September 20, 2024

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Shohei Ohtani made more history last night, clinching baseball’s first 50/50 season. Next: MLB’s biggest star will make his first playoff appearance. The Dodgers, the networks, and the league office are all counting on him to reverse baseball’s downward playoff ratings trend.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]] and Colin Salao [[link removed]]

Can Shohei Ohtani Carry Playoff TV Ratings? MLB Sure Hopes So [[link removed]]

Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Dodgers phenom Shohei Ohtani, already MLB’s biggest star, had a game for the ages on Thursday, burnishing his legend and becoming the league’s first player with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. Ohtani reached the mark with a historic offensive onslaught that included three homers, six hits, two steals, and 10 runs batted in during a 20–4 rout of the Marlins.

Now, Ohtani’s milestone will have significant business ramifications in both the short- and long-term.

Within minutes of Ohtani hitting his 50th homer, MLB’s online shop offered a wide range of 50/50-themed merchandise, including T-shirts, water bottles, flags, signs, pennants, and several options for commemorative coins. The wide-ranging product push builds on Ohtani’s standing as MLB’s most popular player jersey among fans, as well as an exclusive deal struck recently with Topps [[link removed]]. MLB’s YouTube channel, meanwhile, logged a league record nine million views Thursday, driven heavily by Ohtani highlights.

Ohtani now has 51 homers and 51 steals, making a 55/55 season or even a 60/60 one theoretically possible with nine games left in the Dodgers’ regular-season schedule. The home run ball for Ohtani’s 50th homer, meanwhile, was caught by a fan, and not returned to the team. Estimates of its value in the collectibles market [[link removed]] have surpassed $1 million.

October Spotlight

The bigger implication of Ohtani’s exploits is that the Dodgers also clinched a spot in the National League playoffs with the victory Thursday. Holding a four-game lead in the NL West, the Dodgers missing the postseason was not a significant concern, and this is the team’s 12th straight playoff berth, extending a franchise record. But it’s now assured that Ohtani will make his first playoff appearance. The Japanese superstar played six losing seasons with the Angels before signing a record-setting, 10-year contract with the Dodgers worth $700 million [[link removed]] last December.

If current seedings hold, the Dodgers will get a bye to the Division Series as one of the top two teams in the NL. That’s bad news for Disney-owned networks including ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC, which have exclusive rights to the wild-card series. But it’s good news for Fox networks, which have the NL Division and Championship Series this year in their annual MLB postseason rights rotation with TNT Sports, which will carry the second and third rounds on the AL side.

Yankees superstar Aaron Judge lifted his own team to the postseason, with New York clinching its playoff berth Wednesday. Collectively, that’s a huge boon for the league as MLB played last year’s postseason without each of its top two stars.

Along similar lines, the NHL found out in June what can happen when its biggest star plays deep in the playoffs, posting its best viewership in five years [[link removed]] for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, in part featuring Oilers center Connor McDavid.

“This game has been around for a long time, and to do something that’s never been done, he’s one of one,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Ohtani’s exploits. “[There] couldn’t be a more talented player. He couldn’t be more humble. … It was a win for Major League Baseball.”

League commissioner Rob Manfred agreed, making a somewhat rare move to issue a statement regarding an on-field achievement, saying in part, “We are proud that he continues to take our game to new heights.”

SPONSORED BY MASTERCARD

Tee Off With Taste at the TOUR Championship

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This year’s TOUR Championship in Atlanta wasn’t just about world-class golf—it was also a celebration of local flavors [[link removed]].

Mastercard’s Foodies & Fairways [[link removed]] program in partnership with Capital One Business highlights the city’s dynamic culinary scene, featuring small businesses like Guacamole by Freddie and T’s Coffee & Brews. This unique experience offered fans a chance to savor the city’s best while witnessing top golfers in action.

With mentorships and $10,000 grants on the line, these businesses showcased their creations at The Landing, adding a delicious twist to the championship experience. Plus, get the scoop on other local East Lake staples like Poor Hendrix.

