June 11, 2024

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Joey Chestnut’s deal with Impossible Foods means he’ll miss the annual Fourth of July contest sponsored by Nathan’s. … Warner Bros. Discovery’s newly completed, 10-year rights deal with the French Open—the longest in the company’s sports portfolio—shows a high level of confidence both in itself and the state of the media business amid historic disruption. … There will be a tight turnaround at Roland-Garros between the end of the recent tennis major and the upcoming Paris Olympics. … Tiger Woods says both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf are trying to find an “end game” in the long-running talks toward a unification deal for men’s pro golf. … Plus: More on Lionel Messi, flag football, the UFL, and the city of Portland.

— Margaret Fleming [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

Meatless Makeover: Joey Chestnut Is Out of Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest [[link removed]]

Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

America’s classic Fourth of July tradition, the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest [[link removed]], will look unrecognizable this year without its superstar Joey Chestnut. And a business decision is to blame.

Chestnut’s partnership with Impossible Foods, which makes plant-based meat alternatives to burgers and hot dogs, is what’s blocking him out of the event, according to the New York Post [[link removed]]. Major League Eating said a Labor Day competition on Netflix with no brand promotion was offered, but the Nathan’s competition has had the same “basic hot dog exclusivity provisions” for nearly 20 years.

“We are devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest,” MLE said in a statement [[link removed]]. “MLE and Nathan’s went to great lengths to accommodate Joey and his management team, agreeing to the appearance fee and allowing Joey to compete in a rival, unbranded hot dog eating contest on Labor Day.”

The Post reports that Chestnut made $200,000 competing in last year’s contest, and was offered a $1.2 million contract to stick around for the next four years. Whatever Impossible offered ultimately was more enticing.

An Accomplished Eater

Chestnut, 40, is the star of the competitive eating world, and has won 16 Nathan’s competitions while gaining national acclaim. He holds the world record for eating 76 dogs and buns in 10 minutes in 2021, and has won the Fourth of July competition every year since ’16. In ’23, he sailed to victory with 62 dogs.

MLE’s own website [[link removed]] calls him the “greatest eater in history.”

“Joey Chestnut is an American hero. We would love nothing more than to have him at the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest. We hope he returns when he is not representing a rival brand,” MLE said.

MLE and Chestnut did not immediately respond to Front Office Sports’ requests for comment.

Chestnut’s biggest rival, Takeru Kobayashi, won six straight Nathan’s contests before also dropping out due to business quarrels with MLE. He hasn’t entered the competition since 2009 because he refused [[link removed]] to sign an exclusive deal with the organization. Kobayashi retired [[link removed]] in May, saying: “I no longer feel hunger.”

SPONSORED BY DURACELL

F1’s Unexpected Brand for the Fans

At first glance, a Duracell partnership with a Formula One [[link removed]] racing team would surprise anyone familiar with the sport and its historically luxurious group of sponsors. But when Duracell joined forces with Williams Racing in 2023, that was just step one for the household brand as it carved out a new and unique relationship between brand and fan.

Duracell made a quick splash through clever branding that created the appearance of a battery installed on top of the F1 cars. But where Duracell really connected with fans was through social media, via consistent engagement in real time, with a lighthearted tone that fans found fun and refreshing.

Read the full article [[link removed]] to learn more about how Duracell is winning fans over through the power of social media.

French Open Deal Marks New Era for TNT Sports. Will It Include the NBA? [[link removed]]

Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

Warner Bros. Discovery, like any other media company, cannot fully project the long-term state of the industry, or even its own business, amid an accelerating state of disruption [[link removed]]. But the TNT Sports parent has nonetheless made another big bet on the future.

WBD has completed a 10-year rights deal with the French Open to carry the tennis major starting next year and through 2034. Worth about $650 million over the full term, according to industry sources, the agreement immediately vaults to a position as TNT Sports’ longest rights deal, surpassing the current end in ’32 of its shared March Madness rights with CBS Sports and a new NASCAR pact [[link removed]] expiring in ’31.

