May 2, 2024

Read in Browser [[link removed]]

POWERED BY

Wrexham’s Hollywood story just keeps getting better. … The value of Formula One is still going up. … Dollars are flying ahead of this weekend’s Kentucky Derby. … And we look back on one of the most influential ballpark promotions ever.

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

Lights, Camera, Premier League: Wrexham’s Hollywood-Like Plan [[link removed]]

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Wrexham’s Hollywood owners have certainly opened up their wallets for the Welsh soccer club. But Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney (above) have also been putting in time, effort, and hard work—and it’s paying off.

After earning promotion for the second straight year, Wrexham will bump up to League One this fall, which is the third tier of English soccer, two steps down from the club’s ultimate goal of the Premier League. To get there, and survive along the way, Reynolds and McElhenney know their club, the focal point of the popular FX series Welcome to Wrexham, has to keep growing on and off the pitch.

That’s why the Racecourse Ground, where Wrexham plays its home matches, is adding seats, first going up from about 12,000 to 16,000, and then much, much more. “We have a plan in place right now that would eventually work from stand to stand, so eventually you get all four sides,” McElhenney said in an interview with Collider [[link removed]]. “It’s hard to say for sure, but we think we could get between 45,000 and 55,000 people in there.”

A venue of that size would put Wrexham on par with the likes of Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium (55,000) and above Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge (40,000). “Like, the whole town could come to the game,” Reynolds quipped. According to a 2021 census, the population of Wrexham County Borough was estimated to be around 135,100.

The Next Domino

Substantial stadium expansion talk adds to other recent growth plans from Reynolds and McElhenney, including the announcement of a three-match North American tour for Wrexham this summer, the first international tour for the club’s women’s side, and the purchase of a minority stake in Liga MX team Club Necaxa—the initial step in creating a multiclub portfolio that Wrexham would be at the center of.

“Phase 1 of what we’re trying to do is probably coming to a close now,” Humphrey Ker, Wrexham’s executive director, said during an appearance on British show TalkSport [[link removed]]. “And phase 2 is starting, and we’ve got to be on our game.”

That means a better scouting department, more sources of revenue, and a more refined technical staff, which Ker admitted Wrexham doesn’t have yet. “We’ve sort of bludgeoned our way out of the National League and out of League Two,” he said. “We went out and signed the best League One players that we could persuade to drop down to us.”

Now, halfway to the Premier League, the challenge will be competing with more clubs that have bigger stadiums, larger fan bases, and a better on-field product. “We’re about to get into an environment where we won’t be the biggest fish in this pond,” Ker said.

F1 Remains Hot With a $10B Offer and Dozens of Interested New Race Hosts [[link removed]]

F1

Before Red Bull, Max Verstappen, and tens of thousands of racing fans begin to take over South Florida for this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, one thing is clear: Everyone wants a piece of Formula One.

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, who also owns the Miami F1 race and the venue that hosts it, Hard Rock Stadium, is said to have recently entertained a $10 billion offer for control of those sporting assets, according to USA Today [[link removed]]. Ross declined the offer, per the report. It’s unclear what the individual values of the Dolphins, Miami GP, and Hard Rock Stadium would have been in that deal.

Meanwhile, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said that, despite the sport already reaching its maximum of 24 races per year, more than 35 new venues have shown interest in hosting a race, with 11 being formidable contenders. “Seriously, the request is very, very big,” Domenicali told ESPN [[link removed]]. Those markets might include U.S. cities Chicago and New York, as well as international destinations like South Korea, Thailand, China, South Africa, Rwanda, Malaysia, and India, per ESPN. Domenicali said not to expect a fourth race in the U.S., in addition to Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas.

A Hot Commodity

The widespread interest in F1 comes after the sport saw total race attendance spike to 6 million in 2023, and revenue soared to $3.22 billion, according to owner Liberty Media [[link removed]]. Last year also marked the debut of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, as F1 grew to its capped-out 24-race schedule. The Miami race is entering its third year, while F1 has raced in Austin since ’12.

SPONSORED BY DURACELL

Buy and Play for Your Chance to Win Big

[[link removed]]

Duracell [[link removed]] challenges you to a game of skill where players have the chance to compete to win a weekend experience at the races and other prizes, including a framed autographed Williams Racing jersey and Williams Racing apparel. Here’s how to participate:

Purchase Duracell batteries between April 15 and Sept. 27, and star/check the item(s) and the date on your receipt. Snap a clear photo of the entire receipt with your phone. Unlock gameplay for the Duracell Racing Game to compete for prizes.

Click here [[link removed]] to accept the challenge today.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY How the Kentucky Derby Keeps Racing Fans Hooked

The Courier-Journal

This weekend Churchill Downs will have a new, $200 million paddock on display, the eyes of the sports-loving world on the most-anticipated race of the season, and 150 years of tradition working in its favor. FanDuel TV anchor and racing host Todd Schrupp will be there covering all the action, and today he joins the show to discuss why the Derby never loses its luster.

🎧 Watch, listen, and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Google [[link removed]], Spotify [[link removed]], and YouTube [[link removed]].

TIME CAPSULE May 2, 1988: Big Night at the Ballpark

RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

On this day 36 years ago: The Orioles gave their then-suffering fans much more than they bargained for, with both heavily discounted tickets and the promise of a new facility. Beginning that season with a 21-game losing streak, the Orioles broke the epic slide on April 29 against the White Sox, and then returned home three days later with a 1–23 record. Seeking to generate greater support for the team on what it billed as Fantastic Fan Night, Baltimore offered [[link removed]] $2 tickets to the game. The result was an unqualified smash with a near-capacity Memorial Stadium crowd of 50,402—the team’s fifth-highest that season—as well as a home run from Cal Ripken Jr. (above), and a 9–4 win over the Rangers that was a bright spot in what would be a 107-loss season.

But there was even bigger news that evening: State Gov. William Donald Schaefer announced a 15-year lease agreement between the Maryland Stadium Authority and the Orioles for a new stadium downtown. That facility would become Oriole Park at Camden Yards, opening in 1992 and ushering in a dramatic wave of retro-themed ballpark development across the country. Camden Yards is now set to begin a dramatic new chapter with the recent completion of a lease extension [[link removed]] between the stadium authority and the team, under new ownership [[link removed]].

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS AWARDS

Nominations Are in Full Swing

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.

Nominate [[link removed]] today.

Conversation Starters After more than 115 hours of recording [[link removed]] over two years, Chris Fowler completed his work for EA College Football 25, including reading more than 700 player names. From bees to baseball cards: Topps has struck a deal [[link removed]] with Matt Hilton, the bee specialist who helped resolve the Dodgers-Diamondbacks delay Tuesday night, and he is now offering his autographed cards for $8.99 each. We asked the NFL’s newest draft picks where they’ll invest their first paycheck. Listen here [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks Sixers Owners Buy Own Tickets to Avoid Repeat Knicks Takeover in Philly [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Joel Embiid went after his own fan base after Philly sounded like MSG on Sunday. Phil Simms’ War on Football Clichés Will Continue After CBS Exit [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]CBS’s dropping Simms went over like a lead balloon in many quarters. Even Galveston’s Defenders Admit Charles Barkley Has a Point About the Water [[link removed]]by Dennis Young [[link removed]]Galveston officials are mostly taking Barkley’s jokes about their sediment-filled water in stride. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Sports Careers [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here [[link removed]].

Update your preferences [link removed] / Unsubscribe [link removed]

Copyright © 2024 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

460 Park Avenue South, 7th Floor, New York NY, 10016