May 4, 2023

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Soccer’s epic rivalry continues… in the Middle East? Saudi Arabia’s government [[link removed]] could offer Lionel Messi $400 million per year to play in the Saudi Professional League. That would break the record annual sum of around $210 million given by Saudi club Al Nassr to — you guessed it — Cristiano Ronaldo.

Orlando’s MLB Dream Includes $1.7B Stadium Plan [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

MLB hasn’t tried to hide the fact that it wants to add two teams — and another group is pitching a city and a concept.

A group led by former NBA executive Pat Williams is looking [[link removed]] to start a team in Orlando, a pitch including a $1.7 billion stadium funded in part by $975 million from tourist taxes. The group, which calls the proposed team “The Dreamers,” also wants to build 1,000 hotel rooms adjacent to the stadium.

Williams has already helped launch another major team, the Orlando Magic, who joined the NBA in 1989.

Orlando, a two-hour drive from the Tampa Bay Rays in Saint Petersburg and three-and-a-half from the Miami Marlins, will look to draw more fans — where both rival markets have failed.

The Rays and Miami Marlins were respectively 28th and 29th in average home game attendance last year. The Marlins remain 29th this season, while a dominant start to the season has helped the Rays climb to 25th.

Orlando isn’t alone in pitching a new MLB city. A group led by retired pitcher Dave Stewart has been pushing a new team in Nashville. The minority-owned group, which plans to name the team the Stars after the city’s Negro Leagues team, claims to have received positive signs from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred.

A group in Salt Lake City is also angling [[link removed]] for a team. Charlotte, Portland, and Montreal are often mentioned as potential expansion sites.

PODCAST

🎙️ They Said What?

“It’s about the lead-up to the race, the fashion, the mint juleps. Everywhere you go, you’re blanketed with history … When people talk about bucket list events, they list the Super Bowl, the World Series … the Kentucky Derby is right there with them, and in my mind ahead of a lot of those events.”

— FanDuel TV anchor Todd Schrupp on the historic appeal of the Kentucky Derby. To hear more from Schrupp and Sarah Contardo, Churchill Down’s vice president of sales and strategy, check out the latest episode of Front Office Sports Today.

🎧 Listen and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Google [[link removed]], and Spotify [[link removed]].

Regional Sports Networks Throttle Sinclair’s Revenue During Quarter [[link removed]]

Shutterstock

Sinclair’s first-quarter revenue cratered 40% as its bankrupt regional sports network subsidiary continues to drag down the broadcast giant.

Sinclair reported $773 million in total revenue compared to nearly $1.3 billion during the same period last year. Excluding Diamond Sports Group, Sinclair’s total revenue dipped 7%.

Sinclair’s quarterly net income was $185 million — nearly a 93% drop from 2022.

Diamond Sports — which owns and manages 19 Bally Sports-branded RSNs — filed for bankruptcy [[link removed]] protection in March as it sought to restructure $8 billion in debt. Sinclair purchased [[link removed]] the RSNs for $9.6 billion in 2019.

In the weeks since the bankruptcy filing, Diamond Sports has continued to broadcast live game coverage on deals with 14 MLB teams — even after missing payments to the Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, and Cincinnati Reds.

A judge ordered Diamond Sports to pay the Guardians, Twins, Diamondbacks, and Rangers half the rights fees owed to the team. The Reds were also paid [[link removed]] an unspecified amount.

Suns, Mercury Deal Fallout

The Phoenix Suns and Mercury announced [[link removed]] a new local broadcast setup with Gray Television and the streaming firm Kiswe to replace Bally Sports Arizona on Friday.

Diamond Sports claimed the right to match any offer in a court filing [[link removed]] Wednesday, as the Suns deal remains active amid the team’s ongoing 2022-23 season.

“The Suns, Gray, and Kiswe were undoubtedly aware … [of what] their actions would have on Diamond Arizona’s precarious financial circumstances,” a Diamond Sports lawyer wrote in the filing.

SPONSORED BY THE KENTUCKY DERBY

Catch the 149th Kentucky Derby This Saturday

The Kentucky Derby [[link removed]] is one of the most iconic horse races in the world and known for being the Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports®. Every first Saturday in May, twenty horses will race for the coveted garland of roses and the title of becoming a Kentucky Derby winner.

Can’t attend live? NBC plans nearly eight hours of coverage [[link removed]] around the iconic race where fans can watch the longstanding traditions under the Twin Spires.

Beginning at approximately 12 p.m. ET, tune in this Saturday, May 6 to watch the storied event on NBC. The Kentucky Derby race will begin at approximately 7 p.m. ET.

