July 5, 2022

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Simone Biles will be awarded [[link removed]] the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the highest civilian honor in the United States. Biles, one of just six female athletes or coaches to receive the medal, is being recognized for her activism on behalf of causes like mental health, foster care, and victims of sexual assault.

Peacock Soars to $1 Billion in Ad Commitments [[link removed]]

Peacock

Peacock is spreading its feathers.

NBCUniversal’s streaming service booked [[link removed]] $1 billion in upfront ad revenue this year, doubling its 2021 total of $500 million.

The network has sought to grow Peacock through major sporting events such as the Super Bowl and the Olympics, both of which were on NBC and Peacock in February.

The service also added WWE last year on a $1 billion, five-year deal, and inked a $30 million deal for 18 Sunday morning MLB games in April.

Peacock had 28 million monthly users, including 13 million paid subscribers, at the end of the first quarter.NBCUniversal’s total haul reportedly exceeded $7 billion, the most since Comcast acquired the network in 2013.The company raised rates by a figure in the mid-single digits, according to NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell. Ad-Tech Upgrade

Peacock is also working [[link removed]] in new ways to display ads. It has rolled out frame ads in which the content the user is watching gets smaller, opening up part of the screen for an ad.

Another ad type, in-scene ads, remains in testing stages. In these, the network displays an ad somewhere in the actual show, movie, or game someone is watching, such as on a billboard.

In both cases, ads are geo-targeted and can be updated to be more relevant.

DOJ: FIFA to Receive $92M More Following Corruption Probe [[link removed]]

FIFA

The U.S. Department of Justice said last year that FIFA would be compensated $201 million for losses suffered from global corruption schemes by soccer’s governing officials. Until Thursday, $32.3 million had been remitted.

The DOJ announced [[link removed]] that an additional $92 million would be distributed to the victims.

Many of the officials involved in the schemes, which were largely related to bribes for media and marketing rights, were ordered to forfeit the assets they obtained.

More than 50 defendants from more than 20 different countries have faced charges since the corruption probe was unveiled in 2015. Four corporate entities have pleaded guilty, with other businesses acknowledging their roles.

Reynaldo Vasquez, former president of El Salvador’s soccer federation, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, and was sentenced [[link removed]] to eight years in prison. FIFA banned him for life and fined him $522,000.Juan Angel Napout, former president of CONMEBOL, was [[link removed]] sentenced to nine years in prison. Jose Maria Marin, former head of the Brazilian Football Federation, was sentenced to four. Where the Money Goes

“Various constituent national soccer federations” are set to benefit [[link removed]] from the funds, according to the DOJ, including CONCACAF, which oversees North and Central American soccer, and CONMEBOL, which governs South American soccer.

Under the supervision of the FIFA Foundation, a World Football Remission Fund was created with the money. It focuses [[link removed]] on women’s and girls’ soccer, education, safeguarding, youth programs, community outreach, and humanitarian needs.

SPONSORED BY COINBASE

Implementing NFTs With The Chicago Bulls

One of the most well-known use cases of blockchain technology [[link removed]] as it relates to sports are NFTs. Online marketplaces such as NBA Top Shot – where you can own and trade officially licensed NBA and WNBA NFTs – have gained popularity in the last two years.

However, there is so much more to the world of sports NFTs – they allow organizations to create unique partnership opportunities and fan experiences, and they even allow fans to create and grow teams and leagues of their own in the metaverse.

Learn more about NFTs in the Field of Sports in Lesson 4 of Crypto in Sports Essentials [[link removed]], where Liam Killingstadt, Director of Insights at Front Office Sports, sits down with Dan Moriarty of the Chicago Bulls to discuss all this and more.

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

Chicago Bears Stadium Proposal Includes A Curveball [[link removed]]

Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bears are drawing up plans for a new football stadium — and might throw in one for baseball while they’re at it.

The team is actively exploring relocating to Arlington Heights, a city of about 78,000 northwest of Chicago.

