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Afternoon Edition

October 6, 2025

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As ESPN steps away from broadcasting the MLB wild-card round, it’s going out on a high note. The recent games drew record ratings, including the network’s biggest MLB audience since 2021.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]], Ben Horney [[link removed]], and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

ESPN Ends Its Wild-Card Coverage With Historic TV Ratings [[link removed]]

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

ESPN is exiting the Major League Baseball postseason television business on a historic high.

The network said Monday that last week’s wild-card round averaged 4.6 million viewers across the 11 games, up 64% from a year ago and by far the highest such mark in the four-year history of this format. In particular, the Game 3 matchup on Oct. 2 between the Red Sox and Yankees averaged 7.4 million viewers and peaked at 8.4 million, representing the network’s most-watched MLB game since 2021.

That Boston–New York matchup was the primetime finale of a dramatic, three-game set of deciding games [[link removed]] played across the league that day, all of which were broadcast on ESPN or sister Disney channel ABC.

Perhaps more meaningfully, the wild-card round in full saw an 89% increase in viewers ages 35 and under, and a 108% bump among those ages 17 and younger.

ESPN has an agreement in principle [[link removed]] to rework its MLB rights deal considerably, giving up the wild-card inventory beginning next year and focusing more on local rights and the MLB.TV out-of-market package. NBC will air the wild-card round [[link removed]], a key part of its high-profile return to the sport.

Before the season started, however, ESPN executives had been dismissive of the wild-card round and how 10 of the 12 series played between 2022 and 2024 ended in sweeps. The elevated ratings won’t change the emerging contracts for the next three seasons. They do, however, provide a dramatic finale for ESPN after regular-season coverage rose 21% [[link removed]] in 2025.

In the meantime, ESPN will be providing radio coverage of the ongoing MLB division series, and it will continue to do so through the duration of the postseason.

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Where Sports Meets Capital

We’re bringing together the most powerful minds in sports finance. Join us at the New York Stock Exchange on Oct. 16 for Asset Class [[link removed]], presented by DealMaker.

Recently confirmed speakers include David Checketts, former Knicks and Jazz executive-turned-investor, and Sarah Fuller, chief athletic officer at NOCAP Sports and former Vanderbilt soccer and football player. Additional speakers represent The Chernin Group, Goldman Sachs, Andalusian, RedBird Capital, DealMaker, Sequence Equity, and more.

Conversations will capture the most influential investors in sports, new forms of funding, athlete ownership, and beyond.

The wait list is close to capacity. Request to attend [[link removed]] today.

Mark Sanchez Charged With New Felony in Indianapolis Case [[link removed]]

The Indianapolis Star

Fox Sports broadcaster and former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez faces up to six years in prison after a felony charge was added by Indianapolis officials, following a fight over the weekend that ended with Sanchez getting stabbed and sent to the hospital.

The high-profile incident [[link removed]] originally prompted misdemeanor charges of battery resulting in injury, public intoxication, and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle. At a Monday morning press conference, Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears said there was a new allegation of a felony charge of battery resulting in serious bodily injury. The fight was between Sanchez and a 69-year-old man, according to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.

Sanchez intends to plead not guilty, according to a court document [[link removed]] posted by local Fox reporter Angela Ganote.

An amended probable cause affidavit contained new information that led to the new charge, Mears said Monday. It’s a level five felony charge, which can carry a sentence of between one and six years in prison. With the new charge, the case will be transferred to a “major felony court,” Mears said, and it will be up to them whether Sanchez is held on bond.

The amended probable cause affidavit [[link removed]] featured a new paragraph stating that the victim said he “suffered a severe laceration to the side of his face, penetrating all the way through his left cheek,” and that the pain eventually reached a 10 out of 10. Gruesome photos have been circulating online of the man’s injuries.

Mears cautioned “we are still in the early stages of this investigation,” and said “these are by no means the final charges we are going to move forward with.”

A question about Sanchez’s blood alcohol content was deflected Monday, with Mears saying health records are protected, and officials would have to go through the right process to make sure any information they receive was “obtained through proper channels.”

Sanchez is still in the hospital, Ganote reported [[link removed]], contrary to reports Sunday that he was released from the hospital [[link removed]] and taken to a local jail.

According to the original probable cause affidavit signed by an Indianapolis detective, the fight took place early Saturday morning, in an alleyway between the Marriott and Westin hotels in Indianapolis. The altercation involved Sanchez and a man who was parked in the alley to remove grease from commercial kitchens.

According to the affidavit, surveillance footage from the Marriott revealed that Sanchez “approached the driver’s door of the truck and opened the door and began a conversation with [the alleged victim].” The two allegedly had an interaction at the driver’s side door before the other man walked toward the passenger side with Sanchez following him.

