June 15, 2023

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Good morning, newsletter co-author David Rumsey [[link removed]] here on the first day of the U.S. Open. I love West Coast major championships — four straight nights of prime-time golf.

I joined the Front Office Sports Today podcast [[link removed]] to break down how the bombshell PGA Tour news has played out this week as the USGA is hoping fans are finally ready for some on-course action. Meanwhile, this summer’s Women’s World Cup just scored a major broadcast victory.

U.S. Open Tees Off With Record $20M Purse [[link removed]]

Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

The U.S. Open begins Thursday as the best golfers in the world battle for the largest purse in the event’s history.

This year’s prize fund will total $20 million, up from $17.5 million last year. On Sunday, the winner will take home $3.6 million, nearly half a million more than the $3.15 million Matt Fitzpatrick earned last year.

“We want this to be big,” USGA CEO Mike Whan said during a press conference on Wednesday. That means giving fans and players a championship feel without sacrificing the tournament’s uniqueness.

“We could have sold 40,000 tickets a day but we sold 22,000 to make sure that the experience here is still a quality experience for those that get on the golf course,” he added. “And I think [the record] purse is part of that.”

Whan — like Los Angeles Country Club president Gene Sykes [[link removed]] — said he is worried about PGA Tour-Saudi Arabia headlines [[link removed]] stealing the U.S. Open’s spotlight, and is confident the golf will shine through the distractions.

But Whan was coy on Saudi Arabia’s investment in golf. “That doesn’t feel as new to me as it maybe does to some other fans,” he said, noting their presence in the game even when he was commissioner of the LPGA from 2009-22.

Whan said he didn’t know if the USGA had been approached by the PIF about any potential investment like the PGA Tour deal.

“If we were contacted, we’re pretty full up from a partnership perspective,” he added.

PODCAST

🎙️ They Said What?

“Most of the media coverage thus far, has somewhat implied that this alignment is a done deal, when in fact, it’s not … It’s non-binding and a deal could ultimately fail to be consummated.”

— Corey Martin, a mergers and acquisition attorney, on the tentative deal between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. Hear more on Front Office Sports Today.

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

FIFA Reaches Media Rights Deal To Avoid Women’s World Cup Blackout [[link removed]]

Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports

Europe’s “Big Five” soccer countries — France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the U.K. — are finally set to broadcast the 2023 Women’s World Cup from Australia and New Zealand.

On Wednesday, the international soccer federation announced that it has agreed to extend its partnership with the European Broadcasting Union that will see the tournament shown across EBU’s free-to-air-linear network across 34 European territories.

In October, the two had agreed to a deal that included 28 European entities, but the revised deal will include the “Big Five,” as well as Ukraine.

“This [new deal] will provide a huge promotional and exposure opportunity for women’s football,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said, “which is a top priority for us in line with FIFA’s commitment to the long-term development of the sport.”

Infantino had previously threatened to black out [[link removed]] the tournament in Europe’s biggest soccer markets due to lowball offers from the country’s media companies.

In the U.K., BBC and ITV will share [[link removed]] the media rights to the summer festivities, splitting the games up until the World Cup final, which will be shown on both BBC1 and ITV1. The two companies are paying a reported $9 million to $10 million for the rights — at most, 6% of the rights to the men’s tournament, but an improvement from initial offers in the 1% to 2% range.

The Women’s World Cup — which begins July 20 — will also be shown on Germany’s ARD and ZDF, France Télévisions, Italy’s RAI, and Spain’s RTVE.

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How TelevisaUnivision is Producing Content at Scale

“WSC allowed us to distribute clips and highlights in real-time, which let us serve our audience in a proper way” – Olek Loewenstein, President of Sports Content at TelevisaUnivision in a recent interview [[link removed]] with Front Office Sports.

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You can’t provide the best experience without automation. Your most creative people need time to craft stories for fans. Stay ahead of the curve and click here [[link removed]] to learn more.

Charlotte Eyeing Pro Tennis With Plans for $400M Complex [[link removed]]

City Of Charlotte/Beemok Capital

Charlotte, North Carolina, appears to be serious about adding professional tennis to the city’s sports offerings.

The Charlotte City Council approved [[link removed]] $65 million in funding for a vast tennis complex that would include a 14,000-seat stadium and potentially cost $400 million to build. Taxpayers would contribute around $130 million to the project.

