July 7, 2023

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Good afternoon. Eric Fisher [[link removed]] here. Meta’s Threads continues to dominate the conversation, more than doubling an already remarkable initial signup base — but presenting pressing operational questions for sports properties.

Also, a series of executive moves render significant implications for sports media, and the business of Kobe Bryant expands further, more than three years after his death.

Media Executive Shuffle Could Make Big Impact On NBA Rights, Olympics [[link removed]]

Dan MacMedan-USA TODAY

Some of the most powerful media executives in the U.S. are expanding their duties and nearing new contracts in moves poised to impact the sports media landscape significantly.

On Thursday, Comcast enlarged [[link removed]] the roles of NBCUniversal executives Mark Lazarus, Donna Langley, and Cesar Conde. Lazarus, previously chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, will be chairman of the NBCUniversal media group in a role that will include oversight of NBC Sports, the company’s other TV networks and streaming platforms, and advertising and distribution.

The shifts follow the April departure [[link removed]] of former NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell, as well as the exits in the last two months of NBC Sports chairman Pete Bevacqua — who will be [[link removed]] Notre Dame’s director of athletics — and new Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino, former NBCUniversal chairman of global advertising and partnerships.

Meanwhile, Disney CEO Bob Iger is reportedly [[link removed]] seeking a contract extension that would keep him atop the ESPN parent company beyond the end of his current deal in December 2024. The extension would delay a Disney executive succession plan said to center [[link removed]] in part on current ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro.

The executive shuffle arrives as several key sports media rights remain on the market — most notably those of the NBA — heightening the existing rivalry [[link removed]] between Iger and Comcast CEO Brian Roberts.

For Comcast and NBCUniversal, the Paris 2024 Olympics [[link removed]] are also just a year away, increasing the urgency to implement its new leadership structure.

Brands Leaning On Kobe Bryant Three Years After Death [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The business of Kobe Bryant is in full swing three years after the Pro Basketball Hall of Famer’s death.

Bryant will grace the cover of “NBA 2K24” via two different editions — the fourth time the popular video game has selected the longtime Los Angeles Lakers star. A special edition of “NBA 2K21” honored Bryant with its cover in 2020, shortly after the helicopter accident that killed him, his daughter Gianna, and seven others.

Last week, Nike announced plans to relaunch [[link removed]] the Kobe signature sneaker later this summer. In 2022, the brand reached an agreement with the Kobe Bryant Estate to continue the popular line.

After Bryant’s death, the state of his Nike merchandise fluctuated. After an initial report that Nike had stopped sales of Bryant-related items, the company clarified [[link removed]] that it had actually sold out existing inventory. Bryant’s estate, led by his widow Vanessa, eventually let the contract expire [[link removed]] in 2021.

Now, fences are mended with Nike, and Bryant is back in the spotlight via NBA 2K.

Any other brands attempting to use Bryant’s likeness may face more resistance moving forward, though. Bryant had an exclusive trading card deal with Panini and was an investor in Body Armour — which netted his estate $400 million when Coca-Cola took majority ownership of the sports drink.

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Historic Rise of Threads Creates Big Questions For Sports [[link removed]]

Meta

The meteoric rise [[link removed]] of Meta’s Threads has presented a pressing dilemma for sports properties allocating resources to a new social media platform with a perhaps murky legal future.

By Threads’ second day of operation, the service surpassed [[link removed]] 70 million signups — the fastest-growing social media platform ever. Every major pro sports league has now created official feeds on the platform, as did many prominent current and former athletes such as Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Tom Brady. Some of those new Threads feeds immediately attracted millions of followers.

Leagues and teams, however, will have to commit staff time and intellectual property to Threads alongside Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and others.

“I’ve had a ton of calls, lots of texts from clients trying to figure out what they should do with Threads. And there are a lot of social media managers sweating out how to keep track of another channel,” Jeramie McPeek, veteran social and digital media consultant and former Phoenix Suns executive, said to Front Office Sports. “But the more I look at this, the more I’m confident this could really have staying power.”

Twitter owner Elon Musk, the world’s richest man with an estimated [[link removed]] net worth of $249 billion, threatened [[link removed]] to sue Meta over the creation of the so-called “Twitter killer,” heightening the bitter rivalry between Musk and Meta co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

“Competition is fine, cheating is not,” Musk tweeted [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters On Friday night, MLB and Ken Griffey Jr. will host the first [[link removed]] HBCU Swingman Classic showcasing 50 Division I players from 17 different HBCUs. Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen lost $48 million worth of FTX shares [[link removed]] during the crypto crash in November, according to The New York Times. Las Vegas’ MSG Sphere has been lit up [[link removed]] all week to promote NBA Summer League.

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Editor's Picks Congress May Clear Way for Commanders’ Return to RFK [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]

Can professional football return to the Nation's Capital?

Billionaire’s Bid to Save Pawtucket Baseball Stadium Gets Rejected [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]

McCoy Stadium is set to be demolished to build a new school.

FC Barcelona Facilities Revenue Reached Club Record $169 Million [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]

Income for Barcelona’s women’s team jumped 95% over the 2021-22 season.

Major League Pickleball Team Values Skyrocket to $10 Million [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]

MLP team values have seen a 100x growth over the past two years.

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