October 16, 2023

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Miami could become a great baseball market, and the Marlins could become a leading MLB franchise. But it’s getting harder to see those things happening given the self-inflicted wounds that have infected the franchise from essentially its inception.

From the stadium woes and operational gaffes of prior eras to the current one — which has run off Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, and now [[link removed]] general manager Kim Ng after a playoff season — the Marlins’ story remains a case of one step up, two steps back.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]]

NBA’s $75B Media Rights Quest Extending Beyond U.S. Borders [[link removed]]

Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA wants [[link removed]] $75 billion for its next U.S. media rights contracts. But to achieve that ambitious goal, the league needs interested bidders willing to do whatever it takes to outspend each other.

While that bidding process won’t begin until after this season and any new deals won’t begin until 2025, the NBA just concluded a process for overseas rights including two key media power players.

TNT Sports, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery formerly known as BT Sport, just inked a multiyear deal to takeover [[link removed]] the NBA’s U.K. media rights from Sky Sports, a subsidiary of Comcast.

WBD is one of the league’s two current American broadcast partners via TNT’s NBA package, along with Disney, which airs games on ESPN and ABC. WBD wants to retain its NBA rights but will face stiff competition from the likes of Comcast-owned NBC — which may be a significant bidder [[link removed]] for the NBA’s next package of rights.

Other interested media companies could include Amazon [[link removed]], which has deep enough pockets to persuade the NBA to put a major package of games on streaming.

International Intrigue

While financial figures for the NBA’s U.K. media rights are unavailable, they most certainly pale in comparison to what the league’s next domestic deals will garner. However, the battle involving two American media giants provides a peak at what will be at stake next year when the league can begin negotiating new deals.

An aggressive move by WBD to grab U.K. rights could show the NBA it is serious about retaining its U.S. contract, while Comcast’s willingness [[link removed]] to surrender those foreign rights could cancel out a U.S. pact for NBC.

Ratcliffe Could Run Man United Operations With Minority Stake [[link removed]]

Manchester United

Disgruntled Manchester United fans might not get the Glazer family to sell the Premier League club outright — but there could be some key changes to the team’s day-to-day structure.

As part of Jim Ratcliffe’s proposal [[link removed]] to buy a 25% minority stake in Manchester United for north [[link removed]] of $1.5 billion, the British billionaire reportedly is looking to have full control of the club’s soccer operations. Ratcliffe wants [[link removed]] the power to appoint his own decision-makers for on-field team operations.

Manchester United is currently 10th in the EPL table and bottom of its four-team group in the UEFA Champions League, having lost the first two of six matches in group play.

Off The Field

Additionally, Ratcliffe could look to have representatives from his chemicals company INEOS on Manchester United’s board. For now, Ratcliffe isn’t seeking control of Manchester United’s commercial decisions — including recent record deals [[link removed]] with Adidas and American tech company Qualcomm totaling nearly $200 million annually.

While the purchase of one-fourth of Manchester United — valued at more than $6 billion as part of the deal — could be the first step [[link removed]] in an eventual full takeover of the club from the Glazers, there appears to be no official timeline discussed for such a move.

SPONSORED BY CHEVROLET

My Other Passion: Zaire Wade

[[link removed]]

Zaire Wade is mostly known as one of basketball’s most promising young players and the son of a basketball legend. But like many professional athletes – Zaire has his own passions off the court.​

​In our new series, My Other Passion, presented by Chevrolet, we hit the outdoors [[link removed]] with some of the most recognizable athletes in sports to explore their interests outside the arena.​

​Learn how biking helps Zaire Wade move forward, find peace off the court, and gain the mental freedom he needs to succeed in pursuit of his dream.​

​Watch episode three [[link removed]] now.

Arizona RSN Shutdown Ushers In New Era Of Local Sports Consumption [[link removed]]

Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

The abrupt shutdown of Bally Sports Arizona only accelerates the crumbling of the regional sports network business — and, in an industry first, leaves the country’s 11th-largest media market without an RSN at all.

The Diamond Sports Group-owned RSN, previously known as Fox Sports Arizona, shuttered after 27 years of operation on Friday, tersely posting [[link removed]] on social media that it is “no longer providing coverage of your favorite local teams.”

The move had been expected [[link removed]] after DSG rejected its rights to the Arizona Coyotes, following a similar decision [[link removed]] in July for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Phoenix Suns and Mercury began the Bally Sports Arizona exodus earlier this year, striking [[link removed]] a deal with Gray Television and forming the Suns Live streaming platform. Those Phoenix-area teams are now primarily shown by a mix of over-the-air television and streaming services.

Still, the formal closure of Bally Sports Arizona begins a dramatic new era in which a major U.S. market isn’t served by an RSN — presenting an influential test case for the rest of the country regarding consumption patterns in this new landscape.

Other similar decisions made in recent months — such as the shutdown [[link removed]] of the Warner Bros. Discovery Sports-owned AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain in Denver — ran along similar thematic lines but didn’t carry as nearly much singular weight given the presence of other RSNs in the markets.

RSNs have become among the most vulnerable parts of a sports media landscape already facing unprecedented disruption. Drawing revenue from consumers whether or not they watched the networks for years, those RSNs are now battling against growing cord-cutting.

Digital revenue, meanwhile, hasn’t come close to replacing what’s been lost among linear subscribers.

DSG continues to fight a multipronged struggle in its effort to reorganize, battling simultaneously against its creditors [[link removed]], leagues [[link removed]], distributors [[link removed]], and even its own parent company [[link removed]], Sinclair Inc.

Conversation Starters The Philadelphia Flyers have completed [[link removed]] their new locker room — part of a $400 million renovation of Wells Fargo Center. The XFL has filed [[link removed]] new trademark applications for “United Football League” and “UFL,” suggesting this will be the name of the merged XFL and USFL. Should London host a Super Bowl? Vote [[link removed]] in our poll.

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Whether it’s great leadership, focus on diversity, equity and inclusion or commitment to employee wellbeing, the Front Office Sports Best Employers in Sports Award [[link removed]]recognizes organizations who do right by their employees.

How do we determine who wins the award? We don’t — employees do! The award is based entirely on anonymous survey results from sports industry professionals.

Responses will be evaluated in collaboration with our primary research partner, Canvs [[link removed]], using patented AI technology free from all subjectivity and human bias. There is no word count limit and you can even use slang, text abbreviations, sarcasm or emojis to complete the survey.

This week is your last chance to take the 2023 employee survey! Take the survey [[link removed]] by October 20 for a chance to recognize your company as one of the best in the business.

Editor's Picks NFL Already Touting Another Super Bowl In Las Vegas [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]Las Vegas is likely to join Super Bowl rotation cities such as New Orleans, Miami, and Phoenix. Trailblazing GM Kim Ng Departs Miami Marlins [[link removed]]by Doug Greenberg [[link removed]]Miami reportedly considered hiring a president of baseball operations to oversee Ng. Olympics Officially Adds New Sports For Los Angeles 2028 [[link removed]]by Doug Greenberg [[link removed]]Flag football and squash will be making their Olympic debuts. Careers in Sports

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