Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is once agian property of the Walt Disney Company in a strange trade. This just off the wire on ESPN.com from the Associated Press....
Michaels jumps to NBC and Sunday nights
Associated Press
National Football League News Wire
NEW YORK -- Al Michaels is moving to NBC and will broadcast Sunday night NFL games with John Madden, his partner on ABC during the past four seasons.
In exchange for letting Michaels out of his contract with ABC and ESPN, which are owned by The Walt Disney Co., NBC Universal sold ESPN cable rights to Friday coverage of the next four Ryder Cups, granted ESPN increased usage of Olympic highlights and sold to The Walt Disney Co. the rights to "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit," a character in silent cartoons made by Walt Disney from 1927-28.
Michaels had been with ABC since 1976 and was the play-by-play announcer on "Monday Night Football" since 1986. He said in July that he would stay with the network to become the announcer for ESPN's Monday night broadcasts, which start this year.
Michaels' mind changed during the past season, realizing he wanted to work with Madden, producer Fred Gaudelli and director Drew Esocoff, who also are moving from ABC to NBC.
"I began to realize more and more how much I was going to miss being with those people," Michaels said Thursday on a conference call. "That's my family, that's my broadcasting family."
Michaels had hoped to finish the current NBA season as ABC/ESPN's lead announcer. He is being replaced by Mike Breen.
Michaels jumps to NBC and Sunday nights
Associated Press
National Football League News Wire
NEW YORK -- Al Michaels is moving to NBC and will broadcast Sunday night NFL games with John Madden, his partner on ABC during the past four seasons.
In exchange for letting Michaels out of his contract with ABC and ESPN, which are owned by The Walt Disney Co., NBC Universal sold ESPN cable rights to Friday coverage of the next four Ryder Cups, granted ESPN increased usage of Olympic highlights and sold to The Walt Disney Co. the rights to "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit," a character in silent cartoons made by Walt Disney from 1927-28.
Michaels had been with ABC since 1976 and was the play-by-play announcer on "Monday Night Football" since 1986. He said in July that he would stay with the network to become the announcer for ESPN's Monday night broadcasts, which start this year.
Michaels' mind changed during the past season, realizing he wanted to work with Madden, producer Fred Gaudelli and director Drew Esocoff, who also are moving from ABC to NBC.
"I began to realize more and more how much I was going to miss being with those people," Michaels said Thursday on a conference call. "That's my family, that's my broadcasting family."
Michaels had hoped to finish the current NBA season as ABC/ESPN's lead announcer. He is being replaced by Mike Breen.
I'm also curious to see what Disney will do with the rights to Oswald. I smell a DVD....