May 12, 2023

Read in Browser [[link removed]]

POWERED BY

As we continue to improve our coverage here at Front Office Sports, we’re reaching out for feedback from the people who matter most — you!

Have suggestions? Help us improve by taking this survey [[link removed]]. It won’t take long, and you’ll have a chance to win a $250 Visa gift card or an FOS merch item of your choice. Your responses are anonymous, and no personal data will be shared.

Take the survey [[link removed]] today!

Jaguars Could Relocate for Two Years During Stadium Renovations [[link removed]]

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union

The Jacksonville Jaguars are facing a break from their current home for two years or longer.

The team is planning extensive renovations to TIAA Bank Field, which is likely to force a lengthy relocation.

Jacksonville mayor Lenny Curry told [[link removed]] local radio station 1010XL that in the “best-case scenario,” the renovation would impact two football seasons, during which the “team will have to play somewhere else.” The mayor’s proclamation cuts against initial plans [[link removed]] for the renovations, which were to take place only during offseasons.

The construction will likely take place during the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

The Jaguars are hoping to play somewhere within Jacksonville during that time — but that would involve a stark reduction in crowd size. TIAA can hold 67,838 people, while the city’s second-largest stadium, at the University of North Florida, holds around 12,000.

The relocation is expected to also affect the annual Florida-Georgia football game, which could take turns at each school’s campus during construction.

The Jaguars are looking into a number of improvements, including shade on all seats, wider concourses, better vertical transportation, more space for football operations, and replacing HVAC, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical systems.

PODCAST

🎙️ They Said What?

“All these brands who never said anything [before events in 2020] … were now all of a sudden coming to the forefront with these declarations. It felt performative. I took the stance that it was time for us to stop asking for a seat at that table — and to build our own table.”

— Lanny Smith, founder of Actively Black, on what influenced him to create an athletics brand focused on representing Black communities across the country on the latest episode of Front Office Sports Today.

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

Peloton Recalls 2.2 Million Bikes Following Injuries [[link removed]]

Peloton

Peloton is recalling 2.2 million exercise bikes due to a seat defect on original models sold between 2018 and 2023.

The bike’s seat post “can break during use, posing fall and injury hazards to the user,” the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday.

Peloton said it has received 35 reports of broken seat posts and 13 of related injuries, including a fractured wrist, lacerations, and bruises due to falling from the bike.

Still Spinning

Peloton’s slumping sales and stock price have lowered the company’s market cap to $2.4 billion — a steep decline from its peak of $50 billion during the pandemic.

In its earnings report this month, Peloton said it lost $275 million [[link removed]] for the quarter despite a 5% year-over-year growth in connected fitness subscribers.

Peloton’s latest bike recall follows the company’s recall of roughly 125,000 of its Tread+ treadmills in May 2021. In January, Peloton agreed to pay a $19 million fine for failing to immediately report safety hazards.

SPONSORED BY OPENDORSE

NIL Playbook for Brands & Agencies

What does NIL mean for brands and advertisers in 2023? Opendorse analyzed 100,000+ deals to share examples, inspiration, and best practices for businesses of all sizes.

This report [[link removed]] dives into the dollars, deals, data behind the college athlete marketing industry.

You’ll find:

The most active brands in NIL What social media deals really cost Traits athletes look for in brand partners Outcomes that advertisers measure Real examples from 20+ top brands

Get your free NIL report for brands here [[link removed]].

Arctos Mulls Acquiring Stake in $4.6B Paris Saint-Germain [[link removed]]

Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Arctos Sports Partners could add to its extensive team ownership portfolio with an investment in France’s most lucrative soccer club.

The private equity firm is showing early-stage interest in a 5%-15% stake in Paris Saint-Germain, according [[link removed]] to Bloomberg. Qatar Sports Investments acquired a 70% stake in PSG for about $70 million in 2011, and the French club reportedly now values itself at $4.6 billion.

PSG’s $714 million in revenue last year ranked as the fifth-highest among global soccer teams, according [[link removed]] to a Deloitte report. The club, however, could lose superstar Lionel Messi, who is considering leaving [[link removed]] PSG for a record deal to play in Saudi Arabia.

Arctos has stakes [[link removed]] in more than 20 sports teams, including the NBA’s Warriors, Jazz, and Kings [[link removed]], MLB’s Dodgers, Red Sox, Cubs, Giants, Astros, and Padres, and the NHL’s Lightning and Wild.

