October 18, 2024

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The Jaguars are ramping up their London strategy, prompting a debate among fans about the team’s international ambitions. With renovations at EverBank Stadium on the horizon, the NFL franchise faces tough decisions regarding future home games, intensifying the battle for the Jaguars’ loyalty between Jacksonville and London.

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

Jaguars Have Set Up Shop in London. Fans Say Don’t Forget Jacksonville

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The Jaguars and Patriots will cap the NFL’s 2024 London Games on Sunday at Wembley Stadium, with the pair of 1–5 teams each desperately seeking a victory. Jacksonville has been playing in London since 2013 but has ramped up its international strategy this decade.

It’s Jacksonville’s fourth game in the U.K. in the past two seasons, and the second “home game” the franchise has moved abroad during that period. The Jags are showing no signs of slowing down—and fans have mixed feelings.

A major factor throughout the next three seasons: the newly approved [[link removed]] renovations to EverBank Stadium, which will cost the team and city at least $1.4 billion and require the Jaguars to find a temporary venue (or venues) for the 2027 NFL season [[link removed]], when Jacksonville and other AFC clubs will have an “extra” ninth home game as part of the league’s 17-game schedule.

The team has largely narrowed its U.S. options for 2027 to Camping World Stadium in Orlando and the University of Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (aka “The Swamp”) in Gainesville.

“We have a lot of work to do on that decision,” Jaguars president Mark Lamping told reporters in London earlier this week. Lamping said the club has done surveys with fans, sponsors, and employees, but one of the most important factors is football operations.

Because of the renovation deal, the Jaguars can move up to six home games to London [[link removed]] over the next three seasons, including up to three in 2027. So, theoretically, Jacksonville could move one home game to London in 2025, two in 2026, and three in 2027, in addition to any overseas games in which it’s the visitor.

Front Office Sports spoke with Jaguars fans in Jacksonville and London to gauge how they feel about the team’s international strategy. Read David Rumsey’s full story on the Jaguars [[link removed]] here [[link removed]].

MORE FOS NEWS

Tony Bennett’s Stunning Retirement: NCAA ‘Not in a Healthy Spot’

University of Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett surprised many with his sudden retirement, citing the chaotic college sports landscape as the reason, writes Front Office Sports college sports reporter Amanda Christovich. From unregulated NIL (name, image, and likeness) payments to the hectic transfer portal, Bennett said the environment has become too difficult to navigate. His candid remarks have reignited debates over collective bargaining and NCAA regulations.

Read Christovich’s complete story on Bennett here [[link removed]].

FanDuel Seals Naming Rights for 16 RSNs Ahead of NBA Season [[link removed]]

The Cincinnati Enquirer

FanDuel Sports Network will officially be the TV home for teams affiliated with 16 regional sports channels across the NBA, NHL, and MLB.

On Friday, the bankrupt Diamond Sports Group announced a deal for the sportsbook to take over naming rights of the company’s existing RSNs, beginning Monday—just in time for the NBA season, which starts Tuesday.

The most noticeable change will be the names of the channels. For example, Bally Sports Detroit becomes FanDuel Sports Network Detroit (which airs Pistons and Red Wings games). And of course, now FanDuel will be marketing its sportsbook operations directly to viewers that might be potential bettors across the nation.

Done Deal

The announcement was expected after an emergency motion that DSG filed [[link removed]] with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court earlier this week.

The pact gives FanDuel naming rights over the portfolio of networks and replaces Bally Sports, as that contract expires at the end of the MLB season. As part of the deal, FanDuel takes a 5% equity stake in DSG, with performance-based warrants to increase that to 10%.

The agreement contains “a significant rights fee payment and certain media and advertising spending commitments.” DSG also gains some content currently shown on FanDuel TV, while FanDuel is incentivized to help increase DSG’s subscriber base.

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If you work in sports content, you need to see WSC Sports [[link removed]]’ expanded product offerings now available within its industry-leading content automation platform [[link removed]].

Around the Game: a collection of AI services applied to the automated management of all content with indexing of moments such as arrivals, press conferences, alternate camera angles, and more.

In App Stories: an SDK that quickly stands up vertical stories and reels-style customizable content widgets in your O&O app paired with vertical video content automation through WSC Sports’ Magicrop feature.

Discovery Network: an extended distribution network supercharging fan discovery of near-live sports content for both rights holders and publishers.

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WSC Sports’ technology enables more views, more formats, and more fans. Fuel the fandom with AI. Learn more [[link removed]].

