October 25, 2024

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Good morning. Fox’s strategy of broadcasting high-profile college football games on Friday nights has drawn solid viewership despite the natural schedule disruption that has become endemic in this era. Friday night will showcase the best test yet of that strategy, as a Rutgers-USC game will follow Game 1 of the World Series, kicking off at 11 p.m. ET. Will the Yankees-Dodgers lead-in keep enough viewers engaged to make up for a halftime that comes after midnight in one of the school’s time zones?

— David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], and Colin Salao [[link removed]]

CFB Fans Can Thank Fox, World Series for 11 p.m. Rutgers Game [[link removed]]

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For any Rutgers or Big Ten football fans wondering why the Scarlet Knights’ Week 9 matchup is kicking off at 11 p.m. ET Friday night, the answer is the same one that applies to many other questions in college sports right now: TV money.

The newly expanded, coast-to-coast Big Ten conference has given Fox Sports the opportunity to try something “a little unusual,” one top decision-maker admits.

In the spring, Fox decided to have Rutgers’ first visit to Big Ten newbie USC kick off right after Game 1 of the World Series, which begins at 8 p.m. ET, in a unique effort to try to maximize viewership from casual fans who might not otherwise be tuning in to the network’s new package of Friday night college football games [[link removed]].

“Obviously, that’s a very late start for the East Coast,” Fox Sports president of insights and analytics Mike Mulvihill said in an interview with Front Office Sports last month. But there should be well north of 10 million people watching Yankees-Dodgers who may stick around for the subsequent college football game. Rutgers and USC are located 20 miles and six miles from the Yankees’ and Dodgers’ home venues, respectively, so there should be no lack of crossover fans.

“There’s going to be some bleary-eyed fans in New Jersey, definitely recognized that,” Mulvihill said. “But it’s just a special opportunity to take advantage of the World Series in a way that we never really have been able to before.”

According to a source with knowledge of the situation, if the baseball broadcast is not over in time, the football game will start on FS1 and on two Fox-owned local stations. Fox’s primary channel would resume the football game in progress at the conclusion of the baseball broadcast.

Hot Start

Fox has aired five Friday night college football games so far this season (a sixth was bumped to FS1 for the MLB playoffs), averaging 2.74 million viewers. They all placed inside the 10 most-watched college football games of their respective weekends, and two even ended up as Fox’s top game audience of the weekend, led by 4.21 million viewers for Illinois-Nebraska on Sept. 20.

The post–World Series college football on Fox won’t become a trend this season, though. Next Friday night, Fox would air a theoretical Game 6 of the World Series, and the network does not have a college matchup on tap.

From Stars to Prices and Anticipation, World Series Is Huge in Every Way [[link removed]]

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LOS ANGELES —The waiting is just about over for the star-studded World Series between the Yankees and Dodgers [[link removed]], and everything surrounding the high-profile matchup is huge—both now and into the future.

The two well-heeled clubs held a workout day Thursday at Dodger Stadium in advance of Game 1 Friday. Between the star power of the teams led by Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, the storied World Series history between the two, the financial might of the two franchises, the sorrow of this week’s death of Fernando Valenzuela [[link removed]], and the raucous crowds expected at the 56,000-seat ballpark, a sense of expectation was palpable and heavy.

“It’s Dodgers-Yankees, two pillar franchises in the sport, obviously with a lot of history, going back a long, long time,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone, referencing in part the 11 prior World Series meetings between the two teams. “This is something that will garner a lot of interest all over the country, all over the world [[link removed]], probably more so than usual. I think everyone can identify with the Dodgers, can identify with the Yankees, and just what that means worldwide.”

The Big Question

Even before the World Series starts, questions persist about the future status of star Yankees outfielder Juan Soto, who will be a free agent after the Series. Even before the postseason, Soto was likely in line for a $500 million contract [[link removed]] that would be the second-largest player deal in MLB history. After his October heroics, particularly in the American League Championship Series against the Guardians, that projected outlay is growing quickly [[link removed]]—even among Soto’s own teammates.

For now, though, Soto is doing his best to block out the salary chatter and focus on beating the Dodgers.

“[Agent] Scott [Boras] has been doing a really good job to not make it hard for me,” Soto said in response to a Front Office Sports question. “He’s been taking all the bullets and everything. I’m just focused on playing baseball right now. That’s what I’ve been doing since day 1. Everything that comes up around [the free agency], I just let him do it.”

Local vs. National

The 2024 World Series, meanwhile, is happening against the backdrop of the ongoing reorganization of the bankrupt Diamond Sports Group, parent company of the newly renamed FanDuel Sports Network [[link removed]]. While the entire regional sports network business remains on a large-scale decline, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has actively pursued a more nationalized strategy regarding baseball’s in-market media rights [[link removed]]. That push recently received a further boost with the Brewers, Guardians, and Twins electing to have the league produce and distribute their local games [[link removed]].

But the presence of the Yankees and Dodgers in this World Series likely just reinforces the serious obstacles Manfred will have in advancing that new strategy. New York had MLB’s No. 2 player payroll [[link removed]] ($309 million) this year and Los Angeles was at No. 5 ($241 million)–spending made possible in no small part by the meaningful ownership stakes that each have in their RSNs, the YES Network and Spectrum Sportsnet, respectively. Even in a state of industry retreat, large-market clubs such as these—and others including the Red Sox and Cubs—will almost certainly be reluctant to shift to a radically different media model.

