February 17, 2022

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After Zac Taylor coached the Cincinnati Bengals to a combined 6-25 record during his first two years, there were petitions, articles, and Facebook groups calling for his firing. Now, after winning the AFC and leading the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI, Taylor has received a contract extension through 2026.

NBC To Make Big Push For Big Ten Media Rights

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY/Design: Alex Brooks

With the Big Ten’s media rights set to expire in 2023, major networks are gearing up to bid for some of the most sought-after packages in college sports.

NBC Sports is expected to make a major push for the Power 5 conference’s rights, sources tell Front Office Sports. The Big Ten could command fees of up to $1.1 billion annually on the open market, said sources.

NBC views the combination of the Big Ten along with its existing deal with Notre Dame football as the “perfect one-two punch,” said one source. With its $100 million-per-year deal with the NHL off the books, NBC has the cash and ambition to boost its college portfolio.

“If I’m ESPN or Fox, I’m looking over my shoulder because NBC is going to go hard after the Big Ten,” said another source.

“We don’t comment on specific strategies of our company, but we’re always interested in high-quality sports with wide appeal,” an NBC Sports spokesperson told FOS.

The Big Ten is currently in an exclusive negotiating period with ESPN, Sports Business Journal reported [[link removed]]. CBS, which will lose SEC football rights after the 2023-24 season, will reportedly also be particularly interested.

Media Rights Benchmarks

In 2017, the Big Ten inked [[link removed]] a six-year, $2.64 billion package that pays out about $440 million each year.

But in 2020, a new bar was set with the SEC’s gargantuan [[link removed]] 10-year, $3 billion deal with Disney that will commence in 2024.

Players Align With UEFA, Oppose Biennial World Cup

FIFA/Design: Alex Brooks

Soccer players are joining sides with UEFA, the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A in their disapproval of a biennial World Cup.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino proposed that the event take place every two years starting in 2024, and it’s pretty clear why. The governing body earned [[link removed]] $6.4 billion between 2017 and 2020, and more than 70% of that came from 2018, when the last World Cup took place.

In a study [[link removed]] conducted by the players’ representative body, FIFPRO, 75% of 1,000 players from 70 nationalities surveyed said they wanted to keep the tournament every four years.

Europe and Asia saw 77% of respondents oppose the plan.In the Americas, 63% opposed it.Africa saw only 49% disagree with it.

Despite the strong results, only 21% of respondents said [[link removed]] they believe their voice is respected and their wellbeing is considered by soccer governance. In October, more than a dozen UEFA teams raised the idea of quitting FIFA in protest if the proposal advances.

Falling Finances

Major European leagues are also at the risk of losing money from a biennial World Cup. A separate study commissioned by domestic leagues found that biennial World Cups would cost [[link removed]] UEFA and domestic leagues a collective $9 billion.

It also found that the 40 biggest domestic leagues could lose [[link removed]] up to $5.6 billion in media deals.

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Super Golf League Reportedly Lures 17 Players from PGA Tour

Golf Saudi/Design: Alex Brooks

An emerging rival to the PGA Tour is taking shape: 17 players have reportedly [[link removed]] signed on to the Super Golf League.

The breakaway league, backed by a group of investors from Saudi Arabia, is offering lucrative bonuses and prizes to lure golfers from the sport’s dominant institution.

“I think there’s already been 17 guys that have jumped over [to the Super Golf League], and I can’t say who they are, but there’s going to be some big names,” said PGA Tour player Kramer Hickok on “The Stripe Show” podcast.

The new league could start in June.

Top players including Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka have reportedly received offers of $30 million to $50 million to join the league.Bryson DeChambeau denied reports of a $135 million offer from the Super Golf League. He and Phil Mickelson are rumored [[link removed]] to be leaving the PGA Tour.Investors backing the project are reportedly willing to spend up to $2 billion to draw in top players. The Netflix Factor

The PGA Tour is turning to the example of another international series of contests: Formula 1. Netflix and F1 docuseries producer Box to Box are collaborating on a new series on the PGA Tour.

