May 4, 2022

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When it comes to legendary NFL stadiums, not many can top Lambeau Field’s mystique and history. Now, a new chapter will be written when Manchester City and Bayern Munich square off in a preseason friendly on the un-Frozen Tundra in July — the first-ever soccer match in the 65-year history of the Green Bay stadium.

Liverpool on Cusp of Record-Breaking Shirt Sponsorship Deal

Liverpool FC

Liverpool FC is in talks to land a shirt sponsorship deal that could fetch a record $100 million per year, starting with the 2023-24 season.

The Premier League club’s current deal with British bank Standard Chartered ends at the end of the 2022-23 season. Standard Chartered originally [[link removed]] paid Liverpool an estimated $25 million annually after it took over shirt sponsorship rights from Danish brewery group Carlsberg in 2010.

Liverpool is in talks with finance, crypto, media, electronics, and travel companies.Standard Chartered, which inked [[link removed]] a four-year, $201 million extension in 2018, is reportedly in talks to extend their deal once again.

Being the shirt sponsor of Liverpool, a club that is valued [[link removed]] at $4.1 billion, stands to be a lucrative venture. The team, which has the best-selling shirt in all of soccer, projects [[link removed]] shirt sales to surpass 2 million for the first time this season.

Top Deal in Soccer

Liverpool, owned by Fenway Sports Group, would reset the market with its potential new sponsorship deal. The club would surpass [[link removed]] La Liga’s Real Madrid, which has a deal with airliner Emirates worth $83 million a year from the 2017-18 season through 2021-22.

Manchester United ranks just behind Real Madrid, with a deal with TeamViewer worth $65 million a year. Its deal with the German computer software company runs from 2021 through 2026.

MGM Posts $2.9B Quarter, Rolls Dice on Swedish Gaming Company

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

MGM Resorts International has exceeded expectations and generated $2.9 billion in revenue in Q1 2022, surpassing [[link removed]] analysts’ estimates of $2.7 billion in revenue.

The hospitality, entertainment, and gaming company continues to rebound from the pandemic.

MGM’s gaming and casino segment posted $1.4 billion in revenue during the quarter.It reported a net loss of $18 million in Q1 2022, compared to $332 million in Q1 2021.

The Las Vegas-based company also announced it has offered [[link removed]] roughly $607 million to acquire Swedish online gaming company LeoVegas AB, expanding MGM’s market position in Europe.

LeoVegas has until August 2022 to accept MGM’s offer. The company, which offers casino and sports betting in Sweden, Malta, and the Canadian province of Ontario, generated [[link removed]] $104 million in revenue in Q1 2022, a 2% increase year-over-year, behind 455,843 customers during the quarter.

A strong start to fiscal 2022 was paramount to MGM as it prepares to acquire [[link removed]] The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas from New York-based investment firm Blackstone Group for $1.6 billion.

Commitment to Sports Betting

BetMGM, a 50-50 joint venture between MGM and European gambling company Entain, will see around $450 million invested [[link removed]] in the online sports betting platform this year.

The fresh capital will be allocated toward growth into new markets and new products. BetMGM, which has yet to reach profitability, projects to pocket $1.3 billion in revenue in 2022.

SPONSORED BY SPONSORUNITED

Brands Partied Hard at This Year's NFL Draft

It’s been nearly a week since the first round of this year’s NFL Draft, and fans are still buzzing about all the drama. Multiple trades, surprising selections and only one quarterback taken made this year’s first round an exciting one.

Not to mention all the partnership deals between name brands, teams and players – some of the highlights from Round 1:

Tech and Apparel made up ⅓ of all deals among first round picks Wide receivers caught the most deals, but EDGE players tackled the most brands Rookies from Ohio State, Georgia and Oregon closed the most deals (40% of all deals)

Gain key insights around broadcast sponsorships, draft party sponsorships, player deals and more in SponsorUnited [[link removed]]’s 2022 Draft Report.

Download [[link removed]] the full report and request a demo [[link removed]] today.

Flores’ Lawyer Calls NFL Arbitration Request ‘Unconscionable’

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

In April, the NFL submitted a request in court to settle the lawsuit brought by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores privately in arbitration.

