June 24, 2024

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One of the greatest spectacles in all of sports—Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final—is on deck for tonight, and it will conclude what’s been a landmark year for the NHL. … TMRW Sports’ TGL has yet to hit the market, but there’s a big new valuation for the company developing the tech-centric golf competition. … Scottie Scheffler is earning at historic levels not only for golf, but also compared to stars in other leagues. … The Packers will have a new top executive next year. … Plus: More on MLS, Fox, the Paris Olympics, and drones in golf coverage.

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

Stanley Cup Final: An Unlikely Game 7 Is Set to Cap the NHL’s Best Season [[link removed]]

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

The NHL is capping what has been perhaps its greatest season with the possibility of the most improbable of comebacks in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Oilers have forced a Game 7, to be played Monday night in Florida, against the Panthers after dropping the first three games of the series. Just four teams in NHL history have won a seven-game series after first falling to a 3–0 deficit, and just once has it happened in the Final. That was by the Maple Leafs in 1942, before the widespread adoption of television and when the NHL had just seven teams, so what Edmonton is attempting to do is unprecedented in modern history.

But as historic as that would be, whoever wins the deciding game will conclude a series of significant gains for the NHL throughout the season. Among them:

A 36% boost in U.S. ratings for the Stanley Cup Final to an average of 3.6 million through the first six games. This year’s series has been aired on Disney’s ABC as opposed to last year’s cable-only coverage on Warner Bros. Discovery networks. But even accounting for that difference, the year-over-year audience gains have been significant An average of 1.3 million U.S. viewers per game for the first three rounds of the playoffs, up by 14% from a year ago and the best such figure since 1996 Record-level attendance [[link removed]] in the regular season of 22.56 million, with games on average played to 97% venue capacity Another league record for annual revenue [[link removed]] of $6.2 billion, boosted by that attendance total, as well as gains in media and sponsorship The strong initial fan reception [[link removed]] for the new Utah Hockey Club, contrasting sharply against rising turmoil [[link removed]] for the former Coyotes franchise Big Stakes

What had been looking like a drama-free wipeout of a series is now culminating in a Game 7 that is one of the most tension-filled settings in all of pro sports. Should the Oilers win, it would also represent the first NHL championship by a Canadian team since the Canadiens in 1993, and that 31-year drought [[link removed]] is by far the longest in league history. But if the Panthers prevail, this would be their first title in league history, bringing what’s already been a comprehensive resurgence [[link removed]] for the franchise both on and off the ice to a whole new level.

The last Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final—in 2019 between the Blues and Bruins—drew an average TV audience of 8.7 million and set a mark [[link removed]).] as the most-watched NHL game on record, suggesting another big number to come Monday night.

“That’s actually what makes this whole thing awesome—the context of it,” said Panthers coach Paul Maurice.

Tiger’s Golf League Hits $500 Million Valuation Before First Swing [[link removed]]

USA TODAY

Tiger Woods (above, left) and Rory McIlroy (above, right) won’t hit golf shots in their new alternative league for at least another six months, but their unique business venture is already worth a lot of money.

Front Office Sports can confirm that TMRW Sports, the parent company of the tech-centric golf competition TGL, is valued at nearly $500 million in a Series A funding round announced Monday. Led by investment firms Dynasty Equity and Connect Ventures, the new money means Woods and McIlroy have built a half-billion-dollar company without staging a single event.

Ready for Action

TGL, which has 24 PGA Tour players committed for its first season, is set to debut in January, after venue problems pushed back the original start date [[link removed]], scheduled for earlier this year, by 12 months. SoFi Center, the new 1,500-seat South Florida stadium that will host all TGL matches, had a power failure last fall that led to its air-supported dome collapsing. Now, a permanent roof is being built.

ESPN is signed up as TGL’s media-rights partner under a multiyear deal [[link removed]] that should put the league in front of mainstream sports fans beyond just a golf-centric audience—all in prime time. Golfers will hit some shots using a simulator and others at the venue’s 22,475-square-foot green and short game area.

Dollars and Cents

The new league will start with six teams of three players each. Franchise owners include well-known sports team owners like Arthur Blank (Falcons, Atlanta United) and Steve Cohen (Mets), and Woods himself, among others.

Most team owners are also investors in TMRW Sports, which has a long list of athletes, celebrities, and major investment firms with stakes in the company. New investor Dynasty Equity last year made its entry in sports by purchasing a minority stake [[link removed]] in Liverpool for $200 million (the Premier League club is owned by Fenway Sports Group, another TMRW investor and TGL team owner).

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS EVENTS

From Fireside to Courtside

Summer is officially in full swing and Front Office Sports is headed to the Hamptons. On Aug. 2, Huddle in the Hamptons [[link removed]] will bring together business leaders in sports, entertainment, technology, and media for an afternoon of panels, networking, and racket sports.

The perfect way to spend a summer Friday, this invite-only event will begin with a series of fireside chats and conclude with a pickleball tournament.

To become a partner or learn more about the event, visit our website [[link removed]].

Scheffler’s Season Earnings Could Surpass Top NFL, NBA, MLB Stars [[link removed]]

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Scottie Scheffler (above) is having a historic season on the PGA Tour. So good, in fact, that he’s on pace to outearn every single NFL quarterback, NBA star, and maybe even baseball’s $70 million man [[link removed]], Shohei Ohtani.

Sunday’s victory at the Travelers Championship, Scheffler’s sixth of the season, brought his 2024 prize money total to $27.69 million. Pending performance bonuses alone could easily double that sum—not to mention further checks the golfer may collect on the course.