While viewership of the Tour was up 30% year-over-year from the start of 2021 through March 11, 24% of 18-34 year-olds said in April 2021 that they had never heard of it.

PFL Strikes International Media Rights Deal with DirecTV

PFL/Design: Alex Brooks

The Professional Fighters League, a season-based MMA organization, is expanding its reach with a multiyear Latin American media rights agreement with DirecTV.

DirecTV will be the exclusive provider of PFL content to consumers in 11 countries, including Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, and Columbia, offering comprehensive coverage to old and new PFL fans in Latin America.

It will carry the entire 2022 season and the weekly PFL Challenger Series. Localized content will be provided in both Spanish and Portuguese.

The PFL’s deal with DirecTV for Latin American media rights follows the league extending its domestic rights deal with ESPN last month. The agreement will see the entire 2022 PFL playoffs air live on ESPN in the U.S. with additional coverage on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

The PFL is also planning to incorporate pay-per-view coverage in the deal, which runs through 2023 with an option to extend.

Part of a New Era

Last August, AT&T finalized its spinoff of DirecTV as part of a wholesale restructuring plan. The new entity combines DirecTV, AT&T, and U-verse, offering a range of channels including ESPN, Fox Sports, MLB Network, NBA TV, TBS, and TNT.

AT&T pocketed $7.1 billion in cash from the DirecTV spinoff, including $1.8 billion from private equity firm TPG. DirecTV borrowed $5.8 billion as part of the transaction.

SPONSORED BY HEARTLENT GROUP

Brand Refresh Featuring Untold Stories From NBA Legends

In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the National Basketball Retired Players Association teamed up with sports marketing collective HEARTLENT Group [[link removed]] to refresh the organization’s visual identity. The new logo design incorporates both the history of the NBRPA as well as fresh design elements to display both the physical and cultural aspects of the sport.

As part of the partnership, HEARTLENT Group collaborated with the NBRPA to create unique designs for their Legends Care initiative [[link removed]], the charitable arm of the organization offering programs and services that positively impact youth and communities both locally and globally.

The creative team also developed unique digital content promoting the NBRPA’s Legends Media & Entertainment platforms, including a series of custom animations showcasing previously untold stories [[link removed]] about basketball luminaries like Charles Barkley, Alonzo Mourning, and Gary Payton.

Conversation Starters McLaren Racing has ended [[link removed]] its long-term sponsorship deal with crypto group Bitci.com after less than one year. Tag Heuer unveiled [[link removed]] a new smartwatch this month with a full-day battery life. For golfers, the watch provides course maps, distance measurements, and scorekeeping. Dunkin’ signed [[link removed]] its first college athletes in the NIL era, including women’s basketball player Deja Kelly and sprinter and long jumper Matthew Boling. Free, ad-supported video on-demand is set to outpace their subscription-based counterparts. According to Tubi’s latest report [[link removed]], in 2021, AVOD viewership grew twice as fast as SVOD.*

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Today's Action

NHL

08:08 PM

Kraken (+165) at Jets (-200)

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NHL

07:08 PM

Capitals (-195) at Flyers (+165)

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NHL

07:08 PM

Penguins (+130) at Maple Leafs (-150)

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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

Do you think the Saudi-backed Super League will be as popular as the PGA Tour?

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

Wednesday’s Answer

48% of respondents mostly watch sports by streaming; 52% mostly watch through linear channels.

Written by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]], Michael McCarthy [[link removed]], Abigail Gentrup [[link removed]], Owen Poindexter [[link removed]], Justin Byers [[link removed]]

MORE FROM FOS:

The Leadoff [[link removed]] - Daily Business of Sports Podcast

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

Front Office Sports Scoreboard [[link removed]] - The biggest stories in sports and the numbers behind them

*If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2357)(IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA/MI), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN). 21+. NJ/PA/WV/IN/IA/CO/IL/TN/MI/VA only. Odds and lines subject to change. Eligibility restrictions apply.” See [[link removed]] for details.

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