June 9, 2023

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The fight for equal pay in international soccer just took another major step forward [[link removed]]. Starting with this year’s Women’s World Cup, FIFA is guaranteeing every player at least $30,000 — that’s more than twice the average club salary for a pro women’s player. Members of the winning team will receive $270,000 each.

Messi Revenue Opportunities Only Just Beginning Throughout MLS [[link removed]]

Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

Lionel Messi’s move [[link removed]] to Inter Miami is already making a major impact on Major League Soccer.

Fans in the six markets Miami is scheduled to play after Messi’s estimated debut on July 21 are wasting no time preparing for the soccer legend.

Secondary markets are unsurprisingly skyrocketing, some growing as much as tenfold since Wednesday morning, and get-in prices have reached $500 in Los Angeles, according to Elevate Marketplace.

Charlotte FC and Atlanta United already decided to open the upper levels of their stadiums to allow for full capacity instead of their usual crowds of approximately 30,000 each. Orlando City is using [[link removed]] its home match against Inter Miami to drive season-ticket sales.

Speculation is mounting that Inter Miami could even play some home matches at the Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium to accommodate more fans than its 19,000-capacity DRV Pink Stadium.

Club co-owner David Beckham will look to capitalize on the hype. “If the existing equity owners want to create liquidity, now would seem to be a decent time to do it,” Irwin Kishner, co-chair of the sports law group at Herrick, Feinstein LLP, told Front Office sports.

League partners like Apple — which is reportedly facilitating Messi’s signing with a revenue-sharing component — will no doubt benefit from the move as well.

“Everybody was sort of scratching their heads,” Kishner said of the initial reaction to Apple’s $2.5 billion deal to broadcast MLS games. “What does Apple see?”

The league now boasts the most popular soccer player in the world.

“It makes Apple look really smart,” said Kishner.

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“[Flau’jae Johnson] has a rap career, but she’s also this basketball player that won a national championship … If there was a male athlete who was a top recruit, and was also a rapper, you would have known everything about him.”

— Former WNBA star Sue Bird on how the lack of coverage on female athletes led her to create a media platform focused on women athletes — Togethxr. Hear more from Bird about her transition from the WNBA to the media landscape on Front Office Sports Today.

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Nevada Senators Split on A’s Stadium Bill [[link removed]]

Oakland A's.

The Oakland A’s attempt to relocate to Las Vegas just went into extra innings.

On Wednesday, the Nevada Senate — whose regular legislative period ended Monday — held the first day of a special session called by Gov. Joe Lombardo to consider a bill that would provide $380 million in funding toward a new ballpark.

The senate — which requires a simple majority to pass a bill on to the state Assembly — appears split.

Some senators were excited by the economic opportunities an MLB team could bring, while others were dismayed that they were being asked to subsidize this project while issues such as education and mental health were put on the back burner.

The economic risks to the state and Clark County were a contentious issue throughout the hearing. During one tense exchange, A’s president Dave Kaval repeatedly dodged a question from Sen. Fabian Doñate on whether the team would commit to paying the state’s live entertainment tax.

The bill was identical to one introduced in the regular session, but lawmakers reportedly viewed proposed amendments to the legislation for the first time on Thursday. The senate convened briefly on Thursday before adjourning until Monday.

Wednesday was also the second time that legislators heard comments from the public. Steve Pastorino, the A’s director of corporate partnerships from 2014 to 2017 and a Nevada resident, spoke against the project, warning the legislature, “Don’t trust Dave Kaval.”

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In the last six years, Five Iron’s growth has exploded expanding to 18 domestic locations across 11 major U.S. cities, helping both casual golfers and dedicated pros “play the way they want”

Now, Five Iron is entering its next stage of growth — offering franchise opportunities for single and multi-unit development.

