October 18, 2023
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Leave it to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to try to make his lucrative, three-year contract extension [[link removed]] as much of a non-event as possible. Highly skilled at taking public heat for NFL team owners and projecting a sense of calm, Goodell insisted nothing would change with the new deal in place. But the extension gives the league critical leadership continuity at time of growing media disruption, changing fan behaviors, expanding internationalization, and new forms of team ownership.
— Eric Fisher [[link removed]]
Next-Gen NBA TV Deals Could Benefit Streamers, Stars [[link removed]]
Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
The upcoming NBA season marks the league’s final showcase for media companies interested in bidding for future league rights before negotiations begin in earnest in mid-2024.
Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery currently pay about $2.6 billion a year to broadcast games on ABC/ESPN and TNT, respectively, through the 2024-25 NBA season. Those companies have exclusive negotiating rights with the league through the end of the 2023-24 season — but the NBA is widely expected to let that window pass and put its full set of rights on the market.
When and if that happens, Disney and WBD will still be able to bid on new deals — and may be interested in exploring signing up for smaller packages, according to the Wall Street Journal [[link removed]].
The two broadcasters show about 165 national TV games combined per season. If that number drops, it would open new inventory for the NBA to sell to other interested parties. That could include traditional network broadcasters like NBC, plus new-age streamers like Amazon, Apple, and YouTube — all of which have recently become partners of top U.S. sports leagues.
The NBA will also have the option of separating its in-season tournament, debuting this fall, as its own broadcast package.
A larger number of partners could help the NBA maximize its revenue intake. If it were to triple its current deal, it could see a total value [[link removed]] north of $75 billion. In addition, higher media rights fees mean more money for the players — who take in about 50% of league revenue under the current CBA.
Everton’s Tentative $685M Sale To U.S. Firm Hits Snag [[link removed]]
Everton FC
Premier League club Everton was set to officially welcome new majority owners by the end of the year, but there may be a holdup for the deal [[link removed]] that was reportedly worth $685 million.
Last month, Miami-based private equity firm 777 partners signed an agreement to acquire the 94.1% of club shares held by Farhad Moshiri. The team said the transaction was expected to close in Q4 but remained subject to regulatory approval — including from the EPL, the English Football Association, and the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority.
Now, the sale has reportedly stalled because 777 has failed to provide audited financial statements to the FCA, according to the New York Times [[link removed]]. If 777 doesn’t produce those documents or give an acceptable explanation, the deal could fall apart, per the report.
Biggest Transaction Yet
Majority ownership of Everton would represent 777’s biggest acquisition yet in its quest to compete with other like-minded multi-club groups.
The 777 Football Group’s portfolio currently comprises Serie A club Genoa, La Liga club Sevilla, Belgian Pro League side Standard de Liege, Brazil’s Vasco da Gama, first-tier Australian club Melbourne Victory, second-tier German club Hertha BSC, and French third-division club Red Star.
Despite growing uncertainty, Everton’s sale to 777 could still be finalized before the start of 2024.
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SoFi Stadium’s World Cup Host Status In Jeopardy [[link removed]]
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
When FIFA was determining venues for the most important matches of the 2026 World Cup, SoFi Stadium was seen as one of the few frontrunners to land the tournament’s final.
But Stan Kroenke, who owns the stadium and one of its two NFL tenants, the Los Angeles Rams, has been at odds [[link removed]] with FIFA over revenue sharing for the event — and it’s a battle of billions.
SoFi Stadium was constructed at a record price for a North American stadium of $5 billion, and the most recent men’s World Cup in Qatar brought in more than $8 billion in 2022. But FIFA Is believed to have narrowed down its options [[link removed]] to host the final to two lucky bidders: MetLife Stadium just outside of New York City, and the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
With SoFi out of the mix for the final, concern is growing that it may not host any World Cup matches at all. ESPN soccer journalist John Sutcliffe reported [[link removed]] that the stadium is close to being out as a World Cup host venue. Beyond the aforementioned spat with FIFA, he also cited design flaws that make it difficult to accommodate a soccer pitch.
SoFi Stadium, which opened in September 2020, is far and away the premier venue in Southern California, but there are other potential options if FIFA chooses to call an audible.
The L.A. Coliseum and Rose Bowl have been staples of college football and could fit close to 100,000 fans each. The Los Angeles Galaxy and LAFC each have soccer-specific stadiums, but neither fit more than 30,000 fans.
Conversation Starters The NWSL has unveiled [[link removed]] newly designed Championship and MVP trophies in the league’s first collaboration with Tiffany & Co. Former Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim is finalizing [[link removed]] an agreement to join ESPN for the 2023-24 college basketball season as both an in-game and studio analyst. A “mystery millionaire” has personally guaranteed backing for the completion of Rhode Island’s $124 million pro soccer stadium. The district will include [[link removed]] a 11,000-seat stadium and will be home to future USL club Rhode Island FC.
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Editor's Picks Record Ticket Sales to 2023 WNBA Finals With Potential For Even More [[link removed]]by Doug Greenberg [[link removed]]Wednesday’s Game 4 between the Aces and Liberty is tracking as a top-four best-selling WNBA game of all time. Showtime Boxing to Close As Paramount Shifts Focus [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]Paramount announces the “difficult decision” to shutter Showtime Sports. Roger Goodell Completes Three-Year Extension, But Long-Term Future Unknown [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]NFL commissioner’s new deal is reportedly worth over $200 million. Careers in Sports
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