January 31, 2024

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Taylor Swift, having already conquered the pop world, is now becoming a factor in the Super Bowl prop bet market. … The Baltimore Orioles are reportedly being sold to a couple of billionaires. … An activist Disney investor is pushing for an unprecedented bundling of ESPN+ and Netflix. … Fallout and confusion continue following a landmark doping ruling in figure skating. … And on this day in 1990, the world of sports media changed dramatically.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]]

I Bet You Think About Me: Swift a Focal Point in Super Bowl Prop Bets [[link removed]]

Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Super Bowl prop bets have long been core to many fans’ enjoyment of the game. But the powerful entry [[link removed]] of Taylor Swift, who is currently dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, into the NFL orbit and this year’s Super Bowl matchup [[link removed]] have precipitated a big shift in this year’s prop bet market.

In addition to the traditional prop bets centered on statistics and game-specific outcomes, the Swift-themed prop bets beginning to surface [[link removed]] include:

Will Kelce propose to Swift at the game? Will the Super Bowl MVP mention Swift in his acceptance speech? Will Swift appear in Usher’s halftime show? Will Swift make it [[link removed]] from Tokyo in time for the game?

There is a major catch, though. Those Swift-oriented prop bets will not be available [[link removed]] at many U.S. sportsbooks, as individual states that have legalized online sports betting typically require bets be tied in some way to an official on-field statistic or game outcome. Many of the initial Swift-themed prop bets that have gone live this week, such as a potential proposal from Kelce, originated from Canadian sportsbooks.

Still, many American sportsbooks are still searching for ways to incorporate Swift in some fashion into their Super Bowl markets, such as comparing a player’s yardage to her age or number of Billboard chart hits.

“We’re talking about what props we can make that are Taylor Swift-related,” Sunny Gupta, Tipico sportsbook manager, tells Front Office Sports. “We are trying to play into the Taylor Swift effect, because we expect more viewers than ever for this game with the Swifties tuned in, and hopefully that results in more handle.”

ONE BIG FIG That’s a Lot of O’s

$1.725 billion

Amount the Baltimore Orioles are valued at after owner John Angelos agreed to sell the club to billionaires David Rubenstein and Mike Arougheti, according to Puck’s John Ourand [[link removed]]. According to the report, Rubenstein and Arougheti will initially have a 40% stake in the team and buy the remaining stake upon the death of Peter Angelos, 94, who has battled health issues in recent years. Peter Angelos bought the team from venture capitalist Eli Jacobs for $173 million in 1993.

Netflix and ESPN+ in One Bundle? A Disney Activist Investor Wants It [[link removed]]

Disney Ad Sales

An activist investor in ESPN parent Walt Disney Co. is reportedly pushing for an unprecedented building of the ESPN+ and Netflix streaming services—just as Netflix is accelerating its sports ambitions.

Nelson Peltz, whose Trian Fund Management controls nearly $3 billion in Disney stock, is set to publish a white paper detailing proposed reforms for the company, according to Bloomberg [[link removed]]. For more than a year, Peltz has actively lobbied [[link removed]] for Disney CEO Bob Iger and the company’s board of directors to take much more active steps to improve the value of the company’s stock, which is roughly half its value from March 2021. Trian is also seeking two seats on Disney’s board.

The Trian white paper—reportedly due soon after Disney next reports quarterly earnings, on Feb. 7—notably advances a concept of streaming bundling more broadly gathering greater attention in media circles. Disney already sells its ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu services in a discounted bundle. But subscription fatigue [[link removed]] and concern about customer churn [[link removed]] increasingly are factors across the streaming landscape, leading to greater discussion across the industry about reformations in various forms of the traditional cable bundle in this space.

The proposed bundling of ESPN+ and Netflix would be designed as a means to promote profitability of Disney’s streaming operations, which lost [[link removed]] $387 million in its most recent quarter. There is no indication, however, whether either company would be open to such an agreement. Disney has previously resisted Trian’s overtures.

Netflix last week struck a major deal [[link removed]] with WWE for live rights to Raw, and solidified its status [[link removed]] as the world’s leading streaming service. Disney, meanwhile, continues to consider [[link removed]] a potential partial equity sale of ESPN.

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In Lesson 2 of our latest course [[link removed]], Responsible Gaming Essentials: The Responsible Gaming Ecosystem, hear firsthand from FanDuel’s Alison Kutler, VP of sustainability and responsible gaming, on how FanDuel is empowering customers to play responsibly through its Play Well strategy.

Plus, FanDuel Responsible Gaming Ambassador and acclaimed sports radio and TV personality Craig Carton shares his story and why he partnered with FanDuel to raise awareness of the risks of problem gambling.

