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Afternoon Edition

August 20, 2026

The 2026 US Open will offer a record $108 million in total player compensation, a 20% increase from last year, the USTA announced Thursday. The men’s and women’s singles winners will take home $5.5 million, up from last year’s record $5 million prize.

— Colin Salao [[link removed]]

First Up Carlos Alcaraz, the defending US Open champion who has missed the last two Grand Slams, said he will play at this year’s tournament [[link removed]] in New York. A new eligibility lawsuit against the NCAA [[link removed]] could give thousands more players a fifth year of eligibility—this time from Divisions II and III. Exclusive: Nielsen data shows NFL fans in some of the smallest markets [[link removed]], such as Buffalo and Kansas City, buy the most team apparel. There are parallels between what’s happening to Dodgers owner Mark Walter’s business empire [[link removed]] now and what was alleged in 2014. US Open Announces Record Prize Money Amid Player Protest Threat [[link removed]]

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The US Open has responded to possible player pay protests by awarding another record purse.

The 2026 US Open will offer $108 million in total player compensation, a 20% increase from $90 million last year [[link removed]], the United States Tennis Association announced Thursday. The men’s and women’s singles winners will take home $5.5 million, up from last year’s record $5 million prize.

The announcement comes amid the prospect of protests by players following a coordinated media protest [[link removed]] conducted by top men’s and women’s players at Roland-Garros in May.

For years, players have been asking for an increase in the share of total revenue Grand Slams bring in. Players typically receive about 15% of revenue share at Grand Slam events, and they are seeking 22% by 2030.

It’s unclear how much the $108 million player compensation compares to the 2026 projected revenue of the US Open. The 2026 prize represents 19.3% of the $559.7 million operating revenue in 2024, the latest publicly available number. (The prize pool is less than total player compensation, which includes additional support provided to players for out-of-pocket expenses. That amount was $5 million in 2025, though the tour did not announce that figure this year.)

The US Open player compensation bump equals that of Wimbledon, which came a month after the French Open protests. Players did not continue protests at Wimbledon [[link removed]].

Apart from share of revenue, players have also lobbied [[link removed]] for increased pension support and a larger voice when it comes to Grand Slam decision-making.

In response, the USTA’s announcement included a $2 million commitment in a player support program that will be equally split between men’s and women’s players. The program is “designed to complement existing end-of-career pension funds.”

“This is a significant first step in a multi-year investment in athletes as the US Open continues to be the best economic opportunity for players and the most valuable platform in tennis for players, fans and partners,” new USTA CEO Craig Tiley said in the announcement.

The USTA also announced a Grand Slam Player Advisory Council alongside the other three Grand Slams: the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, and Wimbledon.

In a social media post [[link removed]], the US Open said the council “will provide a new platform for players and the Grand Slams to work together to shape the future of the tournaments and advance our shared goal of greater player support.”

The council appears to be in direct response to players’ requests to be more involved in the decision-making process of the Slams. It’s not yet clear which players will be a part of the council.

Last week, Jessica Pegula, a member of the WTA Players’ Council, told Front Office Sports that the USTA has been the most active [[link removed]] of the Grand Slam organizers in communicating with players about their needs. However, she said players were awaiting the prize money details before making a decision on protesting during the Grand Slam.

“I think going into the US Open, we’re still waiting on a prize money announcement, so we haven’t really made any big decisions,” Pegula said. “They have definitely come to the table as far as wanting to change some of the stuff that’s been going on. I don’t know how much, how far they’re willing to.”

The US Open main draw begins Aug. 30, while qualifying week starts Aug. 24.

‘Front Office Sports Tonight’ Coming Soon

Front Office Sports Tonight, the first nationally syndicated daily show built entirely around the business and culture of sports, premieres Sept. 14. Emmy winner Matt Iseman [[link removed]] will host the 30-minute show, which will air six nights a week.

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ONE BIG FIG Preseason Ratings

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1.93 million

That’s the average number of viewers for NFL Network’s first preseason under ESPN ownership [[link removed]] that began with six national game broadcasts in Week 1.

Last year’s eight-game Week 1 preseason slate on NFL Network averaged 2.1 million viewers. Excluding the two Sunday games from last year, NFL Network’s average audience of 1.93 million viewers is up about 3% over 1.88 million viewers for the comparable six non-Sunday games in Week 1 a year ago, according to ESPN.

LOUD AND CLEAR NFL Frustration

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“Our concern is that this is going to make measurement for the upcoming season muddled.”

—NFL SVP of data and analytics Paul Ballew told Front Office Sports about Nielsen’s planned change to its methodology for the upcoming 2026–27 television season. The league’s primary complaint is that fans actually watching NFL games are still not being properly reflected in the audience counts [[link removed]]. With co-viewing in particular, Ballew says accurately measured results are likely at least two years away. “The results we’ve seen so far are really negative for us, and for sports overall,” he says.

STATUS REPORT Two Up, One Down, One Push

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Orioles ⬇ Pete Alonso’s deep fly ball into left field in the seventh inning against the Yankees Wednesday night looked good but was ruled a foul on a review—to Baltimore’s shock. “I think a simple fix is like football, you have the pylon camera with the plane, where it shoots right across the goal line,” Alonso said. “There are teams using AI on the iPads and other sports use ball-tracking data for challengeable calls. Don’t understand why we don’t do it,” Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said after the game, which the Yankees won 5–3.

NHL Germany ⬆ For the first time in the regular season, the NHL is coming to Germany for four games as part of its Global Series. The Bruins will play in Munich, home to forward JJ Peterka; the Oilers will hit Cologne, where forward Leon Draisaitl is from. Germany will also get regular-season action for at least the next three NHL campaigns. The league also announced a partnership with Bundesliga powerhouse FC Bayern Munich to raise hockey’s profile in Germany. It’s all part of the NHL’s push to get its tentacles deeper into the country and reflects its overarching effort to expand its global footprint, especially with the World Cup of Hockey set to return in 2028.

North Carolina schools ⬆ One of the beneficiaries of the new state budget that raised taxes on sports-betting operators is public universities’ athletic departments. For the 2026–27 fiscal year, analysts estimate tax revenue from sports betting will increase from $161.2 million under prior law to $206 million, according to reports [[link removed]]. In 2026–27, Appalachian State, East Carolina, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central, UNC Asheville, UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, and Western Carolina are each expected to get $3 million.

Washington, D.C. ⬆⬇ On Saturday and Sunday, President Donald Trump is hosting the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in the capital as part of the country’s 250th birthday celebrations, with streets around the National Mall being transformed into a racetrack. The 250-mile race, or 147 laps around the 1.7-mile track, is expected to take about 3 hours to finish and will be broadcast live on Fox. The race’s main straightaways will be Pennsylvania Avenue and Independence Avenue.

Editors’ Picks Judge Rules Players Can Go From NFL Training Camp Back to College [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s new eligibility model. What We Know So Far About Clay Travis’s New Media Company, Sport & State [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Hard Rock Bet already holds a 10% stake in it. Greg McElroy Talks SEC vs. Big Ten Debate, Next Top Coaches [[link removed]]by Ryan Glasspiegel [[link removed]]The ex-Alabama QB is entering his 13th season with ESPN. Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Games [[link removed]] Shop [[link removed]] Written by Colin Salao [[link removed]] Edited by Lisa Scherzer [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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