The firm’s soccer portfolio already includes stakes in Italian club Atalanta, the Premier League’s Liverpool, MLS’s Portland Timbers, and the NWSL’s Portland Thorns.

France’s top soccer league, Ligue 1, announced a new advertising campaign [[link removed]] on Thursday focused on growing the league’s popularity among U.S. fans. PSG stars Neymar and Kylian Mbappe will be featured in the campaign, which is being produced by Chicago-based marketing firm rEvolution.

EU Likely To Approve Microsoft’s $69B Acquisition of Activision Blizzard [[link removed]]

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY

The European Union is likely to take a separate stance from U.K. regulators on the Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

The $69 billion deal — the biggest in gaming history — will be approved in Europe and likely go through on Monday, according [[link removed]] to Reuters.

The deal was blocked [[link removed]] in the U.K. due to regulators’ concerns over cloud gaming competition, which the company plans to appeal. When the news surfaced, Microsoft president Brad Smith reportedly said that the choice “rejects a pragmatic path to address competition concerns and discourages technology innovation and investment in the United Kingdom.”

The Federal Trade Commission sued to stop the deal, while Japan has approved it.

Turbulent Times

After struggling with multiple rounds of layoffs, managerial changes, and revenue shortages, Activision Blizzard’s fate was finally looking more positive. Concerns over whether the Microsoft deal would go through have threatened to throw the beleaguered company back into chaos.

Nevertheless, the “Call of Duty” publisher saw positive [[link removed]] results in its first-quarter earnings report. The company recorded a net income of $740 million — an 87% increase.

Conversation Starters The 2023 NFL schedule was officially (and finally) released Thursday night and the full 272-game regular-season schedule includes several firsts, [[link removed]] including the first Black Friday game. The NFL is also executing a massive holiday takeover [[link removed]]. Major League Pickleball is adding [[link removed]] to its 24 ownership groups with even more investment from sports celebrities, including NFL quarterback Josh Allen, NBA All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Zach Levine, WNBA stars Haley Jones and Jewell Loyd, and chess champion Magnus Carlsen. Manchester City’s $200 million training campus [[link removed]] has been called “the best of its kind in the world.” The complex features auxiliary stadiums, weight rooms, dining halls, and a players’ hotel. AC Milan and Inter Milan share the San Siro, the largest stadium [[link removed]] in Italy — and find themselves competing against each other in the Champions League semifinals. The number of ticket requests for Wednesday’s first-leg match could’ve filled the venue 26 times over.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS LEARNING

Learn Anywhere, Anytime.

Front Office Sports Learning [[link removed]] is a series of complimentary, interactive courses designed to help professionals stay on top of today’s ever-changing sports landscape.

Each course includes video lessons followed by a brief quiz and provides a deep understanding from top brands and experts in the field across various subjects. Upon completion, you’ll earn a digitally verified badge to share on social media.

Check out the current course lineup, which includes:

Metaverse Essentials: Building the Future [[link removed]] Crypto in Sports Essentials [[link removed]] Modern Ticketing Essentials: Beyond the Ticket [[link removed]] Athlete Marketing Essentials: NIL Certification [[link removed]] Sports Marketing Essentials [[link removed]]

With online learning, you can manage lessons at your own pace, on your own time.

Enroll now [[link removed]].

Editor's Picks Brett Favre Settles Lawsuit Against Pat McAfee, Apparently for Free [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]Pat McAfee and Shannon Sharpe successfully removed case. Aaron Rodgers Will Make Jets Debut On ‘Monday Night Football’ [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Aaron Rodgers will debut with Jets against Bills on ESPN. Hunter Dickinson Implies NIL Drove His Transfer From Michigan [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]Dickinson says he made less than six figures at Michigan. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith Apologizes for Mocking Anthony Davis [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Stephen A. Smith apologized for his comments on Anthony Davis. Question Of The Day

Do you plan on attending an MLB game this season?

Yes [[link removed]] No [[link removed]]

Thursday’s Answer

74% of respondents or members of their families are currently in the military or have been in the military.

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Pro [[link removed]] Written by Owen Poindexter [[link removed]], Amanda Christovich [[link removed]], Andrew Cohen [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Brian Krikorian [[link removed]]

If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here [[link removed]].

Update your preferences [link removed] / Unsubscribe [link removed]

Copyright © 2023 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

80 Pine Street Suite 3202 New York, NY 10005