June 7, 2024

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MLB has a “monster” weekend upcoming, and on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. … Two major players in licensed sports headwear and apparel are joining forces. … Ted Leonsis speaks again about his baseball ambitions. … Large purses are on the line in golf, horse racing, tennis, and NASCAR. … Plus: More on ESPN, the Twins, Rays, and Mike Tyson and Jake Paul.

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

MLB Forges Ahead With Global Tour, Aims to Clear European Hurdles [[link removed]]

Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports

MLB’s international push will take another big step this weekend, one also coinciding with one of the biggest matchups of the entire regular season.

The Mets and Phillies will play a series Saturday and Sunday at London Stadium (above), home of the Premier League’s West Ham United. The event, part of the ongoing MLB World Tour, is the third set of games in London following Yankees–Red Sox in 2019 and Cubs-Cardinals last year [[link removed]].

The U.K. games also follow those MLB played [[link removed]] in South Korea and in Mexico to start this season. But unlike Asia and Latin America, where baseball fandom already is extensive, the league’s efforts to develop the sport in Europe have been more of an uphill climb. Along those lines, prior plans to play next year in Paris have already been canceled [[link removed]]. The presence of the large-market Phillies and Mets—and their uber-popular mascots [[link removed]]—in London is seen as a big step forward.

“We’ve clearly identified the U.K. as a priority market and an area that we plan to emphasize for international growth,” Chris Marinak, MLB chief operations and strategy officer, told the Associated Press [[link removed]].

Major Star Power

While those games are happening in London, an arguably bigger event is occurring back in New York as the Dodgers visit the Yankees for a three-game weekend series. The slate marks the one meeting this season of two of the league’s most popular teams.

With MLB’s balanced schedule format that began last year, every team now plays every other one during the regular season. But this Los Angeles–New York matchup brings together Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge—by many accounts the game’s two most popular figures—for the first time since the Japanese phenom signed a record-setting $700 million free-agent contract [[link removed]] with the Dodgers during the offseason. It’s also the Dodgers’ first visit to Yankee Stadium since 2016, when Judge was a late-season rookie call-up.

Media Logistics

Saturday’s Dodgers-Yankees game will be shown nationally in prime time on Fox, forming a baseball doubleheader of sorts with earlier coverage of the first Mets-Phillies game, and horse racing’s Belmont Stakes in between. ESPN will have a similar high-profile grouping the next day with the second MLB game from London, and then the Dodgers and Yankees on Sunday Night Baseball.

“We’re looking forward to a monster weekend,” Andy Jacobson, ESPN producer, tells Front Office Sports. “Baseball is absolutely getting center stage this weekend, and we’re really excited to be part of it. For London, a lot of the content we’re developing will really be celebrating baseball and this new international frontier. We leaned big into that in Seoul, and will do so again here.”

Both networks, however, are anxiously awaiting news on star Yankees outfielder Juan Soto, who exited Thursday’s game against the Twins with forearm tightness and is set to undergo imaging Friday.

For ESPN, meanwhile, there will also be a bit of intranetwork competition as the Sunday prime-time baseball game—to be preceded by a network sit-down interview with Judge—will parallel coverage of Game 2 of the NBA Finals on sister network ABC.

New Era’s Acquisition of ’47 Set to Reshape Sports Apparel Market [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Two of the longest-running and most entrenched makers of licensed sports league headwear and apparel are coming together in a deal poised to reshape the market significantly.

Buffalo-based New Era Cap—which has ties to the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and hundreds of colleges—is acquiring key competitor and fashion brand ’47. Headquartered in Massachusetts, ’47 was started in 1947 by twin brothers Arthur and Henry D’Angelo, while the Koch family has led New Era across four generations since its 1920 founding.

Financial terms were not disclosed for this deal bringing together the two venerable companies. But New Era said the combined operation is projected to generate about $2 billion in annual revenue. Both the New Era and ’47 brands will be retained, and a deal closing is targeted by the end of the year.

“Our two companies have a shared history, having begun as family businesses dating back generations and transforming through passion and hard work into globally recognized brands,” New Era CEO Chris Koch said in a statement. “Through this transaction, we will offer a breadth of products across both brands and enhance how we serve our customers and partners around the world.”

Investment Matters

ACON Investments, a private equity firm that bought into [[link removed]] New Era in 2021, will maintain a “significant stake” in the combined company.

The agreement will give New Era greater scale, particularly as the entire licensed sports merchandise business continues to see widespread consolidation, much of it through the aggressiveness of Fanatics [[link removed]] into additional areas.

Last fall, Reuters reported [[link removed]] that New Era was considering an initial public offering worth as much as $5 billion. That potential of a stock issue still exists [[link removed]] but, if it happens, will likely be at a higher figure.

