July 10, 2023

Read in Browser [[link removed]]

POWERED BY

Good afternoon. Eric Fisher [[link removed]] here. It’s MLB Home Run Derby day, and while dingers are flying out of Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, there are plenty of big changes happening back East.

The New York Times disbanded its award-winning sports department, the New York Mets and Yankees are both entering the All-Star Break out of playoff position despite more than $600 million in combined payroll, and the Carolina Panthers are the latest NFL team to face obstacles securing public money for a new stadium.

New York Times, LA Times Reshape Sports Coverage [[link removed]]

Jens Schott Knudsen

A $550 million burden that has never turned a profit has managed to trigger massive changes at one of the leading U.S. media outlets.

The New York Times disbanded [[link removed]] its sports department on Monday, resulting in the reassignment [[link removed]] of more than 35 journalists and editors — including some to a planned unit within the business section focusing on money and power in sports. The paper will rely on sports coverage from The Athletic, which the Times acquired [[link removed]] early last year.

Since that deal, internal dissension has grown within the Times, peaking [[link removed]] with a formal letter sent Sunday by the Times’ sports department staffers to newspaper leadership, complaining of being left “twisting in the wind.”

Pressure has been high on the Times to make something of its purchase of The Athletic, which despite more than doubling subscribers to 3.27 million has posted more than $43 million in total operating losses since the beginning of 2022 — including $7.8 million in 2023’s first quarter.

Just weeks after The Athletic laid off [[link removed]] about 20 staffers, those pressures have now spread to the Times, a deeply influential voice in sports coverage on and off the field for decades.

The Athletic isn’t unionized, while the NewsGuild of New York represents Times writers.

L.A. Exit

The shifts arrive as another major daily newspaper of record is also doing away with traditional sports coverage. The Los Angeles Times is eliminating [[link removed]] core content elements such as game stories, box scores, and standings.

The changes follow a sale of their printing press and new, early-afternoon print deadlines.

MLB Payroll Trends Turned Upside Down At All-Star Break [[link removed]]

Syndication: Arizona Republic

After more than a generation of MLB team payrolls closely tied to on-field success, that model is being inverted [[link removed]] like never before.

Entering this week’s All-Star Break, the New York Mets — owners of MLB’s highest payroll ever at $348 million — are out of playoff position and openly musing about dismantling [[link removed]] their current roster. A similar situation exists in San Diego, where the $246 million Padres — also below .500 after franchise-record offseason spending — are wondering [[link removed]] what’s gone wrong [[link removed]].

Meanwhile, two of the three lowest-spending MLB teams [[link removed]] and four of the bottom six are squarely in postseason contention, while the top four and five of the top six are currently not in playoff position.

“It’s terrible,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said of his team’s situation. “That’s not what I expected.”

For more than two decades, MLB has wrestled [[link removed]] with the effects of payroll disparity, which have deeply impacted multiple rounds of labor negotiations, caused numerous internal schisms between teams and individual owners, and led the league to create an economic reform committee last year.

But as teams like the $76 million Tampa Bay Rays — operating under near-constant sale rumors [[link removed]] and without a modern ballpark — more than hold their own, more executives are openly questioning what strategy is truly best.

“You’ve heard me say numerous times now that I shouldn’t need a $300 million payroll to win a world championship,” said Hal Steinbrenner, managing general partner of the New York Yankees — who nevertheless are spending $280 million this year but sit a game out of the final AL Wild Card slot.

SPONSORED BY ZOOMPH

Data-Driven NBA Storylines & Insights

NBA viewership was at an all-time high this season and didn’t slow down for the playoffs. This year’s Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers saw a combined 81.11 million viewers across the 11 games, a 10% increase year-over-year.

Zoomph’s NBA Playoff Report [[link removed]] takes a deep dive into the how and why of postseason success stories, such as the Nuggets’ quest at the start of a new dynasty, the importance of Game 7’s, and other top storylines during the playoffs.

