August 6, 2024

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A new season of Hard Knocks debuts Tuesday night, but it’s just one small part of the NFL’s deep dive into the docuseries space. … The world’s top pole vaulter keeps cashing in. … As the Paris Olympics showcase basketball’s global popularity, the NBA is thinking about European expansion. … And Front Office Sports Today looks into how some creators are reaching young sports fans.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]] and Colin Salao [[link removed]]

NFL Dominates Docuseries Landscape With ‘Hard Knocks’ and Netflix Hits [[link removed]]

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

It’s the heart of docuseries season for the NFL.

With the first iteration of an offseason-themed Hard Knocks in the books, the traditional training camp series premieres Tuesday night, chronicling preparations for the season from the Bears and No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams (above). Chicago has already played one exhibition contest—Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game against the Texans—that should offer some immediate behind-the-scenes content for viewers.

Last Tuesday brought the finale of Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants, a first-of-its-kind five-episode season following the springtime front-office happenings like the NFL combine, draft, and free agency. But instead of the typical storylines around players and coaches that viewers may be used to, it was New York general manager Joe Schoen and his top scouts who were the show’s main stars.

Plenty of good reviews [[link removed]] came in for the series, and some [[link removed]] suggested there was even too much secretive information revealed—a stark contrast to previous editions. Schoen was often shown strategizing with Giants owner John Mara, who was not happy with the decision by Saquon Barkley to sign with NFC East rival Philadelphia.

“I was certainly a little nervous about it going in,” Mara told the New York Post [[link removed]?]. “It was a pretty honest depiction of what goes on, and I think people appreciated having that kind of access. … There were some uncomfortable moments in there, but all-in-all, I’m glad it’s over.”

Ready for More?

The NFL hasn’t announced whether the offseason version of Hard Knocks will return in 2025. But with the expansion of the show a key part [[link removed]] of the NFL’s continued efforts to take over the sports calendar, there won’t be much time off for the franchise this fall.

In December, the now three-year-old in-season version of the series will begin documenting all four teams in the AFC North throughout the end of the regular season and into the playoffs. Last year, the in-season Hard Knocks followed the Dolphins through a loss in the wild card round. This year, four teams being under the microscope increases the chances of bringing more exclusive postseason content.

Netflix Is Here, Too

Netflix’s prowess as a force in sports docuseries reached the NFL last year with the debut of Quarterback, which followed three signal-callers—including Patrick Mahomes—throughout the 2022 season. Despite being headed up by Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, the show struggled [[link removed]] to find more willing quarterback participants for a second season and ultimately pivoted.

During the 2023 season, Netflix followed four wideouts—Justin Jefferson (Vikings), Davante Adams (Raiders), Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions), and Deebo Samuel (49ers), as well as one tight end, San Francisco’s George Kittle, to create Receiver. The show, which was released in July, reached the No. 1 spot on Netflix’s top-10 most-watched list for several days. Plans for yet another follow-up during the 2024 season have not been announced.

America’s Team

Still to come in the NFL documentary space is a 10-episode series exploring Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the growth of his business empire in the 1990s. A release date has not been announced, but the project is in partnership with Skydance Sports, which is partially owned by the NFL and also collaborates on Hard Knocks.

OLYMPICS UPDATE King of the World

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Swedish pole vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis (above) set a world record while winning the men’s gold medal at the Paris Olympics on Monday, defending his title from the Tokyo Games. After easily beating the competition, including silver medalist American Sam Kendricks, Duplantis decided to continue, breaking the Olympic record and eventually setting a new world record of 6.25 meters.

Beyond the athletic achievement, Duplantis earned a nice payday for the new mark.

Sweden doesn’t pay its athletes for winning Olympic medals, but the superstar pole vaulter has been receiving cash bonuses [[link removed]] of between $30,000 and $100,000 from his sponsors for each time he has broken the world record. This was the ninth time Duplantis set a new world record. Most recently, he cleared 6.24 meters in April.

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Soccer Marketing Agency Expands Into USA

Sports marketing agency B-Engaged [[link removed]] announces its $1 million investment in a global expansion into North America, DACH, and MENA. Continuing a commitment to developing soccer audiences globally, the agency boasts a roster of athletes and brands as its clients.

The agency has an extensive talent roster with clients such as Alphonso Davies, Kai Havertz, Serge Gnabry, William Saliba, and other elite athletes from the world of soccer and boxing with Ben Whittaker.

Founded by CEO Ehsen Shah and international footballer Héctor Bellerín, the agency pushes forward with its mission to connect brands and athletes to soccer [[link removed]] audiences around the world.

