TMZ Turns a Scoop Into a Branding Blockbuster

Late on Friday, April 25, TMZ Sports posted the now-infamous audio file of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling urging his girlfriend, V Stiviano, who is part African-American, to not bring black people to Clippers games or post pictures of herself with them on Instagram. The scoop once again proved TMZ's ability to break, and then benefit from, huge news. The Sterling story has boosted the ratings of TMZ Sports in its six test markets, where it averaged a 0.8 among adults 25-54 on Monday, April 28, according to Fox. The story also has provided a ratings bump to the entire TMZ franchise, including TMZ on TV and TMZ Live.