The truck driver said he felt threatened and used pepper spray on Sanchez, according to the affidavit. As Sanchez allegedly resumed the attack, the driver believed he was in a “life or death situation” and struck Sanchez two or three times with a knife, the affidavit says. After that, Sanchez took off “north bound” down the alley, according to the affidavit.

When detectives questioned Sanchez at the hospital, the Fox analyst “said he did not know who did this to him or where it happened,” according to the affidavit.

Fox Sports briefly addressed the situation on its pregame show Sunday, as host Curt Menefee told viewers, “Mark Sanchez was involved in an incident that, to be honest, we’re all still trying to wrap our heads around. At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with Mark, his family, and all those involved.” The network declined further comment.

Brady Quinn, who is normally a college football studio analyst for Fox, filled in for Sanchez on the Colts-Raiders broadcast Sunday.

Fox and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Connor McDavid Signs Short-Term Deal, Eyeing Oilers’ Cup Window [[link removed]]

Bob Frid-Imagn Images

The waiting is over, and Connor McDavid will remain an Edmonton Oiler—at least for now, after signing a short-term, team-friendly contract.

The three-time National Hockey League Most Valuable Player signed a two-year extension with the Oilers on Monday worth $25 million. The deal, covering the 2026–27 and 2027–28 seasons, followed an offseason of waiting in which McDavid has been eligible since July to sign a new deal [[link removed]]. He didn’t do so for more than three months, though, as he continued to evaluate his options [[link removed]] and consider the Oilers’ competitive window after the team lost in the Stanley Cup Final each of the last two seasons to the Panthers.

McDavid’s decision arrived two days before the Oilers begin the 2025–26 season at home against the archrival Flames. This year, he will finish an eight-year, $100 million deal signed in 2017. The extension, as a result, maintains his $12.5 million average annual salary.

“Our journey here continues,” McDavid said Monday afternoon in a social media post [[link removed]].

The contract is the second major one in the NHL in the last week after the Wild signed star winger Kirill Kaprizov [[link removed]] to an eight-year, $136 million extension, setting league records for both total and average annual value. Even after this McDavid extension, Kaprizov remains the league’s standard-bearer for salary.

McDavid’s signing for below his current market value signals a keen interest to help the Oilers build around him and win a Stanley Cup, not unlike the approach Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby has taken with his recent contracts in Pittsburgh.

“Connor’s commitment to our team and our city is surpassed only by his singular focus on bringing a Stanley Cup back to the fans of the Edmonton Oilers,” the team’s EVP of hockey operations and GM, Stan Bowman, said in a statement.

With the shorter term of McDavid’s deal, he will be eligible to become a free agent when he is 31—at which point he would still likely command significant interest around the league.

The league’s salary cap, now at $95.5 million for the upcoming 2025–26 season and up from last year’s $88 million, is estimated to jump to $104 million in 2026–27 and $113.5 million in 2027–28. That increase, fueled largely by accelerating revenues in the sport, means that the NHL salary cap will spike by more than 25% over a three-year period.

Any individual player can sign for as much as 20% of a team’s salary cap, meaning that annual salaries of $20 million are soon forthcoming.

NFL London Fans Get Partial Refunds After Ticket App Glitches [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Ticketmaster is offering partial refund credits to some fans who experienced delays entering Sunday’s Vikings-Browns game in London.

Complaints emerged on social media before the 2:30 p.m. local time kickoff at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium about long lines [[link removed]] and technological glitches [[link removed]] with the NFL OnePass app, which is the primary ticketing platform for the league’s international games. Ticketmaster is the NFL’s official ticketing partner.

While there was not a noticeable absence of fans in the stands when the game began, many did report not entering the stadium in time. The announced attendance was 61,082, which is near the venue’s capacity of 62,850, as Minnesota beat Cleveland 21–17.

In the aftermath of the logistical issues, some fans have been offered a 50% refund in the form of a Ticketmaster gift card.

“Dear Fan, We’d like to sincerely apologise for the difficulties some fans experienced when entering Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for today’s NFL London Game. This was due to a ticketing issue,” reads an email from Ticketmaster to some game attendees who experienced issues. “The experience fell short of our standards and the service we aim to deliver on behalf of the NFL.

“Ticketmaster, the NFL and Tottenham Hotspur worked together to address the situation as quickly as possible. We understand that as a loyal NFL fan it was a frustrating experience, and we are grateful for your patience and cooperation as the situation was resolved. We would like to offer you a gift card to the value of 50% of the impacted ticket(s). We’ll be in touch within 48 hours with details on how to redeem it.”

It’s unclear how many fans have received the partial refund offer, as some ticket holders who did not experience significant problems have said they have not been contacted.

