October 17, 2023

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Brooks Koepka earned $4 million for his win at LIV Golf’s Jeddah event over the weekend, but he’s the only member of the American Ryder Cup team not included in the newly announced field of Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge — a PGA Tour-sanctioned event being played in the Bahamas this December.

Cash may be king, but Koepka’s absence further illustrates the ongoing challenges of professional golf’s search for a unified future.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]]

MLS Looks to Expand Global Footprint As Euro Leagues Tap U.S. Market [[link removed]]

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Lionel Messi’s arrival at Inter Miami brought the eyes of the world on MLS. Now, the league is taking its most popular team straight to international fans in an effort to grow its global cache.

Next month, Inter Miami will play two exhibition matches in China as part of the young club’s first-ever international tour. Inter Miami failed to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs, which will extend through early December. The club’s final match of the regular season is Saturday against Charlotte FC.

If both friendlies — against Chinese Super League clubs on Nov. 5 and 8 — sell out, Inter Miami will play in front of more than 100,000 fans.

The tour represents a significant step for MLS, which is attempting to use a global strategy typically reserved for top European clubs [[link removed]] featuring the sport’s biggest stars. Messi, however, has a long history [[link removed]] of playing in front of Chinese fans throughout his illustrious career.

European Game Plan

Europe’s top soccer leagues have found rousing success [[link removed]] in bringing their most popular clubs to the U.S. for various friendlies or preseason tournaments. Recent summers have seen NFL stadiums filled with American fans eagerly watching teams from the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and the Bundesliga.

Now, MLS is taking a page from its European counterparts as it looks to expand beyond North America.

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With Olympic Ratings Down, IOC Making Bold Internal Moves [[link removed]]

Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Facing arguably an all-time low in its cultural status, the International Olympic Committee is looking to break its own internal rules in order to retain president Thomas Bach for another term.

During this week’s IOC Session in Mumbai, several committee members pushed for a revision of the organization’s charter and its existing 12-year maximum term for presidents, allowing Bach to seek another four-year term after his current one expires in 2025.

The original limit was part of anti-corruption reforms passed following the IOC’s Salt Lake City bribery scandal [[link removed]] in 1999.

The push to revise the IOC charter represents a move for leadership continuity when the Olympics posted record-low U.S. television ratings both last year in Beijing [[link removed]] and two years ago in Tokyo [[link removed]]. Next year’s Paris Olympics have also faced their own series of organizational challenges [[link removed]], including budget concerns, local outcry over ticket prices, and the city’s planned treatment of its homeless during the Games.

At a press conference Monday, Bach conveyed some openness to staying in his position: “It is a matter of mutual respect and personal relationships that you do not dismiss such a sign of support and friendship out of hand.”

Bach will turn 76 in 2029. He was first elected to his initial eight-year term in 2013, and reelected as an unopposed candidate in 2021. A 16-year stint atop the organization would trail only the 21-year-run of Juan Antonio Samaranch and the 20-year spell of Avery Brundage — both of which predate the 12-year limit.

New Sports Confirmed

As expected, the IOC also formally approved [[link removed]] flag football, lacrosse, baseball and softball, cricket, and squash for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Several of these additions are designed to boost the global appeal [[link removed]] of both the Olympics themselves and those particular sports.

“The hope of an Olympic dream just became an active pursuit for countless athletes around the world,” said Janet Evans, LA28’s chief athlete officer.

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Saudi Arabia Continues Quest To Become A Soccer Nation [[link removed]]

Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

As the race [[link removed]] to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup heats up, Saudi Arabia continues to put significant effort toward solidifying its global soccer reputation.

After Saudi Pro League clubs spent [[link removed]] nearly $1 billion on player transfers this past summer, the country’s up-and-coming women’s competition is starting to get stronger promotion, too.

The Saudi Women’s Premier League played its inaugural campaign during the 2022-23 season, and this one will be broadcast domestically and internationally for the first time.

In Saudi Arabia, a state-controlled media network will broadcast matches, while DAZN has picked up the league’s global rights and will show [[link removed]] at least two games per week. DAZN is also the broadcast partner for the men’s SPL in six countries, including the U.K.

While the SWPL doesn’t have the starpower of its men’s counterpart, the league has been able to lure former Women’s Super League (England) mainstays Ashleigh Plumptre and Leighanne Robe. It has also signed PepsiCo’s Lay’s brand as a major sponsor [[link removed]].

Making Progress?

The new investment in and promotion of the SWPL can most certainly be attributed to Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to be more widely accepted as a sporting nation.

With women’s rights as a major discussion point amid Saudi Arabia’s various human rights’ criticisms [[link removed]], any evidence that the nation is making progress on those fronts would go a long way toward a general willingness to host major competitions in the country.

India Asserts Itself As Rising Sports Power With Streaming Record, Olympic Bid [[link removed]]

IPL

India, which became the world’s most populous country earlier this year, is now showing greater strength as a sports power, too.

On Saturday, Disney’s Hotstar reclaimed the global on-demand video streaming record, drawing [[link removed]] 35 million concurrent viewers for a ICC World Cup 2023 cricket match between archrivals India and Pakistan. The figure surpassed a prior mark of 32 million concurrent viewers set [[link removed]] in May for this year’s Indian Premier League championship match.

Those historic figures helped prompt the International Olympic Committee to complete the process for cricket’s inclusion [[link removed]] in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles on Monday. The fact that the decision was made in Mumbai — India’s most populous city — only added to what International Cricket Council chair Greg Barclay called the “icing on the cake.”

The decision is also expected [[link removed]] to raise the value of 2028 Olympic broadcasting rights in India by more than $100 million.

Olympic Hosting Aspirations

India is also mounting a bid to host the 2036 Olympics. The IOC’s decision on those Games will not arrive until at least 2026, but the country will likely be vying against Poland, Mexico, and Indonesia — countries that have also expressed interest in the 2036 Games.

“Indians are not just sports lovers, but we love it,” said India prime minister Narendra Modi. “India will leave no stone unturned in the preparation for the successful organization of the Olympics in 2036. This is the dream of the [1.4 billion] Indians.”

Modi and other leaders have not specified a city or region to center the bid, but Ahmedabad is a likely candidate given it has a 132,000-seat stadium named after the prime minister.

Conversation Starters The San Francisco Giants have reportedly interviewed [[link removed]] assistant coach Alyssa Nakken for their manager job. She’s believed to be the first woman to become an official candidate for a manager position in MLB history. UConn men’s basketball has unveiled [[link removed]] its championship rings, which feature five diamonds for each of the team’s titles and 76 bezel stones for each score in the title game. Which of the added sports at the 2028 Olympics are you most excited to see? Vote [[link removed]] in our poll. Editor's Picks After Three Losses, Colorado’s Ratings Bonanza Is Losing Steam [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]Colorado's double-overtime loss to Stanford only drew 3.3 million viewers. Should More WNBA Teams Be Associated With NBA Counterparts? One Owner Doesn’t Think So. [[link removed]]by David Rumsey [[link removed]]About half of WNBA teams share ownership groups with their NBA counterparts. The Sphere Wasn’t Built For Sports. The Biggest Players Want In Anyway [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]Immersive venue sets new standard, but big questions remain for sports Question Of The Day

Have you purchased athletic apparel in the past 12 months?

Yes [[link removed]] No [[link removed]]

Monday’s Answer

57% of respondents have bought gear for an outdoor activity in the past six months.

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Sports Careers [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Brian Krikorian [[link removed]]

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