April 19, 2024

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Utah fans are showing their passion for an NHL team that still has no name. … Netflix makes an investor relations decision that could shake up its advancing march into live sports. … There are sizable purses on the line this weekend across golf, tennis, and motorsports. … Plus: More on uniform rebrandings for the Mets, WNBA, Texans, and Lions.

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

Utah Fans Rush for Season Tickets (for a New NHL Team With No Name) [[link removed]]

Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

It certainly didn’t take long for Utah hockey fans to register their excitement about the Coyotes moving [[link removed]] to the Beehive State.

Less than 24 hours after the formal announcement on Thursday of the team’s relocation to Salt Lake City, new team owner Ryan Smith said more than 20,000 season ticket deposits, costing $100 each, have been made to see the team at the Delta Center (above). Smith also owns the NBA’s Jazz and two local pro soccer teams, and priority access for the season-ticket deposits was given to current Jazz plan holders.

The Delta Center, which was originally designed for basketball, currently offers 12,000 seats that have unobstructed views for hockey, but part of the broader renovation plans for the 32-year-old building is to boost that number to 17,000.

The arrival of the NHL franchise in Utah, meanwhile, provides further momentum behind a broader facility vision that is still being formulated. That plan could include both redevelopment around the Delta Center in downtown Salt Lake City, and over a longer term, potentially a second arena that would be a focal point of the city’s ongoing bid for the 2034 Olympics.

Uncertain Name

The nickname for the Utah franchise is one of the leading unanswered questions in the move, though Smith could speak further about any emerging plans there at a press conference with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman scheduled for Friday evening. Here’s what we do know:

The full team name will start with Utah as opposed to Salt Lake City, mirroring the naming for the Jazz. Smith has hired ad agency Doubleday & Cartwright, which has aided the rebranding of several other pro teams, to help develop the team’s name and logo. Earlier this week trademark applications were filed [[link removed]] with federal authorities for the Utah Blizzard, Utah Venom, Utah Fury, Utah HC, and Utah Hockey Club. The applications were anonymous, and it’s not certain that Smith or the NHL is involved. But the timing of those filings closely preceded the formal announcement of the franchise move. On Thursday, a subsequent application from the same group was also filed for the Utah Yetis. It’s possible that the team will at first have a generic moniker, such as Utah HC, serving as a placeholder while the broader rebranding continues. If so, that more graduated process will resemble the transition undertaken by the NFL’s Commanders, previously known as the Washington Football Team. An Unexpected Local Rebuke

Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo acknowledged publicly he is on board with what’s happening with the franchise, saying that he agreed that it was “simply unfair” to maintain the status quo at Arizona State’s Mullett Arena, a 5,000-seat venue far smaller and less equipped than what is standard in the NHL. But it was surprising to some that criticism of the move came from MLB’s Diamondbacks, a team seeking to solve their own growing facility problem. [[link removed]]

The team released a statement [[link removed]] saying in part that, “we firmly believe that we deserve and can support teams from each of the major sports and are troubled that a solution could not not be found for all parties involved. We are sad for all sports fans and all who care so deeply who care about our community.”

The Diamondbacks, however, not only said in February “we may run out of time in Phoenix,” and they also were part of a unanimous vote [[link removed]] in November certifying the planned relocation of the A’s from Oakland to Las Vegas.

No Subscription Totals? Netflix’s Decision Could Impact Sports Plans [[link removed]]

The Des Moines Register

Netflix is ending its customary quarterly reporting of subscriber totals, a move that could blunt its growing sports ambitions.

The publicly traded streaming giant said Thursday that it will no longer disclose those subscriber numbers, starting with the first quarter of 2025, and will instead focus on other financial metrics such as revenue and operating margin. The shift immediately jolted Wall Street, prompting a 4.5% drop in Netflix shares in after-hours trading Thursday, and a 7% fall once full trading opened Friday.

Netflix already has the largest subscriber base in the industry, reaching 269.6 million globally in its last quarter, a figure 16% higher than a year ago. Company officials say a continued focus on subscriber totals is not in line with its growth into a more mature company that is developing additional revenue sources, such as advertising.

“Each incremental member has a different business impact,” said Greg Peters, Netflix co-CEO, in an earnings call with analysts. “And that means the historical math that we all did—number of members times monthly price—is increasingly less accurate in capturing the state of the business. So this change is really motivated by wanting to focus on what we see are the key metrics that we think matter most.”

Out of Step With Sports

Ted Sarandos, also Netflix co-CEO, reiterated on the call a more tempered strategy in sports relative to others, saying again, “we’re not anti-sports, but pro-profitable growth. And I think that’s the core of everything we do in all kinds of programming, including sports.” Within that strategy, however, has been a clear escalation in the company’s sports efforts, most recently shown by its acquisition of live rights to a Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight [[link removed]], and for the WWE [[link removed]] and its weekly flagship show, Raw.

But much of the sports industry, and the advertising that helps support it, relies on clear and publicly available audience metrics for media content. Nearly every other major streaming entity—including ones controlled by Disney, Comcast, and Warner Bros. Discovery—regularly reports its streaming subscriber figures. On television, Nielsen audience totals have been a benchmark for decades. Even Amazon, another entity that historically had been more opaque about its streaming metrics, has worked with Nielsen for the past two years to help give a clearer view of its audience for Thursday Night Football.

