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Morning Edition

June 20, 2025

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The Pacers forced a do-or-die Game 7 against the Thunder, setting up just the fifth NBA Finals to go the distance this century. Considering this has been one of the league’s lowest-rated Finals ever, this winner-take-all clash could give viewership a big boost.

— Colin Salao [[link removed]], Ben Horney [[link removed]], and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

Pacers Force Game 7, Could Spark Big Ratings Boost for NBA Finals [[link removed]]

Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The 2025 NBA Finals have been one of the lowest-rated of all time, but that could drastically change because of a do-or-die Game 7.

On Thursday, Indiana defeated Oklahoma City, 108-91, to force a deciding final game Sunday. It will be just the fifth Finals series this century that has gone the full seven games.

The previous four series saw a 65% increase in viewers for Game 7 vs. the average of the first six contests. That includes the seven-game Finals series in 2005, which could not draw more than 11 million viewers through its first four games.

The finalists were the Spurs and the Pistons, which, like the Thunder and Pacers, are in two of the league’s smallest markets. Games 5 and 6 in 2005 delivered at least 13 million viewers each, while Game 7 drew 19 million. (This year’s series has not passed 10 million viewers in each of the first five games.)

The last Game 7 in the NBA Finals was in 2016 between the LeBron James-led Cavaliers and Steph Curry-led Warriors, which drew 31 million viewers—the most-watched NBA game since Michael Jordan played for the Bulls.

Finally Near the Summit

Herb Simon is the NBA’s longest-tenured owner. But in 42 seasons at the helm in Indiana, he has never been this close to an NBA championship. The Pacers had only made the NBA Finals one other time before this season, when they lost 4–2 to the Lakers in 2000.

As with many legacy pro sports team owners [[link removed]], Simon’s investment has paid off. He purchased the Pacers in 1983 for $11 million. In 2023, he sold a 15% stake in Pacers to Steven Rales, who already owned 5% of the team, at a $3.47 billion valuation. The Pacers are now estimated to be worth $3.6 billion [[link removed]], according to Forbes.

Under Simon, the Pacers have taken a different approach to roster building than most of the league. They refused to tank [[link removed]], and haven’t picked in the top five of the NBA Draft since 1989. Game 3 hero Bennedict Mathurin [[link removed]], selected No. 6 in 2022, was their first top-10 pick in that timeframe.

They also have been shrewd with their spending, avoiding the luxury tax for the last 20 years. However, win or lose, this run has changed their approach as the team is prepared to enter the tax next year [[link removed]]. It likely helps that the team is making millions in revenue from ticket sales and merchandise [[link removed]] from each additional home playoff game this year.

Simon’s approach has kept the Pacers competitive for decades, including 10 conference finals appearances since 1990. That’s tied for third in the league, and all other teams with at least 10 have won multiple championships (Lakers, Spurs, Celtics, Heat).

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60 Years of Fueling Champions

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Originally created to replace what the 1965 Florida Gators lost in their sweat, Gatorade has been the top hydration solution for athletes for 60 years—and is trusted by the biggest leagues in the world.

The new Gatorade campaign “Lose More. Win More.” features a 30-second film [[link removed]], A History of Winning, celebrating Gatorade’s history of fueling athletes from the ’65 Florida Gators to icons of today such as Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson, Shedeur Sanders, Jayson Tatum, and Luka Dončić.

Learn more at Gatorade.com [[link removed]] to fuel your next win.

Mark Walter Just Bought the Lakers At a $10B Valuation. Who Is He? [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Lakers, one of the most iconic franchises in history, are being sold at a historic $10 billion valuation to Mark Walter, a man who many people had never heard of until it was announced he was buying the Lakers.

Walter is actually a very prominent figure in the world of sports ownership, but his role has mostly been behind the scenes. Before Wednesday night’s stunning announcement [[link removed]], Walter already owned a 26% stake in the Lakers; he’s been a stakeholder since 2021. A spokesperson for Walter tells Front Office Sports that he is indeed entering into an agreement “to acquire additional interests” in the Lakers. Sources familiar with the matter confirm the $10 billion valuation is accurate, and a source familiar with the agreement tells FOS the investment is being “driven by Walter,” as opposed to TWG.

