December 22, 2021

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The NBA told the 10 teams scheduled to play on Christmas Day that they should be ready to shift game times because of possible COVID-related issues. Commissioner Adam Silver also said there are no plans to pause the season: “This virus will not be eradicated, so we have to learn to live with it.”

FIFA Digs In On Biennial World Cup Plan

FIFA/Design: Alex Brooks

Switching the World Cup from every four years to two could bring in $4.4 billion in additional revenue for FIFA — totaling $11.4 billion — according to a study conducted by Nielsen.

Soccer’s governing body earned [[link removed]] $6.4 billion between 2017 and 2020, with more than 70% of that amount coming from the 2018 World Cup. FIFA officials told [[link removed]] delegates at the summit that $3.5 billion of the additional revenue would be put toward a “Member Association Solidarity Fund.”

A date has not been set for an official vote, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino would not confirm if it was on the agenda at the FIFA congress in Doha at the end of March.

Conflicting Opinions

The plan has faced continued opposition from top soccer organizations and sponsors, though Infantino is confident he has a majority backing for his biennial World Cup proposal.

The European Club Association, which represents 234 clubs, condemned the proposal in September.UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, and CONMEBOL, South American soccer’s governing body, also opposed [[link removed]] the biennial proposal and threatened to boycott.Adidas CEO Kasper Rørsted said [[link removed]] in October that a biennial World Cup would overcrowd the soccer landscape. Adidas has been the official supplier of soccer balls for the competition since 1970.

A study commissioned by domestic leagues earlier this year showed that biennial World Cups could cost UEFA and domestic leagues $9 billion. The Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A have all voiced their disapproval.

Fitness Apps Market Could Be Worth $120.37B by 2030

Nike/Design: Alex Brooks

By 2030, the fitness app industry could be worth a total of $120.37 billion, according to a study [[link removed]] by Allied Market Research.

In 2020, the fitness apps market was worth a total of $13.78 billion. The compound annual growth rate would be 24.3%.

North America held the largest market share in 2020, with one-third of the global market. But the report projects that the market in the “Asia-Pacific” will grow at the fastest rate worldwide.

The study suggested that an increased awareness of “a healthy lifestyle” and “diet-related diseases,” as well as an increased use of devices carrying these apps, will all contribute to the boom.

But it also put a major emphasis on how the global pandemic — and a movement toward working remotely — has pushed consumer interest toward at-home fitness solutions.

Choose Your Device

The study found that smartphones accounted for the largest share of devices used for fitness apps in 2020, but suggested that fitness wearables would see the largest growth of all devices.

Meanwhile, brands are getting creative with their fitness interfaces. When Facebook rebranded [[link removed]] as Meta, CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled several workout options using the brand’s Quest VR headset.

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PGA Tour Pivots, Says Players Can Compete in Saudi International

Saudi International/Design: Alex Brooks

The PGA Tour announced it has granted waivers for 30 players, including Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, to compete in the Saudi International on Feb. 3-6 — the same week as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

The decision goes against [[link removed]] the PGA’s own rules, which state players can’t play in a tournament during the same week as a PGA event.

It also gives the commissioner the right to deny a request that it would “harm the PGA Tour and its partners” – especially if it would violate a sponsor agreement.

This year, the Saudi International has a prize purse [[link removed]] of $5 million – a major increase from last year. The Pebble Beach Pro-Am has a total purse of $8.7 million.

Players will be allowed to compete in the Saudi International on one of two conditions.

If a player has attended the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in the last five years, they need to commit to attending again in one of the next two events. If a player hasn’t competed in the event, they have to commit to playing twice in the next three years.

In its release, the PGA Tour noted that the decision is “not precedent setting.”

Political Controversy

Attending the Saudi International could serve up political controversy given the Saudi Arabian government’s human rights record, which has received [[link removed]] criticism from the international human rights community.

The government also has plans to give $200 million to the Greg Norman-led [[link removed]] Asian Tour, which could threaten the PGA Tour’s dominance.

Porsche Makes Another Push Into Racing with Mission R

Porsche/Design: Alex Brooks

German luxury carmaker Porsche is ramping up its rivalries in motorsports with the Mission R, an all-electric [[link removed]] concept race car.

The Mission R prototype is the first representation of Porsche’s zero-emission road racing cars and has a price [[link removed]] tag of $10 million. The car has a similar build to those used in Formula E, a single-seater motorsport championship that only uses electric cars.

Porsche competes in Formula E and the GT series — and like its competitors, it’s investing in EVs.

Nissan announced its long-term commitment [[link removed]] in March to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship through 2026. In June, McLaren, the British carmaker and racing team, announced it will compete [[link removed]] in Extreme E and will hit the road in 2022. Luxury carmaker and racing team Bentley plans [[link removed]] to become carbon neutral by 2030 with hybrid editions coming by 2023. Lamborghini is spending $1.8 billion to develop hybrid cars and EVs, while Ferrari plans to offer them by 2025. Future Plans

Porsche is considering [[link removed]] an IPO to fund its move into electric models. Parent company Volkswagen AG is undertaking its own $87 million push into EV manufacturing and software.

In July, Volkswagen offloaded [[link removed]] its minority stake in Bugatti to Porsche, giving its subsidiary 45% of the high-end brand. Electric luxury carmaker Rimac owns the remaining 55% of Bugatti.

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Conversation Starters Giannis Antetokounmpo registered the trademark “Greek Freak” in February 2018. Forbes reported [[link removed]] he has filed more than four dozen lawsuits for trademark infringement over the last two years. Sports ticketing platform Project Admission has raised $5.5 million in a seed funding round [[link removed]]. Cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com announced [[link removed]] an exclusive deal with the NWSL’s Angel City FC, reportedly the first crypto firm to sponsor a women’s team. After a string of first-year hires on the bench, the Mets have announced [[link removed]] veteran skipper Buck Showalter as manager. Click here [[link removed]] to subscribe to Sports Section, a free daily newsletter. Today's Action

NCAA

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Missouri (+185) at Army West Point (-225)

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Raptors (+330) at Bulls (-435)

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Clippers (-225) at Kings (+185)

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*All times are EST unless otherwise noted.

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Question Of The Day

Do you have any fitness apps downloaded on your phone?

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

Tuesday’s Answer

31% of respondents own Nike stock.

Written by Abigail Gentrup [[link removed]], Amanda Christovich [[link removed]], Justin Byers [[link removed]]

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