January 22, 2024

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After Kansas City and Buffalo played another playoff game for the ages Sunday night, the NFL’s final four is now set with the Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, and Detroit Lions. … The NBA will soon begin negotiations for its next broadcast rights deals. Is Amazon already making its case? … In more media news, say hello to the new TNT Sports. … And the Saudi Pro League has lost one of its major stars.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]] and Eric Fisher [[link removed]]

No Ceiling? NFL Breaks New Ground in Banner Season for Viewership [[link removed]]

Journal Sentinel

Even amid the NFL’s stellar rating season, the league continues to reach new heights.

After posting 7% audience growth [[link removed]] during the regular season and the best [[link removed]] wild-card playoff viewership in eight years, the NFL made more history with the Saturday primetime divisional playoff game between the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers. Shown on Fox Sports, the contest is projected [[link removed]] to be the most-watched Saturday telecast on any U.S. network since the 1994 Winter Olympics, an event just shy of 30 years ago, with an average of 37.5 million viewers.

The game is also projected to land as the most-watched Saturday NFL divisional game on record, the most-watched Saturday telecast in Fox’s 37-year history, and a 31% boost from the comparable game (Philadelphia Eagles-New York Giants) last year.

Several factors played into the strong viewership numbers. In addition to the rising momentum of the league, the 49ers-Packers game pitted two of the league’s most popular [[link removed]] teams against each other, extending a long postseason history between them. The 24-21 San Francisco victory was also one of the closest games of the NFL postseason, capped with a game-winning touchdown in the final 75 seconds of play.

Viewership data from the earlier Saturday NFL playoff game–the Baltimore Ravens’ win over the Houston Texans–has not been released.

Super Bowl Sphere

Since its debut [[link removed]] last fall, the Sphere in Las Vegas is increasingly becoming a sports fixture [[link removed]]. Now, the next-generation venue is raising its typical rates for its LED display “exosphere” during the week leading up to Super Bowl LVIII. Display time on the Sphere that initially sold for $450,000 per day and $650,000 per week will rise to between $1 million and $2 million per day, according to Campaign U.S. [[link removed]], with rates rising closer to the Feb. 11 game at nearby Allegiant Stadium.

The Sphere has sold out its Super Bowl week advertising, and thanks in part to its popular social media presence [[link removed]], the building is frequently a viral hit.

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“It’s the fall of legacy media. … Sports Illustrated really relied on the [subscription model] of the magazine for the last 50 years or so. It’s only been the last 20 years they have struggled because people really aren’t buying magazines.”

—Senior reporter A.J. Perez on how the recent layoffs at Sports Illustrated reflect a broader trend of traditional media companies struggling to survive in the modern era. To hear more form Perez and his story on SI, check out the latest episode of Front Office Sports Today.

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

Is Amazon Building an NBA Portfolio to Support U.S. Rights Bid? [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA is less than four months away from opening up negotiations for its next set of U.S. media rights deals to companies beyond current broadcast partners ESPN and TNT. Those deals, which expire after the 2024-25 season, are worth $24 billion in total—and the NBA will no doubt be looking for a huge increase.

Amazon’s interest in acquiring NBA rights is no secret. Sources previously told [[link removed]] Front Office Sports the company was exploring a deal for a package of games on Tuesday or Thursday nights. One of Prime Video’s top executives even went on record about the desire to buy [[link removed]] playoff games as part of a potential streaming package.

The NBA has never sold an exclusive streaming package for its U.S. rights. But in recent years, Amazon has compiled an intriguing set of international and supplemental NBA rights for Prime Video:

New multiyear deal for exclusive broadcasts in Mexico Exclusive game broadcasts in Brazil (signed in 2022) NBA League Pass available for purchase through Prime Video (since 2018) Local streaming rights for 15 NBA teams through pending Diamond Sports Group deal [[link removed]]

If and when Amazon makes a formal pitch to the NBA for an exclusive package of game broadcasts in the U.S., it will have plenty of evidence to point to in making the case for Prime Video. Of course, how much Amazon is willing to pay will be a key factor, too. Meanwhile, other interested bidders beyond Amazon, ESPN, and TNT could include NBC and streamers like Apple and Netflix [[link removed]].

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Winter Brings Big Saudi Pro League Exits After $1B Summer [[link removed]]

Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

“I think right now we are better.”

That’s what Cristiano Ronaldo recently said [[link removed]] about the Saudi Pro League, where he has played since 2023, in comparison to France’s Ligue 1. A bold statement from the 38-year-old superstar, who is earning up to $200 million a year at Al Nassr. According to Global Football Rankings, Ligue 1 is the fifth-most competitive league in the world, while the SPL doesn’t crack its list [[link removed]] of the top 33 leagues.