SPONSORED BY CHAMPS SPORTS

Soccer-Inspired Looks

Champs Sports [[link removed]] knows a thing or two about the culture of soccer [[link removed]]. If you’re searching for footwear, apparel, and accessories that pay homage to the sport even beyond the field, it has you covered with the latest selection of sport styles from Adidas.

Searching for a fresh new pair? Or shopping for an everyday staple? Look no further than its lineup of must-haves, which includes the new Samba Messi [[link removed]], the classic Tiro Pants, and so much more.

Get the looks that show your love for soccer at Champs Sports. Find them in store or online here [[link removed]].

LOUD AND CLEAR Grand Plan for Washington

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

“Adding that team is really important to the business.”

—Monumental Sports & Entertainment chairman Ted Leonsis, speaking on Bloomberg TV [[link removed]] about his continued interest in acquiring MLB’s Nationals. He has repeatedly spoken of his desire to buy the baseball team, making similar comments recently on Front Office Sports Today [[link removed]] and to The Washington Post [[link removed]]. Rounding out an annualized nature of Monumental’s operations is a core part of the Nationals push, and if successful, the MLB franchise would join a portfolio also including the NBA’s Wizards, NHL’s Capitals, and WNBA’s Mystics. “We own the winter sports. We own the network. We own the venues,” Leonsis said.

WEEKEND PRIZE POOL French Open Finales

Susan Mullane-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:

LIV Golf, Houston

When: Friday to Sunday Purse: $25 million First place: $4 million (individual), $3 million (team)

PGA Tour, The Memorial Tournament, Dublin, Ohio

When: Thursday to Sunday Purse: $20 million First place: $4 million

LPGA, ShopRite Classic, Galloway, N.J.

When: Thursday to Sunday Purse: $1.75 million First place: $262,500

Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

When: Saturday Purse: $2 million First place: $1.2 million Second place: $360,000 Third place: $200,000

French Open at Roland-Garros

When: Saturday (women’s final) and Sunday (men’s final) Purse: $58.2 million First place: $2.6 million (men and women) Runners-up: $1.3 million (men and women)

NASCAR Cup Series, Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway

When: Sunday Purse: $8.4 million First place: Individual payouts are no longer disclosed STATUS REPORT One Up, Three Down

Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN ⬇ Amid rising expectations [[link removed]] for the next cycle of NBA national media rights, the network’s performance in the current term was widely panned [[link removed]] as halftime coverage of Game 1 of the Finals was dominated by commercials and offered minimal analysis of the competition in progress.

Twins fans ⬇ The MLB team continues to be unavailable [[link removed]] to local subscribers of Comcast amid the company’s continued carriage impasse [[link removed]] with Diamond Sports Group. Sen. Tina Smith (D., Minn.) wrote [[link removed]] to Comcast this week, saying in a letter, “My constituents are furious.” But the cable giant has consistently moved in other markets such as Pittsburgh, Baltimore-Washington [[link removed]], and Seattle to place regional sports networks on more premium tiers, a subject also at the core of the standoff with DSG.

Rays ⬇ The much-discussed plan [[link removed]] to build a new ballpark in St. Petersburg is facing new pushback as No Home Run—an advocacy group made of various opponents of the public funding for the project—released results [[link removed]] of a new poll of local voters finding 72% of respondents in favor of renegotiating the financing.

Mike Tyson and Jake Paul ⬆ The fight [[link removed]] between the 57-year-old former heavyweight champion (above) and social media influencer, which was postponed an original date of July 20 due to health issues with Tyson, has been rescheduled for Nov. 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The event will be held on a Friday instead of a Saturday to allow for time to prepare the facility for the Cowboys’ Nov. 18 home game on Monday Night Football against the Texans.

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.

Conversation Starters Arby’s is offering three golf clubs as part of a Father’s Day promotion. The so-called Burger Drivers are designed to resemble a hamburger. Take a look [[link removed]]. Netflix unveiled the trailer for Sprint, a docuseries featuring top track stars like Noah Lyles, Sha’Carri Richardson, Fred Kerley, and Dina Asher-Smith, set to premiere July 2 before the Olympics. Watch here [[link removed]]. Super Sooners: Oklahoma made history [[link removed]] Thursday as the first NCAA softball team to win four consecutive championships, and it did it in front of a record crowd of 12,324 fans. Editors’ Picks U.S. Cricket Stuns Goliath Behind Its Star, an Ivy League Software Engineer [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Team USA upset Pakistan, one of cricket’s superpowers, in overtime. Adam Silver Says NBA Is Happy With Its 65-Game Participation Policy [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]The commissioner backed the NBA’s participation policy despite a slew of injuries. CFP and NFL Will Play on the Same Day: Breaking Down the TV Schedule [[link removed]]by David Rumsey [[link removed]]The CFP has announced its broadcast schedule for the expanded, 12-team postseason. 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]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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