January 12, 2024

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Put yet another win on the scoreboard for the NFL during the 2023 season. … Golf leadership is enduring some major shake- ups as Saudi money infiltrates the sport. … NCAA’s president gives his final take on scandal-ridden Michigan. … And we open up the mailbag for your most interesting takes on this weekend’s Peacock Playoff Special.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]]

NFL Dominated Viewership in 2023—and Also Packed ’em In [[link removed]]

Detroit Free Press

The NFL’s 2023 resurgence wasn’t just on television—it was at the stadium gates as well.

As the league boosted [[link removed]] its average per-game viewership by 7%, the 2023 regular season also saw a slight bump in attendance from last season’s 18.8 million to 18.9 million. Perhaps more meaningfully, no NFL team distributed less than 93% of its available tickets, a marked reversal from 2021, when eight teams were below that threshold, in part due to the pandemic.

The league’s two biggest attendance stories in 2023 were arguably the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders. The Lions used [[link removed]] fan frenzy surrounding their first division title in 30 years to establish the first ticket waiting list in Ford Field history and post an average attendance capacity percentage of 100.6, seventh-best in the league. The Commanders grew per-game attendance 10% to an average of 63,951, and under new team owner Josh Harris they began to bring some energy back to FedEx Field, for years a haven for visiting fans.

Given that the NFL receives about $10 billion per year combined from its five primary domestic media partners, attendance is less critical than it is to other leagues, but it still represents a meaningful indicator of the league’s health. The upward movement also joins an attendance trend seen [[link removed]] by many other leagues in 2023.

International Assignments

As the NFL’s global ambitions continue to grow [[link removed]], the league has announced its designated home team assignments for four of its 2024 international games. The Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and Jacksonville Jaguars will each play games in London next season, while the Carolina Panthers will play in Munich. Each team’s opponent and game date will be unveiled when the 2024 NFL schedule is released in the spring.

The placement of the Bears, Vikings, and Panthers in international games is part of a recently expanded [[link removed]] NFL rotation of international appearances, fueled in part by a 2024 schedule in which NFC teams will each have a ninth home game in the 17-game slate. International game inventory is typically pulled from those “extra” home games.

The Jaguars are continuing their separate agreement to play in London each year.

🗣️ LOUD AND CLEAR

On Second Thought 🤔

“At the end of the day, no one believes at this point that Michigan didn’t win the national title fair and square. So, I think we did the right thing.”

—Charlie Baker, NCAA president, on how the organization’s “unusual decision” to share information about cheating allegations against Michigan—resulting in the Big Ten suspending coach Jim Harbaugh for the final three games of the regular season—should help clear up any doubts about the Wolverines’ national title run.

Europe’s Top Two Golf Leaders Step Down As Saudi Talks Loom [[link removed]]

Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Europe’s top two golf organizations are suddenly undergoing leadership transitions as the professional game continues to sort out investments from LIV Golf’s Saudi Arabian financial backers.

The DP World Tour (formerly known as the European Tour) is working alongside the PGA Tour in negotiations with the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which wants to inject at least $2 billion into pro golf’s top two tours. This week, DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley announced his exit, and his No. 2 executive, Guy Kinnings, was named as replacement. Pelley is leaving to become president and CEO of Canadian sports behemoth Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.

Meanwhile, Martin Slumbers is stepping down as CEO of the R&A, the governing body (and British counterpart of the United States Golf Association) that runs the Open Championship. Slumbers will work through this summer, but a replacement hasn’t been named yet. Last summer, the R&A became the first organizer of one of golf’s four major championships to entertain investment from the Saudis, even hosting [[link removed]] PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan at the Open in July.

Power Moves

The executive shake up is key because Kinnings and Slumbers’s eventual replacement will gain significant control over pro golf via two of the seven positions on the Official World Golf Ranking governing board. The OWGR has so far resisted efforts by LIV to receive rankings points. Notably, the fallout from some top players joining LIV—and no longer receiving ranking points—is leading to what could be the smallest [[link removed]] Masters field in decades.

Financially, the commercial operations of the DP World Tour, which will pay out nearly $150 million in prize money this year, could soon end up under the control of PGA Tour Enterprises, the new for-profit entity that would also control the PGA Tour and LIV Golf’s business dealings if an agreement [[link removed]] with the PIF and other investors is finalized. If the R&A were to strike any sort of deal with the PIF, it would open the door for golf’s other three majors to take Saudi money and potentially create an easier path for some LIV golfers to qualify for majors.

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📬 We Asked, You Answered

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

We asked FOS readers how they feel about the Miami Dolphins-Kansas City Chiefs wild-card playoff game (on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET) being broadcast nationally on a streaming service, Peacock, meaning that many viewers will have to pay to watch it. Here are some responses that stood out:

“Some people are lucky to eat every day, making people pay for sports is corporate robbery!” —Alan M.

“Dear NFL: How much is too much? You nickel and dime the average Joe Fan for everything NFL and now this PPP: pay per playoff game! … NBCers (the real Peacock) Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis are turning over in their graves!” —John B.

“Sadly, it’s always all about the money and increasing profit margins for billionaire owners, who then want to stick it to local taxpayers for stadium improvements or a new stadium or practice facility while their bank accounts and net worths continue to expand.” —T. Walsh

“I don’t like it one bit. They took some of my golf, and now they are taking some of my football. … But yes, I’m already subscribed, and I am mad about it. Get off my yard.” —Kevin S.

“I am not going to subscribe, and I hope the ratings fall flat on their face. That would send a message to the NFL that this is over the top.” —Robert L.

“It’s their business to run. I won’t sign up just to watch Chiefs-Dolphins. There are plenty of other games to watch.” —Jim P.

“If the Super Bowl [is ever] streamed, [I] guess I’ll miss it—the hell with them.” —Pete G.

“Peacock is so desperate for subscribers that the only way they can get them is through showing an NFL game? … I won’t be subscribing.” —Gary G.

PODCAST

🎙️ They Said What?

“Eight coaching openings. That’s at least 25% of the NFL. Think about that. If that happened every year, the league completely turns over every four years.”

—Andrew Brandt, former NFL executive, on the large amount of head coaching vacancies across the league. To hear more about the changing coaching landscape, as well as the end of Nick Saban’s legendary coaching career, check out the latest episode of Front Office Sports Today.

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

Conversation Starters Want a chance to win $250? We want to get to know our audience better and improve our coverage. Fill out our new survey [[link removed]] for a chance to win a $250 Visa gift card or free FOS merch! In 2023, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shota Imanaga led Japan to a World Baseball Classic title. Since then, the three superstars have signed [[link removed]] a combined $1.078 billion worth of contracts with MLB teams. The Titans unveiled renderings of their new $2.1 billion stadium, set to open in 2027. Take a look [[link removed]]. SPONSORED BY AUTOTRADER Welcome to The Business of Football, where cutting-edge strategies and high-value partnerships converge. Explore transformative deals and strategic maneuvers as our analysis guides you through the intersection of football and business for a nuanced understanding of the game outside the lines. NFL Caps Dominant Regular Season (Again), This Time up 7% in Ratings [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]Each of the league’s domestic rights-holders shows audience growth. NFL Player Incentives Spice Up Final Regular-Season Weekend [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]Dozens of players earn extra money through various contract incentives. Peacock Special: Poll Says NFL Streaming Playoffs Not That Bad [[link removed]]by David Rumsey [[link removed]]The Chiefs-Dolphins wild-card weekend matchup is only available on Peacock DISCLAIMER

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