Sports Wallpaper, #3256

Ken Venturi, the voice of PGA golf on CBS for 35 years, died today after a long hospitalization. He was 82. After a solid career as a pro golfer, including a win at the 1964 U.S. Open, he turned to broadcasting after his 1967 retirement. He immediately became CBS’ No. 1 golf announcer and held the job until hanging ‘em up in 2002. At the time, he was the longest-serving lead sports analyst in history. The San Francisco native, who counted Frank Sinatra among his best friends, was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame just last week but was too ill to attend the ceremony.

The deal’s finally done, with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment paying $10.25 a share — about $265M — for the cable channel. “As a part of KSE, Outdoor Channel will be well positioned — competitively, strategically and financially — to meet the needs of its customers and business partners,” says KSE chief Jim Martin. Outdoor Channel CEO Tom Hornish adds that the new owner will “greatly strengthen our ability to invest in assets, expand our distribution and continue to generate the unparalleled experience our viewers expect.” KSE is owned by Stan Kroenke. It owns the NFL’s St. Louis Rams and is a power in Denver with venues including the Pepsi Center, the Paramount Theater and Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, and teams including hockey’s Colorado Avalanche, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, and Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids. Outdoor Channel shareholders approved the deal in a special meeting yesterday with 19.3M votes in favor and just 758,969 against. The company initially agreed in November to sell itself to InterMedia Partners, which owns The Sportsman Channel, in a deal valued at about $8 a share. But that collapsed in March when Kroenke launched a bidding war.