The Oakland A’s could score a free trip to Las Vegas.

Major League Baseball would reportedly waive any relocation fees associated with a move to the Las Vegas area.

• Relocation fees could reach as high as $1 billion.
• The NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders paid $378 million to move from Oakland in 2020.
• The team would reportedly seek public funding to build a new stadium in Las Vegas, an issue that could complicate a move there.

The team has settled on two potential stadium sites in Southern Nevada, both on the Resort Corridor.

It is not clear if the Tampa Bay Rays would get a similar waiver should they opt to switch cities.

Key Vote Coming

On Thursday, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission will vote on whether to redesignate Oakland’s Howard Terminal to not be strictly for port use.

The A’s need 18 of 27 commissioners to vote to redesignate to allow a potential $12 billion stadium and development area to be built there.

A’s president Dave Kaval has indicated that a vote against the project could essentially kill the team’s hopes of staying in Oakland.

Should the vote go the team’s way, it will still have to strike a deal with the city of Oakland, which has proven challenging, particularly on the issue of housing.

The 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup became the most engaged-with women’s event in the sport’s history thanks to 1.64 billion total views across the International Cricket Council’s channels. 

“The innovative approach to creating heroes in the women’s game and taking the sport closer to fans has resulted in world-leading numbers,” said ICC CEO Geoff Allardice. 

• The competition generated 164 million engagements, up from 82 million in 2020.
• It reached a total global TV audience of 104.8 million behind 82.8 million live viewers.
• Total viewing hours reached 215.2 million, up 47.7% compared to 2020’s competition. 

The record results represented a 45% increase compared to the women’s T20 World Cup in 2020, which generated 1.1 billion views. This year’s event finished as the ICC’s third-most engaged-with event behind the men’s 2019 Cricket World Cup and the 2021 men’s T20 World Cup.

Growth of the Game 

The impressive viewership figures for the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup are a testament to the sport’s rapid growth, particularly in the U.S.

Major League Cricket — America’s first-ever pro T20 league — closed a $44 million funding round in May, while the Knight Riders Group is making an investment in the range of $30 million in a 10,000-seat cricket stadium located on a 15-acre plot in Orange County, California.

Aston Villa has planned upgrades for Villa Park and the area surrounding the Premier League club’s home field since 1897. 

The Lions — the 20th-most valuable soccer team in the world at $750 million, per Forbes  — are looking to submit a planning application but will first allow local residents and businesses to weigh in on potential upgrades via a survey available until July 24.

Aston Villa’s proposed upgrades have the support of government entities. The club is working with the Birmingham City Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority on its plans.  

• The club plans to invest more than $122 million into the first phase of improvements.
• Capacity would increase from 42,682 to more than 50,000.
• It believes the upgrades can turn Villa Park into a year-round entertainment venue.
• A final decision on the project is expected to be made by the end of 2022. 

Proposed upgrades at Villa Park and the area surrounding arrive amid increased demand to attend Aston Villa matches. The club currently has 25,000 fans on its season-ticket waitlist, despite being one of 11 Premier League clubs that raised upcoming season-long ticket prices. 

Premier League Upgrades

Aston Villa joins several Premier League clubs upgrading their home venues. Last year, Liverpool announced upgrades to Anfield, increasing capacity from 53,394 to over 60,000.

West Ham is also planning to upgrade London Stadium ahead of the 2022-23 season, which includes increasing capacity to 62,500 — an increase of 2,500 seats.

As fitness companies compete to stand out in the $160 billion industry, the owner of Gold’s Gym is opening a private wellness club near Hollywood.

Heimat, which the company describes as the “world’s first fitness concept club,” opens Wednesday under parent company RSG Group. While the 75,000-square-foot, five-floor club is not invitation-only, those interested have to apply to be a member, then be vetted by the club.

• Prospective members can apply for unlimited access at $300 per month.
• A “traveler” membership gives access five times per month to members more than 70 miles away. 
• Interested parties under 25 years old pay around $200 per month.

Aside from Pilates, yoga, boxing, cycling, dance, and TRX studios, Heimat also has a spa, a rooftop pool and cabanas, professional working spaces, and fine dining. Members can even host their own events. 

“It’s about hospitality and embracing being together on different levels — not just fitness, but also social and indulgence,” said Sebastian Schoepe, RSG’s North America president and CEO.

Shift in Fit

RSG purchased Gold’s Gym for an estimated $100 million in 2020 and opened its first U.S. location of nightclub-themed gym John Reed Fitness last year. RSG reported $386.9 million in first-quarter revenue.

The fitness industry’s revenue dropped 58% due to the pandemic, but is now expected to balloon 172% to $434 billion by 2028, according to Market Research.