BBC to increase live sports coverage by 1,000 hours
According to The Guardian, BBC has promised to increase live sport coverage by 1,000 hours per year. The increase will be reflected on the BBC sport website as well as through the corporation’s internet streaming service, BBC iPlayer. Tony Hall, the director general, said that this change will be a major shakeup in the company’s output strategy, but necessary since live sports watching viewership has dwindled dramatically over the past years.
Texans quarterback Dashaun Watson benched for a year
The NFL Network announced on Nov. 2, that after Texans rookie quarterback Dashaun Watson sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during the team’s usual practice. Watson, who took over as quarterback for Tom Savage mid-season, will miss the remaining games of the season. The team has signed Matt McGloin who will serve as quarterback until Watson is able to return to the game.
Papa John’s CEO blames NFL protests for lost revenue; DiGiorno mocks company starting a pizza war
According to Forbes, John Schnatter, Papa John’s CEO, told investors of his company that he blamed the NFL protests for a $70 million drop in revenue. In the meeting held on Nov. 1, Schnatter not only blamed the protesters, but the NFL organization’s “poor leadership” during the “take a knee” controversy. According to USA Today, later that day on Twitter, DiGiorno, a company who makes most of their revenue from the sale of pre-made, frozen pizzas, posted a tweet that implied that while Papa John’s sales have fallen, DiGiorno’s has risen. In reply to their own tweet, the pizza company mocked Papa John’s tagline stating “Better Pizza. Better Sales.” On Nov. 2, Pizza Hut’s CEO Gregg Creed also added to the fray when he told investors that their net sales had not been affected by the protests. As of Nov. 3, Papa John’s had not retaliated, but DiGiorno updated their Twitter bio to read: “It’s Not Delivery. It’s DiGiorno. And It’s Kinda Petty.”
Saudi Arabia stadiums to allow women entry
Beginning in early 2018, stadiums in Saudi Arabia will begin to allow women entry to six of the country’s arenas, according to a statement released by the country’s governing body for sports, the General Sport Authority. Former male-only venues such as the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, King Abdullah Sport City in Jeddah, and Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam, have begun to make adjustments in preparation for the change.
