June 5, 2024

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Anticipation for the forthcoming set of new NBA media-rights deals is reaching a fever pitch. … Speaking of a different kind of pitch, legislative leaders in Kansas are heightening their efforts to bring the Chiefs across the state line. … There’s more tough talk from MLB about Diamond Sports Group’s attempted bankruptcy reorganization. … Gerrit Cole draws a historic crowd to a minor league ballpark in New Jersey. … Plus: More on the UEFA Champions League, Sergio Pérez, Carmelo Anthony, and Angel Reese.

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

NBA Media Rights: Questions Mount As Billion-Dollar Deals Loom [[link removed]]

Alexis Reau/Presse Sports via USA TODAY Sports

On Thursday night, about an hour before the Celtics and Mavericks tip off the NBA Finals, commissioner Adam Silver (above) will have to address the elephant in the room at his annual press conference ahead of the championship series: The league hasn’t announced its next set of media-rights deals, but everyone seems to already know what’s coming.

ESPN, NBC, and Amazon are set to carry NBA game broadcasts from 2025 until ’36, with TNT ending a 36-year run with the league after next season. That’s been the case [[link removed]] since before Memorial Day. A report from The Wall Street Journal [[link removed]] on Wednesday said the NBA is “closing in on deals” that would be worth $76 billion combined over the life of the deal. It largely confirms monetary figures from a prior Bloomberg story [[link removed]] last month about the league’s plans and falls in line with reporting from Sports Business Journal [[link removed]], too.

Dealmaking at Its Finest

The deals, once official, will mark a pivotal point in shaping the future of TV, Kenneth Suh, the chief strategy officer of advertising technology company Nexxen, tells Front Office Sports. “While that figure may seem astronomical, the costs of sports rights have been soaring, and companies view a potential sports deal as a lifeline and guarantee of eyeballs in a time of uncertainty,” Suh says.

After the NBA’s exclusive negotiation window with its incumbents passed [[link removed]] in April, things moved quickly with Disney/ESPN and Amazon, and in recent weeks it started to become more and more clear that NBC will take over the TNT package from Warner Bros. Discovery. Along the way, the NBA’s new deals have become one of the most-discussed media contracts in recent memory. Key storylines noticed by FOS so far:

Silver is emerging as a big winner [[link removed]]. Criticism continues [[link removed]] to surround WBD CEO David Zaslav. Excitement is building for NBC’s return and the revival of “Roundball Rock [[link removed]].” Amazon is turning into a sports media powerhouse [[link removed]]. Possible Play for TNT

FOS media expert Michael McCarthy notes that if TNT does indeed lose its NBA business, there’s a separate question of what happens to NBA TV and NBA.com, which are operated by WBD. “The difficulty of unwinding such a long relationship between TNT and NBA is fueling speculation TNT may score a smaller fourth package,” he says. “That would save face for Zaslav and hopefully keep Charles Barkley’s Inside the NBA on the air.”

Sir Charles on the Mic

Barkley, who has an out clause in his TNT contract if the network loses NBA rights, could become the most sought-after and highest-paid free agent [[link removed]] in sports TV history. And he’s made his displeasure with WBD’s handling of the situation—and the mysterious lack of transparency from company executives—known on many occasions, most recently Tuesday during an appearance [[link removed]] on Mad Dog Sports Radio.

“That’s the one thing that’s really, really bothered me the most about the TNT experience,” Barkley said. “Like, hey man, just tell us something. Everybody’s got an article coming out every day about ‘we’ve still got a chance’ or ‘we’ve lost it.’ I’m like, you guys see us every week. How about picking up the phone, saying, ‘Hey, we’re still negotiating’ or ‘you know what, we’ve lost it.’ … The one thing that really sucks, we’ve got to do this next year no matter what.”

Kansas Makes Timely Play for Chiefs Stadium: Why It Could Happen [[link removed]]

Manica

Advocates in Kansas of bringing the Chiefs across the border from Missouri see a big opportunity and have literally named their group after a football turnover, part of a rapid intensifying of recruitment efforts in the Sunflower State.

The newly formed Scoop and Score—a nonprofit advocacy group that references a defensive fumble recovery, as well as a failed stadium funding effort in Missouri—have ramped up lobbying efforts [[link removed]] to use state bonds to help fund a new Chiefs stadium. And it’s already finding an increasingly receptive audience as Kansas House speaker Dan Hawkins and state senate president Ty Masterson said they intend to consider such a proposal during a special legislative session scheduled to begin June 18, and they have invited the Chiefs “to weigh in” on the plan.

“The rich tradition and history of the Chiefs are beloved across the entire Kansas City region and throughout Kansas,” Hawkins and Masterson said in a joint statement. “The potential to establish a home for the Chiefs family here on the Kansas side of the state line is an opportunity that deserves a thorough conversation.”

Gaining Momentum

The quickly developing stadium recruitment efforts in Kansas follow an April defeat [[link removed]] in Jackson County, Mo., the Chiefs’ current home, of a proposed sales tax measure to help pay for improvements to Arrowhead Stadium. Following that vote, the Chiefs moved to separate [[link removed]] their stadium efforts from the neighboring Royals of MLB, and renderings of an initial design concept for a Kansas-based Chiefs stadium were recently released [[link removed]].

But the publicly stated intent of the two legislative leaders shows there is now increasing momentum behind the push to relocate the Chiefs.

“With our strategic location, a vibrant fan base, robust economic incentives, and the exceptional tools at our disposal, we are poised to make the Kansas City Chiefs even stronger,” Hawkins and Masterson wrote [[link removed]] in a letter to Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt.

