December 15, 2021

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The NFL’s 32 owners are reportedly expected to approve Las Vegas as the host city for Super Bowl LVIII during a league meeting today. The game will be played in Allegiant Stadium, home of the Raiders, following the 2023 season.

Before that, we’ll get Super Bowls in Los Angeles and Phoenix.

Nike, Adidas Box Out Virtual Territory

Bored Ape Yacht Club/RTFKT/Design: Alex Brooks

The next battle for sneaker brand placement is taking place inside the metaverse.

Both Nike and Adidas have established digital properties and key partnerships as they look to establish a presence in popular virtual environments.

Nike took steps to vertically integrate its production of NFTs and other digital goods on Monday with the acquisition of RTFKT, which produces NFTs, sometimes paired with a physical collectibles such as sneakers.

Nike filed [[link removed]] trademarks for its signature swoosh logo and “Just Do It” slogan in digital forms and environments in October.

Adidas made a similar move earlier this month by linking with popular NFT collection Bored Ape Yacht Club. The partnership includes PUNKS Comic, which combines NFTs with physical comic books, and crypto/NFT influencer gmoney NFT.

Trillion-Dollar Opportunity In November, Adidas announced a partnership with cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, without providing further details.Just prior to that, metaverse company The Sandbox revealed that Adidas had purchased a plot of virtual land.Nike has its own virtual space [[link removed]] within Roblox — called NIKELAND — where users can play games and check out products.

Estimates for the metaverse’s economic impact range from $1 trillion, according to [[link removed]] investor Grayscale, to Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney’s prognostication [[link removed]] of a “multi-trillion part of the world economy.”

Rising Viewership to Impact New MLS Broadcasting Deal

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports/Design: Alex Brooks

Major League Soccer’s eight-year broadcasting rights deals with Disney’s ESPN, Fox, and Univision expire at the end of the 2022 season.

As it considers new contracts, the league will be able to use its rising viewership as collateral to negotiate for a much higher payday — it currently receives [[link removed]] $90 million per year.

More than 12 media companies have reportedly expressed interest already, including Amazon, Apple, WarnerMedia, and ViacomCBS.

The league moved from the 13th-most popular league in 2019 to the seventh-most popular this year, according to a survey by MoffettNathanson.

In 2021, national MLS broadcasts grew [[link removed]] 3% from 2019 to an average of 285,000 viewers per game across Fox, Disney, and Univision.Midseason, ABC/ESPN reported that year-over-year viewership rose [[link removed]] 50%, Fox/FS1 increased 14%, and Univision/UniMas grew 21%.

MLS also reportedly [[link removed]] has the youngest fan base in North American pro sports.

Future of MLS

Previously, MLS sold its broadcasting deals for local, national, and international audiences separately, but will look to bundle them in one package going forward.

The league is also aiming to lock down [[link removed]] a 30th team in the next 10 months. Two other teams begin play in 2023; another new addition would start after that season.

SPONSORED BY EBAY

Level Up Your Card Collecting

If you think eBay [[link removed]] is just for bidding on those sneakers you couldn’t snag, think again.

Thanks to two new integrations added to their Trading Card Marketplace [[link removed]], the dot-com giant is quickly becoming the go-to spot to buy, sell, and trade cards with ease.

Price Guide leverages their expansive data of past transactions and price history to get the most accurate current market value of your cards and track pricing trends. Collection lets you manage your entire card portfolio digitally and see its total value.

Plus, it’s only going to get better —with more developments like image scanning and protected shipping in the works, there’s never been a better time to get on the Trading Card Marketplace.

Check it out here [[link removed]].

Google and Disney’s Stiff YouTube TV Negotiations

Youtube TV/Design: Alex Brooks

Google is trying to work out a new deal with Disney for YouTube TV, but time is running out.

YouTube TV notified users that it could lose ESPN, ABC, FX, and other Disney channels — including the SEC and ACC networks.

YouTube’s parent company, Google, is negotiating a new deal with the Mouse as its current agreement ends Dec. 17.

The pair have yet to reach an “equitable” deal, according [[link removed]] to YouTube. The company’s statement asked Disney and its other partners to “treat YouTube TV like any other TV provider,” specifically when it comes to rates.

