February 13, 2024

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Super Bowl LVIII on CBS was the most-watched telecast in U.S. history. … The effort to build a new arena for the Washington Wizards and Capitals hits a speed bump. … Why big changes might be coming to the PGA Tour’s rowdiest tournament. … Inside the documentation of Super Bowl losses. … And going back more than a century to the birth of a major shift in professional baseball.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]]

Never Bigger: Super Bowl LVIII Draws Record Audience of 123.4 Million [[link removed]]

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

History has been made as Super Bowl LVIII now stands alone as the most-watched event in American television history.

The Chiefs’ 25-22 overtime win over the 49ers on CBS drew an average audience in the U.S. of 123.4 million, beating last year’s record Super Bowl draw [[link removed]] of 115.1 million by 7%, according to Nielsen fast national figures released late Monday by the network.

The viewership average—spanning the main CBS broadcast network, Paramount+, Nickelodeon, Univision, and related digital properties—tops all other scheduled programming spanning more than seven decades of television audience measurement. There are various estimates that the 1969 landing on the moon by U.S. astronauts drew an American audience of 125 million to 150 million across multiple networks, and perhaps 500 million to 600 million worldwide. But those figures were not verified, leaving Sunday’s game as the new industry standard bearer, certainly for any programmed event aired on a single network.

The Super Bowl LVIII viewership total is also the culmination of a banner season that included robust audience growth in the regular season [[link removed]] and then the wild card [[link removed]], divisional [[link removed]], and conference championship [[link removed]] playoff rounds.

CBS said 202.4 million people in the U.S. cumulatively watched all or part of the Super Bowl, representing the game’s largest total audience ever, up 10% from the comparable figure from a year ago. The network itself by far led the way with the average viewership among the various Paramount-owned properties, generating a figure of 120 million.

For the game, though, there was a further confluence of powerful factors helping to drive viewership beyond the surging popularity of the NFL overall, including an attractive Chiefs-49ers matchup, the allure of the first title game in Las Vegas, just the second overtime game in Super Bowl history (which very nearly became the first to reach double overtime), and of course, the Taylor Swift effect [[link removed]]. Specific demographic information on the game viewership hasn’t yet been released, but it’s expected there was some boost into the telecast from fans drawn in because of the pop star’s romantic relationship with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

Full Nielsen figures from the game are expected to be released Tuesday.

Key Legislator: Leonsis Arena Project ‘An Absolute No’ [[link removed]]

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Ted Leonsis is now facing his biggest setback to date in an already-challenged effort to build [[link removed]] a $2 billion arena and mixed-use development in Alexandria, Va., for his Washington Wizards and Capitals.

As Leonsis is seeking roughly $1.5 billion in state-issued bonds from Virginia to help fund the project, a key legislator has declared legislation backing the Monumental Sports and Entertainment plan is “not ready for prime time.” That opposition adds to growing residential resistance and marks the most serious broadside to date.

“The more we use the reputation of the commonwealth to finance billionaires’ projects, the more we risk not being able to finance our own projects,” said L. Louise Lucas, a prominent Virginia state senator and chair of that body’s finance and appropriations committee. Lucas is refusing to stage a hearing on the arena project in her committee, though a separate effort regarding the development remains alive in the Virginia House of Delegates.

But when asked whether the initiative was dead, Lucas said, “As far as I’m concerned it is. … As long as the full faith and credit of this commonwealth is backing this project, my answer continues to be an absolute no.”

Lucas then took direct aim at the integrity of Leonsis and MSE, tweeting [[link removed]], “As I said this morning in committee—if Monumental Sports will renege on its agreement with D.C., why would we ever believe they would not do the same to us?”

The arena project also serves as a microcosm of the deep political divides within Virginia. Both chambers of the state legislature are controlled by Democrats, but Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is a rising figure in that party nationally and an ardent backer of the MSE development.

Even before these latest political battles, though, Leonsis was facing such opposition that he took the unusual step of publishing [[link removed]] a nearly 2,600-word open letter [[link removed]] about his reasoning behind leaving the 26-year-old Capital One Arena.

MSE said in a statement that it continues to have “healthy discussions” with Virginia legislators and pointed to projections from the development effort for “tens of thousands of new jobs, and billions in revenue and economic impact.”

SPONSORED BY ORACLE

The Future of Fan Engagement Is Here

From stadiums and arenas to theme parks, concert venues and convention centers, Oracle [[link removed]]’s industry-leading digital transaction platform allows teams and operators to collect and activate brand-owned fan data to accelerate intelligence across the entire ecosystem: unleashing fan loyalty outside the venue and enabling smart transactions on game day.

