August 1, 2024

Read in Browser [[link removed]]

POWERED BY

The NFL Sunday Ticket saga could end up with a brand-new trial. … Saudi Arabia’s bid for the 2034 World Cup includes one of the most audacious stadium plans. … Ilona Maher reveals words from her coach that inspired the team to win bronze. … Plus: More on Paige Bueckers, Cosm, Sony, and Red Bull Racing.

— A.J. Perez [[link removed]] and Colin Salao [[link removed]]

Judge Questions $4.7B NFL Verdict: New Trial or Fewer Damages Possible [[link removed]]

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The massive NFL Sunday Ticket verdict wasn’t going to lead to immediate payouts to the millions of consumers and business owners covered by the class-action lawsuit.

But more than a month after a jury found the NFL liable for over $4.7 billion in damages (an award that could triple to $14 billion under antitrust law), U.S. District Court Judge Philip Gutierrez expressed concerns about the eight jurors’ math. Gutierrez said at a Wednesday hearing [[link removed]] it was clear the jury “didn’t follow the instructions” and came up with a figure that wasn’t presented from evidence offered at the three-week trial.

Gutierrez is faced with a few different options on how to remedy the award, including totally setting aside the verdict. It’s more likely, however, that Gutierrez orders a new trial—one that likely won’t take place until 2025—unless he opts to reduce the damages or keep the verdict as is.

“There was a chance Judge Gutierrez would rule from the bench, but it was not likely,” said Andrew Brandt, a former vice president with the Packers and current Sports Illustrated columnist. “Now we wait to see [what Gutierrez rules].”

There’s no precise timetable for when Gutierrez will make his ruling, but it’s likely to be several days from now, and potentially weeks. And whichever way he rules, the side on the wrong end of his decision will almost assuredly head to appeals court to challenge it.

The lawsuit was composed of two classes: 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 bar, restaurant, and other business customers who subscribed to Sunday Ticket from the 2011 through 2022 seasons.

Immediate Changes Unlikely

Gutierrez’s issues over the award calculations don’t mean he won’t issue an order that upholds the jury’s determination the NFL violated antitrust laws by keeping the out-of-market package’s price higher to appease Fox and CBS—which pay the league $4.4 billion combined to broadcast Sunday afternoon games.

The NFL signaled in recent weeks it would appeal such a finding by Gutierrez. The 9th Circuit would almost certainly issue a stay preventing any structural changes as the appeal is argued, a process that would play out well into 2025.

That would leave the current setup on YouTube TV—which began as the new exclusive home of Sunday Ticket last season as part of a seven-year, $14 billion deal—unchanged for the 2024 season. The current Sunday Ticket list price for non–YouTube TV subscribers is $449 with a $100 discount for YouTube TV customers.

Saudi Arabia Submits Bold World Cup Bid That Includes a Cliffside Arena [[link removed]]

Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

Saudi Arabia does not have any competition to host the 2034 World Cup, but that isn’t stopping the nation from pulling out all the stops in its bid.

The Middle Eastern nation submitted its formal bid to FIFA in Paris on Wednesday, and it included plans to construct 11 new stadiums, according to ESPN [[link removed]]. Saudi Arabia’s complete bid includes 15 stadiums in five host cities—including Neom, a still unbuilt city in the northwest region of the country.

Neom [[link removed]]—which the country dubs as a “future global hub”—will be home to the most distinct of the proposed stadiums, built nearly 1,150 feet above the ground. The Neom Stadium will seat 45,000 and will be built into a cliff edge in the region called “The Line,” which will have no roads, cars, and emissions, and it will run on 100% renewable energy. The stadium will therefore be accessible via only transit or driverless vehicles.

“Neom Stadium will be the most unique stadium in the world,” Saudi’s committee wrote [[link removed].] in an outline of its bid. “With a pitch situated more than 350 meters above ground, stunning vistas, and a roof created from the city itself, the stadium will be an experience like no other.”

FIFA is expected to confirm the host for the 2034 World Cup later this year.

Sports Stronghold

It’s no secret Saudi Arabia is going all in on sports.

The Saudi World Cup bid highlights the soccer investments of its Public Investment Fund, which include signing the likes of soccer megastars Cristiano Ronaldo [[link removed]] and Neymar [[link removed]] to Saudi Pro League contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The country funds LIV Golf, the PGA Tour rival that has signed many of the Tour’s players by offering them life-changing contracts and lighter schedules. The PIF and PGA Tour announced [[link removed]] there would be a merger between the two sides, but it’s still unclear [[link removed]] how exactly the partnership will work.

While those are two of the country’s more prominent investments, it has also hosted other high-profile sporting events, including an annual Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, boxing matches featuring the likes of Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou, as well as WWE premium live events.

The next step for the country could be minority ownership of a major U.S. sports team. While the NFL has yet to open ownership stakes to private equity or sovereign wealth funds, other major sports leagues like the NBA [[link removed]] and MLS have removed restrictions.

Looming Criticism

The most prominent cloud hanging over Saudi Arabia’s investments is the accusations of sportswashing [[link removed]]—that the country is using sports to hide human-rights violations such as inequitable [[link removed]] treatment of women.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said [[link removed]] in an interview on The Dan Patrick Show [[link removed]] last year he has not received a bid from the Saudis for a team. He did not dismiss a potential investment from the Saudis, though he labeled it as a “two-edged sword.

“When the Saudis invest in sports, it gets outsized attention,” Silver said in response to a question about the merger.

The country’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said [[link removed]] last year that he isn’t fazed by any sportswashing claims.

