September 11, 2023

Read in Browser [[link removed]]

POWERED BY

The first “Monday Night Football” game of the season is normally a time of great celebration and anticipation, and expectations were that would be the case again with both Buffalo Bills and New York Jets teams carrying lofty aspirations for the season. But the ongoing Charter-Disney carriage dispute has cast a pall on the event.

Happier vibes, however, surround the now-completed US Open, the first gameday of YouTube’s NFL Sunday Ticket, and the impending merger of UFC and WWE, which each have posted impressive results.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]]

Disney-Charter Standoff Now Set To Hit ‘MNF’ [[link removed]]

Allen Kee-ESPN Images)

There has been no break in the bitter Disney-Charter Spectrum standoff [[link removed]], and now ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” coverage will undoubtedly be affected.

After impacting ESPN coverage of two weekends of college football and the U.S. Open, the ongoing blackout of 19-owned Disney channels — including ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU — is set to extend to the Buffalo Bills-New York Jets “Monday Football Game.”

ABC is also airing the game, with the expanded coverage plans first solidified in the spring. However, since WABC-TV in New York is also owned by Disney, that broadcast presentation will not be available to Charter subscribers in that market. Charter also has a significant presence in Buffalo, but the ABC affiliate there, WKBW-TV, will be available [[link removed]] to subscribers there due to Scripps’ ownership of that station.

Charter CEO Chris Winfrey said the company intends to forge a new paradigm with major video programmers like Disney.

“We always thought about the video business as being an asset to our broadband connectivity business,” Winfrey said last week at a Goldman Sachs conference. “I think it’s on the verge of flipping, where it’s becoming a liability.”

To that end, Charter’s latest move [[link removed]] over the weekend was offering a free trial of Fubo, which carries ESPN and other Disney-owned channels. Charter described Fubo as its “preferred streaming TV partner,” and the company’s strategy is to retain customers with its broadband access.

With the NFL continuing to outdistance anything else on American TV, regardless of genre, the football games represent the foremost impact of the carriage dispute. Viewing the game in the affected areas would require obtaining a digital antenna or selecting an alternate television provider – something Disney has been advocating [[link removed]].

Charter is the country’s second-largest cable carrier, with 14.7 million subscribers.

PODCAST

🎙️ They Said What?

“Once you start paying them, what do you expect … Young college athletes are feeling empowered to take more control over their lives.”

Former NFL running back and 1998 Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams on Caleb Williams considering a return to USC depending on who is at the top of next year’s NFL Draft. For more from Williams on the NFL and college football, check out the latest episode of FOS Today.

🎧 Listen and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Google [[link removed]], and Spotify [[link removed]].

Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic Make History At Record-Breaking U.S. Open [[link removed]]

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

The 2023 U.S. Open concluded with another record-level attendance total, further solidifying the tournament as tennis’ most lucrative major and one of the foremost sports events.

The tournament finished with a main draw total of 799,402, up 3% from last year’s 776,120. The event concluded with Coco Gauff’s victory [[link removed]] Saturday in the women’s singles final and Novak Djokovic’s title win [[link removed]] Sunday in men’s singles.

The new attendance record became largely inevitable very early in the tournament, as three single-day records were set [[link removed]] in the tournament’s first four days. After that, fan interest remained high and, even as unseasonably hot and humid weather in the New York area impacted nearly all of the two weeks of play, more individual records were established.

The U.S. Open is also specifically designed to boost tennis’ accessibility to mass audiences, with a 23,771-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium, the sport’s largest facility in the world, and notoriously long-running night sessions [[link removed]].

All 25 sessions at the stadium sold out for the second year in a row, while both the men’s (28,804) and women’s (28,143) championship matches were the most-attended in U.S. Open history.

With the additional attendance from Fan Week that preceded the main draw, the overall U.S. Open event drew 957,387, up by nearly 8% from a year ago and marking the first Grand Slam to exceed 950,000 spectators over three weeks.

This year’s U.S. Open featured a $65 million prize pool that is the largest of tennis’ four majors, and Gauff and Djokovic each earned $3 million for their titles.

SPONSORED BY TURNSTILE

An Inevitable Next Step?

All eyes were on Arrowhead Stadium last Thursday as the road to Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII began.

Commercially, the NFL heads into the season in a dominant position. New media deals are in place, sponsorship revenue is growing, and attendance is up year-on-year. Business is booming for the world’s richest sports league.

But, the league is still more than $5bn short of achieving the $25bn annual revenue target by 2027. With TV deals now locked in until the end of the decade, the league will need to look elsewhere to find ways to make up the shortfall.