Charlotte’s chances at scoring pro tennis look good, considering the remaining $200 million in funding would come [[link removed]] from Beemok Capital — the company that owns the Western & Southern Open, a co-sanctioned ATP/WTA event annually played in Cincinnati.

Beemok is the firm of Ben Navarro, a billionaire businessman from South Carolina. He bought the Cincinnati tournament from the United States Tennis Association in 2022 and also owns a WTA event played in Charleston, South Carolina.

A decision on the future of the W&S Open could be made this summer. The first tournament in Charlotte would be in 2026 when the proposed complex would open.

Should Charlotte succeed in luring the event, the city would add pro tennis to its sporting landscape that already includes the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship, and two NASCAR Cup Series races. The NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes play in Raleigh’s PNC Arena.

Charlotte annually hosts the Duke’s Mayo Bowl and college football kickoff games with marquee teams from the ACC and SEC.

The Hornets’ Spectrum Center has also played host to NCAA and ACC tournament games in recents years. The city’s Quail Hollow Golf Club has previously hosted the PGA Championship and President’s Cup.

Number of Sports Bettors, Fantasy Sports Players Continues To Rise [[link removed]]

Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The number of sports bettors and fantasy sports players in the U.S. and Canada continues to grow, providing a critical lift to gaming operators forging a path to profitability.

The Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association in a new study [[link removed]] said the number of adults in those countries engaged in legal sports wagering and fantasy sports has surpassed 81 million, up 7% from a year ago and up 26% compared to 2021.

The research is good news for major entities such as DraftKings and Caesars still posting fiscal losses from sports betting and seeking consistent profits through an enlarged gaming market — an effort also boosted with recent legalization [[link removed]] in North Carolina. Flutter Entertainment is similarly projecting [[link removed]] full-year profitability for FanDuel in 2023.

“There’s unquestionably a market maturation happening with more regular bettors and more established patterns of activity,” said FSGA board member Paul Charchian to Front Office Sports.

The study also found decreasing crossover between sports bettors and fantasy players, with the level of those doing both the U.S. falling from 59% to 45% year-over-year as consumers become more discerning about their preferred games.

Big Player Losses

ProFootballTalk reported [[link removed]] an undisclosed NFL player lost $8 million from betting last year, underscoring excessive wagering’s risks. NFL players are allowed to bet on sports aside from the NFL itself.

The report adds to recent gambling policy violations [[link removed]] by five NFL players, including four from the Detroit Lions, and a separate investigation [[link removed]] into Indianapolis kick returner/defensive back Isaiah Rodgers.

Conversation Starters Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley called his championship shot [[link removed]] six years ago. Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Rams, and Colorado Avalanche owner Stan Kroenke is looking to further expand [[link removed]] his sports empire. USC’s women’s soccer and lacrosse programs are getting a new $38 million home [[link removed]] called Rawlinson Stadium.

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The Return to Chicago's Skyline Stadium

The thrilling speeds and action-packed excitement of SailGP [[link removed]] return to the iconic Lake Michigan for the Rolex United States Sail Grand Prix in Chicago at Navy Pier, June 16-17!

The fan-focused, two-day spectacle of exhilarating racing will take place on Friday and Saturday immediately adjacent to Navy Pier as rival national teams, including Jimmy Spithill’s United States, battle it out in short, intense races competing on the F50 catamaran – a race boat that “flies” out of the water and can reach speeds in excess of 60 mph!

Navy Pier will be transformed into the SailGP Stadium featuring stadium viewing – the only way to watch Friday’s and Saturday’s racing from land – with tickets starting at $35. Learn more [[link removed]].

Editor's Picks Cable Drops the Puck With Lowest Stanley Cup Clincher in 30 Years [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]

Viewership was down compared to last year's SCF on ABC.

Second Group Raises ‘Concerns’ With EA College Football NIL Deal [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]

"It appears to be a fraction of maybe what fair market value would be."

NWSL Attendance Jumps 48%, CBS Viewership Up 21% [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]

NWSL attendance is up 48% through 60 games this season.

Led By Ohio State, 49 Power 5 Schools Earn $100M+ In 2022 [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]

The data was compiled by USA Today and the Syracuse Knight-Newhouse.

Question Of The Day

Did you watch any of this year's NBA playoffs?

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

Wednesday’s Answer

35% of respondents prefer to fly Delta, 24% prefer Southwest, 17% prefer American, 15% prefer United, and 9% prefer another airline.

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