July 2, 2024

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The money is flowing quite freely in the free-agent markets for both the NHL and NBA. … Warner Bros. Discovery is rapidly reshaping its sports rights portfolio, regardless of what ultimately happens with its NBA relationship. … Tuesday night’s Copa América coverage on Fox Sports drew plenty of rebuke, but it was the world feed to blame. … Plus: More on England, Scripps Sports, Diamond Sports Group, and Netflix.

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

NBA and NHL Free Agency: Billions in New Deals Despite Economic Unrest [[link removed]]

Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

There may be economic angst in many other parts of the country, and the sports industry specifically. But when it comes to the NBA and NHL, free agent dollars are flowing at often-unprecedented levels.

The first day of 2024’s free agency in the NHL on Monday was marked by $1.2 billion in total salary commitments, according to salary cap website CapFriendly [[link removed]]. The figure is a one-day league record, and the NHL’s first 24-hour period with at least $1 billion in player spending.

The NBA, meanwhile, has seen $3.1 billion in total salary commitments since free agency began June 30, according to Spotrac [[link removed]]. That total—already more than half of the $5.7 billion in NBA total offseason spending [[link removed]] a year ago—includes $2.1 billion in free agency pacts and $1 billion more in contract extensions.

One of those extensions, the Celtics’ five-year supermax deal with forward Jayson Tatum (above), is worth $314 million, itself is the largest individual player deal in NBA history, and arrived just hours after the team’s announcement of a forthcoming sale [[link removed]] of the franchise by owner Wyc Grousbeck and his partners.

Underlying Economics

The robust player spending is a direct outgrowth of still-rising revenues for both leagues, even in an era of unprecedented media disruption—particularly at the local level [[link removed]] given the ongoing bankruptcy of Bally Sports parent Diamond Sports Group.

The NHL just finished a banner season [[link removed]] with record levels of both revenue ($6.2 billion) and attendance (22.56 million total), and a Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final that was the league’s most-watched game [[link removed]] in five years. Amid those widespread growth markers, the 2024–25 salary cap rose [[link removed]] by 5.4% to $88 million—also the biggest boost in half a decade—and commissioner Gary Bettman is projecting more cap increases in subsequent years.

“A lot of cash,” Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving, said of the initial NHL player spending. “I heard it from a lot of the agents, reminding me that the cap’s going up. It’s a competitive industry. There were players out there to fill holes in rosters. … You saw teams [being] aggressive, and lots of players changed teams.”

No Slowing Down

The NBA, meanwhile, remains on the cusp [[link removed]] of a new set of national media rights deals that will more than double its annual intake there to nearly $7 billion per year. The final 2024–25 salary cap figure came in [[link removed]] at $140.6 million, about $400,000 lower than previously projected, but is still 3.4% higher than a year ago.

The league also set a combined attendance record of 22.54 million last season, and future cap increases are expected to approach 10% annually with the forthcoming national media revenues.

TNT Sports Locks in New Media-Rights Deals As NBA Decision Looms [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

As TNT Sports remains on the brink [[link removed]] of losing NBA media rights, its parent company Warner Bros. Discovery continues to strike new deals with other leagues and properties to serve as alternatives to professional basketball broadcasts. Last week, it was Big East basketball. This week, it’s Mountain West football. And more could be on the way.

It’s an intriguing strategy being taken by TNT Sports, which aired more than 100 NBA games during the most recent regular season and playoffs. So, with that programming likely to end after the upcoming NBA season, TNT Sports has five new deals that are set to kick in either this year or in 2025:

Mountain West Conference: 14 football games per season through ‘25. College Football Playoff: First-round and some quarterfinal games [[link removed]] through ’28. Big East Conference: Men’s and women’s basketball [[link removed]] games from ’25 to ’31. French Open: $65 million annual deal [[link removed]] through ’34. NASCAR: five annual races [[link removed]] from ’25 to ’31.

Of those deals, all struck within the last eight months, only the French Open gives TNT Sports all of a property’s U.S. broadcast rights. Still, they all represent a variety of new offerings, complementing the existing TNT Sports portfolio, which includes marquee properties like March Madness, the NHL, and MLB.

