Sports Media Digest- January 23, 2013

http://sportsmediajournal.com/page/2/ Despite Lockout, NBC Sees Solid NHL Ratings Opening Weekend- NBC’s coverage of the NHL opening day Saturday resulted in the most-watched, non- Winter Classic regular season game in 14 years. Regional coverage of the Chicago Blackhawks at Los Angeles Kings, and the Pittsburgh Penguins at Philadelphia Flyers, was watched by 2.77 million viewers. The games were the most-watched NHL regular-season coverage on NBC since the network again began broadcasting the league in 2006, and the most-watched since three-game regional coverage on Fox in 1999. MLB Network to Produce Musial Special- The MLB Network (MLBN) will produce a special looking back at the life and career of Cardinals great Stan Musial. Bob Costas and Tom Verducci will host MLB Network Remembers: Stan Musial tomorrow, January 24 at 9:00 p.m. ET. Guests will include Hall of Famers Hank Aaron and Bob Gibson, along with MLBN analyst Jim Kaat. U.S. Figure Skating on NBC Sports- NBC Sports will be providing ten hours of coverage to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships from Omaha, NE. The action begins this Saturday at 3:00p.m. ET with , with live coverage of the Pairs Free Skate and Free Dance. The Ladies Short Program will air at 8:00 p.m. ET, followed by live coverage of the Ladies Free Skate. Coverage continues on Sunday with the Men’s Free Skate, live, from 3-5:00 p.m. ET. Mike Emrick will host the Saturday Night and Sunday coverage while Steve Schlager will host the action Saturday afternoon. They will be joined by analysts Scott Hamilton, Sandra Bezic and Tracy Wilson with Andrea Joyce handling off-ice interviews. PGA Tour Returns to CBS This Weekend- CBS Sports will debut its 2013 PGA coverage with the Famers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Coverage begins Saturday and SUnday at 3:00p.m. ET. Jim Nantz anchors the coverage along with Sir Nick Faldo. Ian Baker-Finch, Gary McCord, David Feherty, Peter Kostis, Bill Macatee, Verne Lundquist and Peter Oosterhuis will be on hand at hole locations or along the course. SI Cover Looks at Super Bowl Match-up, Musial- This week’s edition of Sports Illustrated will, understandably, focus on the NFL Conference Championship games and the upcoming Super Bowl. In terms of the covers, four were produced around the NFL while four others were produced following the passing of Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial.