Two days before Sunday’s Big Game, the locations for the next three Super Bowls are set. However, the host city for 2026 — or even the continent — remains unknown.

London-based Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur is hoping to make history as the first non-U.S. host for the Super Bowl. 

• Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hosts two NFL regular-season games per year, after the team and league inked a 10-year, $54.5 million deal in 2015.
• In addition to the fee for using the stadium, the team collects concession, food, and drink revenue during the NFL games. Fans may purchase alcohol at any point during NFL games, whereas they are restricted to halftime for Premier League matches.
• The team is still looking for a 20-year, $544.7 million naming rights deal for the $1.6 billion stadium, which opened in April 2019.

A game in London could necessitate an unusual kickoff time, as the city is five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the U.S.

Bundesliga Jumping In

Munich will host Germany’s first NFL game next season, the NFL announced Wednesday. Allianz Arena, home to FC Bayern Munich, will host a regular-season game, then alternate with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Deutsche Bank Park over the next three seasons.

Mexico will also host a game, and there will be an additional game in London at Wembley Stadium.

The National College Players Association recently filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board accusing USC, UCLA, the Pac-12, and the NCAA of misclassifying some athletes as amateurs, not employees.

The charge aims to “affirm college athlete employee status” for all Division I basketball and FBS football players, the NCPA said. It’s the second complaint filed since NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo released a pro-athlete employment memo in September. 

A victory would only be the first step to getting athletes salaries, however. It would give athletes the right to unionize, attorney Joshua Frieser and Boise State law professor Sam Ehrlich told Front Office Sports. Then, collective bargaining for wages and other labor protections could begin.

The process could take up to a year or more, experts said:

• First, a regional office will investigate whether the charge is worth pursuing.
• If it isn’t thrown out, it’ll be heard at the regional and potentially even national level. 

USC stated that it is “aware of the charge and are reviewing it.” The NCAA, Pac-12, and UCLA did not comment.

NCPA Strategy

The NCPA’s goal hinges on whether the NLRB, which only has jurisdiction over the private sector, claims power over public school athletes.

The NLRB likely won’t claim authority over UCLA, experts agreed. So it would have to consider the Pac-12 or NCAA private sector entities who employ athletes alongside schools.

The charge’s strength could also lie in the allegations against the chosen schools — and whether the schools’ players support it, Ehrlich said.

The Denver Broncos will hit the market after the Super Bowl, and the jockeying among the uber-rich is already underway. 

Investment bankers interviewed by Front Office Sports are now looking at the next team to potentially hit the market. The consensus is the L.A. team not playing for a championship on Sunday: the Chargers. 

The main reason why there is renewed scrutiny of controlling owner Dean Spanos’ grasp of the franchise is the family legal battles being played out in multiple California courts, along with other cases. 

• Dea Spanos Berberian, Dean’s sister, filed a petition in April in an attempt to force a sale. Berberian claimed in a filing that the family trust has “debts in excess of $435 million.” Dean Spanos’ attorneys have disputed those claims. 
• Berberian’s sons, Dimitri and Lex Economou, filed their own petition on Jan. 22 over alleged misuse of funds in the trust. 
• Dea and Dean are actually on the same side in one legal battle: a petition in U.S. Tax Court on Jan. 10 to challenge $5.8 million in back taxes and penalties. 
• Former San Diego city attorney Michael Aguirre filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit last month against the NFL and all 32 clubs over the Chargers’ relocation. 

Numbers In Spanos’ Favor

Even with unfavorable rulings, it’s still unlikely Dean Spanos would be forced to put the team on the market as long as his two other siblings remain on his side. 

Between the trust and their individual ownership of the Chargers, the three control 72% of the team and are willing to buy out Berberian.

British luxury car manufacturer Jaguar has signed a multiyear agreement with Envision Racing to provide powertrains for the Formula E team. 

The collaboration comes after Audi made its decision in November 2020 to withdraw as an entrant in Formula E prior to the 2022 season, which started last month.

Audi had provided Envision Racing with powertrains since 2018, but Formula E’s switch to the Gen3 car caused the German carmaker to pivot. Making their debut this spring, Gen3 models will be the world’s most efficient racing cars, with 40% of energy coming from regeneration. 

• Envision Racing has 10 wins and 25 podiums in Formula E. 
• The team collected four of those wins during its time working with Audi. 

Formula E turned a profit for the first time in 2019 with $220.5 million in revenue. The series is also gaining popularity, as race viewership increased by 125% in key overseas markets during its seventh season, which took place between February and August of 2021.

Formula E saw 25% year-over-year audience growth in the U.S. during that same span.  

Room for Improvement 

Formula E will impose new financial regulations approved by the FIA World Motor Sport Council  for Season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship on Oct. 1, 2022.

The regulations enhance the long-term financial sustainability of Formula E by monitoring and controlling the spending levels of teams and their manufacturers.