October 4, 2024

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FIFA’s multibillion-dollar transfer market could be in trouble. While clubs spent nearly $6.5 billion on player transfers this summer, a court ruling Friday declared some FIFA rules incompatible with EU law. What does this mean for player movement and the wealthiest soccer teams?

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

FIFA’s Multibillion-Dollar Transfer Market at Risk After Court Ruling [[link removed]]

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

During FIFA’s most recent international transfer window, clubs committed to spending nearly $6.5 billion [[link removed]] on acquiring new players. But a major court ruling announced Friday could significantly change that lucrative process.

Many longstanding transfer rules that govern moves between teams across the globe have been declared contrary to European Union law [[link removed]], the Court of Justice of the EU said. Former French defender Lassana Diarra, who played for teams like Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, challenged several of FIFA’s rules in a Belgian court.

Specifically, the court took issue with rules requiring clubs to be compensated if they deem a player has terminated his contract without just cause (for example, freely moving from one team to another). FIFA and the players’ union FIFPRO released separate statements indicating they wanted to analyze the ruling in depth before commenting further.

While Friday’s ruling may have wide-reaching implications for how the richest soccer teams operate, it will likely be years before any concrete changes come to be, if at all.

American Adaptation

Separately from the court ruling, FIFA has announced new regulations for next summer’s revamped Club World Cup in the U.S. [[link removed]] that will make it easier for impending free agents to join and play for a new team at the tournament.

Many player contracts are set to expire June 30, 2025, but the Club World Cup begins June 15, set to be played in 12 NFL and MLS stadiums across the country. If players wish, they will be able to sign with a new club between June 1 and 10 next year.

Savannah Bananas Plan to Bring ‘Banana Ball’ to Football Stadiums [[link removed]]

Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News

The Savannah Bananas, an independent baseball team that has become a national sensation [[link removed]], have always been a big-thinking organization. Now they’re thinking bigger than ever.

Loosely described as baseball’s version of the Harlem Globetrotters, the Bananas unveiled an eight-month, 111-game “World Tour” for 2025 [[link removed]] that includes playing in football stadiums for the first time. The team has slotted dates at two NFL facilities—the Titans’ Nissan Stadium and the Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium—along with another at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium.

Those contests will be joined by two games each at 18 MLB ballparks, rising dramatically from the six games played this year at big league facilities. Overall, the heavy increase in the number of games at major league stadiums is a direct reflection of the intense fan demand to see Bananas. The team sold out every game in 2024, playing to more than one million fans— more than what MLB’s A’s drew this year [[link removed]]—and it has a ticket waiting list of about three million, including one million that joined in a 24-hour period this week.

The Bananas on Thursday night livestreamed the “draft” of its 2025 schedule [[link removed]], drawing more than 150,000 views.

“We’ve been very fortunate to hear from nearly every MLB team [about coming to play], particularly after what we did this year,” Bananas owner Jesse Cole tells Front Office Sports. “We know we can entertain at the 45,000-seat type of scale, and now we’re taking that next big step into football stadiums.”

Nissan Stadium has a listed capacity of 69,143, while Bank of America Stadium seats 74,687, and Memorial Stadium can surpass 86,000 when including standing room.

A Very Different Vibe

The Bananas have drawn broad acclaim for their unconventional style of play, known as “Banana Ball.” By design, the team plays a style of baseball that flouts many of the sport’s established on-field rules and traditions. “Banana Ball” includes a two-hour time limit on games, no mound visits or stepping out of the batter’s box, and no bunting. Batters have the option to steal first base, and there are defensive outs if foul balls are caught by fans.

Those modifications are complemented by a nonstop array of over-the-top in-game entertainment including choreographed dances, skits, sing-alongs, twerking umpires, trick plays, pyrotechnics, and players regularly mingling with fans—all of which become key content sources for the team’s heavily followed social media feeds. The traveling crew for most Bananas games surpasses 200 when including players, coaches, in-game entertainers, and other staff involved with staging the events.