Learn more [[link removed]] about Mastercard’s Foodies & Fairways and the fusion of sport and cuisine by signing up for the Mastercard Small Business Community [[link removed]] to access the latest resources and support to protect, manage, and grow your business.

Why WNBA Playoffs Will Be Ultimate Test of Caitlin Clark Effect [[link removed]]

Grace Smith/INDIANAPOLIS STAR

The WNBA playoffs begin Sunday following the league’s most-watched regular season to date [[link removed]].

This year, ESPN and Scripps Sports’ Ion both reported triple-digit percentage increases in viewership, with the former averaging 1.2 million viewers per game. The 2024 draft class deserves a great deal of credit for the increase, particularly No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark, whose Indiana Fever were participants in the majority of the league’s most-watched games of the year [[link removed]].

The WNBA does face a major obstacle when it comes to maintaining viewership for its playoffs, as the NFL’s Sunday slate runs simultaneously with its playoff opening day. Games 2 and 5 of the WNBA Finals are also scheduled for Sundays [[link removed]].

However, competing against the NFL isn’t new for the WNBA, [[link removed]] and, in recent years, the league has seen modest viewership success. Since 2018, ESPN—which airs the WNBA playoffs across ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2—has averaged a 16% viewership increase in the playoffs versus the regular season.

But there is a scenario where the WNBA’s viewership number goes down in the playoffs this year when compared to the regular season, and it’s contingent on Clark and the Fever.

The Real Caitlin Clark Effect

The WNBA will undoubtedly see a year-over-year playoff viewership increase. While Clark has been its biggest draw, the league’s overall popularity has risen significantly, as seen by the several Clark-less games that drew more than one million viewers this year, which not even the WNBA Finals were able to accomplish in 2023.

To top last year’s postseason viewership, the WNBA playoffs only have to draw more than 470,000 viewers per game—lower than this season’s average viewers for ESPN pregame show WNBA Countdown. Assuming the 16% average increase in viewership since 2018, the 2024 playoffs should draw about 1.4 million viewers per game.

But it’s not that simple a prediction.

Of the 40 Fever regular-season games this year, 36 were televised nationally, meaning that most of the regular-season viewership data is skewed to games that featured Clark. But the Fever are the underdogs against the Connecticut Sun in the first round, so the Rookie of the Year favorite could very well be out of the playoffs after just two or three games.

That scenario—one that nearly happened in the 2024 NCAA tournament, if not for Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes making a run to the championship game—would be the true showcase of Clark’s effect on viewership.

The WNBA should ultimately be satisfied with the playoff viewership results it will register for this unprecedented season. But for those clamoring for ways to measure Clark’s impact on the league, this postseason could serve as the proper barometer.

Marc Lasry to Buy NWSL’s Courage at $108 Million Valuation [[link removed]]

Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Former Bucks owner Marc Lasry is closing in on a deal to purchase a majority stake in the NWSL’s North Carolina Courage, according to Sportico.

Lasry is expected to buy a 60% stake in the franchise at a valuation of $108 million from current majority owner Steve Malik, who founded the Courage in 2017 after purchasing the Western New York Flash for an unknown amount.

Angel City FC and the Seattle Reign were two other NWSL franchises that Lasry, who sold his 25% stake in the Bucks in April at a $3.5 billion valuation, was reportedly targeting before this deal with the Courage. Disney CEO Bob Iger and his wife, Willow Bay, purchased Angel City FC in July [[link removed]] at an NWSL record valuation of $250 million.

The Courage raised $15 million in funding in August 2023. The following month, Malik brought in new investors, which included tennis stars Naomi Osaka and Ons Jabeur. The team has seen success on the field, winning back-to-back NWSL championships in 2018 and 2019.

However, the team was also deeply embroiled in the Yates report [[link removed]] released in 2022 after then head coach Paul Riley was accused of sexual coercion.

AWARD

The Most Impactful Award [[link removed]] celebrates organizations that leverage their power and platform to create positive change beyond generating revenue and expanding their business.

