October 3, 2023

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October baseball always hits different — and certainly this year. A lot of interesting, upstart teams have crashed the MLB playoffs, which start today with a quadruple-header of Wild Card games. But my gut tells me the betting favorite Atlanta Braves will end up with their second World Series title in three years.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]]

Big-Dollar Clubs Home For MLB Playoffs, But Money Still Matters [[link removed]]

Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports

The 2023 MLB postseason is shaping up to be one of the more diversely competitive in recent memory — reflecting a very changed landscape across the sport.

The set of 12 playoff teams does not include large-market, big-spending titans such as the New York Mets and Yankees, the Boston Red Sox, and the Chicago Cubs, all of whom traditionally draw many of the MLB’s largest television audiences. But it does include five teams back in the postseason after multiyear absences — Arizona, Baltimore, Miami, Minnesota, and Texas — with each contributing to the league’s overall surge [[link removed]] in attendance.

In result, this postseason will exclude the top three teams in MLB payroll [[link removed]] but include two of the bottom four, and four of the lowest 10.

“This certainly shows that it’s difficult [for teams] to buy a ticket to the postseason,” ESPN baseball announcer Karl Ravech told Front Office Sports. “There are more than just spend-money ways to have consistency over 162 games.”

As part of a growing trend [[link removed]], other low-spending clubs such as the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians also engaged in postseason chases before fading late. But whether that situation will extend over multiple seasons remains to be seen, as this year’s playoff field also includes the Nos. 4-7 and 9-10 teams in player payroll.

The wild-card round — with quadruple-headers — is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Another four games are set for Thursday if each of the four best-of-three series goes the distance.

The division series will begin on Saturday in Atlanta, Baltimore, Houston, and Los Angeles, as each of those cities’ teams earned a bye.

“This whole thing is a tournament now. That’s the beauty of this,” Ravech said. “You just get into the tournament, and anything can happen.”

EXCLUSIVE

NBC Is Interested in the College Football Playoff

The expanded College Football Playoff media rights are up for grabs in 2026. NBC is one of the networks exploring a slice of the pie, a source confirmed to Front Office Sports. Last week, the CFP heard presentations from five networks — one of which was NBC.

Read more in this exclusive report [[link removed]] from FOS reporter Amanda Christovich and senior reporter Michael McCarthy.

LPGA Seeking Major Capital Raise Amid Golf Craze [[link removed]]

Liz Dufour-USA TODAY Sports

Golf has only benefited from an increasing [[link removed]] number of Americans taking up the sport in recent years and a general influx of interest in the professional game.

Now, the LPGA is looking to bring in new financial investment to continue growing the top tour in women’s golf. LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan told [[link removed]] the Financial Times that the circuit is close to naming a strategic planning partner that could help bring in outside capital.

It’s unclear how much the tour is seeking or when a formal investment could be made.

In August, Fenway Sports Management partnered with the LPGA to expand the tour’s marketing opportunities. FSM is part of Fenway Sports Group, one of the U.S.-based entities reportedly exploring [[link removed]] investing in the PGA Tour amid Saudi Arabia’s disruption of the men’s game.

Star LPGA rookie Rose Zhang recently told [[link removed]] Front Office Sports that she thought theoretical financial investment from Saudi Arabia could help grow the women’s game. Earlier this year, reports [[link removed]] of a LIV Golf women’s league surfaced.

More Money For TGL

Michelle Wie West — the now-retired women’s golf phenom — and USWNT star Alex Morgan have invested [[link removed]] in Los Angeles Golf Club, one of the six founding teams in TGL, the virtual golf league founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy that will launch in January.

LAGC is owned by Serena Willams and her husband Alexis Ohanian — and also counts Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo among its investors [[link removed]].

TGL is reportedly close to announcing a media rights deal [[link removed]] with ESPN.

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A Special Thank You

Seasonshare [[link removed]], the leading flexible ticketing technology platform in the sports and entertainment industry, is excited to announce the successful completion of a major round of strategic funding [[link removed]].

This infusion of capital will be dedicated to market expansion, and technology enhancement, further propelling their mission to redefine the industry and make live events accessible to a broader audience.

“None of this would have been possible without the incredible support of our dedicated partners, who share our passion for innovation and delivering an outstanding fan experience. We sincerely appreciate their support, and we can’t wait to show them what’s next.” – Aaron Holland, CEO of Seasonshare

Learn more [[link removed]].

MLS Facility Boom Continues With $150M San Diego Project [[link removed]]

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego’s MLS expansion team doesn’t even have an official name yet, but the club is already making plans for a state-of-the-art practice facility as major construction projects continue around the league.

