Seen on Screen: NFL To Recognize Best in Annual Honors; Rachel Nichols Returns to ESPN With ‘The Jump’

by Alicia Montanaro, Editorial Assistant

The National Football League will recognize its best players, performances, and plays from the 2015 season with a two-hour primetime awards special, NFL Honors, to air nationally on Saturday, February 6, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. NFL Honors is an annual event hosted from the Super Bowl city the evening before the AFC and NFC champions meet. Joined by current NFL stars and former legendary players, The Associated Press will announce its annual accolades, such as the AP Most Valuable Player presented by Verizon, in an awards show format. Also during the program, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2016 will be announced and introduced…

… As part of her return to ESPN on February 1, Rachel Nichols will host a new, daily program focused on the NBA that will debut Thursday, February 18, when NBA games resume following the All-Star Break. The Jump will air on ESPN at 3:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. The fast-paced, half-hour program will originate from ESPN’s Los Angeles studios and will include regular appearances by current and former NBA players, as well as ESPN analysts, reporters, and insiders. In addition to hosting the new program, Nichols will extensively contribute to SportsCenter with commentary, interviews, and features. She will occasionally host Outside the Lines, and contribute to ESPN’s prime time newsmagazine E:60…

…FS1 will wrap its first evening of Daytona coverage with a unique programming block of NASCAR specials on Friday, February 12, opening day at Daytona Speedweeks. The first one-hour special produced by NASCAR Productions, titled Untold Stories: Daytona, airs at 7:30 p.m. ET. It offers a fresh perspective on several pivotal stories in the history of NASCAR at Daytona International Speedway, including the 1994 Daytona 500 and Sterling Marlin going to Victory Lane for the first time in 17 years. Following at 8:30 p.m. ET, NASCAR Race Classic: 1993 Daytona 500 hosted by Dale Earnhardt Jr. presents a 30-minute cut-down version of the 1993 “Great American Race.” At 9:00 p.m. ET, the 90-minute Beyond the Wheel: Short Film Series Special airs four short documentaries that offer an inside look at some of the sport’s most interesting traditions and fascinating historical characters. Lastly, set to premiere on Thursday, January 28 at 5 p.m. ET, FS1 will broadcast a NASCAR ‘Race Hub’ Special entitled Daytona Rising, which highlights the new features and innovations of the revitalized Daytona International Speedway while also detailing the track’s rich history with NASCAR. All of these specials will be capped one week later by the third installment of the groundbreaking, crowd-sourced documentary 100,000 Cameras: Daytona 500, to be aired Saturday, February 27 at 6:30 p.m. ET. The 30-minute special will weave together fan and driver-generated video to tell the story of the 2016 Daytona 500….

…Mike Francesca announced that those who were unable to buy a ticket to the sold-out Chris Russo and Mike Francesa Radio City reunion show will still be able to watch it. The Wednesday, March 30 Mike and the Mad Dog Reunion Show, beginning at 8 p.m., will be simulcast on MSG+ TV and radiocast on WFAN and SiriusXM. More announcements will be coming soon…

…The Players’ Tribune (TPT) announced a new digital series, Real Fan Life with Ben Lyons, showcasing athletes’ lives off the field and bringing fans closer to their favorite players. The series will be hosted by TPT Chief correspondent Ben Lyons and co-produced by AOL. Real Fan Life is all about giving fans access and going beyond the stats, scores, and on-field occurrences to present spontaneous storytelling. The show will feature lighthearted stories and conversations with professional athletes such as Paul Pierce, Dwight Howard, Michael Strahan, and Evan Longoria. Real Fan Life with Ben Lyons premiered on Thursday, January 28 on The Players’ Tribune and AOL…

…One World Sports announced their partnership with NBC Sports Group to broadcast the 2016 IIHF World Ice Hockey Championships. The event will feature 16 national teams from around the world, including the United States. Under the agreement with NBC, the IIHF rights holder, approximately 20 of the games will air live on ONE World Sports from the host cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia. Coverage begins with Sweden’s game against Latvia on May 6. All of the broadcasted games will be available on linear, web, and app, Watch ONE World Sports…

