NASCAR is headed to Netflix with the aim of attracting new — and hopefully younger — racing fans.

Nearly every touring-circuit sport has tried to imitate the success of “Drive To Survive,” the Netflix docuseries that created a frenzy around Formula 1 in the U.S., especially among a key viewer demographic — about 75% of Netflix users in the U.S. are reportedly between 18 and 34 years old.

The PGA Tour and ATP/WTA tennis tours debuted their own series this year in collaboration with the same producers of the F1 hit, Box to Box Films, which also made a docuseries about the Tour de France.

During the 2022 season, NASCAR produced its own docuseries, “Race For The Championship,” which aired on USA Network and streamed on Peacock — both subsidiaries of NASCAR media rights partner NBC Universal.

Now, NASCAR is partnering with Words + Pictures — a production company co-founded by former ESPN executives — for a show following the 2023 Cup Series Playoffs, which begin next month. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will also be an executive producer.

It’s unclear if NASCAR approached Box to Box about potentially producing its new series or if the company showed any interest. Either way, NASCAR can likely expect a significant boost in documentary viewership simply from its presence on Netflix.

Prime Time In Colorado

The University of Colorado’s 2023 football season will be filmed for a series to stream on Amazon that will primarily follow Deion Sanders’ first season as head coach. A four-episode series, “Coach Prime,” chronicled the 2022 Jackson State season featuring Sanders. 

​​Colorado will not be compensated for allowing the series to film on campus, according to USA Today, but the school is bullish on the financial impact Sanders’ profile can have.

Sinclair Inc.’s full response to Diamond Sports Group’s recent $1.5 billion fraud claim hasn’t been made public — but Sinclair believes it shouldn’t have to help fund its own subsidiary’s legal claim against it. 

In a new filing in a U.S. bankruptcy court in Texas, Sinclair said DSG has run up a tab of nearly $147 million in unpaid management services, while also paying Sinclair for other services at below-contracted rates. As a result, Sinclair has asked the court to compel DSG to either pay that bill or reject the companies’ management services contract entirely.

“Sinclair is being forced to shoulder the burden and expense of the [management services] at a significant discount, while effectively subsidizing Diamond’s litigation against Sinclair attacking those very same services,” Sinclair said in its filing. 

The management services have covered affiliate sales and marketing initiatives that promote DSG to distributors, as well as internal functions such as legal and business affairs, payroll, finance, accounting, and insurance.

The situation further highlights the mounting legal, financial, and operational pressures facing the bankrupt parent of Bally Sports. Already, DSG has been granted judicial mediators to help deal with various demands from creditors, leagues, teams, and distributors, while also facing critical decisions about which of its 27 total NBA and NHL team rights it will keep. 

Amid that pressure, Sinclair opines that DSG will not emerge from bankruptcy.

“Based on Diamond’s own statements, emergence — let alone filing of a [reorganization] plan — is nowhere in sight,” Sinclair said.

The Baltimore Orioles’ seemingly never-ending talks for a Camden Yards lease extension have revealed a problematic new wrinkle. 

The team’s managing partner John Angelos and the Maryland Stadium Authority are still far apart on not only the lease deal but potential renovations to the ballpark area.

Maryland public officials have long been frustrated over the lack of progress toward replacing the current deal expiring in December, with state senate president Bill Ferguson saying last week that he wished the Orioles agreement had been completed “yesterday.”

In an interview with the New York Times, Angelos revealed a deeper schism. Not only does he have a vision for an Atlanta Braves-type mixed-use development with residential units, hotels, shops, and restaurants, but he also envisions an elementary school in the B&O Warehouse next to the ballpark, as well as a health and wellness clinic.

“If we develop it right, and we include the impactful community program model, we change the whole brand of Baltimore,” Angelos said.

A lease deal would open up $600 million in public funds toward ballpark-specific renovations, similar to provisions available to the neighboring Baltimore Ravens. But local leaders are reluctant to discuss any bigger project aspirations — or funding them — without a long-term commitment from the team.

“I think it’s premature to talk about investments around the facility when we don’t have a partner that is committing to be there for the next 20-to-30 years,” Ferguson said.  

The Orioles remain the surprise story of the 2023 MLB season, holding the best record in the American League after a long rebuilding period.

A $3 billion budget blunder involving one of the world’s oldest sporting events will ultimately cost an Australian state an exorbitant sum.

To make up for its withdrawal as host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, Victoria — a state in southeastern Australia — will pay $243 million to event organizers, who are still searching for a country to hold the next iteration of the games in just three years.

In July, Victoria premier Daniel Andrews nixed hosting duties agreed to in March 2022, claiming the Games could potentially cost up to $4.8 billion — a significantly higher figure than the $1.77 billion originally budgeted. 

The Commonwealth Games are a quadrennial event akin to the Olympics involving up to 56 sovereign states around the world, most of them former territories of the British Empire.

Despite the seemingly wasted costs, Andrews said the settlement was “the best outcome that Victoria could get.”

Future Games In Doubt?

The Commonwealth Games were also recently rejected by Alberta, Canada — previously thought to be a logical choice to host the 2030 edition — raising plenty of questions as to the long-term viability and purpose of a competition whose participating nations are also able to compete in the Olympics and other world championships.