Previous Carriage Issues

Disney isn’t the only company that’s struggled to reach a deal with Google.

In October, YouTube TV had to agree on a “short” extension with NBCUniversal to keep NBC channels, including regional sports networks, on the service. Last week, Google struck a “multiyear extension” with streaming platform Roku to continue its distribution of YouTube TV, but only one [[link removed]] day before the app would have been pulled from Roku.

YouTube TV plans [[link removed]] to reduce its monthly fee from $65 to $50 if the two sides are not able to reach an agreement.

Disney, which offers a streaming bundle that includes Disney, Hulu, and ESPN+ for $13.99 each month, emphasized its commitment to the renewal.

Chicago Close to In-Person Betting at Pro Stadiums

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports/Design: Alex Brooks

Chicago is close to allowing in-person sports betting at professional sports stadiums — with help from some of the city’s most notable sports figures.

An ordinance with support from Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts, Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz, and White Sox and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf has been approved by Chicago’s City Council Joint Committee on Licensing and Zoning.

Despite the approval, integrating in-person sports betting at venues has faced criticism due to concerns of the viability of Chicago-based casinos amid increased competition.

Soldier Field Plans

Chicago’s willingness to implement in-person sports betting at professional sports venues has also impacted the Chicago Bears and the team’s desire [[link removed]] to build a new stadium.

The Bears, who have called Soldier Field home since 1971, signed [[link removed]] a purchase agreement in September for the Arlington International Racecourse property in a deal valued at $197.2 million. The benefits of the Arlington site include an option to have an enclosed stadium and a sports betting lounge. Bears president Ted Phillips stated that the Chicago Park District has refused “to engage in good-faith discussions” about integrating sports betting opportunities at Soldier Field.

Illinois, which requires in-person registration to wager on sports, has reported [[link removed]] $556 million in sports betting revenue with a total handle of $7.3 billion since March 2020 — when it became legalized in the state.

SPONSORED BY OPENDORSE

Gain Key Insights Into the First 6 Months of NIL

Since the NCAA passed the NIL policy [[link removed]] in July 2021, college athletes have received hundreds of thousands of NIL deals — just six months in, the market appears to be hitting its stride.

Tune in on Thursday, December 16th at 1 p.m. ET as college athletes Gloria Mutiri (Oregon Volleyball) and Trevor Bassitt (Ashland University Track & Field) join Adam White, CEO, FOS, and Blake Lawrence, CEO of Opendorse, to discuss the opportunities, challenges and major takeaways from the first 6 months of NIL in our latest webinar, NIL at Every Level: The First 6 Months [[link removed]].

Hear firsthand how these student-athletes are taking advantage of the NIL policy, and gain insights into the billion-dollar market to come, including conferences that are leading the way, what kind of regulation to expect in the future, and more.

Register today [[link removed]]!

Conversation Starters Nike signed a deal with UCLA soccer player Reilyn Turner in its first-ever endorsement deal [[link removed]] with a college player. Cryptocurrency platform FTX has entered an international rights sponsorship [[link removed]] with the Golden State Warriors reportedly worth $10 million. Rumble League Studios raised $4.5 million in a funding round [[link removed]] for its first web3 sports title, “Rumble Kong League.” Save 40% on SimpliSafe [[link removed]]. With sensors and cameras for the whole home, and 24/7 professional monitoring for fast police dispatch, SimpliSafe is serious home security without the hassle.*

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Today's Action

NHL

10:10 PM

Kraken (+130) at Ducks (-150)

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NBA

10:00 PM

Wizards (+105) at Kings (-125)

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NHL

09:10 PM

Rangers (-220) at Coyotes (+180)

Bet Now [[link removed]]

*All times are EST unless otherwise noted.

*Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See [[link removed]] for details.

Question Of The Day

Have you heard of eBay’s new tools for pro collecting?

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

Tuesday’s Answer

40% of respondents have played pickleball.

Written by Owen Poindexter [[link removed]], Abigail Gentrup [[link removed]], Justin Byers [[link removed]]

MORE FROM FOS:

Sports Section [[link removed]] - Daily Sports Newsletter

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Front Office Sports Insights [[link removed]] - The most promising opportunities where sports meets industry

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