In a court hearing on Monday, Flores’ lawyer, Doug Wigdor, provided [[link removed]] a scathing reaction to the request, calling arbitration “unconscionable.”

NFL rules require the final decision in an arbitration to be decided by commissioner Roger Goodell. Flore’s lawyer said the plaintiffs would want time to prove that Goodell wouldn’t be able to be objective in an arbitration ruling.

It makes sense that the NFL would want the suit, which alleges racially discriminatory hiring practices, to be settled out of the public eye.

The discovery process leading up to a trial could potentially yield more damaging information against the league. Flores’ original complaint included several explosive allegations of its own, including being offered [[link removed]] $100,000 for every loss.

Lawsuit Background

Flores, who is Black, was fired from the Dolphins the day after the 2021 season finished — and after winning eight of his last nine games. Flores had a record of 24-25 over three seasons.

He filed the suit in February and was soon joined by former Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks and assistant Ray Horton.

Flores, 41, is currently a defensive assistant/linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

As More Women Golf, TravisMathew Unveils Activewear Line

TravisMathew

Callaway’s TravisMathew brand is well-known for its men’s clothing and golf apparel, but on Tuesday the company unveiled something new: a women’s line.

TravisMathew was acquired by Callaway in 2017 for $125.5 million, and before Tuesday, counted around 30% of its customer base as women buying products for men — and women on golf courses hit [[link removed]] 25% last year, up from 19% 10 years ago.

Director of women’s product Lindsay Browder told Front Office Sports the company saw a gap in the market sparked by the pandemic — elevated casual wear.

The new tees, polos, pullovers, and other apparel aren’t golf-specific but can transition to the course, Browder explained. Long-term, the line may include performance lifestyle pieces, footwear, headwear, and accessories.

The “soft launch” is available online and in all 32 brick-and-mortar stores — it plans to have 40 open by the end of the year and a full launch by the end of 2023.

“We’re bullish on it, but we think women could make up 20-25% of our direct-to-consumer [sales] in the next couple of years,” Browder said.

TM’s Momentum

Across four brands, Callaway’s fourth-quarter apparel revenue [[link removed]] increased 39.8% to $153.9 million. TravisMathew has added the NFL’s Matt Ryan and Jimmy Garoppolo, MLB’s Corey Seager, and the NBA’s Alex Caruso as ambassadors.

CEO Ryan Ellis told Front Office Sports that the company will open “partnership doors with golf courses and key retailers in 2022, both domestically and internationally.” It’s already Nordstrom’s No. 2 menswear brand.

SPONSORED BY FIDELITY

Chasing Success After the Game

When Andrew “Hawk” Hawkins made it to the NFL and had a chance to compete for a contract, all he wanted was to play one game and retire. After he played one game, he realized he had an opportunity to do far more – not just in the NFL, but in life outside of football.

In episode four of Second Acts [[link removed]], presented by Fidelity [[link removed]], Hawk shares some incredible stories about his career including:

Growing up a Bengals fan, and playing for the team in the NFL (1:50) Making the most of every opportunity football gave him (7:45) StatusPro, his tech company with Troy Jones, and partnering with the NFL (10:45)

Watch the full episode [[link removed]] now.

Conversation Starters The Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation has received its single largest [[link removed]] donation in the foundation’s history – $24 million – from BodyArmor. Jake Silverstein, an owner of MLS’ D.C. United, has purchased [[link removed]] a 20% stake in the Brisbane Bullets valuing the team at $30 million. The Cincinnati Reds are off to the worst [[link removed]]start in the team’s 141-year history with a 3-19 record. The franchise has the 10th-lowest payroll in the league at $116 million. The Carolina Hurricanes are thriving [[link removed]] on young, low-cost talent, and are using that to their advantage in the NHL playoffs. The Canes beat the Boston Bruins 5-1 on Monday. Question Of The Day

Do you own any TravisMathew golf apparel?

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

Tuesday’s Answer

33% of respondents plan on moving to a new home or apartment in the next six months.

If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here [[link removed]].

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

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

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Front Office Sports Learning [[link removed]] - Education at the speed of culture

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