No matter Ronaldo’s thoughts, the SPL has been putting significant money into improving its on-field status. During last summer’s transfer window, the league spent [[link removed]] nearly $1 billion on player transfers. But two-thirds of the way through this January transfer window, the SPL hasn’t made a significant splash and already lost one of its major additions of 2023.

Jordan Henderson, the former Liverpool captain who joined Al-Ettifaq over the summer, has transferred to Dutch side Ajax. The move didn’t cost Ajax anything, but Henderson had to terminate his contract with the Saudi club that was believed to be worth more than $20 million a year. The Telegraph reported [[link removed]] Henderson’s salary was being deferred, and he may never see a penny of it. Henderson called [[link removed]] the move a “football decision” and apologized to the LGBTQ+ community, which has raised red flags about Saudi human rights [[link removed]] violations.

Beyond Henderson’s move, 2022 Ballon d’Or winner and longtime Real Madrid star Karim Benzema, who joined Saudi side Al-Ittihad last year, is said to be considering a transfer back to a European club. Chelsea and Arsenal are among the clubs reportedly interested [[link removed]] in Benzema, who signed a contract worth more than $100 million a year in Saudi Arabia.

What’s In a Name Change? Reading Into a WBD Sports Rebrand [[link removed]]

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

At a time of significant change across sports media, and possibly within Warner Bros. Discovery, the company is rebranding its sports division.

What had been known for corporate purposes as WBD Sports—and which only existed for less than two years following the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger [[link removed]]—will now operate under the name of TNT Sports. The renamed division includes not only its cable sports operations within the TNT and TBS networks but also Bleacher Report, Golf Digest, and its other owned-and-operated assets. The company’s sports operations in the U.K., Ireland, and Latin America had already been using the TNT Sports name, so the rebranding creates a more unified global presence.

Beyond just an internal reworking, the move to align beyond TNT Sports brings a clearer public presence for the company as potentially big changes approach for its sports programming. WBD is reportedly discussing [[link removed]] a large-scale merger with CBS parent Paramount, one in which sports would assume a central role and perhaps put the company back [[link removed]] in the business of showing live NFL games.

TNT Sports is also actively pursuing a renewal of its long-running NBA rights, even as it shows greater discomfort [[link removed]] with non-owned content properties, and continues to place [[link removed]] more live sports programming on the Max streaming platform.

The new branding will be used for sports content airing across TNT, TBS, truTV, and Max. The plan is not unlike how ESPN branding appears on ABC game broadcasts or NBC Sports branding features on USA Network telecasts. The change takes effect immediately and has already shown up in areas such as social media [[link removed]].

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How AI is Shaping the Future of Sports

Dive into the transformative world of Artificial Intelligence [[link removed]] and its impact on the way teams and leagues engage with their fan base at our upcoming virtual summit, Future of Sports: AI.

Tune in [[link removed]] to hear expert panelists and thought leaders unravel the vast potential of AI in transforming the sports industry across three compelling segments: Optimizing Your Fan Base With AI, AI’s On-The-Field Impact, and Monetizing Sports With AI.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain invaluable insights into AI’s pivotal role in shaping the future of sports on Jan. 24 at 1 p.m. ET.

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Conversation Starters The Buffalo Bills asked locals if they could help shovel [[link removed]] snow again this past weekend for $20 an hour. Here [[link removed]] is how they cleaned up the stadium. A longtime Detroit Lions season ticket holder (since 1957) was invited to the sidelines for the team’s divisional playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Check out how [[link removed]] he was received. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy have their respective teams one win away from the Super Bowl. But one thing that is not the same: Their 2023 compensation. See [[link removed]] the big disparity. Jordan Spieth has won over $60 million throughout his decorated PGA Tour career. With Tour purses growing and LIV lurking, Spieth believes 2024 is a critical year for the future of the PGA Tour. Find out more [[link removed]] in our Q&A. Editor’s Picks Roar Restored: Lions’ Resurgence Carries Major Implications Across Detroit, NFL [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]The team has reawakened and re-energized one of the league's oldest markets. Belgian Fan Uprising Is Latest Incident in European Soccer Unrest [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]Unhappy club supporters trap owner in a stadium bathroom. ‘No Such Thing as Control’: ESPN Talent Wields More Power Than Ever [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]] and Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]The explosion of digital media enables ESPN stars to create their own empires. Win A Vegas VIP Hoops Package

Front Office Sports has teamed up with the Pac-12 Conference to provide a VIP experience [[link removed]] to the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas from March 13 to March 16, 2024.

One lucky winner will receive two (2) all tournament passes with club access to the tournament at T-Mobile Arena. The winner will also receive a hotel room for four (4) nights in Las Vegas, a food and beverage voucher, and two (2) tickets to a Cirque du Soleil show. For more information on the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament, visit Pac-12.com. Deadline for entry is February 25, 2024. See Official Rules [[link removed]] for details.

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