This report [[link removed]] breaks down a deep-dive of data for viewership, brand highlights, and features during the for-premier sponsors – including Google, Kia Motors, and Coinbase – the strength of the Golden State Warriors brand on social, and more.

Check out [[link removed]] all the Zoomph insights.

Securing Public Funding For Stadiums A Mixed Bag For NFL Teams [[link removed]]

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Public funding has never been more of a make-or-break issue for NFL teams and stadium projects. With the exception of the privately financed, $5 billion-plus SoFi Stadium, securing taxpayer money is the major issue to moving forward.

The Carolina Panthers are quickly becoming a prominent example of funding problems stalling new work on facilities.

North Carolina’s Mecklenburg County has said it won’t offer any money to the Panthers in support of team owner David Tepper plans to either build a new stadium or bring major renovations to 27-year-old Bank of America Stadium. Matters are further complicated by the fact that the city of Charlotte could still offer the Panthers funding.

In 2022, Tepper’s plans for an $800 million training facility and headquarters in nearby Rock Hill, South Carolina, crashed and burned [[link removed]] in dramatic fashion.

Carolina’s potential issues are just the latest for an NFL team — and franchises can explore many different solutions.

The Chicago Bears are struggling to find a local partner to help with a new stadium in a saga [[link removed]] involving cities throughout Illinois. In contrast, the Tennessee Titans will receive a record [[link removed]] $1.25 billion in public funding for a new stadium, while the Buffalo Bill will get [[link removed]] $850 million for their stadium set to open in 2026.

In Jacksonville, the Jaguars are contemplating [[link removed]] a 50-50 split between public funds and the team regarding more than $1 billion in upgrades to TIAA Bank Field. Meanwhile, a top priority for new Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris is a new stadium [[link removed]] — which could end up in D.C., Virginia, or Maryland.

Conversation Starters EA Sports has released the first trailer for “EA Sports FC 24” — formerly the FIFA franchise. Check it out [[link removed]]. This Michigan backyard has been transformed [[link removed]] into a sports lover’s dream — for $6.5 million. The suburban Detroit home features a Wolverines-themed basketball court, a sports field, a pool, and a batting cage. Over the weekend, Apple filmed scenes [[link removed]] for its Brad Pitt-starring Formula 1 movie at the British Grand Prix. Transform your sponsorships into performance-driven partnerships with StellarAlgo Partnership Solutions. Unlock untapped value from your sports partnership portfolio — reward customer loyalty, convert more fans into customers, and accurately attribute resulting revenue. Learn more [[link removed]].*

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS LEARNING

Elevate Your Professional Development

Front Office Sports Learning [[link removed]] is a series of complimentary, interactive courses designed to help professionals stay on top of today’s ever-changing sports landscape.

To date, over 20K+ professionals have taken our free online courses to better understand topics including NIL, cryptocurrency, ticketing, and more.

The flexible online courses which consist of video modules and brief quizzes, allow you to:

Learn anywhere, anytime Hear directly from top brands, experts, and industry leaders Earn a verified digital badge upon completion

Explore our lineup of courses to further grow and develop your knowledge, including courses from Coinbase [[link removed]], Ticketmaster [[link removed]], Meta [[link removed]], and more.

Register now [[link removed]].

Editor's Picks Zach LaVine Buys Southern California Mansion for $34 Million [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]

LaVine's 11,200-square-foot home comes with ocean views of Newport Beach.

NASCAR’s Kyle Busch Selling Lake Norman Mansion for Nearly $13 Million [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]

The 15,000-square foot home has a private beach and heated pool.

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 21, 2023. See Official Rules [[link removed]] for details.

ENTER HERE [[link removed]]

DISCLAIMER

*Sponsored Content

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Sports Careers [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Brian Krikorian [[link removed]]

If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here [[link removed]].

Update your preferences [link removed] / Unsubscribe [link removed]

Copyright © 2023 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

80 Pine Street Suite 3202 New York, NY 10005