In addition to the Bananas themselves, the team has created two opposing teams, the Party Animals and the Firefighters, and on Thursday unveiled a third, the Texas Tailgaters—each with their own unique brands and separate social-media followings. Unlike the Globetrotters, though, the game outcomes are very real, and serious competition remains a core element along with the fun.

At the football stadiums, nets will be installed along the outfield wall to keep balls in the park and account for the inability to have traditional baseball field dimensions.

There’s already further ambition for 2026, as the Bananas will expand their operation to a six-team Banana Ball Championship League, playing competitively for a season title within its unique presentation. That league structure is designed in part to further separate the Bananas from the Globetrotters and emphasize the nonstaged results of “Banana Ball.”

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TUNED IN ESPN President on Stephen A. Smith, Charles Barkley, and Pat McAfee

FOS illustration

Burke Magnus, ESPN’s president of content, sat down with Front Office Sports media guru Michael McCarthy at the FOS Tuned In [[link removed]?] summit to discuss the network’s new content strategy and how some of its biggest names in TV factor in.

Watch the full interview here [[link removed]].

AWARD

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

This is the final week to submit your organization. Submit now [[link removed]] or by Oct. 6 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

WEEKEND PRIZE POOL NASCAR’s Home Stretch

Peter Casey-Imagn Images

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:

NASCAR Cup Series: YellaWood 500, Talladega

When: Sunday Purse: $9.22 million First place: Individual payouts are no longer disclosed

PGA Tour: Sanderson Farms Championship, Mississippi

When: Thursday to Sunday Purse: $7.6 million First place: $1.37 million

DP World Tour: Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Scotland

When: Thursday to Saturday Purse: $5 million First place: $816,000 (individual), $50,000 (team) STATUS REPORT Two Up, One Down, One Push

Journal Sentinel

ESPN ⬆ Viewership of MLB wild-card series on the network and ABC was up 16% compared to 2023 [[link removed]] through Wednesday night, led by an audience of 3.7 million for the Brewers’ 5–3 victory over the Mets in Game 2. Numbers for New York’s series-clinching Game 3 win Thursday night are not yet available.

Tiger Woods ⬆ The 15-time major champion is set to design another golf course [[link removed]], this time for Bluejack Ranch near Dallas. He also led the development of Bluejack National near Houston via his TGR Design, as well as several other projects across North America.

Political ads ⬇ Commercials surrounding the presidential election are prohibited from airing during Thursday Night Football broadcasts [[link removed]] on Amazon Prime Video, due to a company policy that varies from other NFL broadcasters.

NFL Media ⬆⬇ The league is said to be in talks with Skydance Media and RedBird Capital Partners about selling assets like NFL Network [[link removed]], according to Bloomberg. Skydance is on track to merge with CBS Sports parent company Paramount. Previously, the NFL has been reported to have similar talks [[link removed]] with ESPN, Apple, and Google about its media assets.

Editors’ note: RedBird Capital Partners backs Skydance and its RedBird IMI division is an investor in Front Office Sports.

Conversation Starters UCLA, Virginia Tech, and Miami are traveling a combined 14,000 miles in round trips this weekend to play conference opponents. Check out [[link removed]] the flight paths for all three. The Devils and Sabres open the NHL season this weekend in Prague, where one Czech team has plans to build the largest hockey arena in the world. Take a look [[link removed]]. Knicks legend Patrick Ewing is returning to the franchise [[link removed]] as a basketball ambassador, a role that will see him work directly with the front office and head coach Tom Thibodeau. Editors’ Picks Dolphins Owner Ross in Talks to Sell Minority Stakes to PE Firm Ares, Nets Owner Tsai [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]The deal will have to go before the NFL finance committee and then team owners. Reuters Deletes Stories After Reporter Got Anti-Doping Exec Into the Masters [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]A Reuters journalist helped a WADA official enter the Masters for free. Angel City FC Fined for Paying Players Under the Table [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]The club was fined $200,000 and had execs suspended. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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