On Sunday night, Ticketmaster released the following statement, “Ahead of today’s game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a number of NFL fans experienced delays entering the stadium due to a ticketing issue. The operation to safely admit ticketholders was fully coordinated with NFL and Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium operations team. Ticketmaster, the NFL and Tottenham Hotspur were able to verify ticketholders using a secondary form of verification. The situation was addressed as efficiently as possible and all fans entered the stadium safely.”

It was the first of three consecutive NFL games in London. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will host Broncos-Jets on Sunday, and Wembley Stadium will host Rams-Jaguars on Oct. 19. The league is playing a record seven games outside the U.S. this season.

Camera Interference?

During the Vikings-Browns game Sunday, Minnesota kicker Will Reichard missed a game-tying 51-yard field goal in the fourth quarter that appears to have potentially made contact with a camera cable [[link removed]] hanging above the field before sailing wide right. The NFL has not commented on the play, but a source told ProFootballTalk [[link removed]] that officials “had no clear view of the ball striking the cable.”

Meanwhile, in the Cowboys-Jets game at MetLife Stadium, a Justin Fields pass attempt deflected by Dallas edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. hit Fox’s Skycam [[link removed]?] before falling to the ground; there was no redo of the play, despite the rules calling for one.

Rule No. 3, Section 2, Article 1 (r) in the 2025 NFL Rulebook states in part, “If a loose ball in play strikes a video board, guide wire, sky cam, or any other object, the ball will be dead immediately, and the down will be replayed at the previous spot.”

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY Could Penn State Buy Out James Franklin?

FOS illustration

After losing to unranked UCLA this weekend, James Franklin could be on the hot seat for Penn State, which was ranked No. 2 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll. He joins a list of college coaches who are struggling against lofty expectations, including Steve Sarkisian, Deion Sanders, and Bill Belichick. FOS newsletter writer David Rumsey joins Baker Machado and Renee Washington to give his take on which school is in the worst position right now, and what a buyout could look like for Franklin and Penn State.

Plus, Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier reportedly canceled a meeting with Cathy Engelbert after the WNBA commissioner publicly responded to Collier’s criticisms, telling reporters she “obviously” did not make the comments about Caitlin Clark and other players needing to be “grateful” for the league. WNBA insider Khristina Williams joins to predict what comes next in this ugly saga, and how much longer Engelbert will last as commissioner.

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

STATUS REPORT Two Up, Two Down

Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Kentucky ⬇ Wildcats football coach Mark Stoops denied a recent report that he had discussed a contract buyout with school officials. “There’s zero chance I’m walking away. There’s no quit in me, so that’s unequivocally 100% false,” Stoops said [[link removed]] following Kentucky’s 35–14 loss to Georgia on Saturday. Buying Stoops out would cost nearly $40 million; the coach is 69–76 in Lexington.

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship ⬇ The DP World Tour event was shortened from four to three rounds due to high winds in Scotland over the weekend. Robert Macintyre, a member of Europe’s Ryder Cup squad last month, won the 54-hole tournament that’s played partially at the Old Course at St Andrews, taking home $816,000.

International soccer ⬆ Barcelona will be able to go ahead with a much-debated plan to play a league match in Miami, and Serie A’s AC Milan will do the same in Australia after UEFA said Monday that it will no longer oppose the moves. The governing body had been fiercely opposed to the idea, as have been many European fans [[link removed]], but the overseas matches will look to tap into a growing internationalization happening across much of pro sports. “While it is regrettable to have to let these two games go ahead, this decision is exceptional and shall not be seen as setting a precedent,” UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said in a statement.

Geddy Lee ⬆ The front man for the iconic Canadian rock band Rush recently published a book about his extensive baseball memorabilia collection and will hold a signing Oct. 11 at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. A longtime Blue Jays fan and season-ticket holder, Lee was also prominently featured this past weekend [[link removed]] in an intro for Sportsnet coverage in Canada of the team’s division series against the Yankees, during which Toronto jumped out to a 2–0 series lead. Meanwhile, the band made a surprise announcement Monday of a reunion tour in 2026.

Editors’ Picks Paul Finebaum Pulled From Some ESPN Shows After Trump Comments [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]] and Ryan Glasspiegel [[link removed]]ESPN denied a report about Finebaum. [[link removed]] Backer of SlamBall, Ballers Armed With $150M for New Fund [[link removed]]by Ben Horney [[link removed]]The fund will offer sports and entertainment companies deals that don’t involve equity. [[link removed]] Penn State Has a $50 Million James Franklin Problem [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Franklin’s team lost to unranked UCLA on Saturday despite being heavy favorites. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Show [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], Ben Horney [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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