In addition to the Lakers, through his holding company TWG Global—and its subsidiary Guggenheim Partners—he has ownership stakes in the Los Angeles Sparks, the Dodgers, Chelsea FC, and Cadillac’s Formula 1 team. He is also the primary financial backer of the PWHL. TWG Global doesn’t just invest in sports. It has holdings across industries, including financial services, insurance, and artificial intelligence as well. In total, the TWG portfolio has an enterprise value of more than $40 billion [[link removed]].

It remains to be seen how visible he’ll be with the Lakers, one of the most high-profile sports franchises in the U.S. The Lakers have roughly 60 million total followers across X, Instagram, and Facebook, compared to 21 million for the Celtics. The Cowboys also pale in comparison to the Lakers, with a little more than 17 million total followers across those platforms.

The Lakers’ cultural impact, especially in the U.S., is unmatched. They’ve won 16 championships and are almost always equipped with some of the biggest stars in the sports world. The star-studded lineage traces all the way back to George Mikan—who played in the 1940s and 1950s when the Lakers still played in Minneapolis (the team moved to Los Angeles for the 1959–60 season). It extends to legends like Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, LeBron James, and, most recently, Luka Dončić.

Walter has some big shoes to fill to keep the Lakers’ legacy going. First things first, he’ll need to introduce himself to the team’s current star, Dončić, who apparently is included in the group of people who don’t know much about Walter.

Walter’s low profile appears to be on purpose. The few times he has spoken publicly, he’s talked about his desire to remain behind the scenes. In 2012, he told [[link removed]] the Chicago Tribune, “I’m a fairly quiet and private person,” and said he hasn’t “sought publicity.” That same year, the Los Angeles Times reported [[link removed]] that Walter, then newly minted as the Dodgers owner, said he was happy to remain a person in the background: “I’m here to support and help my people as much as I can. I’m here to cheer as loud as I can.”

Born in Iowa in 1960, Walter was educated at Creighton University and Northwestern University Law School. Forbes estimates [[link removed]] his net worth at $6.1 billion.

Omaha Delivers Again: LSU, Coastal Carolina Set for CWS Showdown [[link removed]]

Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

The College World Series [[link removed]] final is set to play out this weekend, as Omaha closes out another successful run hosting one of the most unique events in all of college sports.

The three-game LSU-Coastal Carolina series begins Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, with Game 2 on Sunday night and, if necessary, a winner-take-all Game 3 on Monday night.

Total attendance so far for the 12 CWS games at Charles Schwab Field Omaha this month is 292,181. The $130 million ballpark that opened in 2011 has an official capacity of 24,000 but can fit even more than that for its biggest games.

With a maximum of three games left, this year’s tournament won’t break the record of 392,946 set in 2023, but the average game attendance (24,348 so far) will rival that separate record of 24,748 set last year [[link removed]]. The 2023 CWS had 16 total games, while the 2024 edition had 15. This year will end up with either 14 or 15.

Omaha is under contract to host the CWS through at least 2035.

Going, Going, Gone

LSU is vying for its eighth CWS title, and second in three years. In 2023, the Tigers defeated SEC rival Florida, as pitcher Paul Skenes—now one of the biggest stars in MLB [[link removed]]—was named the Most Outstanding Player. LSU will also look to win the SEC’s sixth straight CWS, after 13 of the conference’s 16 baseball programs made the NCAA tournament [[link removed]].

Coastal Carolina—winners of 26 straight games—is back in the CWS for the first time since their debut in 2016, when it won the program’s first and only NCAA baseball national championship. Right after that title, the Chanticleers changed conferences, moving out of the Big South and into the Sun Belt, where they play today.

Some strong performances this weekend from both teams could play a role in how much money their programs receive from their respective schools, as revenue-sharing in the NCAA begins [[link removed]] next season.