The regional businesses will operate a global footprint with a localized mentality.

They have already started work across each region with the Esports World Cup, Fanatics, Puma, Crocs, among others.

As International Stars Rise, the NBA Explores a New European League [[link removed]]

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA is looking at expanding across the pond—and it’s not just for a few friendly exhibitions.

Commissioner Adam Silver told the Associated Press [[link removed]] that the league is having “much more serious” talks with FIBA, basketball’s governing body, about expansion in Europe, either with a tournament or even a league.

Talks between the two sides have ramped up since the NBA finalized [[link removed]] its media-rights deals last month. Silver has said [[link removed]] before that the NBA would look to expand once its broadcasting negotiations were finished, though the belief was that the league would focus on adding to its current crop of 30 franchises.

“We certainly haven’t made any definitive decisions,” Silver said. “I continue to believe there’s enormous opportunity here. It’s not something where we’ll transform a league structure in the short term. But I think that there’s an appetite among our team owners for additional investment in global basketball.”

Global League

The NBA has launched several initiatives across different countries and continents around the globe. In 2016, the league opened the NBA Academy [[link removed]], which is a development camp for high school prospects in Senegal, Mexico, and Australia. NBA players like Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels have participated in these camps, and in June, Cameroon’s Ulrich Chomche became the first player to be drafted directly from the NBA Academy.

In 2019, the NBA also launched the Basketball Africa League, which could be a model for the NBA should it decide to open a league in Europe. However, it will face stiffer competition in Europe, as the continent holds the EuroLeague, the second-best pro basketball league in the world.

“We have a huge initiative in China. We have a huge initiative in Africa,” Silver said. “Given the quality of the basketball here in Europe, it would seem to make sense that we should be doing something here as well.”

The NBA has been looking to improve its initiatives in Europe for a while. The league played its first game in Europe in 1984 and has regularly sent teams for preseason and regular-season games since 1993. European clubs have also returned the favor by playing some NBA teams in the U.S. during preseason as well.

The World’s Finest

The next few years may be the best time for the league to expand in Europe. There were 125 international players on NBA rosters before the start of the 2023–2024 season, including 64 from Europe. The last two No. 1 overall selections in the NBA draft were from France, while the last six MVP awards were won by international players.

The 2024 Olympics have shown that the U.S. is still a basketball juggernaut, but many of the league’s brightest and most popular American stars are in their twilight years, including LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant. European stars like Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are in the prime of their careers, and the young Frenchman Victor Wembanyama (above) could be poised to take the crown from James as the face of the sport [[link removed]].

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY Reaching the Next Generation

FOS illustration

Midge Purce joined Front Office Sports in the Hamptons to talk about her new docuseries with Alexis Ohanian, and how they are innovating new ways to connect with sports fans.

Plus, Barrick Prince, cofounder of the Creator Sports Network, joins us to discuss his strategy for connecting with the younger generation of sports fans: alt-stream sportscasts. Prince dives into how athlete-led broadcasts can create a spark in younger fans who don’t typically connect with traditional sports broadcasts on television.

🎧 Watch, listen, and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Spotify [[link removed]], and YouTube [[link removed]].

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Conversation Starters The NFL released a new ad with a top quarterback teasing the Olympic debut of flag football at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Check it out [[link removed]]. Ice Cube is challenging the eventual men’s 3×3 basketball gold-medal winners at the Paris Olympics to a high-stakes game against all-stars from the Big3. Listen [[link removed]] to his pitch. Gymnast Carlos Yulo, the first male Olympic gold medalist in Philippine history, will be rewarded [[link removed]] with a house from the government and free ramen for life. Editors’ Picks Harrison Butker Negotiates Record Kicker Deal After Rocky Offseason [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Butker negotiated the contract for himself instead of hiring an agent. Private Ownership Group Has Deals With A’s, Oakland To Buy Entire Coliseum [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]The A’s plan to move to Sacramento’s Triple-A ballpark next season. How Omega Timing Determined Noah Lyles Won Olympic Gold [[link removed]]by Alex Prewitt [[link removed]]Omega touches every corner of the Olympics. Question of the Day

Have you watched any of the offseason or in-season versions of ‘Hard Knocks’?

Yes [[link removed]] No [[link removed]]

Monday’s result: 57% of respondents thought Ice Cube was right in saying any Big3 team would beat the Olympic 3×3 gold-medalists?

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Sports Careers [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Or Moyal [[link removed]]

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