June 13, 2022

Read in Browser [[link removed]]

POWERED BY

Louis and John Angelos, the sons of Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos, are in a heated legal fight over the last-place club’s future. On Monday, John said [[link removed]] the team “will never leave” the city after a suit alleged he could move it to Tennessee, where his wife owns a Nashville-based entertainment company.

Disney, Viacom18 Secure Coveted IPL Rights [[link removed]]

IPL

The auction for media rights to the Indian Premier League began Sunday, with Viacom18 and Disney among the winners walking away.

Viacom18, a joint venture between Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries, Paramount Global, and investment company Bodhi Tree Systems, secured [[link removed]] streaming rights to the months-long tournament as part of a five-year, $2.6 billion deal.

The IPL’s TV rights reportedly [[link removed]] went to Disney for $3 billion over the next five years.

Star India, which Disney acquired [[link removed]] in 2019 through its $71.3 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox, paid roughly $2.5 billion for rights from 2017 to 2022.This year’s auction marks the first [[link removed]] time the Board of Control for Cricket in India is selling the IPL’s broadcast and streaming rights individually.In 2020, 44% of Indian households watched an IPL match live, totaling 61 billion viewing minutes.

Two packages are left to be sold — TV and digital broadcasting rights outside India and non-exclusive rights for certain matches — and the auction will resume Tuesday.

IPL Appeal

The growing price tag for the IPL’s media rights aligns with its teams’ growing valuations.

Indian billionaire Sinjiv Goenka bought [[link removed]] two teams for $950 million and $750 million last year, expanding the tournament to 10 teams. IPL clubs’ valuations [[link removed]] are growing at a faster rate than NFL and NBA teams.

Adidas-Nike Sneaker War Heats Up With Lawsuit [[link removed]]

Shutterstock

Adidas has filed a lawsuit against competitor Nike, alleging that the Swoosh is infringing on nine of its patents.

The lawsuit allegations [[link removed]] range from shoe designs to technologies released years ago.

Adidas claims Nike infringed on the 2005 released Adidas_1 — which Adidas says is the first shoe to ever sense and adjust “the comfort of the shoe while the shoe is worn” — with Nike’s Adapt technology.The Nike app SNKRS allegedly infringes on Adidas’ Confirmed app, which both allow consumers to reserve products. Confirmed rolled out before SNKRS in 2015.Nike’s Run Club and Training Club apps are also named as infringement examples [[link removed]] in the lawsuit, specifically over location-based run tracking, training plan systems, and audio feedback.

Adidas is seeking an order blocking Nike from infringing on patents, as well as “damages in an amount sufficient to compensate Adidas for the defendant’s infringement.”

Nike reported [[link removed]] $10.9 billion in third-quarter revenue, and Adidas posted [[link removed].] $5.58 billion in first-quarter revenue.

Checks Over Stripes?

The lawsuit marks the first time Adidas has sued Nike, but not the first time the pair have battled in court.

In December, Nike filed its own complaint against Adidas, claiming that at least 49 of the latter’s shoes that are made with Adidas’ Primeknit technology infringe on Nike’s Flyknit technology. Nike’s request for the International Trade Commission to block Adidas’ imports and its lawsuit is still pending.

Nike sued Adidas in 2005 over two patents, but the companies dropped the case two years later.

SPONSORED BY HULU

Check In To Your Obsessions

[[link removed]]

Maybe it’s a tale of true crime that gets your blood pumping. Or a long, dark trip into a dystopian reality to give you some perspective on what really matters. Or maybe the thing that floats your boat is actually a spaceship.

From Only Murders In The Building [[link removed]] to The Handmaid’s Tale [[link removed]] to Orville [[link removed]], all of your obsessions are in one place.

Book a stay at Hulu [[link removed]], and let your desires run wild. No judgements, no obligations, and no reason to stop.

AI-Enabled Sports Broadcast Producer Raises $161M [[link removed]]

Pixellot

With streaming becoming a distribution option for a wide range of leagues and teams, there is a growing market for technology that can affordably bump up broadcast production value.

Pixellot, a company that uses AI to make cameras follow game action and can automate sports video production, announced [[link removed]] Monday that it raised $161 million in a Series D round.

