October 14, 2024

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The greatest quarterback of all time wants to become a part-owner of the Raiders. Tom Brady’s proposal will get a vote during tomorrow’s NFL owners meetings, and it is widely expected to pass. What precedent does this set, how would it affect Brady’s role at Fox Sports, and what else will owners vote on?

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

Tom Brady Set to Join Raiders Ownership As NFL Approval Nears [[link removed]]

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The NFL’s GOAT is at last poised to enter the ranks of team ownership.

Former quarterback Tom Brady, widely considered to be the league’s greatest-ever player, will finally have his long-delayed bid to become a Raiders part-owner brought before other NFL team owners for approval, according to industry sources and multiple reports. Brady’s proposal to become a roughly 10% Raiders equity holder, along with business partner Tom Wagner, has cleared the league’s finance committee and is set to be brought before the full ownership during the NFL’s fall business meeting Tuesday in Atlanta.

Approval will require 24 of 32 team owners, and that vote is now expected to be a formality after the finance committee unanimously cleared the transaction.

The 47-year-old Brady, who has grown close with Raiders majority owner Mark Davis, has been actively working on this deal for nearly two years, but it has run into several obstacles [[link removed]], including concerns within the league that he was receiving a hefty discount on the value of the team equity [[link removed]]. Brady and Wagner have since increased their offer to an undisclosed figure. Las Vegas is currently estimated to be worth $6.7 billion [[link removed]], the seventh highest in the league.

Davis will remain the Raiders’ majority owner, but Brady is expected to have a significant role in Las Vegas’s football operations—not surprising given his unrivaled status as a seven-time Super Bowl winner.

Brady also owns a minority share of the Davis-led Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA.

Fox Restrictions

Brady—also beginning a 10-year, $375 million broadcasting talent deal [[link removed]] with Fox Sports that has included plenty of scrutiny on his booth performance [[link removed]]—is already subject to several restrictions due to that pending dual owner/analyst role.

In anticipation of this deal potentially being completed, the NFL has created several rules for Brady. Among them is a prohibition on performing common television analyst functions such as attending broadcast production meetings with coaches and players, and watching practices.

Even with those rules, the Brady deal still presents the seeming conflict of owning part of one team while also covering all of them.

Other Meeting Matters

Several other issues are expected to be discussed at the owners meeting, including an update on television viewership for the league up by 1% so far this year [[link removed]], and is set for another boost with an expansion of the Monday Night Football simulcast schedule [[link removed]]. Among the other pressing developments set for Tuesday:

Owners will likely take a vote on a $1.4 billion renovation agreement for EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, home of the Jaguars. The public-private deal, calling for $775 million in taxpayer funds [[link removed]], will provide a dramatic upgrade to the 29-year-old facility. The NFL is set to award Super Bowl LXII in 2028 to Mercedes-Benz Stadium [[link removed]] in Atlanta, according to a development initially reported by Sports Business Journal. That game is the next available Super Bowl still without a host as the next three games will be held in New Orleans; Santa Clara, Calif.; and Inglewood, Calif., respectively.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium last hosted the Super Bowl in 2019, a 13–3 victory for the Patriots over the Rams, and the venue remains one of the most technologically advanced sports facilities in the world.

FIFA Ready to Negotiate Potential Transfer Rule Changes [[link removed]]

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FIFA is set to begin high-level discussions about the intricacies of its lucrative player-transfer system after a recent court decision threw its legitimacy into question.

On Monday, 10 days after some of FIFA’s transfer rules were declared contrary to European Union law [[link removed]] by the Court of Justice of the EU, soccer’s governing body announced it will open a global dialogue on the transfer system, involving key stakeholders—think leagues, clubs, agents, players’ unions—to adopt the policy in question, which is article 17 of FIFA’s regulations on the status and transfer of players. A statement said the move “is in line with FIFA’s strategic objective to further improve the transfer system.”

