February 8, 2022

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Sarah Fuller, the first woman to score in a Power 5 football game as Vanderbilt’s kicker in 2020, has signed with Minnesota Aurora FC of the USL W League. The Aurora raised $1 million through more than 3,000 community investments and begin play in 2022.

Nashville Could Get $695M Boost As World Cup Host

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports/Design: Alex Brooks

Host cities for the 2026 World Cup have yet to be announced, but a recent report showed that Nashville’s economic impact could reach $695 million.

FIFA visited Nashville, one of 17 U.S. cities in the running, in September during a nationwide tour assessing each bidding city’s facilities. Eleven U.S. cities will likely be chosen, with 16 [[link removed]] total throughout North America.

The report [[link removed]], compiled by William F. Fox, the director of the Boyd Center for Business & Economic Research at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, broke down the financial logistics of hosting.

By hosting four matches in 2026, visitors would bring in $639.3 million in impact, generating $205.6 million in income.Nashville would also see around $66.1 million in state and local tax revenue, plus 5,469 annualized jobs.

Qatar, which hosts the 2022 World Cup in November, expects [[link removed]] a $20 billion economic boost from the event.

Cities’ Speculations

Nashville isn’t the only city estimating the effect hosting the tournament could have. The Boston Consulting Group said [[link removed]] that the projected revenue from five matches is roughly $360 million.

In exchange, Denver estimates [[link removed]] it’d cost the city $45 million to host, but that money would reportedly come from private investments, ticket sales, corporate sponsorships, and funding from FIFA and the federal government.

FIFA said the cities will be announced in the first half of the year.

Take-Two Generates $903M In Revenue During Q3

NBA2K/Design: Alex Brooks

Take-Two Interactive raised its outlook for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, following the release of the gaming giant’s latest earnings report on Monday.

The company, which owns major publishers including Rockstar Games and 2K, generated [[link removed]] $903.3 million in revenue in fiscal Q3, a 5% increase compared to the same period last year.

Take-Two’s results were driven by digitally delivered revenue, which reached $795.7 million during the quarter, up from $743.1 million in revenue in fiscal Q3 2021. The increase is attributed to gaming franchises “NBA 2K,” “Red Dead Redemption,” and “Grand Theft Auto.”

Company reported net bookings reached $866 million in fiscal Q3 2022, a 6% increase year-over-year. Full-year revenue is projected to range from $3.41 billion to $3.46 billion, up from a previous target between $3.35 billion and $3.45 billion.

In January, Take-Two announced it will buy [[link removed]] mobile game maker Zynga in a deal valuing the company at an implied enterprise value of $12.7 billion. The acquisition will be funded with $2.7 billion in financing from JPMorgan Chase, Take-Two’s balance sheet, and a debt issuance.

Bread and Butter

Last week, Take-Two’s Rockstar announced that its latest title in the “Grand Theft Auto” franchise is in development. “Grand Theft Auto V,” which has sold [[link removed].] 155 million copies, is the most profitable entertainment property in history, according [[link removed]] to Bloomberg. The title has maintained profitability partly due to “Grand Theft Auto Online,” its multiplayer component.

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Federer-Backed On Running Has Deep Ties to PE Firm 3G Capital

On/Design: Alex Brooks

The rise of On Running has been a boon to Swiss tennis great Roger Federer, but it has also lifted two families behind private equity firm 3G Capital.

3G co-founder Carlos Alberto Sicupira and Marc Lemann, the son of 3G co-founder Jorge Paulo Lemann, collectively own [[link removed]] a $1 billion stake in On, around 14% of the company. On had a market cap of $8.8 billion as of Monday.

The shares originated from a stake bought in 2016 by a firm run by former 3G partner Alex Perez.On went public in September, 2021. Its shares are up 20% from its $24 IPO price.3G is best known for its investments in the Kraft Heinz company, which it bought with Berkshire Hathaway in 2013 (it has since divested much of its stake), and Burger King owner Restaurant Brands International.

Marc Lemann founded Go4it Capital, which has invested in workout tracking app Strava, sports media tech company WSC Sports, German esports venture G2 Esports, as well as startups in the food tech space and other industries.

Federer’s 2nd Set

At 40 and recovering from knee surgery, Federer’s playing future is in question, but his endorsements and investments place him among the top-earning athletes of all time.

While he has made [[link removed]] $130 million in tennis prize winnings, his total earnings tops $1 billion. He is in the middle of a 10-year, $300 million apparel partnership with Uniqlo and made $90 million in endorsements in the 12 months ending June 4, 2021.

PGA Tour Superstore Posts Record Sales; Could Double Store Count

PGA Tour/Design: Alex Brooks

The PGA Tour Superstore — owned by Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank — reported record sales growth in fiscal 2021 and plans to expand its reach as the golf industry’s largest retailer.

“We did more business in the first half of 2021 than we did in the full year of 2019, which was a record year for us at the time,” said PGA Tour Superstore president and CEO Dick Sullivan.

Golf industry sales increased [[link removed]] 7% year-over-year in October 2021, and 4% in November. The PGA Tour Superstore saw its sales jump 21% and 19% in those same months, respectively.

The Superstore reported growth amid supply chain constraints thanks to creative solutions, which include using the chain’s repair shops to access scarce materials for goods.

The creativity correlated to strong sales and growth.

The chain expanded to 50 stores in 2021, with plans to open at least eight in 2022.In fiscal 2021, women’s apparel sales jumped 59% with women’s footwear up 67%. The chain told Forbes that business is up roughly 70% over the last two years.

The PGA Tour Superstore has also benefited from the ability to add personal elements to the shopping experience by offering hands-on testing, fitting, and knowledge for customers.

Golf Driving Sales

Roughly 529 million rounds of golf were played in the U.S. in 2021, the highest play total on record, according to the National Golf Foundation. In 2020, golf had its biggest [[link removed]] net increase since 1997 at 60 million-plus rounds.

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Conversation Starters Jim McIngvale, known as “Mattress Mack” for his furniture store in Texas, placed a $4.53 million bet that the Cincinnati Bengals will win Super Bowl LVI – believed to be the largest [[link removed]] mobile sports wager in U.S. history. Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing NASCAR team has officially signed on Jordan Brand as a sponsor [[link removed]] for 2022. CO92 DAO, a decentralized autonomous organization, was launched [[link removed]] by former Manchester United soccer players including Gary Neville and Paul Scholes and investors Peter and Kiat Lim. The company allows fans to own stakes in soccer projects. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said [[link removed]] the league will work to bolster inclusion policies and promised to investigate tanking allegations related to Brian Flores’ discrimination lawsuit against the league. Today's Action

NHL

08:00 PM

Wild (-135) at Jets (+115)

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NHL

09:00 PM

Golden Knights (-110) at Oilers (-110)

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NHL

07:00 PM

Devils (+105) at Canadiens (-125)

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*All times are EST unless otherwise noted.

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

Question Of The Day

Would you like to attend a World Cup match?

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

Monday’s Answer

43% of respondents typically fly economy; 23% fly premium economy; 16% fly business; 18% fly first class.

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

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