The French Open agreement arrives directly in the midst of a particularly fragile time for WBD. The company is trying to preserve an NBA media-rights [[link removed]] relationship that has lasted four decades, but it could now be on the outside looking in against rival bids from ESPN, NBC Sports, and Amazon.

Regardless of the outcome of the basketball situation, though, WBD executives said the French Open deal represents another important move to secure top-tier content. It’s also part of ongoing transformation [[link removed]] across the company’s entire rights portfolio also including a recent agreement [[link removed]] to sublicense some College Football Playoff games from ESPN.

Changing Media Landscape

Though it’s essentially impossible to know what the cable and streaming businesses will look like by the mid-2030s, WBD executives touted their array of cable channels, Max streaming service, Bleacher Report, and new participation [[link removed]] in Venu Sports with ESPN and Fox as key tools to show coverage from the French Open and their other sports rights.

“This one just felt right. We look for properties and events where we can really bring in our own DNA, our own brand of storytelling, and the French Open and Roland-Garros is definitely that,” Luis Silberwasser, TNT Sports chairman and CEO, tells Front Office Sports. “We are certainly aware of the challenges of the cable business, but we also continue to be eager to find as many ways as possible to distribute our content.”

The French Open in some respects is seen as the weakest of tennis’s four majors. Competing in a particularly crowded part of the sports calendar in the U.S. against the heart of the NBA and NHL playoffs, the tournament also foregoes some of the power and speed of tennis on hard courts and grass in favor of the longer volleys and extended matches of clay. But Silberwasser says he intends to lean directly into all of that in TNT Sports’ coverage.

“Clay is a central character in this story. Paris is a central character in this story,” Silberwasser says. “It’s a very unique event, with a particular set of branding characteristics, and we’ll absolutely feature that.”

WBD will also leverage Eurosport, its European outlet that has covered the tournament since 1989, in building out its French Open coverage for the U.S.

No News on NBA

Silberwasser declined to comment on the ongoing NBA media-rights negotiations. That situation has largely remained the same in recent weeks, though, with league officials aiming to bring an end to the negotiations soon, and conversations continuing about the possibility [[link removed]] of a fourth package being created that would allow TNT to remain in business with the league.

During the ongoing uncertainty, though, tension and unease continue. TNT Sports analyst Charles Barkley made a guest appearance Monday during ESPN’s coverage of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, and Steve Levy jokingly introduced [[link removed]] the Basketball Hall of Famer as “the newest member of ESPN’s NBA coverage?”

ONE BIG FIG Extreme Makeover

Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

41

Number of days between the end of the French Open and the start of training at Roland-Garros for the Paris Olympics, representing a tight turnaround for one of the most iconic venues in tennis. Not unlike some of the requirements [[link removed]] that FIFA is imposing upon NFL facilities for the 2026 World Cup, Roland-Garros must become a “clean venue” to conform to stringent IOC requirements, including the hiding [[link removed]] of many key facility marks. In ’12, Wimbledon went through an even more compressed timetable to prepare for the London Olympics, but the latest effort at Roland-Garros marks a heightened conflict between the current state of modern venue operations and the IOC’s standards.

EVENT

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. Check out the full program [[link removed]].

Breakthrough? Tiger Says PGA Tour and LIV Golf Are Eyeing ‘End Game’ [[link removed]]

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Tiger Woods is a busy man. This week, he’s in Pinehurst, N.C., getting ready to compete in his 23rd U.S. Open. On Tuesday night, he’ll also receive the Bob Jones Award—the highest honor given out by the United States Golf Association to recognize sportsmanship and respect for the game. And over the weekend, Woods was part of an hours-long meeting in New York City with representatives from LIV Golf’s financial backers at the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, including governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

“It was productive,” Woods said Tuesday during his pre-tournament press conference. “And is there light at the end of [the] tunnel? I think we’re closer to that point than we were pre-meeting.” On Saturday morning, the PGA Tour released a statement confirming the meeting, saying that “more progress was made” and the Tour remains “committed to these negotiations.”