Could now be the right time for the NFL to share in the successes of patch programs like the NBA, NHL, and MLB? And if so, what would an NFL jersey patch program be worth?

Download Turnstile’s FREE report [[link removed]] now.

Spanish Federation President Resigns In Wake Of WWC Scandal [[link removed]]

Keith McInnes/Sipa USA via USA TODAY Sports

Embattled Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales has resigned, finally bringing some closure to several weeks of controversy that had capped the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Rubiales on Sunday tendered his resignation from both the federation and a position as UEFA vice president, three weeks after he kissed Spanish star player Jenni Hermoso on the lips without consent following Spain’s triumph over England in the WWC final.

FIFA had already suspended [[link removed]] him, and Hermoso pressed charges of sexual assault and coercion, which led to prosecutors filing a case with Spain’s top court against Rubiales.

“After the rapid suspension by FIFA, plus the rest of the proceedings opened against me, it is clear that I will not be able to return to my position,” Rubiales said in a statement.

The dispute marked an ugly coda to a highly successful [[link removed]] WWC event. Before this resignation, Rubiales had been defiant against Hermoso’s claims, claiming the kiss was mutual and consensual, and he had ignored widespread calls to resign and condemnations from around the world, including from his federation.

As the various charges against him began to mount, Rubiales pivoted without remorse as he vowed [[link removed]] to “defend my honorability” and “defend my innocence.”

“Insisting on waiting and clinging … is not going to contribute anything positive, neither to the federation nor to Spanish football,” Rubiales said. “Among other things, because there are de facto powers that will prevent my return.”

UFC, WWE Eye Unified Future As $21B Merger Closes [[link removed]]

Aaron Meullion-USA TODAY Sports

Beyond the basic premise of fighting, the UFC and WWE don’t have all that much in common.

One is a brutal, no-holds-barred sport featuring some of the most fearless humans in the world. The other is one of the most successful scripted operations in sports entertainment powered by personalities with global star power.

But this week, the two will become one. On Tuesday, UFC — by way of parent company Endeavor, and WWE — expect to close their merger [[link removed]] to combine the two entities into TKO Holdings.

The new company, which will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange, will be valued at $21 billion. Endeavor will control 51% of TKO, with WWE controlling the other 49%.

What Does The Merger Mean?

At the outset, not much will change. Dana White will keep running the UFC, and WWE president Nick Khan will continue in his role.

But looking ahead, both properties have major events and key media deals to negotiate.

Last month, tickets for WrestleMania 40 in April 2024 broke [[link removed]] the all-time WWE gate record of $21.5 million less than 24 hours after going on sale. Meanwhile, speculation is mounting about who could fight [[link removed]] at UFC 300 next spring — in what will be a monumental and lucrative event for the fighting promotion.

Further ahead, the UFC’s deal with ESPN+ expires in 2025, and the WWE’s respective media deals for SmackDown and Raw with Fox and USA Network are set to end in 2024.

There has been speculation [[link removed]] the new TKO could create a singular streaming service to house some or all UFC/WWE content.

Conversation Starters Coco Gauff is on her way to tennis superstardom at just 19 years old. From graduating high school at the French Open to beating legends, her career is off to an incredible start after winning the U.S. Open on Saturday. Check out [[link removed]] her journey. Fox Sports and ESPN will be on assignment [[link removed]] in Boulder, Colorado, as each network will send their college football preview shows as the Buffaloes look to go to 3-0 when they host in-state rival Colorado State on Saturday night. The Green Bay Packers have a new punter [[link removed]] who grew up playing rugby and soccer. Daniel Whelan became the first Irish-born player to play in the NFL in 40 years. Invesco QQQ ETF gives you access to the growth potential of some of the world’s greatest innovators, all in one investment. Learn more [[link removed]] about how you can become an Agent of Innovation with Invesco QQQ.* Editor's Picks YouTube Completes Day 1 Of NFL Sunday Ticket Without Major Incident [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]Streamer completes largely successful first game day. Michael Irvin Resumes NFL Network Duties After Lengthy Suspension [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]Michael Irvin’s indefinite suspension as an NFL Network analyst. The Biggest Problem With The Conference Realignment Craze [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]For many, the tradeoff between revenue and travel isn't worth it. Coco Gauff Arrives With U.S. Open Victory, Secures $3M Payday [[link removed]]by Doug Greenberg [[link removed]]Gauff earns $3 million for her first career Grand Slam victory. Question Of The Day

Which is your spirit of choice?

Tequila [[link removed]] Whiskey [[link removed]] Vodka [[link removed]] Other [[link removed]] N/A [[link removed]]

Friday’s Answer

82% of respondents go to sports bars.

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 Greg Lee [[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