Learn how [[link removed]] Oracle is powering the next frontier of fan engagement by bridging in-venue and out-of-venue touch points to help teams and venue operators understand fan behavior and unlock incremental revenue.

Lost in the Super Bowl Shuffle: Chaos at PGA Tour’s WM Phoenix Open

Joe Rondone-USA TODAY Sports

We won’t blame you if your attention was entirely focused on football this past weekend and not pro golf. But if so, there’s a lot to catch up on.

The PGA Tour made its annual stop at TPC Scottsdale for the WM Phoenix Open, and the tournament lived up to its calling card as the rowdiest in golf—in more ways than one. Despite chilly conditions in the desert that brought numerous out-of-the-ordinary frost delays, fans made plenty of headlines—some not so great—for their enthusiastic behavior:

Some fans entered the tournament without tickets. Eventually, gates were temporarily closed [[link removed]] to reduce crowds. Alcohol sales at some stations were stopped briefly to slow down the chaos. Sloppy conditions enticed fans into attempting mudslides [[link removed]]. Zach Johnson lashed [[link removed]] out at the crowd after some fans criticized his U.S. Ryder Cup captaincy.

On Monday tournament director Chance Cozby told [[link removed]] Golf Channel that organizers didn’t like what happened and that they would be looking to make major changes in 2025—although no specific details were provided. “Nothing is off the table,” he said.

The Phoenix Open stopped releasing attendance figures in recent years, but it has been estimated [[link removed]] to draw more than 200,000 fans on Saturday alone during the tournament. The event has never abided by a capacity limit, but perhaps that will change moving forward. This past weekend’s events could also be a warning sign to any other golf events looking to mimic the energy found in Phoenix—particularly around the par-3 16th hole that features a 17,000-seat ministadium around it.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY They Said What?

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

“You can see the raw emotion of what a loss looks like. … People are literally throwing up on the floor. You’re hearing grown men crying.”

—Justin Wilkes, executive producer of an upcoming Apple TV+ docuseries about the Patriots, on what goes on behind the scenes after a Super Bowl loss. To hear more about the series, 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 Feb. 13, 1920: A New Era

On this day 124 years ago, the first Negro National League is founded at a Kansas City YMCA by player-manager Rube Foster in an effort to give stability and organization to what were previously independent or barnstorming teams. (Slogan: “We are the ship, all else the sea.”) Originally comprising eight clubs, the league pulls in over a dozen more throughout its 11-year existence, featuring players like star shortstop John Henry Lloyd, who is inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977. Foster, who serves as league president, makes it into the HOF in ’81. The league ceases operations in ’31, but in ’33 a second Negro National League is created by businessman Gus Greenlee.

SPONSORED BY CISCO

Bringing Tech to the Sports Spotlight

At first glance, the NFL and the tech industry may seem worlds apart. But behind the scenes there are a handful of surprising parallels, namely: the strategic depth and teamwork essential for success.

Few understand this overlap better than Cisco [[link removed]].

Before the 2023 NFL season, Cisco teamed up with the league to launch the NFL IT Apprenticeship Program, allowing one graduate from Cisco’s esteemed Networking Academy to work alongside some of the world’s best sports technologists.

This initiative marks a major step toward weaving Networking Academy’s technical education into the fabric of the NFL ecosystem—and the first of many steps.

To explore how the NFL and Cisco are empowering both professional and former players with technical career opportunities, read the full article here [[link removed]].

ONE BIG FIG That Tracks

The Hutchinson News

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Minutes it took on Monday for Dunkin’ Donuts to sell out its inventory of $60 DunKings track suits and bucket hats tied to a popular Super Bowl commercial [[link removed]] starring Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Tom Brady.

Conversation Starters The Sphere in Las Vegas is in full gear. The new phenomenon took advantage of the city’s first Super Bowl. See [[link removed]] which brands put the new engagement tool to good use. There was a surprise marching band appearance during Usher’s halftime show. Check out [[link removed]] which nationally recognized musical franchise showed off its skills. Nickelodeon brought its Super Bowl coverage to the kids. Watch [[link removed]] how the network showed the Chiefs’ game-winning touchdown in overtime. Editors’ Picks Tuned In: Instant Reactions From CBS’s Coverage of Super Bowl LVIII [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Facing the criticism, CBS's lead analyst Tony Romo delivers. Does the Vegas Super Bowl Make Economic Sense? Depends Where You Get Your Figures [[link removed]]by Daniel Kaplan [[link removed]]The game’s impact on an already bustling town is a thorny subject. Tom Brady’s Post-Retirement Embrace of Las Vegas [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]With business all over town, one partner says, ’He’s going to be a great addition to the city.’ 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 Greg Lee [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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