July 5, 2023

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Good afternoon. Eric Fisher [[link removed]] here. The post-Fourth of July stretch begins with fans at the center of all the biggest stories.

Whether it be historic attendance for the latest version of Los Angeles’ El Tráfico, strong demand for the third wave of Paris 2024 ticket sales, or long lines at both ticket booths and entrance gates amid poor early weather and heightened security at Wimbledon, fan turnout still drives the business of sports like nothing else.

MLS Sets Attendance Record Amid Wave of Growth [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The ongoing growth of pro soccer in the U.S. has hit another major milestone.

MLS’s Los Angeles rivalry of the L.A. Galaxy and reigning league champion LAFC drew 82,110 on Tuesday at the Rose Bowl, setting a single-game league attendance record. The total easily surpassed the 74,479 Charlotte FC attracted in March 2022 for its first-ever game as a league expansion franchise, and was widely described as a playoff-type atmosphere.

The L.A. game — widely known as El Tráfico in a nod to the famous Spanish El Clásico rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid — was rescheduled from February due to heavy rain and wind at the time in Southern California.

Regardless of specific timing, the attendance figure represents another important step in MLS’ push to become a larger and more significant entity.

The total follows other recent achievements for MLS such as Lionel Messi’s historic move [[link removed]] to Inter Miami, the groundbreaking streaming deal [[link removed]] with Apple, an enlarged postseason [[link removed]], forthcoming expansion [[link removed]] to San Diego, rising franchise values [[link removed]], and unprecedented fan reception [[link removed]] for the new St. Louis City FC club.

“When you have 80,000 people and the energy in that type of stadium is around you … it comes with the sense of something much bigger than maybe just a normal match day,” said Greg Vanney, head coach and sporting director for the Galaxy, which defeated LAFC 2-1.

Wemby, Mbappé Give Paris Olympics Ticket Sales Big Boost [[link removed]]

Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

Homegrown French stars will loom large in the next wave of ticket sales for the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.

Organizers put tickets for soccer, basketball, handball, and sailing competitions being held outside of Paris on sale Wednesday. Fans are expected to clamor to see Victor Wembanyama, recently selected [[link removed]] first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft by San Antonio, and Kylian Mbappé, who led France to the 2022 FIFA World Cup final and is one of the world’s highest-paid [[link removed]] athletes.

The latest batch of ticket sales also are beginning amid a troubled stretch for the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee. In recent weeks, the event has been hit with serious corruption allegations [[link removed]], controversy over alcohol restrictions [[link removed]], and issues [[link removed]] surrounding high ticket prices and planned treatment of the city’s homeless during the Games.

More than 6.8 million tickets have already been sold [[link removed]] so far for Paris 2024 during two prior rounds. The tickets for soccer, basketball, handball, and sailing — all competitions set to be held at least in part in various regional locations around France — were originally scheduled to be sold later this year, but organizers accelerated the timetable for this third round of sales amid the strong demand.

The tickets are being sold globally on a first-come, first-serve basis and without any sort of lottery that had been used in prior rounds.

Paris 2024 organizers are openly touting [[link removed]] the likely presence of Mbappé at next year’s Olympics, even as it remains unclear whether he will be allowed by his professional club to play.

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Poor Weather, Delays At Wimbledon Has Vexed Fans Seeking Refunds [[link removed]]

Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

Wimbledon was still completing first round matches on Day 3 of the tournament as rain has wreaked havoc at the All England Tennis & Lawn Club — forcing delays and frustrating fans.

While Centre Court hosted second round matches for the likes of top women’s seed Iga Świątek and No. 2 men’s seed Novak Djokovic after play resumed Wednesday afternoon, first round matches on both sides of the draw were still underway on the other 18 courts.

With a record purse [[link removed]] of $56.5 million this year, Wimbledon has already issued [[link removed]] refunds totalling more than $300,000 in light of Tuesday’s rainfall that pushed back all but eight of the 77 scheduled matches. It was the biggest washout at Wimbledon since 2004.

On Monday, Djokovic was perplexed [[link removed]] at the 80-minute delay during his first-round victory on Centre Court — which boasts a state-of-the-art retractable roof that reportedly cost over $100 million. The grass got too wet before the roof was closed.

Before the British skies turned dark, Wimbledon fielded [[link removed]] a staggering 12,000-plus fans queuing for tickets on Day 1, leading to confusion from fans and an eventual apology from Wimbledon for the chaos. The result was Wimbledon’s largest day of attendance (​​42,815) since 20215.

Laying Down The Law

Despite ramping up security [[link removed]] ahead of Wimbledon in light of protests at other recent British sporting events, the All England Club has already had to briefly pause play because of disturbances. Three people were arrested [[link removed]] on Wednesday after spreading confetti on Court 18 during two separate matches.

Conversation Starters When a Texas organization executes a new project, it does it big. A newly opened golf resort did not disappoint as the Omni PGA Frisco Resort opened a $500 million facility [[link removed]], which includes two 18-hole courses in suburban Dallas. Formula 1 has released its 2024 schedule. It will once again be a worldwide [[link removed]] journey for drivers and their teams. A new $2.2 billion entertainment facility [[link removed]] — the MSG sphere — is near completion in Las Vegas.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY

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FOS Today breaks down the biggest stories across sports and business, commentary on cultural trends in the space, and interviews with influential athletes and industry-leading executives.

In a new episode, Front Office Sports senior writer and podcast host Owen Poindexter sits down with Boston Red Sox outfielder Adam Duvall to talk about his move to Boston, getting diagnosed with type-1 diabetes early in his professional career, and his work with Lilly to make insulin more affordable for those with diabetes.

With new episodes released daily, Monday through Friday, you won’t want to miss out. Listen now [[link removed]].

Editor's Picks Candace Parker Wants Smarter WNBA Broadcast Times [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]

Parker doesn’t want WNBA broadcasts “in competition with huge NHL playoff games.”

Tennessee Commits $433 Million to Football, Baseball Stadiums [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]

$337 million has been budgeted for Neyland Stadium renovations.

Breaking Down NASCAR’s Beautiful Disaster in Chicago [[link removed]]by Doug Greenberg [[link removed]]

The rain-soaked race brought in high viewership and merchandise records.

Win an NFL Sunday Ticket Subscription

The NFL season is just around the corner, and we’re helping one lucky winner take their fandom to the next level.

We’re giving away a one-year subscription to NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV, giving you access to every out-of-market NFL game so you don’t miss out on any of the action!

To enter, simply complete one or all of the actions on this page [[link removed]]. Contest ends on July 14, 2023. See Official Rules [[link removed]] for details.

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