The round reportedly valued [[link removed]] the Israeli startup at $500 million. Tech-focused investment firm PSG led the round, with participation from existing investors, including the Israeli Secondary Fund. Two executives from PSG joined Pixellot’s board.The company says it has its systems deployed at 23,000 courts and venues across 70 countries, producing more than 350,000 hours of live sports per month. Full Spectrum

The company works with some of the most valuable teams in the world, including FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich, but also partners with high schools and lesser-known leagues.

“The market for video production solutions in all levels of sports broadcasting, from grassroots to the professional leagues, is ripe for disruption,” said Pixellot CEO Alon Werber.

The company also works with ESPN, the NBA, and MLB for youth sports competitions, LigaMX teams, and Genius Sports.

Pixellot claims it “produces and livestreams more hours of team sports than any company in the world.”

Conversation Starters In The Leadoff, affordable housing becomes a sticking point in the Oakland A’s $12 billion ballpark negotiations, Vancouver and Toronto are reportedly selected as 2026 FIFA World Cup host cities, the Cleveland Browns face more issues regarding quarterback Deshaun Watson, and UFC secures a $100 million deal with a blockchain platform. Click here to listen [[link removed]]. Rory McIlroy pocketed [[link removed]] $1.6 million for winning the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open on Sunday. Matt Carpenter hit two home runs during the New York Yankees’ 18-4 win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday — becoming the first [[link removed]] player in franchise history to hit six or more home runs through his first 10 games. Michael Jordan’s on-court dominance has yet to translate to his career as an NBA owner, but hiring head coach Kenny Atkinson [[link removed]] was a big step in the right direction for the Charlotte Hornets. Subscribe to Scoreboard for more [[link removed]].

SPONSORED BY COINBASE

Learn How Crypto Is Influencing Sports

While the first cryptocurrency may have been introduced over a decade ago, it wasn’t until more recently that the world of crypto, NFTs and blockchain technology really began to be adopted by the masses.

Today, sports leagues, teams, athletes and fans have embraced crypto – ultimately creating impacts on sponsorships, fan engagement, experiences, and so much more. That’s why Front Office Sports has partnered with Coinbase [[link removed]] for its latest course, Crypto in Sports Essentials [[link removed]].

In this free, five-lesson course you can deepen your understanding of the blockchain and its influence on the sports industry, including NFTs, esports, athletes, teams, leagues, and fans. All course participants earn a digital verified badge to display on social.

Sign up [[link removed]] for the course today.

Market Movers

U.S. stocks experienced declines across all three major indexes on Monday. Here’s a look at how sports-related stocks performed:

VFC [[link removed]]

VF Corp.

[[link removed]]

$45.68

[[link removed]]

-0.70%

[[link removed]] ELY [[link removed]]

Callaway Golf Co.

[[link removed]]

$20.82

[[link removed]]

-1.00%

[[link removed]] UA [[link removed]]

Under Armour Inc

[[link removed]]

$8.87

[[link removed]]

-1.66%

[[link removed]] GOLF [[link removed]]

Acushnet Holdings Corp

[[link removed]]

$40.57

[[link removed]]

-2.00%

[[link removed]] DKS [[link removed]]

Dicks Sporting Goods, Inc.

[[link removed]]

$73.72

[[link removed]]

-2.77%

[[link removed]] (Note: All as of market close on 6/13/22) What to Watch

The Boston Celtics face the Golden State Warriors on Monday night at the Chase Center. The NBA Finals series is tied 2-2.

How to Watch: 9 p.m. ET on ABC

Betting Odds: Warriors -3.5 || ML -165 || O/U 210.5

Pick: Expect the Celtics to keep things close. Take Boston to cover.

Refer Friends, Win Merch

Ready to rep your favorite newsletter? Refer your friends and colleagues to Front Office Sports and you could win FOS merchandise.

It’s easy to spread the word. Copy and paste your unique link below and share it in an email or on your timeline.

Your custom referral link:

[link removed] [[link removed]]

Or use these one-tap sharing methods:

Email [[link removed]] Twitter [[link removed]] Facebook [[link removed]]

Your referral count: 0

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

Written by Abigail Gentrup [[link removed]], Owen Poindexter [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]]

MORE FROM FRONT OFFICE SPORTS:

The Leadoff [[link removed]] - Daily business of sports podcast

Front Office Sports Pro [[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

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

Copyright © 2022 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

80 Pine Street Suite 3202 New York, NY 10005

Advertise [[link removed]] / Update your preferences [link removed] / Unsubscribe [link removed]