Scoop and Score, meanwhile, has registered 20 lobbyists to represent it.

Team Response

The Chiefs have not commented on the latest efforts emerging from Kansas, but Hunt has previously indicated a willingness to leave Arrowhead Stadium, the team’s home since 1972, if necessary. The current lease there extends to early 2031.

“Going forward, it may make more sense for us to be in a new stadium,” Hunt said in April, adding that the facility could either be open-air or domed.

SPONSORED BY HOKA

Racing Toward Change

In the evolving landscape of NIL, HOKA [[link removed]] is reshaping athlete-brand relationships beyond one-off deals.

The renowned athletic brand, in collaboration with Foot Locker, revitalized the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships in December, exemplifying a broader vision for a robust NIL ecosystem [[link removed]].

Unlike short-term deals, HOKA focuses on ongoing growth, mentorship, and community engagement. Examples include University of Colorado runner Kole Mathison and the mentorship between Summit High School’s Ella Hagen and triathlete Heather Jackson.

HOKA’s strategy emphasizes personal development and professional opportunities, ensuring athletes benefit beyond financial gains. By pushing the boundaries of NIL, HOKA aims to inspire the next generation and make a lasting impact on the sports world.

Read the full article [[link removed]] to delve into HOKA’s visionary approach to NIL.

LOUD AND CLEAR Still No Answers

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

“We anticipate filing an objection.”

—MLB attorney James Bromley during a status conference held Tuesday in the ongoing bankruptcy case of Diamond Sports Group. The league reiterated its long-standing feelings [[link removed]] that there is little, if any, substance to DSG’s proposed reorganization plan, particularly in the wake of the company’s carriage dispute [[link removed]] with Comcast that is now at an impasse. Attorneys for the NBA and NHL voiced similar concerns about DSG’s attempted recovery, further codifying their own long-running doubts [[link removed]] about the Bally Sports parent.

A confirmation hearing on the reorganization, recently rescheduled to July 29, remains on the books. But should formal objections arrive from any or all of the three leagues, it remains to be seen whether that schedule stays on track. “Time is of the essence, and we do not yet have the answers we need from the debtors on a workable go-forward business plan,” said NHL outside counsel Shana Elberg.

ONE BIG FIG Major Turnout

FOS image

8,260

Attendance Tuesday for the Somerset Patriots, a Yankees minor-league affiliate in Bridgewater, N.J., representing the largest single-game turnout for the former independent team since it became a Double-A franchise in 2021. The historic draw was driven by the presence of Yankees ace and reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole, who was pitching for the Patriots on a rehab assignment while recovering from injury. In addition to filling the 6,100 seats at TD Bank Ballpark, the Patriots sold more than 2,000 standing-room tickets.

The Patriots’ attendance was also 47% higher than the 5,624 that the A’s drew Tuesday at the Oakland Coliseum.

STATUS REPORT Three Up, One Push

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

UEFA Champions League ⬆ Real Madrid’s victory over Borussia Dortmund in Saturday’s final averaged 2.32 million viewers on CBS, up 6% from last year when Manchester City beat Inter Milan. This year’s match was the third-most-watched UCL final in English-language TV history and the most-streamed soccer match ever on Paramount+.

Sergio Pérez ⬆ The Formula One driver has signed a contract extension with Red Bull Racing, the team he has helped win the constructors’ championship the previous two seasons. Financial details were not released, but Pérez is said to be earning [[link removed]] $14 million this season.

Carmelo Anthony ⬆ The former NBA player, a 10-time All-Star, is set to join the ownership group of a future expansion team in the National Basketball League, which comprises nine teams in Australia and one in New Zealand. Anthony is also becoming an ambassador for the competition.

Angel Reese ⬆⬇ The Chicago Sky rookie (above) was ejected from Tuesday night’s loss to the New York Liberty after receiving two technical fouls late in the fourth quarter. The WNBA will fine Reese $400, but Chicago Bulls star Lonzo Ball indicated on social media that he would cover that. “Keep ya money Angel I got you,” he posted on X [[link removed]].

FUTURE OF SPORTS

Investing in Sports

Want an inside look at the incredible rise of private equity in sports? Front Office Sports has you covered with our latest event—Future of Sports: Private Equity.

On June 12 at 1 p.m. ET, you’ll get unprecedented access to the minds behind the deals.

The event will feature a range of conversations between investors and team executives about how private equity is reshaping the financial landscape of sports. We’ll discuss everything from why this movement got started in the first place to how we can expect it to evolve in the future.

Participating speakers are from Sixth Street, SC Holdings, Raine, Blue Owl Capital, and more. Check out the full program [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing unveiled [[link removed]] their new headquarters in North Carolina, aptly named Airspeed. The facility features a weight room, a sauna, memorabilia from MJ and Hamlin, and a conference room adorned with 45 pairs of Air Jordans. The Olympic swimming trials have moved from Omaha to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and the venue is massive. Check it out [[link removed]]. Oregon’s $270 million track and field stadium, hailed as “the world’s finest theater for track,” has reopened for the NCAA Outdoor Championships this week. Take a look [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks Conspirator Arrested in Federal Complaint Tied to Jontay Porter Scheme [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Authorities arrested Long Phi Pham at JFK airport Monday. Premier League Faces Legal Attack From Most Dominant Club [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Manchester City argues independent reviews of sponsorships by owner-tied companies are unfair. Shohei Ohtani’s Former Interpreter Pleads Guilty to Stealing $17 Million, Tax Fraud [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Mizuhara faces up to 33 years in prison, with sentencing in October. 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]]

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