December 19, 2023

Read in Browser [[link removed]]

POWERED BY

The Orioles’ long-awaited ballpark lease extension is finally done — but there’s still a catch. … The WNBA is switching a few things up in 2024. … The NHL is getting closer to settling its Olympic-participation issue. … And NBC is getting creative as it looks for a new top golf analyst.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]]

Orioles Secure 30-year Lease Extension, but There’s a Catch [[link removed]]

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles have finally completed a formal lease extension with Maryland officials, ending years of uncertainty surrounding the club. But even now, there’s still a big catch.

Facing a Dec. 31 expiration of the team’s existing lease to the publicly owned Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the team completed a 30-year pact with the Maryland Stadium Authority and Maryland Board of Public Works on Monday, confirming what had been first announced [[link removed]] in September. The deal follows several years of back-and-forth talks, keeps the team at the downtown ballpark and, for now, eliminates what had been several years of steady but unconfirmed rumors of a potential franchise relocation and recent weeks of renewed negotiating chaos [[link removed]].

“Under this deal, we will keep the Orioles in Baltimore for the long-term with a no-relocation clause under any scenario,” said Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.

Team Option

That boast, however, is definitively true only for a limited time. The Orioles have an option to reduce the deal to a 15-year term if they are not successful in securing necessary government approvals for a separate ground lease and development plan for the adjacent B&O Warehouse and surrounding Camden Yards area by the end of 2027.

Several state legislators previously sought [[link removed]] to separate the redevelopment pact from the core stadium lease, and they achieved a partial win there. The team option, however, could soon reignite many of the same concerns as in recent years if the redevelopment fails to materialize.

But that was not front and center in the team’s immediate comments. The pact also allows the Orioles and MSA to tap into $600 million in state bonds for upgrades to Camden Yards, a provision also being utilized by the neighboring Baltimore Ravens, at M&T Bank Stadium.

“There is nowhere the Orioles would rather play championship baseball than here at Camden Yards,” Greg Bader, the team’s chief operating officer, told the state Board of Public Works.

All the agreed-upon lease terms will carry over to a new owner if Peter Angelos and his family sell the Orioles. The lease agreement closely follows a local media rights agreement [[link removed]] between the Orioles, Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, and Washington Nationals for the 2017-21 seasons.

PODCAST

🎙️ They Said What?

“This case could end up killing [NCAA] amateurism.”

— Amanda Christovich, Front Office Sports reporter, on the potential consequences of the “unfair labor practice” trial that started Monday in L.A., pitting the National College Players Association against USC, UCLA, the Pac-12, and the NCAA. Hear more from Christovich, who’s covering the trial on FOS Today.

🎧 Listen and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Google [[link removed]], and Spotify [[link removed]].

NHL Aims to Resolve ‘Logistical Nightmare’ of Olympic Participation [[link removed]]

George Walker IV-USA TODAY Sports

NHL player participation in the Olympics has been one of commissioner Gary Bettman’s thorniest issues for more than a generation of talent. A meeting this week between the league, NHL Players Association, IIHF, and IOC could help finally resolve the matter not only for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics but also on a longer-term basis.

According to Canada’s SportsNet, [[link removed]] the session is aimed in part toward establishing a broader rotation between the Olympics and the NHL’s own World Cup of Hockey.

“The ultimate goal is to have an Olympics, two years later World Cup, two years later Olympics, two years later World Cup,” Bettman said at a recent NHL Board of Governors meetings. “That’s the cycle we’re trying to get on.”

Since NHL players first competed in the 1998 Olympics, participation has wavered based on several factors, including the logistics of suspending the league schedule, coming to agreements on key costs such as insurance, harmonizing the Olympic tournament with the World Cup, the pandemic, and geopolitical concerns.

Many of those issues ultimately led to NHL players not competing in the 2018 and ’22 Olympics, and as recently as November, Bettman called [[link removed]] the Olympics issue “a logistical nightmare” and “very expensive.” Despite those hurdles, the commissioner also acknowledges the bigger role the Olympics can play in growing hockey globally.

“We’re focused on wanting to do something, [and] hopefully we will,” Bettman said.

In the meantime, the NHL is finalizing plans for a scaled-down 2025 international tournament that it will operate, involving teams representing the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and Finland.

SPONSORED BY WSC SPORTS

The Rise of Highlights and Non-Live Content

Did you know 47% of fans watch sports content through highlights?

From athlete interviews and behind-the-scenes footage to in-depth analysis and exclusive player content, fans want to engage with their favorite athletes, teams, and sports year-round, from anywhere in the world.

With WSC Sports [[link removed]]‘ end-to-end AI-powered video generation platform, over 430 major rights holders have automated their content creation and distribution processes, allowing their social teams to spend less time creating content, and more time focusing on how to use it most effectively

By establishing custom-built rules within the WSC Sports platform, these organizations can automatically create highlights at unprecedented speed and scale, instantaneously distributing them to fans across all platforms and devices.