What Lies Ahead

Scheffler has a huge lead in the Comcast Business Tour Top 10 standings, which will pay out $8 million to the winner after the regular season. There’s virtually no way second-place Xander Schauffele can catch him. When the PGA Tour’s playoffs start, this year’s Masters champion will be the favorite to win the FedExCup and its $25 million prize. Those alone would take Scheffler over $60 million in season earnings.

Along the way, he’ll compete at next month’s Open Championship and two early-round postseason tournaments—all of which will award at least $3 million to the respective winners. Scheffler could also cash in on the PGA Tour’s player impact program: Last year, he finished fifth and took home $6 million (this year’s winner is said to be taking home $10 million).

Those variables could vault Scheffler’s season-long payout to $70 million or more.

Golf vs. Other Sports

With Scheffler approaching $60 million to $70 million this season, take a look at the players with the highest average annual salary values across the four major men’s U.S. sports leagues, according to Spotrac.

MLB: Shohei Ohtani, $70 million NBA: Jaylen Brown, $57.24 million NFL: Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence, $55 million NHL: Auston Matthews, $13.25 million What About LIV?

Joaquin Niemann leads LIV Golf players in on-course earnings this season, bringing in $12.9 million so far from league events and major championships. But that’s only one piece of the pie for LIV players, of course.

Jon Rahm is playing his first season on LIV after accepting a contract [[link removed]] reportedly worth anywhere from $300 million to $600 million. Depending on the length of the deal, that could very well put Rahm—and other LIV stars with big signing bonuses—ahead of Scheffler in cash this year. But as far as tournament earnings go, no one is close.

Last year’s individual LIV champion Talor Gooch won a total of $36 million, including an $18 million title bonus.

LOUD AND CLEAR The Big Cheese

Journal Sentinel

“This is the absolute best job in sports.”

—Ed Policy (above, right), on being newly appointed as the next chairman, president, and CEO of the Packers, effective July 2025. Policy, currently the NFL team’s COO and general counsel and a key figure in the team’s Titletown real estate development, will succeed Mark Murphy, who is set to reach a mandatory retirement age of 70.

Since the Packers are owned by a large group of stockholders, this position carries a particularly critical role as essentially the executive face of the franchise, and part of the task for Policy will be to maintain the team’s powerful presence in this unusual structure and in the No. 69 U.S. media market. To that end, Policy also said “we are stewards of the most iconic and unique organization in all of professional sports.” Policy, 53, is the son of Carmen Policy, who was a longtime NFL team executive and one of the key architects of the 49ers’ dynasty in the 1980s.

STATUS REPORT Two Up, Two Down

Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

MLS ⬆ Midway through the season, the league is on pace to break the attendance record it set last year [[link removed]] when 10.4 million fans went to games. As of June 22, MLS says more than 6.5 million fans have attended matches—nearly 700,000 more than during the same period in 2023.

Fox ⬆ The network has acquired rights to the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 tournament. Previous editions aired on ESPN. Fox will look to avoid some of the issues fans have complained [[link removed]] about during this summer’s men’s Euros.

Paris Olympics ⬇ The Seine river, which is set to host several outdoor swimming events next month, still contains levels of contamination [[link removed]] that are unsafe. There is no backup venue to use, but competitions could be delayed [[link removed]] several days, if necessary.

Drones ⬇ Sunday’s LIV Golf broadcast picked up Jon Rahm saying an obscenity [[link removed]] after his tee shot found water, which he appeared to blame, at least partially, on a TV drone moving in his backswing. Earlier this month, PGA Tour golfer Robert MacIntyre complained about a drone during a CBS broadcast at the RBC Canadian Open, which he won.

SPONSORED BY NIELSEN

Value in Women’s Sports

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Women’s sports are taking the spotlight and so are its brands. Join Nielsen [[link removed]] and speakers from the WNBA and Google as they dissect the massive growth opportunity in women’s sports. They will discuss their partnership, how it benefits fans and sponsors, and how they measure success. Through data-driven frameworks, they’ll outline how advertisers and marketers should approach this surge in attention and provide the tools to quantify their performance.

Get access to detailed industry insights [[link removed]] and strategies, like why Google invests in women’s sports and how they measure success, the WNBA’s growth plans for fans and sponsors, and how brands can create a measurement model for investing in women’s sports in 2024 and beyond.

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Conversation Starters Melissa High School (yes, high school) in Texas unveiled its new $35 million football stadium a year ago, boasting a state-of-the-art facility with a seating capacity of 10,000. Check it out [[link removed]]. D.J. MacLeay started his NBA career as a video coordinator for the 76ers before becoming a player enhancement coach for the Celtics. He played a pivotal role in Kristaps Porziņģis’s journey to the NBA Finals, ultimately receiving a Rolex watch as a gift from Porziņģis after their victory. Watch here [[link removed]]. Think you can make a dynasty out of a small school? We’re giving away two copies of the highly anticipated EA Sports College Football 25 video game. Enter here [[link removed]] for a chance to win. See rules here [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks High Ticket Prices, Half-Empty NFL Stadiums at Copa América [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Ecuador-Venezuela drew under 30K. Fans are blaming high ticket prices. New Manchester United Owner Admits He Hasn’t Focused on Women’s Team Yet [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Ratcliffe said his focus has been on the men’s team. ESPN Bet’s Operator Is Reportedly Being Eyed in a Potential Takeover [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]Boyd Gaming has reportedly approached ESPN Bet partner Penn Entertainment about an acquisition. 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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