Al Michaels Traded for Oswald.... (1 Viewer)

[Mystery Achiever]

Serious WSJ headline today:

ABC Swaps a Famous Sportscaster for a Coveted Cartoon

Apparently, Universal, part of NBC had the rights to this character that originally belonged to Disney and they wanted back. Also, NBC agreed to promote the MNF game during their Sun broadcast and provide more Olympics highlights to ESPN.

Edit to add, as dgreen pointed out, NBC also agreed to sell ESPN the Friday rights, and rebroadcast rights, to Ryder Cup through 2014; NBC keeps the live weekend coverage. $12 million is the estimated price.

Aside from the general humor of the headline, I found the trading of intellectual property for a person kimd of interesting.

 

[loqutis]

This is a pretty easy trade for Disney. This is part of their history and back where it belongs

 

[msommer]

Is that like getting a 4th rounder for a HC?

 

[Godsbrother]

Oswald was Disney's first hit cartoon but he mistakenly didn't protect his rights from the distributor who wanted Walt to work for him. Instead, Walt created a new character named Mickey Mouse (originally named Mortimer) and the rest is history.

I have never seen an Oswald cartoon (only stills). Maybe Disney will release some now that they own it.

 

[dgreen]

Is that like getting a 4th rounder for a HC?

It's better than that.ESPN/ABC also got the Ryder Cup.

 

[ExaltedOne]

Serious WSJ headline today:

ABC Swaps a Famous Sportscaster for a Coveted Cartoon

Apparently, Universal, part of NBC had the rights to this character that originally belonged to Disney and they wanted back. Also, NBC agreed to promote the MNF game during their Sun broadcast and provide more Olympics highlights to ESPN.

Don't overlook this. Free advertising for MNF and Olympic highlights for Sportscenter will bring in more revenue.

 

[msommer]

Serious WSJ headline today:

ABC Swaps a Famous Sportscaster for a Coveted Cartoon

Apparently, Universal, part of NBC had the rights to this character that originally belonged to Disney and they wanted back. Also, NBC agreed to promote the MNF game during their Sun broadcast and provide more Olympics highlights to ESPN.

Don't overlook this. Free advertising for MNF and Olympic highlights for Sportscenter will bring in more revenue.

or that Al Michaels and John Madden then will host MNF!!!

 

[Mystery Achiever]

Is that like getting a 4th rounder for a HC?

Michale's weighs in on that "Oswald is definitely worth more than a fourth-round draft choice," Michaels said, referring to what the Kansas City Chiefs gave the New York Jets as compensation for releasing coach Herm Edwards from his contract. "I'm going to be a trivia answer someday."

AP Story

 

[softball]

Michaels should wear an Oswalt pin on every broadcast for the first year!

I laughed my ### of when I read this. I wonder if they were all laughing when negotiating the deal. Funny stuff.

 

[thesurfshop19]

Serious WSJ headline today:

ABC Swaps a Famous Sportscaster for a Coveted Cartoon

Apparently, Universal, part of NBC had the rights to this character that originally belonged to Disney and they wanted back. Also, NBC agreed to promote the MNF game during their Sun broadcast and provide more Olympics highlights to ESPN.

Don't overlook this. Free advertising for MNF and Olympic highlights for Sportscenter will bring in more revenue.

I can see Olympic highlights helping, but how many people who watch SNF wouldn't watch MNF (if there's an enticing matchup) in the first place? And how many would be swayed by a promo? Just wondering.

 

[Mungo Burrows]

Serious WSJ headline today:

ABC Swaps a Famous Sportscaster for a Coveted Cartoon

Apparently, Universal, part of NBC had the rights to this character that originally belonged to Disney and they wanted back. Also, NBC agreed to promote the MNF game during their Sun broadcast and provide more Olympics highlights to ESPN.

Don't overlook this. Free advertising for MNF and Olympic highlights for Sportscenter will bring in more revenue.

I can see Olympic highlights helping, but how many people who watch SNF wouldn't watch MNF (if there's an enticing matchup) in the first place? And how many would be swayed by a promo? Just wondering.

ESPN promoted MNF and the ESPN Sunday games incessantly during each other's broadcasts. Apparently they think it's important.

 

[Mungo Burrows]

Michaels should wear an Oswalt pin on every broadcast for the first year!

I laughed my ### of when I read this. I wonder if they were all laughing when negotiating the deal. Funny stuff.

NBC Suit 1: "Ok, so we give you full rights to the 2012 Summer Games and the Notre Dame Cash Factory...er...College Football broadcasts and you give us Al and a bag of chips."Disney Suit: "...and we want the rights to Oswald the Rabbit."

NBC suit 1 [whispers to NBC suit 2]: "what the...? Do we even own that? What is it?"

NBC Suit 2: [shrugs]

NBC Suit 1: "No F)@*##* way we give up Oswald. We've got big plans for him. Huge, I tell ya! HUGE!!!!!"

NBC Suit 2: "Big time. You're never going to get Oswald the Racoon from us."

NBC Suit 1: "Rabbit, isn't it?"

NBC Suit 2: "Uh...yeah. Oscar the Rabbit."

Disney suit: "Ok, we'll just take highlights of the Olympics and Notre Dame instead of the full broadcast rights if you give us the Rabbit."

NBC Suit 1: Nope. We keep the bag of chips, too.

Disney Suit: Done.

 

[Velcro]

I got the impression that Iger told Disney's daughter (however old she must be now) that he would try to get Oswald back for her. Evidently it was Walt's first creation and held a special place in her heart. Clearly this was no business decision and just gave Iger a venue around which to develop some goodwill from a leading shareholder.

 

[GRIDIRON ASSASSIN]

I believe ESPN also had to throw in:

A) Al Michael's special hypoallergenic pillow

B) Al Michael's one foot tall 'broadcasting booster box' (so he doesn't look like a midget standing next to John Madden

C) ...and a case of Ron Popeil's "Spray-on-Hair" to fill in those odd looking 'Chernoblian' blotches of baldness on his skull.

 

[thesurfshop19]

ESPN promoted MNF and the ESPN Sunday games incessantly during each other's broadcasts. Apparently they think it's important.

Agreed. Is it, though?

 

[mcjc4]

I understand a leser know trade also took place,

Paul McGuire was traded striaght-up for Foghorn Leghorn. Not sure how this benefits Looney Tunes Industries, "I say,I say watch his feet Boy!, He's a Chicken Hawk"

 

[Velcro]

I understand a leser know trade also took place,

Paul McGuire was traded striaght-up for Foghorn Leghorn. Not sure how this benefits Looney Tunes Industries, "I say,I say watch his feet Boy!, He's a Chicken Hawk"

 

[Dreamer]

Oswald was Disney's first hit cartoon but he mistakenly didn't protect his rights from the distributor who wanted Walt to work for him. Instead, Walt created a new character named Mickey Mouse (originally named Mortimer) and the rest is history.

I have never seen an Oswald cartoon (only stills). Maybe Disney will release some now that they own it.

I will take your word for it, you seem credible.