July 12, 2023

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When I wore my Don Mattingly No. 23 jersey back in the day, a corporate patch on the pinstripe sleeve was the furthest thing from my mind. Now, the New York Yankees have joined the industry trend and signed a patch deal — but with an unlikely partner.

Meanwhile, Oakland’s mayor hasn’t given up on pursuing an A’s stadium deal, and a viral sports game finds a new owner.

— Eric [[link removed]]

Yankees Strike Record Jersey Patch Deal With Relative Unknown [[link removed]]

New York Yankees

A relatively unknown commercial insurance company landed a spot on arguably the most iconic uniform in sports in a record deal that raises new questions about the jersey patch market.

On Wednesday, the New York Yankees unveiled an expanded deal with Starr Insurance, a team sponsor since 2018. Starting July 21, the New York-based company will become the team’s first jersey patch partner through 2031.

Industry sources pegged the deal’s annual value at around $25 million, which easily surpasses other MLB jersey patch deals, which generally range from $5 million to $17 million per year.

A year ago, the Yankees appointed [[link removed]] Legends — the global hospitality and sales entity it co-owns with majority partner Sixth Street Partners and the Dallas Cowboys — to sell the jersey patch. Instead of landing an expected deal with a premium brand, the Yankees chose Starr, a global insurance and investment entity operating on six continents — but hardly a household name.

Swing And A Miss?

Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner called Starr “the right company” for this deal, but early social media reaction among fans is negative — unsurprising given their deep emotional attachment to the team’s legendary pinstripes.

A glut of jersey patch inventory remains available. While the NBA — the first of the four major U.S. pro leagues to embrace jersey patches — has 26 team deals, only 12 MLB teams and 13 in the NHL have patches.

Many teams have been unable to meet financial or brand targets amid broader concerns about the U.S. economy.

Manfred Meets With Oakland Mayor While A’s Relocation Plan Proceeds [[link removed]]

Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

After weeks of speaking dismissively [[link removed]] and even sarcastically [[link removed]] about the perceived lack of a viable stadium proposal or fan support in Oakland, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is still referring to the A’s current home in the past tense, saying this week, “We didn’t find a solution to keep the A’s in Oakland. That’s No. 1 on the disappointment list.”

But that hasn’t stopped Manfred from continuing to meet with Oakland city officials.

During the league’s now-concluded All-Star Game events in Seattle, Manfred met [[link removed]] with Oakland mayor Sheng Thao, who sought to counter Manfred’s assertion that there was never a solid stadium proposal from Bay Area officials.

The meeting, at Thao’s request, happened as the A’s still plan to move to Las Vegas and also search [[link removed]] for an interim home for the 2025-27 seasons. Thao presented Manfred and each team owner with an extensive document outlining Oakland’s two-site stadium and development proposal for Howard Terminal and the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum property.

“Until there is an actual shovel in the ground in Las Vegas, we will not stop trying to keep the team where they belong — in Oakland,” Thao said in a letter to Manfred that was part of the presented document.

Meeting Makes Sense

Despite Manfred’s prior comments, his move to continue some level of talks with Oakland is not surprising — it’s in MLB’s best interest to maintain open dialogue.

Not only do numerous hurdles still need to be cleared before the A’s move to Nevada is finalized, but MLB continually needs cooperation from civic leaders near each franchise on a wide range of issues, particularly related to facilities, regulation, and special events.

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New Owner of Immaculate Grid Baseball Game Eyes Football, Other Sports [[link removed]]

Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports

The free online trivia game [[link removed]] that has taken baseball fans by storm this summer will soon be expanding to additional sports under its new owner, Sports Reference.

Immaculate Grid sees 200,000 users most weekdays, challenging them to name players that match metrics like their teams or their notable stats. Seen as the “Wordle of baseball” — playing off the popular game acquired by the New York Times for more than $1 million last year — it was created in April by Brian Minter, a software engineer from Atlanta.

Last month, Winter approached Sports Reference — owner of Baseball Reference and other similar data sites — as he looked for a company to acquire his game. “There were other talks, but they were certainly No. 1,” Winter told Front Office Sports.

With Immaculate Grid now integrated into Sports Reference’s website, the company plans to add new sports like football, basketball, hockey, and soccer to the game by the end of this month.

“We’ve tried to implement it in a way that easily expands to our other sports,” Sports Reference president Sean Forman told FOS. “I’m confident we can do it pretty quickly.”

The price Sports Reference paid for Immaculate Grid wasn’t disclosed, but Forman is confident the deal will be a win for both the company and Winter. There are plans to place ad units on the game page and potentially offer special features under a subscription model — but Immaculate Grid will remain free to all and is already seen as a money maker.

“It’s also driving a significant amount of traffic to our existing site, which we’ve gotten reasonably good at monetizing,” Foreman added.

Conversation Starters Dude Perfect started by shooting trick shots on YouTube in 2009. The group now [[link removed]] has 60 million subscribers, is building a $100 million HQ, and is a kit sponsor for a Premier League club. The NFL has selected [[link removed]] the New York Jets as the subject of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” this summer, per ESPN. The Jets, Saints, Bears, and Commanders all fit the criteria to be required to do the show. Netflix’s “Quarterback” — its first project [[link removed]] with the NFL starring Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, and Marcus Mariota, is now streaming. Rep your favorite newsletter with a new T-shirt, water bottle, coffee mug, and more! Shop our new store here [[link removed]]. Be sure to keep an eye out for monthly drops.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY

UFC’s Bruce Buffer Joins FOS Today

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 today’s episode, Front Office Sports senior writer Owen Poindexter sits down with the voice of the UFC Octagon, Bruce Buffer, to talk about Endeavor’s merger of the UFC and WWE, how Buffer got his start announcing MMA fights, and how he builds businesses with his own personal brand.

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

Editor's Picks How A Union Could Have Protected Northwestern Football Players [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]

A union or informal players association could prevent future abuses.

WNBA Midseason Viewership Up 46% on ESPN Platforms [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]

ESPN's WNBA broadcasts averaged 546,000 viewers in 13 games.

Kyrie Irving Inks Signature Shoe Deal With China’s Anta [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]

Irving said his previous Nike shoes generated $2.6 billion.

Win an NFL Sunday Ticket Subscription

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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.

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