ONE BIG FIG SEC Dominance

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8

Number of games involving SEC teams in the 10 most-watched college football broadcasts so far this season, according to Nielsen national TV ratings. Seven of those games aired on ABC as they were home games for an SEC team, and Disney owns the broadcasting rights to the conference.

Disney is paying $710 million per year for the rights to air the SEC—about two-thirds of the deal the Big Ten secured with Fox, NBC, and CBS—which amounts to $1.15 billion annually.

Each of those partners has just one game in the top 10 most-watched games so far this year. Only four of the 10 involved a Big Ten team.

EVENT

Explore how AI is reshaping sports content in our upcoming webinar [[link removed]], Engaging Global Sports Fans With AI, presented by Magnifi.

Join the conversation [[link removed]] Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. ET to learn about the potential of AI-driven localization and how to adapt content for different cultures and languages while prioritizing fan engagement.

WEEKEND PRIZE POOL Down to the Semifinal Round

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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:

PGA Tour: Shriners Children’s Open, Las Vegas

When: Thursday to Sunday Purse: $7 million First place: $1.3 million

LPGA Tour: BMW Ladies Championship, South Korea

When: Wednesday to Saturday Purse: $2.2 million First place: $330,000

NASCAR Cup Series: South Point 400, Las Vegas Motor Speedway

When: Sunday Purse: $8.2 million First place: Individual payouts are no longer disclosed

Men’s tennis: Six Kings Slam, Saudi Arabia

When: Wednesday to Saturday Purse: $14.3 million First place: $6 million STATUS REPORT One Up, Two Down, One Push

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WNBA ⬆ Game 3 of the WNBA Finals averaged 1.39 million viewers [[link removed]], the most-watched Finals game in 23 years, according to Sports Media Watch. The series, which could wrap up after Game 4 Friday night with a New York Liberty road win, has a viewership average of 1.29 million through three games, which is up 77% versus last year’s four-game series.

Georgia Bulldogs ⬇ A day before their highly anticipated matchup against Texas, Jared Curtis, a five-star recruit in the class of 2026, decommitted to the SEC powerhouse. In a post on X, Curtis explained he wants to explore his options [[link removed]] to “make the best, most informed decision” on his future school.

Chicago Fire ⬆⬇ The franchise, which currently shares Soldier Field with the NFL’s Bears, is seeking a soccer-specific stadium in Chicago. “If we can find the right parcel in Chicago, I think we’ll move forward on it,” Fire owner Joe Mansueto said. The MLS club, however, will have to get in line as it is far from the only team looking to find a new home in the Windy City as the Bears [[link removed]], White Sox [[link removed]], and Red Stars [[link removed]] have all expressed the desire for new stadiums in some capacity.

Hulu ⬇ Technical difficulties interrupted the livestream [[link removed]] of Thursday’s Game 3 between the Dodgers and Mets. Users were either unable to log in to their accounts or had the live feed cut out from around the second inning until the fourth inning.

SPONSORED BY U.S. BANK

The salaries of WNBA players—which go only as high as about $250,000—have been a topic of discussion for years, but have been under a spotlight this season given the unprecedented attention the league has received since the arrival of the 2024 rookie class. The current collective bargaining agreement awards just 9.3% of the league’s revenue to players, a deal signed in 2020, well before the WNBA consistently drew more than a million viewers for prime-time games. That percentage speaks to the economic realities of the league; without the coming influx of TV money, it is still losing money and subsidized by the NBA.

Check out [[link removed]] the Women’s Sports content hub to read the full article [[link removed]] and stay up to date on all things women’s sports.

Conversation Starters Tom Brady, who is working as a Fox broadcaster, has to deal with several restrictions now that he is a part-owner of the Raiders—including not being allowed to criticize teams or referees. Find out the rest here [[link removed]]. The Browns plan to leave the city of Cleveland for a new $2.4 billion domed stadium in Brook Park after the team’s lease at Huntington Bank Field ends in 2028. The team released renderings of the proposed new stadium in August. Take a look [[link removed]]. Joel Embiid leads a growing list of men’s and women’s basketball players signing sneaker deals with Skechers. Check it out [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks Purple Reign: Mets Talisman Grimace Is More than a Gimmick [[link removed]]by Daniel Kaplan [[link removed]]The character’s wild ascent is as improbable as the Mets’ own success. Skechers Wasn’t Cool. Then NBA Stars Started Wearing Them [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]The brand is not traditionally cool. Embiid, Randle, and others don’t care. Jerry Jones’s Threats Aren’t Empty. A Legend Who Defied Him Knows [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Jones threatened Dallas radio hosts after facing tough questions following a loss. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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