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Chicago Mayor Sees ‘Pathway Forward’ To Keep Bears [[link removed]]

Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Johnson knows he has an uphill fight in keeping the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

But the city’s new mayor still believes there’s a way to keep the NFL team from moving to the suburbs.

Johnson, who succeeded Lori Lightfoot last month and met with Bears executives earlier this week, sees a new opening now that the team’s seemingly inevitable move to Arlington Heights is “at risk” amid a tax dispute [[link removed]] and separate talks with neighboring Naperville.

“We want to make sure we keep shuffling here in the city of Chicago with the Bears,” Johnson said. “I want to make sure the ownership of the Bears, the Park District, and the residents of the city of Chicago have a real seat at the table to discuss a pathway forward.”

That message appears to have landed, as Johnson and Bears president Kevin Warren issued a joint statement saying they are both “committed to the idea that the city and its major civic institutions must grow and evolve together to meet the needs of the future.”

Given Chicago’s status as the country’s third-largest media market — and the Bears’ desire to bid for events such as the Super Bowl and Final Four in a new venue — the fate of the stadium project ultimately carries massive ramifications for the league, region, and sports business.

The Bears’ situation is now among the most closely watched NFL stadium development sagas after recent breakthroughs in Buffalo [[link removed]] and Tennessee [[link removed]].

North Carolina’s Sports Betting Approval Is A Big Bump For Sportsbooks [[link removed]]

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Legislators in one of America’s largest and fastest-growing states have approved a bill to introduce sports wagering, providing yet another fertile market territory for gaming operators.

The North Carolina General Assembly passed [[link removed]] legislation authorizing sports and horse-race wagering following prior approval by the state Senate — and reversing a defeat to anti-gambling advocates nearly a year ago.

The bill now moves to Gov. Roy Cooper, who repeatedly has expressed support for the measure. If signed into law, the bill would allow betting as soon as January.

The move eclipses most other state approvals, as the Tar Heel State is the country’s ninth-largest in population with nearly 11 million people, hosts four teams in the five major U.S. pro leagues, and has enjoyed [[link removed]] the third-most population growth among states from 2021-22.

Prominent venues such as Bank of America Stadium and Charlotte Motor Speedway could also house in-person sportsbooks, with the bill allowing up to eight such venues in the state.

It’s another critical market for sportsbooks as they continue to build out a patchwork of legalized states. North Carolina researchers are projecting as much as $100 million in annual tax revenue from sports betting by 2028.

Not So Fast

The two most populous states remain elusive to gaming operators.

Last fall, voters in California overwhelmingly defeated [[link removed]] two measures that could have legalized sports wagering there. Sports betting in Texas, meanwhile, is dead until at least 2025 after proposed legislation failed to receive consideration in the state senate — Texas lawmakers meet in alternating years.

Conversation Starters The 2023 Women’s World Cup hosted by Australia and New Zealand has now sold [[link removed]] more than 1 million tickets. The tournament is on pace to break the record set by Canada 2015. A poll found 47% of Utah residents support [[link removed]] using public funds to build an MLB stadium, with 50% opposed. Former Utah Jazz owner Gail Miller is leading an attempt to bring an MLB expansion club to Salt Lake City. “The League,” a forthcoming film chronicling the history [[link removed]] of baseball’s Negro Leagues directed by Sam Pollard and executive-produced by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, will screen in 100 AMC movie theaters in July before a widespread theatrical debut and subsequent availability digital platforms.

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Editor's Picks ‘SportsCenter’ Anchor Neil Everett Leaving ESPN After 23 Years [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]

'SportsCenter' anchor Neil Everett confirmed to Front Office Sports he's leaving ESPN after 23 years. 'Bartender...last call," he said.

Adidas Launches Employee Student Loan Support Program [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]

Adidas is giving student loan relief to eligible U.S. employees.

Serena Williams, Alexis Ohanian to Own TGL’s Los Angeles Golf Team [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]

Rory MclLroy's and Tiger Woods's TGL begins in January.

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