Learn More [[link removed]].

WNBA Unveils 2024 Schedule With New Commissioner’s Cup Format [[link removed]]

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The WNBA will look to continue its momentum in 2024 with another record-high number of games and changes to its own in-season tournament after the league saw its best viewership in 21 years this past season.

The 2024 WNBA schedule, unveiled on Monday, will begin on May 14 and see each of the league’s 12 teams play 40 regular-season games, the same number as in 2023.

A broadcast schedule will be released at a future date, but in 2023, combined viewership for the WNBA across Disney networks (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2) and CBS was up 21% compared to the prior season. Games were also shown on Amazon Prime Video and Ion. Altogether the WNBA is believed to be bringing in more than $40 million per year through its current deals.

The regular season will include a break for the Paris Olympics, from July 21 through Aug. 14, before picking back up and then concluding on Sept. 19. The playoffs will follow, but those dates have not been set.

And after the success of the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament, the WNBA will modify its own in-season competition, condensing its Commissioner’s Cup games to a two-week period in June that will bring five matchups for each team.

Since its debut in 2021, the Commissioner’s Cup simply designated a portion of regular-season conference games in the first half of the season. The team from each conference with the top record in Commissioner’s Cup games will compete for a $500,000 prize pool in the Cup championship on June 25.

NBC Has Void to Fill With Its Top Golf Analyst. It’s Trying Something Different [[link removed]]

Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports

NBC Sports will bring a new approach to the world of golf broadcasting as it tries to pick a new No. 1 analyst before its two major championships next summer.

Kevin Kisner, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, will enter the NBC Sports booth for two tournaments in early 2024, including the season-opening event in Maui during the first week of January. Kisner, 39, is still a full-time member of the PGA Tour, but he isn’t eligible for The Sentry and The WM Phoenix Open, the two $20 million signature events he will be calling on Golf Channel and on the main NBC broadcast network.

Golf analyst jobs have typically gone to former players who no longer compete full-time. Top CBS Sports golf analyst Trevor Immelman is 44, but the 2008 Masters champion began exploring broadcasting in the late 2010s as injuries plagued the latter half of his playing career. It’s unclear whether Kisner would be interested in joining NBC full-time.

Why There’s an Opening

Last month, NBC Sports parted [[link removed]] ways with Paul Azinger, who held the network’s top golf job for five years. Several internal candidates are believed to be under consideration to replace Azinger, too. Sports Business Journal reported that Geoff Ogilvy, a former U.S. Open champion, is also being targeted, but that he could end up calling only a handful of events.

NBC will broadcast the Players Championship in March and, more importantly, the U.S. Open in June and the Open Championship in July. Finding a full-time top golf analyst before the latter two events is expected to be a priority for NBC, which is believed to pay close to $100 million annually for the two majors’ media rights, in addition to its part of the $680 million annual deal for PGA Tour rights, along with CBS Sports and ESPN.

Conversation Starters Texas Tech has unveiled a new $15 million baseball facility in Lubbock. Some of the highlights include indoor batting cages, a pitching lab, and a kitchen. Check it out [[link removed]]. The Dodgers have dominated free agent spending so far — and it’s really not even close when comparing the top-spending teams so far. But signing Shohei Ohtani for $700 million will do that. Take a look [[link removed]]. It’s been a long season for the Carolina Panthers, who’ve managed to win just two games. As a result, the team is practically giving away [[link removed]] tickets and on Sunday, some prices dropped as low as $5.

SPONSORED BY WSC SPORTS

Automate Content For Record Engagement

If you want hockey stick growth on all your content metrics, here’s the answer.

WSC Sports [[link removed]] automates the instant creation and distribution of content with features that give you the control. The platform is built on sport-specific AI technology for over 30+ sports – a must for every content strategy.

Over 430 partners around the world, including the NBA, ESPN, LaLiga, New York Rangers, ACC Digital Network, University of Southern California, and YouTube TV, rely on WSC Sports for technology that enables more views, more formats, and more fans. Drive record results with AI.

Learn more. [[link removed]]

Editor’s Picks The Problem With 43 Bowl Games? Meaning and Name Recognition [[link removed]]by David Rumsey [[link removed]]Bowl games are changing as the College Football Playoff expands. NCAA Agrees to Suspend Transfer Restrictions For Entire 2023-24 Season [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]The temporary restraining order has been extended. While Sports Fans Are Turning Out in Record Numbers, 2024 Isn’t Looking So ‘Rosy’ [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]Sports fans have made one thing clear in 2023: They have been more eager than ever to attend live games. The NCAA’s Amateurism Model Is on Trial: Everything You Need To Know [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]A labor court in L.A. could reclassify some D-I athletes as employees. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Sports Careers [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]]

If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here [[link removed]].

Update your preferences [link removed] / Unsubscribe [link removed]

Copyright © 2023 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

80 Pine Street Suite 3202 New York, NY 10005