Meanwhile, the expansion comes as more TNT Sports broadcasts are set to be streamed on Max, which recently launched a live sports tier [[link removed]], as well as Venu Sports, the joint venture [[link removed]] that WBD has partnered on with ESPN and Fox. Additionally, more TNT Sports broadcasts are heading to TruTV, which will be the case for Mountain West games.

What’s Next?

While the NBA on TNT may be over come 2025, there should be more live sports rights to be had. And a source tells Front Office Sports to expect TNT Sports to remain aggressive in pursuing more deals.

The Mountain West’s primary deal with CBS and Fox runs for two more seasons, giving TNT Sports a chance to test the waters through its new, smaller set of football games. The UFC’s pact with ESPN expires at the end of 2025. Even the NFL, which has $110 billion contracts running through ’33, remains open for new suitors—as evidenced [[link removed]] by the Netflix deal for Christmas Day games.

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LOUD AND CLEAR Bird’s-Eye View

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

“This is not a stadium for ants.”

—Fox Sports soccer analyst Stuart Holden, during Monday night’s broadcast of the U.S.-Uruguay Copa América match at Arrowhead Stadium (above) in Kansas City. The game opened with an abnormally high camera angle, which frustrated viewers and Fox talent alike.

“This is a very high camera because it’s from the CONMEBOL world feed,” Holden explained [[link removed]] on air. Fox play-by-play commentator John Strong said the camera being used was about six stories up the elevator from where the other broadcast cameras were. “I’m honestly laughing at it,” Strong said.

Front Office Sports reporter Alex Schiffer explores [[link removed]] the network’s camera problem, which was eventually fixed, as well as other issues Fox dealt with throughout the night. Meanwhile, the loss to Uruguay eliminated the U.S. from the tournament, resulting [[link removed]] in several less-than-ideal scenarios for soccer stakeholders off the pitch.

STATUS REPORT Two Up, Two Down

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

England ⬆ After defeating Slovakia in the Euro 2024 Round of 16 over the weekend, the country’s national soccer team was treated to a private concert [[link removed]] from British artist Ed Sheeran at their training base on Monday.

Scripps Sports ⬆ The broadcaster has landed a local media-rights deal with the Stanley Cup champion Panthers. Game broadcasts, which were previously on the Diamond Sports Group-owned regional network Bally Sports Florida, will now air on free over-the-air TV in South Florida.

Diamond Sports Group ⬇ Already in the midst of a bitter carriage dispute [[link removed]] with Comcast, the bankrupt Bally Sports parent has also gone dark on Altice USA’s Optimum cable systems. Optimum said in a statement that it “we do not believe it is fair for Diamond … to ask customers to pay high rates for their channels” when that company’s long-term status remains uncertain. Optimum has about 2.1 million video subscribers spanning 21 states.

Netflix ⬇ Travis Kelce (above) said [[link removed]] that he turned down an opportunity to appear on Receiver, the streaming platform’s followup series to Quarterback. The shows document an NFL season from the perspective of players at a specific position group. Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson highlights this year’s group of five participants.

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Tune In This September

Tuned In [[link removed]], Front Office Sports’ media franchise led by senior media reporter Mike McCarthy, appears across FOS platforms through editorial coverage, social storytelling, and newsletter segments.

On Sept. 10, Tuned In will come to life as a one-day event in New York City with the biggest newsmakers in sports media.

The daylong event will feature intimate discussions with leaders within the sports media space—ranging from athletes and on-air talent, to media moguls and league executives who are instrumental in shaping the future of how fans view sports.

Check out the full lineup for the event and request to attend here [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters EA Sports College Football 25’s dynasty mode features [[link removed]] the 12-team College Football Playoff, a transfer portal, staged recruiting, custom conferences, coaching career progression, and staff management. ESPN has extended [[link removed]] Gary Striewski’s contract, fulfilling his sixth-grade dream of working at the network. Nike unveiled its ad for the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team. Check it out [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks Nev. Court Again Rules Gruden Suit Should Be Shunted To Secretive NFL Arbitration [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Gruden says the NFL leaked emails to oust him as Raiders coach. Willie Mays’s Humility Was Key to His Genius [[link removed]]by Bradford William Davis [[link removed]]Mays took heat from all sides, and handled it his own way. As NIL Turns Three, Collectives and Football Still Control the Industry [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Collectives dominate NIL, and football makes up most of collective budgets. 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]]

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