October 31, 2023

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Hollywood continues to grieve the untimely death of actor Matthew Perry, whose work featured numerous sports connections. The 1996 two-part “Friends” episode “The One After The Super Bowl” remains the most-watched Super Bowl lead-out program of all time, drawing nearly 53 million viewers after Super Bowl XXX. Other episodes often weaved the New York Knicks, Rangers, and Giants into their storylines, and the show has been influential [[link removed]] in helping Spanish-speaking MLB players learn English.

Perry, an Ottawa native, was a noted Senators fan, prominently wearing the team’s logo in his 2000 film “The Whole Nine Yards.” The Senators memorialized [[link removed]] Perry on social media.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]]

Saudi Arabia Set To Host 2034 World Cup With Australia’s Exit [[link removed]]

Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

Saudi Arabia’s path to hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup is clear after its main competitor, Australia, decided not to bid for the event. FIFA president Gianni Infantino appeared to confirm Saudi Arabia’s hosting status in an Instagram post [[link removed]] on Tuesday afternoon.

Australia’s exit made Saudi Arabia the sole bidder for 2034, with Tuesday marking the deadline for any other countries from the Asian and Oceania Football Confederations to submit formal bids. FIFA had previously said the 2034 host would be officially appointed in a separate FIFA Congress, with the next meeting set for May 2024.

Football Australia said it’s turning its attention toward bids to host the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup and 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.

Saudi Arabia has been seen as the favorite [[link removed]] to land the 2034 World Cup since FIFA announced an expedited timeline for bidding earlier this month. A joint Australian bid with Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore was floated as a possible challenger [[link removed]] but ultimately never materialized.

Due to Saudi Arabia’s extreme heat, the 2034 tournament will likely be the second-ever winter [[link removed]] World Cup, following Qatar 2022’s move from the traditional summer timeslot. The sporting event will also put another global spotlight [[link removed]] on Saudi Arabia’s human rights issues.

The World Cup bid continues a strong recent sports push [[link removed]] from Saudi Arabia. Beyond its other investments in Formula 1, LIV Golf, and professional soccer, the country’s Public Investment Fund also created a new sports-focused investment entity, SRJ Sports Investments [[link removed]].

Bucking A Trend

A sole host for the 2034 World Cup will break from the new normal [[link removed]] of multiple nations collaborating on major soccer tournaments.

The 2026 World Cup, 2028 Euro, 2030 World Cup, and 2032 Euro will all be played across multiple countries. Additionally, the 2027 Women’s World Cup could be jointly [[link removed]] contested in the U.S. and Mexico, following the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

MLB Could Air Up To 16 Teams in 2024 As DSG Issues Worsen [[link removed]]

Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Amid the accelerating collapse of the regional sports network business and Diamond Sports Group’s ongoing bankruptcy proceedings, MLB is ready to step up on behalf of its clubs in unprecedented fashion.

After taking over the production and distribution of the San Diego Padres [[link removed]]’ and Arizona Diamondbacks [[link removed]]’ broadcasts in 2023, commissioner Rob Manfred said the league could assume a similar role for as many as 16 teams next year.

Besides the Padres and Diamondbacks, that would include 12 other clubs that have been served by DSG, plus the Pittsburgh Pirates [[link removed]] and Colorado Rockies [[link removed]]. The latter duo’s games were previously aired on networks owned by Warner Bros. Discovery but now face uncertain futures of their own as that company exits the RSN business.

“We have an unserved audience out there that is an economic opportunity for us to reach fans that we’re not reaching,” Manfred said [[link removed]]. “It doesn’t have today the same robust economics that the cable funded provided, but … we’re going to put it with that digital option that gives people more flexibility, more reach, and [is] better for fans overall.”

Manfred’s comments follow the league’s recent filings with a U.S. bankruptcy court in Texas looking [[link removed]] for immediate answers on DSG’s plans for next year.

