The U.S. and Mexico have made a formal joint-bid to host the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup – and if they win that bid, they intend to set a new economic precedent in women’s sports.

The two countries’ soccer federations, as expected, submitted their bid, but with the eye-popping goals of generating $3 billion in revenue from the event and drawing a total attendance of 4.5 million, according to The Wall Street Journal. That revenue projection is more than five times the $570 million yielded from the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, and more than twice the 2023 tournament’s attendance of 1.98 million.

“The time is right to host a FIFA Women’s World Cup that features a truly world-class experience for players and fans alike,” said Cindy Parlow Cone, U.S. Soccer president. “This will not only unlock the economic potential of women’s soccer, it will send a message to young players around the world that there is no limit to what they can achieve.”

The two federations did not detail how they intend to create that $3 billion in revenue, but there are growing reasons for the bullishness in the fiscal projections. There is arguably no sector of the sports industry rising faster than women’s sports, with the WNBA, NWSL, and PWHL all reaching new milestones of revenue, attendance, and prominence this year, following on the success of the 2023 WWC. 

Global professional services firm Deloitte also recently projected that 2024 will be the first year in which women’s pro sports surpasses $1 billion in annual revenue.

Shared Burden

The WWC bid also extends a growing trend within soccer in which multiple countries are coming together to bid jointly and share the financial and logistical burdens of hosting major tournaments. One rival bid for the 2027 WWC, for example, comes from a unified Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands.

The U.S.-Mexico bid additionally seeks to follow on the joint hosting of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in those countries and Canada, and create an unprecedented three-year run of major events in North America, including the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

“The U.S. and Mexico are in a unique position to host a World Cup that will leverage the same venues, infrastructure, and protocols used for the Men’s World Cup just a year prior,” Parlow Cone said.

Brazil is also bidding for the 2027 WWC.

Despite having operated with the NBA’s lowest payroll, at $130 million – and having failed to make the playoffs the last three years – the Indiana Pacers are on the cusp of winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament. 

In order to do so in Saturday’s final, to claim the NBA Cup, they will have to first defeat LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the league’s marquee franchises, setting up a clear David and Goliath story. 

But what exactly would it mean if Indiana prevailed?

The Pacers beat Milwaukee in the first of Thursday’s two tournament semifinal games, kicking off a lively atmosphere in the NBA’s most meaningful games to date in Las Vegas. The scene at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday included a unique crossover of ESPN and TNT broadcast crews, a pre-game concert with Nelly and TLC, and frequent celebrity appearances, with the likes of Basketball Hall of Famer Julius Erving, actress Vivica A. Fox, and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. present. 

“I believe that the NBA can make just about anything happen,” said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. “The In-Season Tournament is something that there were many, many skeptics about for many years, and right now it’s all the buzz.”

Worth Hanging A Banner?

The awarding of the NBA Cup, however, presents a broader, still-unanswered question of how seriously teams and fans will treat the victory. The NBA’s creation of the In-Season Tournament was modeled heavily after in-season competitions common to European soccer. And while the intensity of play has met league aspirations, NBA players are divided on what winning would mean.

“I think at this point in my career, because I haven’t done anything yet, I’ll take a banner, but certainly ‘Bron would not answer the same way,” the Pacers’ 23-year-old Tyrese Haliburton told The Athletic. 

James, for his part, said he is using the tournament as critical preparation for the postseason.

“I understand this thing has been great, but it’s still December,” James said on the TNT broadcast immediately after defeating the Pelicans in the other semifinal. “But it is another game for us to get better.”

FanDuel parent Flutter Entertainment has solidified its plans to have an American stock listing, with trading set to begin just days before one of the biggest events for sports betting in the U.S.

Confirming months of development, the Ireland-based Flutter will have a listing on the New York Stock Exchange beginning Jan. 29. Aimed at occupying a greater presence in its top market, Flutter’s move will be joined by a planned delisting on the Euronext Dublin exchange while keeping a separate listing on the London Stock Exchange.

That start of trading comes just 13 days before Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. Along with March Madness, the Super Bowl typically ranks as one of the top draws each year for sports bettors, and the upcoming NFL title game at Allegiant Stadium is expected to raise the prominence of legal sports betting even more. 

As a result, FanDuel will be pushing to solidify its current status as the top-ranking U.S. sportsbook around that event.

Listing With Benefits

Flutter CEO Peter Jackson previously said the American listing will “bring the group significant benefits from accessing the world’s deepest and most liquid capital market.”

The U.S. stock listing is also designed to aid FanDuel’s operations in the face of heightened competition from upstart market entrants such as Fanatics and ESPN Bet. FanDuel’s top rival, DraftKings, is already publicly traded, and its shares have risen more than 227% this year as the company has grown its revenues while at last curtailing long-scrutinized marketing expenses. 

Prior to the start of U.S. trading, Flutter will provide a “brief trading update” on its fourth-quarter and full-year 2023 results on Jan. 18. That report will precede a full quarterly earnings report on March 26.