Baseball is not expected to earn a large chunk of available cash at any school, but most universities are committing to paying athletes from all sports at least a small portion of the $22.5 million they are allowed to spend.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS HONORS

Rising 25 Nominations Closing Soon

Rising 25 [[link removed]] is back and it’s time to nominate an up-and-coming young professional changing the game in the business of sports.

The Front Office Sports Rising 25 Award celebrates the careers of the brightest young stars in the business of sports. To date, we’ve honored 200 individuals and we’re looking for our next group of young professionals.

Know someone who deserves to be recognized? Nominate them now [[link removed]].

Don’t wait—nominations close June 22 at 11:55 p.m. ET.

STATUS REPORT One Up, Two Down, One Push

Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders ⬆ The performers have recently received a 400% increase in pay, according to veteran team member Megan McElaney, who made the claim during the new season of the Netflix series, America’s Sweethearts, that chronicles the team’s cheerleaders. It’s unclear what the new pay amount is, though, and when it occurred.

Shedeur Sanders ⬇ Cleveland’s rookie quarterback received a $250 speeding citation this week in Ohio for driving 101 mph in a 60 mph speed zone. It was his second speeding citation this month [[link removed]], according to court records. Sanders, who fell to the Browns in the fifth round of the NFL Draft, [[link removed]] was one of several draftees who received prank calls [[link removed]] during the draft, and initially had the third-best-selling jersey among incoming rookies [[link removed]].

Stanley Cup Final ⬇ The six-game series that saw the Panthers defeat the Oilers to win a second consecutive NHL title [[link removed]]drew an average of 2.5 million viewers on TNT Sports platforms, which was down 40% from last year’s seven-game series involving the same teams, when ABC averaged 4.2 million viewers per game. It’s also down slightly from the 2023 Stanley Cup Final (Golden Knights–Panthers), which also aired on TNT Sport and averaged 2.6 million viewers.

College Football Playoff ⬆⬇ No decision was made on a future format at this week’s gathering of CFP leaders, which was the last-scheduled meeting before the season begins this fall. Now, as expected, discussion about what the CFP will look like in 2026 and beyond will likely bleed into the 2025 regular season [[link removed]].

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS NETWORK

Obsession, AI, and the Future of College Sports

Gary Vaynerchuk, chairman of VaynerX, CEO of VaynerMedia, and creator of VeeFriends, joins Next Up with Adam Breneman for an unfiltered conversation about ownership, obsession, artificial intelligence, NIL (name, image, and likeness), and what it really takes to build something that lasts.

From building his dad’s company from $3 million to $60 million and walking away with nothing, to firing his best friend to save his company, Gary opens up about the career-defining moments. He shares why he believes most coaches are losing the locker room, how NIL money is exposing, not changing, young athletes, and why his advice to 17-year-olds getting paid is simple: Tune your parents out.

This episode dives into everything from Gary’s mindset on momentum to the reality of working 100-hour weeks in his 20s, and why balance is relative. He also goes deep on the future of AI, predicting a world where our grandkids might marry robots, Google may become obsolete, and athletes could be replaced by AI-powered machines.

Watch the full Next Up episode here [[link removed]].

Editors’ Picks Fire Rekindled? WNBA’s Portland Expansion Team Eyes Original Name [[link removed]]by Annie Costabile [[link removed]]WNBA trademarks hint at Portland Fire revival as league expands and honors history. NBA Taking Cues from NBA Twitter in Restoring Finals Pageantry [[link removed]]by Ryan Glasspiegel [[link removed]]The NBA and ESPN/ABC made several changes on the fly. Question of the Day

Have you ever attended a College World Series game in Omaha?

Yes [[link removed]] No [[link removed]]

Wednesday’s result: 46% of respondents watch more television through linear. 54% watch more TV through streaming platforms.

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Shows [[link removed]] Written by Colin Salao [[link removed]], Ben Horney [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]]

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