Remembering A Legend

Two days after the death of Valenzuela, a former star pitcher and broadcaster for the Dodgers, commemorations for the fallen icon began to come into focus. The Dodgers will wear a patch bearing his uniform No. 34 [[link removed]] during the World Series and all of next season. A moment of silence will also be held in his honor prior to Game 1 Friday. Additionally, ans developed a makeshift memorial [[link removed]] outside of the Dodger Stadium gates, marking another tribute of Valenzuela’s galvanizing impact among fans, particularly Latinos. Valenzuela also helped the Dodgers beat the Yankees in the 1981 World Series—the team’s last Fall Classic meeting until now.

“I was taken off guard, and I was deeply saddened,” Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole said of Valenzuela’s passing. “He’s one of the great Dodgers of all time, one of the great Mexican players of all time, and he’s a legend. It’s just sad he won’t be here for this series, but he’s probably got a great seat for it upstairs.”

Still A Hot Ticket

Soon after the World Series matchup was set, ticket resale prices soared [[link removed]] to levels not seen for this event since the Cubs’ historic championship run in 2016. As the games have approached, those levels have only largely held.

While average list prices across the event are still in excess of $3,500, get-in pricing has softened somewhat in the last two days. Low-end tickets that previously started at around $1,200, particularly for the Dodger Stadium games, can now be had for around $950 each. Demand for Games 3-5 at Yankee Stadium next week, however, is still higher, with pricing there generally starting around $1,100.

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Lionel Messi Remains MLS Salary King As Playoffs Begin [[link removed]]

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As the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs begins Friday with Inter Miami in focus [[link removed]], Lionel Messi is still the highest-paid player in the league—and it’s not even close.

Messi’s total compensation from Inter Miami in 2024 is $20,446,667, according to the fall salary guide released by the MLS Players Association on Thursday. The second-highest-paid player is Toronto FC winger Lorenzo Insigne, who brings home $15.4 million, and no other player makes over $10 million.

Of course, Messi’s playing contract is only one part of the lucrative deal MLS used to lure the superstar to the U.S. [[link removed]] He’s believed to be making closer to $150 million annually, when factoring in revenue sharing from league apparel partner Adidas and media-rights holder Apple. Messi is also set to receive equity in Inter Miami after retiring.

Here are the top 10 highest-paid players that were under contract as of Sept. 13, according to the MLSPA:

$20.44 million: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami $15.4 million: Lorenzo Insigne, Toronto FC $8.77 million: Sergio Busquets, Inter Miami $6.72 million: Sebastián Driussi, Austin FC $6.29 million: Federico Bernardeschi, Toronto FC $6.03 million: Emil Forsberg, New York Red Bulls $5.24 million: Héctor Herrera, Houston Dynamo $5.21 million: Hany Mukhtar, Nashville SC $4.68 million: Christian Benteke, D.C. United $4.64 million: Ricard Puig Martí, LA Galaxy

The figures above are a player’s total compensation, which factors in a base salary and bonuses. Messi’s teammate Sergio Busquets is the only other Inter Miami player in the top 10. Toronto FC, which did not make the playoffs, also has two players in the top 10.

ONE BIG FIG Moneyball

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$1.9 billion

The total revenue brought in by MLB teams from club sponsorships in 2024, according to a new report from SponsorUnited [[link removed].]. That represents a 9% increase from the 2023 season, and a 55% boost from 2022. Revenue remains key in baseball, evidenced by the World Series [[link removed]] featuring the league’s second- and fifth-highest clubs payrolls in the Yankees and Dodgers, respectively.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY What the Dream Matchup Means for MLB

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MLB is getting its wish for its two biggest markets to face off in the World Series. Shohei Ohtani’s presence in the Fall Classic could lead to viewership in Japan even above that of the U.S. audience. Front Office Sports newsletter writer Eric Fisher explains how big this series could get.

Plus, FOS multimedia reporter Derryl Barnes reports from Los Angeles to contrast the Lakers’ and Clippers’ home openers, including some bizarre and futuristic details from the Intuit Dome.

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

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Conversation Starters Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league launching in January, announced the names of all six of its teams. Find out what they are here [[link removed]]. New York Liberty CEO Keia Clarke credits the franchise’s first WNBA championship in large part to co-owner Clara Wu Tsai’s investment in the team. Listen to her comments here [[link removed]]. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer helped lead the team’s new Supporters Section at the regular-season debut of the $2 billion Intuit Dome. Check it out [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks Packers Agree to Green Bay’s Rent Terms Amid Lambeau Lease Dispute [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]The team and city have been embroiled in a lease dispute. LaLiga Might Finally Get Its U.S. Regular-Season Game [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]LaLiga’s long-running drive to play in America could be fulfilled soon. Skechers Surges on Record $2.35 Billion Quarterly Sales [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]The company came out with its first basketball shoe two years ago. Question of the Day

Will you stay up for Fox’s Rutgers-USC nightcap after World Series Game 1?

YES [[link removed]] NO [[link removed]]

Thursday’s result: 21% of respondents plan to watch Inter Miami and Lionel Messi in the MLS playoffs.

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