“We need to know who they want to continue to broadcast and who they don’t want to continue to broadcast so that we can make plans in order to deliver games to our fans,” Manfred said. “Until we have a feel for that, it’s very difficult to give the teams a realistic view of what the economics are going to be.”

DSG Dilemma

DSG continues to have its own issues that make it difficult to answer MLB’s questions. The company’s embattled reorganization efforts are facing additional challenges from its creditors [[link removed]], distributors [[link removed]], pro teams [[link removed]] in other sports, and even its own parent company [[link removed]], Sinclair Inc.

Earlier this month, DirecTV offered another grim assessment of DSG’s progress.

“Despite more than seven months in Chapter 11, the debtors seem to have failed to shore up both the supply (team rights) and revenues (distribution) sides of their business,” the satellite carrier told the bankruptcy court.

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A Conversation on Women's College Sports

Women’s sports in the U.S. have never been as popular as they are today. At the college level in particular, there has been a tremendous increase in attendance and viewership for sports like volleyball, softball, and basketball.

In the modern age, capturing viewers [[link removed]] and growing a fanbase begins with the ability to create engaging content and distribute it to the masses. After that comes the campus superstars, local heroes, groundbreaking NIL deals, and historic media contracts.

Tune in on Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. ET for our next webinar, The New Era of Women’s College Sports [[link removed]], presented by Magnifi, for a discussion about how women’s college sports have gained momentum in recent years and how content and marketing can impact its growth in the future.

Register now [[link removed]].

West Ham Equity Stake Hits Market At $1B Valuation [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Transition continues to hit the ownership ranks of the Premier League.

As Florida-based 777 Partners continues [[link removed]] its acquisition efforts for Everton and Jim Ratcliffe extends [[link removed]] his pursuit of part of Manchester United, an equity stake in West Ham United is now hitting the market.

Vanessa Gold, daughter of former West Ham United joint-chair David Gold, said [[link removed]] on Tuesday that she would consider selling a “proportion” of her family’s shares to the “right partner.” The elder Gold, who died in January, passed his 25.1% stake in the club to his daughter on behalf of a family trust. Multinational financial advisory firm Rothschild & Co. has been appointed to aid the process.

“Any transaction to purchase some of our shares will be with my father’s legacy at the forefront of my mind which, of course, prioritizes his beloved West Ham United,” Vanessa Gold said.

David Gold first purchased shares in West Ham United in 1991 and rose to the joint-chair role in 2010.

Any deal is expected [[link removed]] to happen at a premium at the roughly $790 million value placed on West Ham United in 2021, when Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský purchased a 27% stake. More recently, Forbes valued [[link removed]] the club at $1.079 billion. In June, the club won its first major trophy in 43 years, capturing the UEFA Europa Conference League title.

Club chairman David Sullivan remains in control of West Ham United and is its largest shareholder, holding nearly 39% of the shares.

In addition to the separate moves with Everton and Manchester United, Liverpool recently sold [[link removed]] a minority stake to Dynasty Equity, and Chelsea raised [[link removed]] $500 million in funding from Ares Management.

Conversation Starters The NBA has chosen [[link removed]] the Golden State Warriors and Chase Center to host the 2025 All-Star Weekend. Adidas has honored [[link removed]] Lionel Messi after the legend won his eighth career Ballon d’Or this week: “Countless memories, eight rings, zero doubt.” On Sunday, Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury — which didn’t stop [[link removed]] him from signing autographs for young fans at the Vikings’ Kids Club Trick-or-Treat Trail on Monday. Editor's Picks Women’s College Volleyball Notches Most-Watched Game Ever [[link removed]]by Doug Greenberg [[link removed]]Sunday’s Wisconsin-Minnesota match broke the record by over a million viewers. Brett Favre’s Defamation Lawsuit Against Shannon Sharpe Dismissed [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]Judge concludes that Sharpe's comments are protected by the First Amendment. World Series Ratings Game 1 TV Audiences Hit All-Time Low [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Game 1 of the Texas Rangers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks averaged 9.17 million viewers. Careers in Sports

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