“If sportswashing [is] going to increase my GDP by 1%, then I will continue doing sportswashing,” bin Salman said.

SPONSORED BY CISCO

Team Cisco Takes on Paris

Cisco is proud to support Team Cisco athletes Nelly Korda (USA), Hannah Green (Australia), and Viktor Hovland (Norway) as they pursue their dreams both on and off the course. This week, we cheer them on as they take on the world in Paris!

Cisco is reimagining how fans, athletes, teams, and organizations experience sporting events. Learn more [[link removed]] about Cisco’s impact across the sports and entertainment industry.

LOUD AND CLEAR New Life

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

“Our coach said to us if we don’t win a medal, we might not have a program next year, and so that really stuck with me, those words, and so we delivered.”

—Rugby star Ilona Maher (above) told CNBC on Tuesday after helping Team USA upset Australia to earn a bronze medal, the first in program history. Following the win, the team announced [[link removed]] a $4 million donation from Michele Kang, owner of several pro sports teams, including the Washington Spirit.

Maher—who has become an internet sensation since the beginning of the Olympics—said she hopes the donation can help improve the team, especially because many rugby sevens players in the past needed to balance their playing careers with full-time jobs. The 27-year-old has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Quinnipiac University and a master’s degree in business administration from DeVry University, but she said she hopes to play rugby for the rest of her life.

STATUS REPORT Three Up, One Down

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Paige Bueckers ⬆ The UConn women’s basketball star (above) is signing an NIL deal [[link removed]] that will give her ownership equity in Unrivaled [[link removed]], the 3-on-3 pro basketball league that will tip off in January, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic [[link removed]]. The league—which will run during the WNBA offseason—is giving its players an ownership pool of around 10–15%, and each player will be paid at least $100,000 per season. Bueckers is playing her final season in the NCAA this year, and is projected to go No. 1 overall in the 2025 WNBA draft. She will participate as a player in Unrivaled once her college career is over.

Cosm ⬆ The start-up that builds sphere-like structures for sports viewership is now valued at $1 billion, according to Bloomberg [[link removed]]. The company received a $250 million investment from a group that includes several high-profile sports moguls such as David Blitzer, Marc Lasry, and Dan Gilbert. Cosm has launched only one venue so far—a 65,000-square-foot venue with a domed screen in Los Angeles that seats 1,700 people. It’s set to open its second venue in Dallas in the fall, and announced [[link removed]] last week that it will open another location in Atlanta in the future.

Sony ⬆ The NFL agreed to a multiyear deal with the Japanese company to become the league’s official technology and headphones partner. Sony branding will be seen whenever cameras cut to coaches and employees as the technology company will supply the headsets for teams during games starting in 2025. The NFL also plans to use Sony’s Hawk-Eye [[link removed]] technology, the same tech used in Wimbledon, to improve its officiating. Before this deal with Sony, the NFL had an eight-year partnership [[link removed]] with Bose that ended in 2022.

Red Bull Racing ⬇ The hits keep coming for the back-to-back constructors’ champion. The Formula One team announced on Thursday that sporting director Jonathan Wheatley is leaving after 18 years to become the team principal of Audi, which joins the grid in 2026. The departure of Wheatley is the second major Red Bull departure in the last few months, after the team announced in May that CTO Adrian Newey would be leaving by early 2025. The departures raise more questions [[link removed]] as to whether Red Bull can continue its dominance in the sport beyond this season.

SPONSORED BY NIELSEN

Get Data on Fans, Brands, and Athletes

[[link removed]]

Understanding sports fans around the world can be a herculean feat. From fan attitudes, their receptiveness to sponsors, what they watch, and where they watch, creating connections with consumers is the first step in growing your fan base [[link removed]] or audience.

Did you know 64% of audiences around the world plan to watch at least some of the 2024 Paris Games? Also, 35% say they are more interested in a product or service from Olympic sponsors.

Nielsen used its global Fan Insights data [[link removed]] to deliver insights into the fans, brands, and athletes at the Paris Olympics. Whether you’re looking to understand fan habits, media behavior, or brand attitudes, Nielsen Fan Insights data is the springboard to growing your audience.

Check out how Nielsen brought the data to life in its Olympic Games insights hub [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters Bill Belichick isn’t going to be coaching in the NFL this season, but he’s already set up a busy schedule as an analyst. Check out [[link removed]] the media gigs he already has lined up. Ilona Maher isn’t the only Olympian going viral. Norway’s Henrik Christiansen has garnered more than 25 million views for videos about the Olympic Village’s chocolate muffins. Take a look [[link removed]]. Many Olympians balance their athletic careers with full-time jobs, including U.S. swimmer and silver medalist Nic Fink. Learn more [[link removed]] about his story. Editors’ Picks O.J. Simpson’s Estate Auctioning Heisman, Golf Clubs to Pay Goldman Family [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Simpson’s Heisman is among the items to hit auction. NFLPA’s Early Exit From Panini Deal Could Fuel Fanatics Legal Battle [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]The NFLPA’s effort to end its agreement with Panini early cost $7 million. Yankees RSN Brings Back an Old TV Staple: Saturday Morning Cartoons [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]The Yankees-controlled RSN and Tzero Studios develop an original, baseball-themed animated series. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Sports Careers [[link removed]] Written by A.J. Perez [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Or Moyal [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here [[link removed]].

Update your preferences [link removed] / Unsubscribe [link removed]

Copyright © 2024 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

460 Park Avenue South, 7th Floor, New York NY, 10016