Spread across 28 acres, San Diego’s 125,000 square-foot campus will include a 50,000- square-foot sports performance center and five soccer fields. Total costs are reportedly expected [[link removed]] to reach $150 million.

The team is set to begin MLS play in 2025, at which point it will become [[link removed]] the league’s 30th club. San Diego will play home matches at Snapdragon Stadium, the $310 million, 35,000-seat stadium that opened in 2022 and is home to the NWSL’s San Diego Wave and the San Diego State Aztecs football team.

Coast-To-Coast Projects

Across MLS, game and practice venues have become a top priority for new and longtime clubs alike.

Inter Miami is building a $350 million stadium as part of a $1 billion development project [[link removed]] it hopes to complete while Lionel Messi is still on the team. The Seattle Sounders say they’re interested [[link removed]] in moving out of Lumen Field — the Seahawks’ 68,000-seat stadium — and into their own soccer-specific venue. NYCFC, which currently plays at Yankees Stadium, is on track to open [[link removed]] a $780 million stadium by 2027.

Charlotte FC has a new practice center opening [[link removed]] this fall, while the Colorado Rapids are eyeing new development [[link removed]] around their home stadium. In addition, recent expansion teams in St. Louis and Austin have coincided with new stadiums in those markets.

PODCAST

🎙️ They Said What?

“We could see a ‘Black Panther’ version of an NFL game, an ‘Avengers’ version … NBC Universal has the ‘Super Mario Brothers’ movie. I really think the sky is the limit right now.”

— Senior writer Micheal McCarthy on where the NFL can take its broadcasts after Sunday’s “Toy Story” live telecast of the Falcons-Jaguars game. To hear more from McCarthy, check out the latest episode of Front Office Sports Today.

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

EA Rewarded For Decision To Split With FIFA [[link removed]]

Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts is one of the few major companies to walk away from FIFA and the commercial rights it controls — and the video game publisher is being rewarded handsomely for its choice.

The company has generated [[link removed]] more than 6.8 million paid signups for pre-release access to “EA Sports FC,” the rebranded name for the “FIFA” video game series that ran annually for nearly three decades and became the world’s top-selling sports video game. That’s a 25% boost from comparable figures last year.

The first title in the new series, “EA Sports FC 24,” was released on Friday.

Last year, EA’s decision [[link removed]] to produce a top-tier soccer video game without FIFA branding not only represented the almost unheard-of decision to part from global soccer’s governing body, but also sparked a vitriolic response. FIFA angrily declared that “the only authentic, real game that has the FIFA name will be the best one available for gamers and football fans.”

Gamers and fans obviously feel differently.

The sales results, however, are hardly an accident, as EA is supporting the debut of “EA Sports FC” with unprecedented marketing support for a new game title. “We are literally rallying the entire company behind this launch more than we ever have in the 40 years of the company’s history around any launch,” said EA CEO Andrew Wilson last month in a call.

EA was able to work around the FIFA branding for the game as it holds separate licensing contracts with more than 700 teams, 19,000 players, 100 stadiums, and 30 leagues across both men’s and women’s soccer. Thus, the content of the game itself is very much in line with recent editions.

The EA deal was worth about $150 million a year, making it FIFA’s largest commercial agreement outside the men’s World Cup. FIFA had reportedly been looking to at least double that figure in a new deal.

Conversation Starters Apple just released a first look [[link removed]] at its new six-part Lionel Messi docuseries, “Messi Meets America,” which premieres Oct. 11. YouTubeTV customized [[link removed]] its play/pause icon for the Chiefs-Jets game with Taylor Swift in attendance in support of Travis Kelce. Virginia is building [[link removed]] an $80 million football facility — part of a larger school athletics master plan that will include an Olympic sports complex. Did you attend a regular-season MLB game this year? Take our poll [[link removed]]. Editor's Picks MrBeast Lands The First Creator-Led Brand Jersey Patch [[link removed]]by Doug Greenberg [[link removed]]Feastables will be the Charlotte Hornets’ official jersey patch sponsor. NBC’s Chiefs-Jets ‘Swift Bowl’ Draws Monster 27 Million Viewers [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]It was the most-watched Sunday show since Super Bowl 57. 49ers Proving Not All Criticism of Public-Funded Stadiums Is Warranted [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]Levi’s Stadium has generated more than $2 billion per new study. Question Of The Day

Are you interested in traveling to the Carolinas?

I already have [[link removed]] Yes [[link removed]] No [[link removed]]

Monday’s Answer

43% of respondents watched the 2023 Ryder Cup.

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