…On January 15, 49 years after the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs squared off, NFL Network aired the three-hour program Super Bowl I: The Lost Game. It was the first time that this historic game was ever re-aired on television. No full video version of the game existed until NFL Films was able to locate all 145 plays and layer audio from the NBC Sports radio broadcast, featuring Jim Simpson and George Ratterman, over the footage. The broadcast, hosted by Chris Rose and Steve Mariucci, was enhanced with new features such as modern broadcast graphics, social media interaction, and guests live reaction…

…Leading into the 2016 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, NASCAR America hit the ignition switch on its third season on Tuesday, January 18, with live coverage from NASCAR’s three-day media tour in Charlotte. A 90-minute NASCAR America: Hall of Fame Special on Friday, January 22, at 6:30 p.m. will cap this week’s lineup of shows before the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBCSN. The special will feature lead race announcer Rick Allen alongside Krista Voda, NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett, as well as analysts Steve Letarte and Kyle Petty…

…Former players, journalists, broadcasters, and front office executives came together to chronicle the history of the Montreal Expos in The Colorful Montreal Expos, part of MLB Network Presents, which premiered on Tuesday, January 26, at 9:00 p.m. ET. Narrated by award-winning actor and Montreal native William Shatner, the program focused on how the unique culture, history, and heritage of the Montreal Expos made it one of baseball’s most distinctive franchises. The hour-long documentary connected different generations of players and allows notable Expos personalities, such as Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez and original owner Charles Bronfman, to relive different points in the club’s history…

…NBCSN debuted the first episode of a four part series, Premier League Behind the Badge: Crystal Palace FC, on Sunday, January 17. The new program presents viewers with a rare all-access look at the Eagles’ work on and off the pitch midway through their best ever Premier League campaign. Voiced by BBC presenter and former English footballer Gary Lineker, the series follows an intriguing mix of ownership, players, coaches, and support staff, chronicling their daily lives and routines. The second episode of the NBCSN series will air on Sunday, January 24 at 1:30 p.m. All episodes will be streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra…

…On Saturday, January 16, Showtime debuted “Showtime Championship Boxing” with the undefeated WBC Heavyweight World Champion Deontay Wilder, successfully defending his title in the main event against brawling Polish contender Artur Szpilka. Plus, Charles Martin defeated Vyacheslav Glazkov in the co-feature for the IBF Heavyweight World Championship. For the first time in boxing history, both heavyweight world championship bouts were available on the Showtime Sports YouTube page…

… Comcast SportsNet provided viewers with a brand new documentary on Thursday, January 14, entitled Going Home: Joe Maddon. The half-hour Comcast SportsNet original production chronicled the reigning National League Manager of the Year’s recent return to his beloved hometown of Hazleton, PA. Going Home: Joe Maddon was the first of two Going Home documentary specials this January. The second will focus on Chicago White Sox first basemen Jose Abreu’s first trip back to his home country of Cuba since he defected back in August of 2013…

…ONE World Sports, America’s Network for Global Sports, will be partnering with Harvard University’s athletics program to air five home games on the network in 2016. These five games will include three men’s hockey and two women’s hockey contests, with all five productions simulcast on the Ivy League Digital Network. The first featured Harvard ice hockey game will be Women’s Hockey vs. Princeton on Saturday, January 30 at 4:00 p.m…

…CNBC announced that they will be releasing two new shows, Cleveland Hustles and The Partner, in Summer 2016. The network is teaming up with NBA superstar LeBron James’ and Maverick Carter’s production company, SpringHill Entertainment, and Magical Elves for a new unscripted series set in Cleveland, OH. Cleveland Hustles will give local entrepreneurs the chance to realize their own dreams while also helping to revitalize struggling neighborhoods in their city. In addition, CNBC’s The Partner, will feature renowned businessman and investor Marcus Lemonis’ search for the perfect person to help him run the businesses he’s saved from the brink of disaster.