Qatar estimated that November’s World Cup will add $17 billion to its economy as it navigates a host of unique challenges associated with the event. A previous estimate placed the figure at $20 billion.

The country projects that 1.2 million people will travel to the Gulf country, which has a population of just under 3 million.

With only 90,000 hotel rooms in host city Doha, providing accommodations for that many tourists is forcing Qatar to take some unusual measures.

• Qatar leased two luxury cruise liners, which can hold nearly 10,000 guests between them. Rooms on the ships range from $179 to at least $800 per night.
• Event organizers are offering tents in desert “fan villages,” some of which are being offered for more than $200 per night.
• Qatar Airways and other airlines are providing more than 180 shuttle flights from Doha to nearby cities.

Culture Shock

The huge influx of tourists will come with very different cultural norms than what the locals are used to. People are required to be covered from shoulders to knees in many public spaces, public displays of affection are frowned upon, and homosexuality is illegal.

Though alcohol sales are prohibited in much of the country, organizers are considering sales inside soccer stadiums and have said that fans will be able to drink in designated areas.

Viewership for the NHL’s playoffs on ESPN jumped 30% from last year’s average on NBC, and ESPN’s overall hockey growth can partly be attributed to leveraging more verticals.

Broadcasters are airing key events like the Super Bowl on network television, some games on cable, and the majority on streaming services.

ESPN airs hockey games on its linear channels and the ESPN+ app, averaging 1.1 million viewers per playoff game. The ESPN+ subscriber count has grown 62% in the last year to 22.3 million, and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro credits hockey as a “significant” part of the boost.

Disney has rights to air 25 regular-season games on ABC or ESPN, 75 on ESPN+ and Hulu, and hundreds of games usually run on local channels.

ABC gets exclusive coverage of the Stanley Cup for four of seven years. ESPN has also added hockey-themed shows.

ESPN has grown its female viewership 73% year-over-year.

“We’re going to see this model for the next five-to-seven years until streaming matures,” Daniel Cohen, a media rights consultant at Octagon, said.

The leagues benefit, too.

• ESPN will pay the NHL $400 million annually until 2028.
• Warner’s Turner Sports struck a deal with the league for a separate package that will pay the NHL $250 million per year.

Too Good to be True?

During the quarter ending in April, programming and production costs hiked 48% to $454 million for ESPN+, while Disney’s direct-to-consumer business lost $887 million.

Known for its international reach, the NBA has turned its attention toward Africa to find its latest influx of talent. 

The NBA has established a footprint on the continent through NBA Africa, an entity launched in May 2021 valued at “nearly $1 billion,” according to NBA commissioner Adam Silver. 

NBA Africa aims to expand media rights throughout the continent and establish corporate partnerships, NBA academies, and social initiatives. 

It also oversees the Basketball Africa League, a 12-team pro league that launched last year. 

• The BAL is a joint venture between the NBA and FIBA, basketball’s global governing body.
• This past season, it reached more than 200 countries across NBA TV, ESPN, TSN, and Tencent Sports. 

Investors in NBA Africa include former NBA players Dikembe Mutombo, Grant Hill, and Luol Deng, and Helios Fairfax Partners, an investment holding company that works with African businesses.

The NBA’s growing international presence and investments have directly correlated to its on-court product. Since 2018, no former NCAA player has won the league’s MVP award.

The 2022 NBA Draft tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.

NFL Takes Note

The NFL has also turned its attention to Africa for the first time. Earlier this month, the league announced it will host events in Ghana including a talent identification camp, fan event, and flag football clinic. The event began June 21.

The NFL is looking at future events and camps in Nigeria and other African countries.

A high-profile group of potential new owners has emerged for an NWSL team in the Bay Area.

Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Aly Wagner, and Danielle Slaton — all former professionals who also played for the U.S. women’s national team — are heading up a group aiming to create an expansion team, The Athletic reported. 

• The group did not provide a specific list of investors.
• Investors are from the “​​sport, tech, media, and the business” industries.
• 70% of the investors are female.
• All four athletes plan to work for the team as well as own a piece of it.

“We are very quickly realizing that athletes’ voices aren’t just nice to have, it’s essential for success,” Slaton told The Athletic.

Previous Success

The news comes on the heels of major success for the NWSL’s expansion teams in San Diego and Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles team, Angel City FC, was founded by actress Natalie Portman and backed by a group of female investors. After generating major buzz, the team’s inaugural home game on April 29 was played before a sellout crowd of 22,000 at Banc of California Stadium.

Expansion fees for San Diego, formerly Sacramento, were about $2 million in 2019. Kansas City Current ownership paid $5 million in 2021.

At the ESPNW Summit in New York in May, Berman said that fans appeared to be accepting the challenge of supporting the growth of women’s soccer.