May 16, 2023
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It’s a done deal. As heavily rumored, “The Pat McAfee Show” is heading to ESPN [[link removed]] in a multimillion-dollar deal. McAfee, who made the announcement Tuesday on social media, is walking away from his $120 million pact with FanDuel.
NWSL Rival League to Launch in At Least 8 U.S. Markets [[link removed]]
Stockton Record
A new women’s soccer league is about to give the NWSL a run for its money.
The USL Super League has announced the initial eight geographic markets for its first season, which will kick off in August, 2024.
“The USL Super League will sit at the top of our women’s pyramid with strong ownership groups, modern stadiums, and passionate fans that will deliver immediate viability and long-term sustainability,” said USL CEO Alec Papadakis.
The league will seek first-division status through U.S. Soccer’s sanctioning process — which would put it on par with the National Women’s Soccer League. The USL operates multiple other leagues, including the second-division men’s league, the USL Championship.
The USL Super League will establish teams in Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Lexington, Phoenix, Spokane, Tampa Bay, Tucson, and Washington, D.C. The league has also tapped Chattanooga, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Madison, and Oakland for future years, pending stadium projects in those cities.
“The USL Super League helps address the opportunity gap between men’s and women’s professional soccer in the United States,” the league said in a statement. “There are currently 101 professional men’s soccer teams and 12 professional women’s soccer teams in the United States.”
Those figures will change soon: The NWSL is adding teams in Salt Lake City and the Bay Area, with Boston reportedly on the horizon. Meanwhile, MLS is reportedly set to announce a new team in San Diego.
Soccer Superstars Headline 50 Highest-Paid Athletes List [[link removed]]
Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports
The richest athletes in the world are still getting richer.
Forbes’ 50 highest-paid [[link removed]] athletes collectively made $3.4 billion on and off the field over the last 12 months, representing a 16% increase from their record haul a year ago.
Unsurprisingly, soccer’s attacking trident leads the top-10 list: Cristiano Ronaldo ($136 million), Lionel Messi ($130 million), and Kylian Mbappé ($120 million).
LeBron James ($119 million) is the richest American athlete in the top 10, while his fellow NBA superstars Steph Curry ($104 million) and Kevin Durant ($89.1 million) hover near the bottom. The Saudi-backed LIV Golf snagged two spots in the top 10 via Dustin Johnson ($107 million) and Phil Mickelson ($106 million).
Eight sports and 15 nationalities are represented among the 50 individuals who make a minimum of $45.2 million each. Surprisingly, Tom Brady only narrowly made the cut at No. 50.
The earnings of those at the top of the list should skyrocket even more in the next 12 months.
Ronaldo is just beginning to cash in on a $75 million-per-year contract [[link removed]] with the Saudi Pro League’s Al Nassr, and Saudi club Al-Hilal was reported to have offered Messi an even larger pact [[link removed]] to face off against his longtime rival.
Meanwhile, Curry and Durant recently signed respective lifetime deals with Under Armour [[link removed]] and Nike [[link removed]] that should keep their bank accounts full long after they take their final steps on an NBA court.
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On Wants More Star Power, Visibility for Next Growth Phase [[link removed]]
Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Roger Federer’s On Holding saw substantial growth and raised expectations, but investors were left wanting more.
The sneaker company’s net sales rose 78.3% year-over-year in the first quarter to $468.8 million, while gross profit doubled to $273.3 million. The brand backed by the tennis icon also got a lift from supply chain issues normalizing after the economy-wide challenges of Q1 2021.
On slightly raised its full-year outlook to $1.94 billion — but investors were looking for more.
The company’s stock tumbled 9% on Tuesday, though it’s still up 76.7% since the start of the year.
In order to make in-roads into new markets, On is looking to athletes and high-profile sporting events. Expanding into tennis, it saw its biggest signings in that space, Iga Świątek and Ben Shelton, take the court for the first time in On gear in the first quarter.
On also notched a win at the Boston Marathon when one of its sponsored runners, Hellen Obiri, won the women’s race. The company is looking to leverage next year’s Paris Olympics for further visibility.
Co-CEO and CFO Martin Hoffmann touted the company’s multichannel strategy, noting that “our own retail net sales more than quadrupled year-over-year” with help from a new store in London.
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Conversation Starters The NBA Western Conference Finals tip off tonight — but the biggest drama will be off the court as 14 teams enter the Draft Lottery to win the rights to French phenom Victor Wembanyama. Front Office Sports Today dives into the hype and who has the best odds. Plus, NBA Africa CEO Victor Williams discusses the unique connections the league’s creating through the Basketball Africa League. Listen and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Google [[link removed]], and Spotify [[link removed]]. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow paid for 20 local families [[link removed]] at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to receive mental health treatment after his foundation couldn’t narrow down the list of families that needed help. Five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen — the highest-ranked player in the world — now has his own signature shoe [[link removed]] thanks to a deal with PUMA.
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What to Watch
The Los Angeles Lakers meet the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday in Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Ball Arena.
How to watch: 8:30 p.m.,ET, ESPN
Gambling odds: Lakers +6 || ML +200 || O/U +222.5
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