“Eliminating regular reporting of membership data raises questions around management’s confidence to further grow the base, though it is not implausible that the change is intended to reduce quarterly sentiment volatility around relatively small changes in true economic drivers,” wrote Michael Morris, an analysts with Guggenheim, in a research note.

SPONSORED BY ORACLE

Stadium Tech That Pays Off

In the realm of sports, Oracle [[link removed]] is spearheading a transformation in stadium experiences through innovative technology solutions.

Recognizing the importance of fan satisfaction, Oracle’s focus on efficient payment processing ensures fans never miss crucial moments of the game.

Oracle has elevated operational efficiency, offering grab-and-go options and mobile ordering to reduce wait times. Exemplified by the adoption of their technology at UBS Arena, Oracle targets sports leaders through their emphasis on speed, accuracy, and guest satisfaction.

With versatile solutions and transparent payment systems, Oracle is reshaping sports venues, promising an immersive future for fans worldwide. Read more [[link removed]].

WEEKEND PRIZE POOL Big Purse on the Island

Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Front Office Sports tees up every weekend sporting slate with a ledger of the purses and prize pools at stake. Here’s what’s up for grabs this weekend:

PGA Tour, RBC Heritage, Hilton Head Island, S.C.

When: Thursday to Sunday Purse: $20 million First place: $3.6 million

LPGA Tour, Chevron Championship, Houston

When: Thursday to Sunday Purse: $7.9 million First Place: $1.2 million

PGA Tour, Corales Puntacana Championship, Dominican Republic

When: Thursday to Sunday Purse: $4 million First place: $720,000

NASCAR Cup Series, The GEICO 500

When: Sunday Purse: $8.2 million First place: Individual payouts are no longer disclosed

ATP, Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell

When: Monday to Sunday Purse: $2.96 million First place: $520,385

WTA, Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Germany

When: Monday to Sunday Purse: 922,573 First place: $131,569 STATUS REPORT Uniforms: Two Up, One Down, One Push

Mets

Mets ⬆ The team on Friday released [[link removed]] its City Connect alternate uniform, as part of a program now in its fourth season. The club’s design, featuring a gray base and purple trim to honor the New York City Subway’s designation of the 7 Line, has broader aspirations than just ardent Mets fans. “It’s not something that’s going to look like a traditional jersey, and it’s an opportunity to really sort of stray away from what we’ve done in the past,” James Benesh, Mets executive director of consumer products, tells Front Office Sports. “We think that this is going to play much more into that fashion [area] where we could see this on the street.” The Mets will wear the alternate uniform (above) for Saturday home games this year, with the exception of a planned June 1 ceremony to retire Darryl Strawberry’s number

WNBA ⬆ The Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Las Vegas Aces, Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, and Seattle Storm all released [[link removed]] new “Rebel” alternate uniforms for the upcoming season, which begins May 14.

Texans ⬇ A new alternate helmet design featuring an “H” logo reminiscent of the Houston Oilers’ days was leaked on social media. The team later acknowledged it in a post on X [[link removed]] without making any sort of official announcement.

Lions ⬆⬇ The reigning NFC North champs’ new uniform design leaked online this week, too, so Detroit had a little fun with the situation, posting several videos on social media poking fun [[link removed]] at the mishap. And there’s more to the story: At the official unveiling, Lions president Rod Wood told reporters [[link removed]] that coach Dan Campbell requested a return of the team’s black alternate jerseys back in 2021, so they made a deal—win the division, and the black uniforms would come back. Mission accomplished.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS AWARDS

Nominate the Next Generation of Stars

Rising 25 is back and it’s time to nominate an up-and-coming young professional changing the game in the business of sports!

The Front Office Sports Rising 25 Award [[link removed]] celebrates the careers of the brightest young stars in the business of sports. To date, we’ve honored 175 individuals and we’re looking for our next group of young stars.

Nominations are open now through Friday, May 17. Winners will be announced in June.

There’s only one week left in the Early Bird pricing window. Don’t wait– nominate today [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters Here’s a time-lapse sneak peek [[link removed]] at the transformation of Salt Lake City’s Delta Center into an NHL-ready hockey rink that will house Utah’s newest team. After the Bears pick Caleb Williams with the first pick in next week’s draft, NFL insider Ian Rapoport predicts a wild night. See what he said [[link removed]] on the FOS Today podcast. On Monday, the NBA is expected to let its exclusive negotiating window with ESPN and TNT expire without new media rights deals. Check out [[link removed]] what the league is eyeing next. The Department of Justice will pay $100 million [[link removed]] to gymnasts as part of a reported settlement, bringing total victim payouts to nearly $1 billion due to FBI failures. Editors’ Picks Players Accused of Sexual Misconduct Can Still Compete, Feds Say [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]New Title IX rules ban suspending accused athletes until a school investigation occurs. Rockies Coach’s Team Plane Cockpit Visit Triggers Federal Investigation [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]A since-deleted video shows him sitting in the cockpit mid-flight. Memphis, FedEx Strike Unique Corporate NIL Deal For $25 Million [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]The logistics company has a long-standing relationship with the university. 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]], Adam Duerson [[link removed]]

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