder table. The early days of a media outlet can often be the ones when longstanding advertising alliances are formed. Marketers who get in early with nascent media properties can often win favorable rates or hard-to-secure integrations, and a relationship built in the first years of existence can develop into something bigger as time marches on. Fox Weather's Hermes says he had a long list of potential clients to call for the Summer House concept. Tommy Bahama was the first. By the time he had finished making an initial outreach to one of the company's marketing executives, he says, he knew he wouldn't have to call anyone else. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar
