June 22, 2023

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Good afternoon. Eric Fisher [[link removed]] here. The first overall pick of tonight’s NBA Draft, held by San Antonio, is a foregone conclusion amid “Wembymania.” The TV coverage on ESPN and ABC will feature a range of options for viewers, spotlighting how the NBA Draft continues to grow in stature.

Meanwhile, a titan of college sports is ending his influential tenure — leaving uncertainty as the CFP enters the expansion era — and Monumental Sports & Entertainment nears a history-making equity sale.

NBA Draft Is Getting the NFL Draft Treatment From ESPN, ABC [[link removed]]

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Robin Roberts’ interview with Victor Wembanyama — the NBA’s most-hyped prospect since LeBron James — airs Thursday night on ABC as part of its NBA Draft broadcast.

Separate broadcasts of Thursday’s first round will air on ABC and ESPN, a model that Disney has used for the past five years with its NFL Draft [[link removed]] coverage. While ESPN’s NBA Draft broadcast will provide more team-fit and player analysis, ABC’s coverage will focus on storytelling and interviews with players and their families.

“If I wasn’t a basketball player I think my second passion would be drawing,” the 7-foot-3 Wemyanyama told [[link removed]] Roberts. “When I got nothing to do, the first thing my mind thinks about is to grab a pencil and a sheet of paper. I [also] love reading before sleep.”

“You’re a Renaissance Man, meaning that you can play your sport, but you also have this really sensitive soul,” Roberts said to Wembanyana at a cafe in France.

“SportsCenter” anchor Kevin Negandhi will host ABC’s broadcast alongside Stephen A. Smith, which begins at 8 p.m. ET. ESPN’s broadcast will be helmed by Malika Andrews with contributions from analysts Jay Bilas and JJ Redick, reporters Andraya Carter and Monica McNutt, and insiders Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks.

Adding to this year’s draft intrigue are a bevy of expected trades — Damian Lillard and Paul George [[link removed]] are among the stars rumored to be shopped — as well as the proliferation of top picks from the G League Ignite [[link removed]] (Scoot Henderson, Leonard Miller), Overtime Elite [[link removed]] (twins Amen and Ausar Thompson), and IMG Academy [[link removed]] (Jarace Walker, Keyonte George, and Jett Howard).

Qatari Fund Acquires Stake in Wizards, Capitals Parent Company [[link removed]]

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Qatar Investment Authority purchased a roughly 5% stake in Monumental Sports & Entertainment, becoming the first sovereign wealth fund to invest in a major U.S. professional sports team.

Monumental owns the NBA’s Washington Capital and NHL’s Wizards, as well as the WNBA’s Mystics. Qatar’s investment values Monumental at around $4 billion, Front Office Sports confirmed.

The investment was first reported by Sportico [[link removed]].

Qatar’s biggest sports investment to date came in 2012, when it purchased majority ownership of Paris Saint-Germain, the French soccer powerhouse valued at $4.2 billion. In a similar vein, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has invested in LIV Golf and pro soccer.

Monumental’s assets include Capital One Arena and Monumental Sports Network, which was recently rebranded after MSE acquired full control [[link removed]] of NBC Sports Washington last year.

The Wizards and Capitals have a combined estimated valuation of $3.7 billion.

Over the last year, the NBA [[link removed]] and NHL [[link removed]] opened up rules for private equity. Each league has a 20% cap for capital investment in a team by a single firm, and franchises in those two sports can have no more than 30% private equity ownership overall.

“The NBA Board is currently reviewing a potential investment by QIA in Monumental Sports & Entertainment,” NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said.

Beyond being the managing partner for Monumental, Ted Leonsis has shown interest in acquiring the Washington Nationals. His $2 billion offer [[link removed]] wasn’t accepted for the team last year.

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CFP Heads Into Expansion Era In Search Of New Leader [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Bill Hancock was the prime mover in making the College Football Playoff a major event after decades of infighting within the sport.

Now, the 72-year-old says he will retire from the CFP on Feb. 1, 2025, when his current contract expires, and will shift to a consultant role next year to facilitate the transition.

Appointed in 2012 shortly after the CFP’s creation, the longtime college sports administrator played a central role in building the playoff into one of the most-watched [[link removed]] events in American sports — even amid a recent decline in title game ratings. He then led a historic expansion [[link removed]] of the CFP into a 12-team format [[link removed]] beginning with the 2024-25 season.

“He’s a legend in college sports,” said Mark Keenum, Mississippi State University president and chair of the CFP’s Board of Managers.

Hancock’s successor will play a huge role in determining how the CFP capitalizes on its expansion era.

Key issues to be discussed include how the CFP will distribute its media rights [[link removed]] in the expanded format, and whether the CFP ultimately expands beyond 12 teams. In that light, it’s possible the next CFP executive director will have an extensive media background, following a growing trend [[link removed]] within college sports.

Several names from within college sports leadership have already been posited [[link removed]] as potential candidates for the position, including retiring Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick [[link removed]], former Big 12 Conference commissioner Bob Bowlsby, and Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith.

Conversation Starters LeBron James has demolished his $37 million Beverly Hills mansion and begun work [[link removed]] on building “his dream home.” The new DraftKings Sportsbook at Wrigley Field will open [[link removed]] to the public for the first time next week. The 17,000-square-foot property boasts a 2,000-square-foot video wall, a sports bar, and a restaurant. DraftKings is pursuing a license with the Illinois Gaming Board. Washington, D.C., council has unanimously approved [[link removed]] a proposal allowing bars to stay open 24 hours during the Women’s World Cup. Bars will be able to accommodate a 14-16-hour difference in kickoff times in host countries Australia and New Zealand.

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Editor's Picks Diamond Sports Seeks Approval to Drop Diamondbacks’ RSN Deal [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]

Like its deal with Padres, DSG looks to drop deal with Diamondbacks.

Renegade Barstool Sports Luring Talent From Downsizing ESPN [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]

The brand’s social media following is up 36% to 220 million year over year.

Why G League Ignite Is Producing Top Picks In The NBA Draft [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]

That trend will continue this year.

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