The countdown to keep the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field has officially begun.

According to a recent report, White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf is considering the possibility of moving the team out of the stadium it has called home for over 30 years once its lease with the city expires in 2029.

The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority — a subsidiary of the state government — opened the stadium in 1991 after a $137 million construction project, and taxpayers still owe about $50 million on the bonds issued.

“We have not had any conversations about our lease situation,” White Sox spokesperson Scott Reifert said. “With six years remaining, it is naturally nearing a time where discussions should begin to take place.”

In Crain’s Chicago Business report, Reinsdorf floated the idea of a new stadium in Chicago, moving to the suburbs, or even going to Nashville — which has frequently popped up as a potential destination for an MLB team.

Bear Necessities

The Sox aren’t the first team in town to make headlines about a possible new home.

After purchasing the former Arlington International Racecourse property, the Chicago Bears have reached a “stalemate” with the city of Arlington Heights over tax issues — meaning plans for a new stadium on the grounds have stalled.

Subsequently, the city of Chicago, Aurora, Naperville, Richton Park, and Waukegan have all attempted to woo the Bears.

Inter Miami continues its quest for its second trophy in the brief but already brilliant Lionel Messi era on Wednesday night.

After winning the inaugural Leagues Cup — which came with a $2 million prize — this past weekend, Inter Miami faces FC Cincinnati in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals. Tickets for the match at Cincinnati’s 26,000-seat TQL Stadium are unsurprisingly reaching astronomical prices as Messi’s U.S. tour hits another city.

The match marks a rare opportunity for a broadcaster other than Apple — which is paying $250 million annually for MLS media rights — to profit from Messi’s Inter Miami stint. CBS Sports will stream the game, which begins at 7 p.m. ET, on its Golazo Network, Paramount+, and Pluto TV. Telemundo and Peacock have the Spanish-language broadcast rights for the match.

Messi’s appeal is creating new business for the U.S. Open Cup organizer, too. Just this month, U.S. Soccer was even able to sell global media rights to the remainder of the tournament, which will now air in more than 100 countries.

A U.S. Open Cup title would bring Inter Miami a modest $300,000 and a slot in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup — but the Leagues Cup win has already qualified the club for that tournament, which in turn could lead to a berth in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Messi is set to start and likely play the entire match, despite playing his sixth match in 22 days — another sign the Argentinian star is committed to boosting soccer’s profile in the U.S., which he feels is ripe for growth.

Formula 1 is still looking to squeeze every dollar out of the highly anticipated Las Vegas Grand Prix — but at a more reasonable cost to local establishments.

The racing league plans to charge bars and restaurants located along the 3.8-mile racecourse around $50,000 in licensing fees, per the New York Post. The Post originally reported that F1 would charge $1,500 per patron, sparking outrage and potentially costing the business owners millions.

The fees are standard practice for Formula 1’s other street races in places like Monaco — but bar and restaurant owners felt the circuit was “shaking people down” with threats to put barricades or other viewing obstructions in place if the businesses didn’t pay the fee.

Assuming they pay the newly adjusted fee, bars and restaurants will be guaranteed unobstructed views of the live action, as well as a direct live feed from F1’s cameras.

However, there remains another sticking point for Las Vegas locals: Formula 1 has been repaving streets and making other preparations for the November race — causing huge, consistent traffic jams on and around the famous Las Vegas Strip.

But for all of the headaches and arguments, the LVGP should still be a massive financial success for both F1 and the city. The racing league is targeting $500 million in revenue, while one report suggests the race could generate $1.3 billion in economic impact for the city.

The NFL is good at creating headlines all year long — and just over two weeks before the 2023 season kicks off, a wild story is playing out at one of the biggest companies in sports.

On Monday, the NFLPA shockingly and abruptly ended its licensing deal with Panini — paving the way for Fanatics to become its exclusive trading cards partner three years before it was set to do so. Panini’s deal began in 2016 and was set to run until 2026. 

Financial terms of the deals are unclear, but Panini reportedly paid the NFLPA $24.2 million in 2020.

Fanatical Moves

Fanatics — recently valued at $31 billion — has been making significant moves in the sports collectibles space.

In 2022, the company acquired Topps — previously a top rival of Panini. Just this month, Panini filed an antitrust suit against Fanatics, claiming the company violated federal law with its dominant entry into the trading card business. Fanatics also bought part of vintage sports jersey maker Mitchell & Ness last year.

The NFLPA situation is an interesting one on several fronts. Fanatics is already a partner with the NFL and actually received a $320 million investment from the league last year. This brings synergy to its NFL efforts — which could be why getting the NFLPA deal started immediately was crucial for Fanatics. The company is now under contract for the next 20 years. 

Fanatics also has deals with players associations in the NBA and MLB, but the NHLPA has a long-term contract with Upper Deck.