Swoopes: College Players Making More Than WNBA Players Problematic [[link removed]]

Syndication: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Sheryl Swoopes — the first female athlete with a signature shoe, Nike’s Air Swoopes — is questioning the economics of women’s basketball as NIL potentially makes it more lucrative to play in college than the pros.

“I think it’s sad when college players are making more money than a professional WNBA player, it doesn’t make sense to me,” the first-ever WNBA player to be signed said.

Swoopes’ remarks come following a recent report [[link removed]] about how the WNBA will pull in between $180 million to $200 million this year — up from $102 million in 2019 — but the players’ base salaries (as a share of total revenue) actually lowered to about 9.3% in 2022.

The Basketball Hall of Famer spoke on a panel alongside former NBA star Richard Hamilton and top high school basketball recruits Kendall Dudley and Bryson Tucker, who participated in the Jr. NBA’s Court of Leaders mentorship program.

Former Miami players and NIL earning stars Haley and Hanna Cavinder already announced they won’t play [[link removed]] professionally, while LSU’s Angel Reese — who has more than 17 NIL deals [[link removed]] — said her earnings surpass what she’d make with the WNBA’s $70,000 minimum annual salary.

“What’s it going to be like for her when she does enter the WNBA and become a professional athlete?” Swoopes said of Reese.

Hamilton, a 2004 NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons, said he would have stayed all four years at UConn had NIL been available.

Brooks Running’s Overall Revenue Jumps 20% [[link removed]]

Brooks Running

Despite a struggling economy, Brooks Running posted positive numbers in the first quarter of 2023.

The company saw 20% overall revenue growth year-over-year and ranked first in the U.S. in the “adult performance running footwear” category with 23% of the entire market.

“In the face of continued uncertainty in the global consumer marketplace, the premium running category remains a bright spot, as getting outdoors and moving is a positive force in people’s lives,” CEO Jim Weber said.

The athleticwear brand also saw success in overseas markets: Revenue increased 30% in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

The numbers appear to suggest that the brand’s growth [[link removed]] can continue. Brooks Running brought in $1.2 billion in revenue last year — up 6% from 2021.

Investing In Runners

As part of its earnings release, Brooks noted that several of its sponsored athletes enjoyed success at the 2023 Boston Marathon — a total of 10 across the men’s, women’s, and para-athletic elite races.

Brooks also noted that it has invested significant sums in a youth running program called “Future Run” that has drawn more than 320,000 participants.

Conversation Starters The NFL and Skydance Studios are developing [[link removed]] their first joint project — a docuseries on the Dallas Cowboys and their owner, Jerry Jones. In November, the NFL agreed to a deal with Skydance after the success of its blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick.” Last year, NWSL club Angel City FC was launched by Hollywood stars like Natalie Portman, sold over 15,400 season tickets before its first game, and played in front of sold-out crowds throughout the season. Now, it’s getting its own HBO docuseries [[link removed]]. During NBC Sports’ TV coverage of the Kentucky Derby, viewers might spot a familiar face among the celebrity owners: Ian Rapoport. The NFL Network host talks to [[link removed]] FOS Senior Reporter Michael McCarthy about his rivalry with Adam Shefter, being accused of spreading fake news by Aaron Rogers, and his hopes for Saturday’s race.

SPONSORED BY STREAMLAYER

New OTT Solution Delivers Profits & Data

Fresh off completing one of the largest mobile interactive sports viewing experiences on record, up-and-coming StreamLayer [[link removed]] is attracting considerable attention as global OTT providers shift their focus to profitability and data collection.

With its powerful interactive engagement platform [[link removed]], StreamLayer allows streaming clients to increase ARPU, reduce churn, and collect valuable first-party analytics, all while delivering a transformative viewing experience to their end users.

“Our solution gives clients the ability to rapidly transform their streaming offerings and business models by embedding a suite of monetizable interactive elements directly into the live viewing experience, from gamification and sports betting to ecommerce and innovative loyalty programs,” said John Ganschow, StreamLayer CEO. “We think it’s a game-changer for the OTT industry.”

For more information, please contact COO Andrew Fleming [mailto:[email protected]].

Today's Action

MLB

05:10 PM

Blue Jays (-155) at Red Sox (+135)

Bet Now [[link removed]]

MLB

01:10 PM

Twins (-135) at White Sox (+115)

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MLB

12:15 PM

Angels (+125) at Cardinals (-145)

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*All times are EST unless otherwise noted.

*Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See [[link removed]] for details.

Question Of The Day

Do you plan to bet on the Kentucky Derby this year?

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Wednesday’s Answer

21% of respondents have listened to 1-4 audiobooks in the last year, and 12% have listened to 5-plus.

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