While big changes could be coming to the always-entertaining summer and winter FIFA transfer windows, it will also provide an opportunity to keep modernizing the current process that has been in place for two decades, FIFA chief legal and compliance officer Emilio García Silvero said in a video posted online [[link removed]]. “Given the interval of over 20 years, and given the manner in which football has developed during this period, FIFA looks forward to developing its regulatory framework further,” Silvero said.

In the most recent transfer window, clubs committed to spending nearly $6.5 billion on acquiring new players.

So far, there are no indications FIFA wants to challenge the ruling. “FIFA will always act in compliance with European law and it will make sure to maintain hand in hand with its stakeholders a modern and robust valid regulatory framework for international football,” Silvero said.

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ONE BIG FIG MLB Postseason Viewership Surges

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3.56 million

The average number of viewers for the entire MLB Division Series, up by 14% from a year ago, and the best figure for that round of baseball’s postseason since 2017. Fueled in part by the presence of Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani [[link removed]] and plenty of on-field drama, the playoffs have been a consistent source of strength for the league [[link removed]]. When including the earlier wild-card series, this year’s MLB postseason has averaged 3.33 million viewers per game, up by 18% from a year ago and the best figure since the 2022 debut of the current playoff format. The League Championship Series continues Monday with Game 2 of the National League matchup between the Mets and Dodgers, and Game 1 of the American League clash between the Guardians and Yankees.

STATUS REPORT Three Up, One Down

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NFC North ⬆ The division has become the first since the NFL’s realignment in 2002 to have all four teams with four wins or more through the first six weeks of the season.

NBC ⬆ The network averaged 10.2 million viewers for Saturday night’s broadcast of Oregon’s 32–31 victory over Ohio State. That’s the largest TV audience for a Big Ten prime-time matchup since 2008.

Matthew Stafford ⬆ The Rams quarterback is receiving praise [[link removed]] for his appearance on Fox’s NFL pregame show Sunday during his team’s bye week. Stafford, 36, dished on the disappointing 1–4 start to the season and showed off his future potential as a media analyst.

Africa Cup of Nations ⬇ Nigeria pulled out of its tournament qualifier [[link removed]] against Libya in protest after being stranded for 16 hours at an airport more than 150 miles away from the match location. The Nigeria Football Federation said the team’s flight was diverted to Al Abraq International Airport with no alternative transport offered.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS EVENTS

The Rise of Women’s Athletics

Women’s sports are breaking attendance and viewership records, and there is no sign of slowing down.

Join us [[link removed]] Oct. 16 at 1 p.m. ET for Future of Sports: Women’s Sports as we discuss the rise of women’s sports, the companies investing in them, how female athletes can capitalize on their own brand, media-rights opportunities, and more.

This four-part virtual event will unpack how teams, brands, leagues, and properties are shaping the future of women’s sports, fostering innovation, and championing a new era of inclusivity and excellence.

Register now [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters San Diego FC, which will make its MLS debut in 2025, has sold out its new “Pitch Boxes” on the west side of Snapdragon Stadium and is adding east sideline pitch suites and midfield pitch boxes. Check it out [[link removed]]. Flames center Justin Kirkland scored his first NHL goal Sunday night, 10 years after he was drafted. Watch here [[link removed]]. The Yankees host the Guardians in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night. New York opened a new clubhouse this season. Take a look [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks Valkyries Coach Natalie Nakase: Joe Lacob Wants a Title Within Five Years [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Nakase was hired Thursday as the Valkyries’ first coach. A London Super Bowl? Goodell Shifts Stance on NFL’s Biggest Game [[link removed]]by David Rumsey [[link removed]]Super Bowl hosts are set through 2027. Annoyed by the Big Ad on MLB Batting Helmets? Strauss Isn’t [[link removed]]by Colin Salao [[link removed]]One Reddit user said the partnership has made them “unreasonably angry.” Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Or Moyal [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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