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Delayed Olympic Doping Verdict Sparks Controversy and Outrage [[link removed]]

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Many in the skating community thought Kamila Valieva’s guilty verdict [[link removed]] by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for her doping charges on Monday would bring peace to the sport.

Not exactly.

The International Skating Union took its time with the decision—it didn’t immediately designate the U.S. as winners, but waited until Tuesday to do so. The ISU was apparently unprepared [[link removed]] for the court’s decision, according to USA Today’s Christine Brennan.

When the ISU did finally make its announcement, giving the U.S. the gold and Japan the silver, it placed Russia at bronze. As NBC and the Olympics wish to turn all attention toward Paris (and away from their record-low [[link removed].] viewership in 2022), the fallout from their flop in Beijing won’t seem to end.

Confusion and Fumes

Canada is not happy with the ISU’s decision to give Russia the bronze. Skate Canada, the sport’s governing body in the country, said Valieva’s disqualification should put its skaters ahead of Russia and into third place, and is considering “ all options to appeal [[link removed]].”

The ISU has not responded to Brennan’s questioning [[link removed]] of its new scoring. “From all appearances they picked the wrong bronze medalist. If they didn’t, why aren’t they telling us what they did?” Brennan posted [[link removed]] on X.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin and the Russian Olympic Committee are fuming. “We do not agree with these decisions—neither with the decision of the court, nor with the decision of the (ice skating) federation. We don’t accept them,” said [[link removed]] Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

More Than Gold Lost

The U.S. athletes lost more than gold medals. Team USA awards $37,500 to gold medalists, but it’s not known how much, if any, they’ll receive now. Most of the team has moved on from competition (some are college students), and they likely would’ve welcomed the extra income.

On top of that, the athletes missed out on significant endorsement opportunities that come from the notoriety of winning the gold medal. For example: Nathan Chen, who won gold in the men’s singles competition, landed partnerships with Xfinity, Bridgestone, and Toyota.

And while earning gold is priceless, the decoration itself is estimated to be worth roughly $750 [[link removed]], but it tends to sell for much more—usually around $20,000 to $50,000 [[link removed]].

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY They Said What?

“[Commentating] has been a different challenge. Fortunately, there’s a database of knowledge I’ve built up over 23 years of … trying to go out there and execute on the field. So I believe I can provide a pretty unique perspective that a lot of people will really like.”

—Tom Brady on how he’s prepared to enter the booth as Fox’s lead color commentator. To hear more about Brady’s post-retirement ventures, check out the latest episode of Front Office Sports Today.

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

TIME CAPSULE Jan. 31, 1990: New Era in Sports Media

Detroit Free Press

On this day 34 years ago: The National Sports Daily publishes its first issue, changing the state of sports media. Known colloquially as The National, the publication is designed in part as an American version of other all-sports newspapers, such as France’s L’Equipe. Led editorially by veteran sportswriter Frank Deford, cherry-picked from Sports Illustrated, the publication quickly assembles an all-star lineup of writers and editors, including Mike Lupica, Norman Chad, Leigh Montville, and Dave Kindred, all backed by its owner, the free-spending media mogul Emilio Azcárraga.

The National quickly wins raves for a depth and range of daily sports coverage heretofore unseen by U.S. fans. But the outlet is essentially doomed from the start, operating without a fleshed-out business plan and serious problems immediately surfacing across production, circulation, and advertising operations. By the time The National produces its final issue, in June 1991, more than $100 million in losses have accumulated. Brief as its run is, the influence of The National, and its emphasis on deep reporting and sophisticated writing, is later seen in numerous online sports sites.

Conversation Starters The Super Bowl is in Las Vegas, but the NFL is doing its best to keep the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs away from its famous Strip. See [[link removed]] where the league assigned their headquarters. There is a big pay gap between the two Super Bowl quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Brock Purdy. But just how wide is it? Check [[link removed]] it out. From new to old, big to small, Autotrader has almost any car you can imagine. Find the car [[link removed][InsertCachebusterHere]PA__;dc_lat=;dc_rdid=;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=;ltd=;dc_tdv=1] you’re looking for on Autotrader.* Editor’s Picks FSU Shoots Back at ACC with Fiery Amended Complaint [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]FSU added 21 pages to its initial lawsuit against the conference. Brett Favre’s Defamation Case Against State Auditor to Proceed [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]Judge denies Mississippi State Auditor Shad White’s motion to dismiss on Thursday. Tuned In: Tom Brady Confirms Start as No. 1 Fox Analyst alongside Kevin Burkhardt [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Brady tells Front Office Sports that he’ll join Fox this fall as lead analyst but will not form a three-person booth with Greg Olsen. DISCLAIMER

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