Submissions are open through Oct. 6 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Prices increase after Sept. 22— nominate now [[link removed]] for the best rate.

Booming Big Ten Box Office

Nebraska and Illinois are both 3–0 heading into a conference clash in Lincoln on Saturday, and the Cornhuskers are building a groundswell of interest around freshman phenom QB Dylan Raiola.

According to TickPick [[link removed]], the average ticket price is the highest in the history of this rivalry. At $114, it’s nearly four times as expensive as the average Cornhuskers game last season ($32).

Demand has surged since Nebraska beat Colorado two weeks ago, with 60% of tickets for this game being purchased after that win.

The current “get-in” price is 2,200% more expensive than the cheapest ticket sold for last season’s Illinois-Nebraska game ($5) before demand surged.

Download TickPick here [[link removed]] and use code FOS15 for $15 off your first purchase!

Weekend Prize Pool LIV’s Biggest Prize

Front Office Sports tees up every weekend sporting slate with a ledger of the purses and prize pools at stake. Here’s what’s up for grabs this weekend:

LIV Golf: Team Championship, Carrollton, Texas

When: Friday to Sunday Purse: $50 million First place: $14 million (winning team), $1.4 million (individual)

LPGA Tour: Kroger Queen City Championship, Maineville, Ohio

When: Thursday to Sunday Purse: $2 million First place: $300,000 (individual)

Laver Cup: Berlin, Germany

When: Friday to Sunday Purse: $2.25 million First place: $250,000 (per person on winning team), $125,000 (per person on losing team)

NASCAR Cup Series: Bass Pro Shops Night Race, Bristol, Tenn.

When: Saturday Purse: $9.2 million First place: Individual payouts are no longer disclosed Status Report Three Up, One Down

Joel Embiid ⬆ The 2023 MVP signed a three-year, $192.9 million maximum contract extension [[link removed]] with the 76ers. The deal keeps Embiid under contract until the 2028–2029 season. In an Instagram post Friday morning [[link removed]], the seven-time All-Star said he wants to stay in Philadelphia for “the rest of my career.”

Lionel Messi ⬆ The soccer superstar is launching a media company named 525 Rosario [[link removed]], named after Messi’s hometown and the street number of his family home, according to Variety. The company is a joint venture between Messi, who is under contract with Inter Miami until 2025, and Smuggler Entertainment, which produced the docuseries Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend on Apple TV+.

Max Verstappen ⬇ The current leader for the drivers’ championship has been ordered to complete work of public interest by FIA stewards after referring to his car as “f***ed” Thursday during a press conference in Singapore. The Red Bull driver won seven of the season’s first 10 races, but he has not won any of the last seven as his team has relinquished the lead in the constructors’ championship. Verstappen served a similar punishment in 2019, and he was tasked to shadow stewards during a Formula E race.

Cris Collinsworth ⬆ NBC Sports is closing in on a four-year deal [[link removed]] that will keep its lead NFL analyst on board until the 2029–2030 season, according to The Athletic. The contract’s price tag was not revealed, though his current deal is $12.5 million annually. The deal will keep the 65-year-old with the network for two more Super Bowls, scheduled for 2026 and 2030.

Conversation Starters Nike’s incoming CEO, Elliott Hill, spent 35 years [[link removed]] with the apparel giant, starting as a sales intern in 1988. On Friday, ESPN’s First Take went live at Howard University, its first stop on the “First Take on the Road” series that highlights HBCUs. Take a look [[link removed]]. Tennis star Ben Shelton explained on Front Office Sports Today [[link removed]] why he chose apparel brand On over legacy names like Nike and Adidas. Editors’ Picks Former Colorado Football Coach Explains Why He Went to Saudi Arabia for NIL Money [[link removed]]by Jill Painter Lopez [[link removed]] and A.J. Perez [[link removed]]Reilly tells FOS why he went looking for NIL money in the Middle East. [[link removed]] Woj Departure Fallout Includes Stephen A. Smith Leverage [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Seven things we think about what could come next. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]] Edited by Or Moyal [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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