“Both sides were looking at different ways to get to the end game,” Woods said. “Both sides shared a deep passion for how we need to get there. And yes, there are going to be differences of opinion, but we all want the same thing.”

Return on Investment?

Rory McIlroy, who is also part of the PGA Tour’s transaction subcommittee negotiating with the PIF, gave his reaction [[link removed]] to the meeting Saturday at The Memorial Tournament. “They’re a sovereign wealth fund,” he said. “They invest in companies and in different things and they want a return on their investment. … It doesn’t seem like they’re getting that at the minute within golf.”

Last Thursday marked one year since the PGA Tour and the PIF announced a shocking framework agreement to unify men’s professional golf. Still without a deal, the future of golf and ongoing divide between PGA Tour and LIV Golf players remains murky [[link removed]].

STATUS REPORT Three Up, One Down

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Lionel Messi ⬆ The Inter Miami star (above) has the top-selling jersey [[link removed]] in MLS so far this season. No. 2 is his teammate Luis Suárez. FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta, Columbus Crew’s Cucho Hernández, and Galaxy’s Riqui Puig round out the top five.

Flag football ⬆ Already set to make its Olympic debut [[link removed]] in 2028, the sport’s governing body, USA Football, has inked an apparel deal with Under Armour, which will outfit U.S. national teams during competition.

UFL ⬆ Both of the spring football league’s playoff semifinal games over the weekend averaged [[link removed]] more than one million viewers. The Birmingham Stallions and San Antonio Brahmas face off in the championship game Sunday on Fox.

Portland ⬇ The city has lost its place on the Formula E calendar. The electric racing series announced its 2025 schedule, with a Miami race in April the lone event set to take place in the U.S. However, a race date in March doesn’t yet have a location, and FE CEO Jeff Dodds previously told Front Office Sports [[link removed]] he would like to see up to three races in the U.S.

SPONSORED BY WSC SPORTS

New AI-Tailored Content Experiences

Sports media rights holders face new challenges [[link removed]] as the way fans consume content continues to change. There is an increased focus on short-form content, multiple viewing platforms, and various viewing formats.

WSC Sports [[link removed]], a trusted partner to the NBA, LaLiga, Big Ten Network, Bleacher Report, and 460+ other sports organizations, recently announced the release of three products that empower sports organizations to meet the changes desired by fans.

WSC Sports’ platform automatically creates, manages, and distributes personalized content [[link removed]] for every fan on every platform, resulting in higher engagement and creating new revenue opportunities.

Conversation Starters ESPN’s First Take began Tuesday by announcing a multiyear contract extension for Shannon Sharpe, with Sharpe expressing his gratitude to Stephen A. Smith for making it possible. Watch here [[link removed]]. Chad Poarch scored the “Million Dollar Goal” to secure a $1 million prize for La Bombonera in The Soccer Tournament last night, while leaving 47 other teams with nothing. He plans [[link removed]] to use his winnings to pay off student loans, credit card debt, and invest. One to remember: In the past week [[link removed]], Christian McCaffrey signed a $38 million contract extension, celebrated his 28th birthday, and was unveiled as the Madden 25 cover athlete. Editors’ Picks Odds Stacked Against NFL in Multibillion-Dollar Sunday Ticket Trial [[link removed]]by Daniel Kaplan [[link removed]]Why the class action trial does not look promising for the league. How Olympic Contenders Can ‘Lose Money’ in Elite Running [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]‘If you want to make money in this sport, it’s all about shoe deals. It’s all about getting sponsored.’ ESPN Extension Could Set Up Shannon Sharpe As Stephen A. Smith’s Successor [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Sharpe is writing one of the great career comebacks in sports TV history. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Sports Careers [[link removed]] Written by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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