The team has paid $125,000 for studies to examine its stadium proposal. Team chairman George McCaskey has been involved in talks surrounding a new stadium development. The team wants to close a deal by early 2023.In September, the Bears agreed to pay $197 million to purchase the Arlington International Racecourse from Churchill Downs, pending final approval on both sides.

The team would presumably have to break its lease at Soldier Field, which runs until 2033. The team can pay $84 million to leave after 2026.

Let’s Play Two

The team is reportedly looking into a proposal to house a new baseball league for undrafted college players on the same site.

William Larsen, former general manager of the Kane County Cougars minor league team, has proposed a four-team league, all of whom would initially play in a 4,000-seat stadium. Larsen has said that he hasn’t heard if the Bears are interested in hosting the league.

Larsen estimated that the league could draw 450,000 fans per year and would offer summer programming during the NFL’s offseason.

Broadcaster Wants to Nix $310M Rights Deal with Cricket Australia [[link removed]]

Cricket Australia

Australia’s Channel Seven has filed court proceedings in an effort to terminate its $310 million broadcasting rights deal with Cricket Australia.

Filed in the country’s federal court, the Seven West Media company claims [[link removed]] Cricket Australia has breached its contract. The six-year agreement, which covers Australia Test cricket and the Big Bash League, still has two summers remaining.

The BBL Twenty20, whose last two seasons were disrupted by the pandemic, is reportedly at the center of the dispute.

“The SWM proceedings will seek both a court declaration that Seven is entitled to terminate the MRA [media rights agreement] on the basis of material contract breaches by CA which were not remedied, and damages arising out of past breaches,” the broadcaster said.

Cricket Australia said it was “astonished” by the claim, adding that it delivered “two very successful cricket seasons.”

This year’s fifth Ashes Test, aired by Seven and the Fox Sports pay-TV service, averaged 1.43 million viewers across three days — one of the highest domestic broadcast audiences in the sport’s history.Seven reportedly saw a 10% viewership drop for its 2020-21 season — the second consecutive year its BBL audience dropped — forcing the broadcaster to ask for a smaller rights fee. Rough Relationship

In 2020, Cricket Australia received notice from SWM that the former breached its contract over the proposed summer calendar — rendering Seven unprepared to make its $17.2 million payment.

The proceedings are expected to start early next year.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KAULIG RACING

The Path to Racing Success

Matt Kaulig [[link removed]] doesn’t fit the mold of a typical NASCAR team owner. He isn’t a former driver, he is a business owner and former sponsor who saw the value of the marketing behind NASCAR.

From starting LeafFilter Gutter Protection in his basement to establishing a winning racing team, Kaulig has continually developed new ventures that flourish. In just six years, Kaulig Racing has established itself as a leader of the next generation of NASCAR [[link removed]].

In the first episode [[link removed]] of our series, Behind the Wheel With Matt Kaulig, our Editor in Chief Ernest Baker chats with Matt Kaulig on his unconventional path to racing, success, and what he’s learned along the way.

Watch now [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters After announcing a move to the Big Ten, UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond and chancellor Gene Block said [[link removed]] the move “will enhance name, image, and likeness opportunities.” The San Diego Padres and Nike have unveiled [[link removed]] the team’s City Connect uniforms, which pay tribute to the Padres’ binational fan base, coastal culture, and California sunsets. Adidas has unveiled [[link removed]] the technology behind its 2022 FIFA World Cup Official Match Ball, which provides data to video officials when players touch the ball. From the U.S. Open to Wimbledon, Atmosphere Sports is bringing sports back to the center. Learn more [[link removed]].*

*Sponsored Content

Today's Action

MLB

10:10 PM

Rockies (+190) at Dodgers (-225)

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MLB

07:10 PM

Rays (+110) at Red Sox (-130)

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MLB

07:05 PM

Nationals (+130) at Phillies (-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 watch programs on NBC's Peacock?

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

Friday’s Answer

26% of respondents have purchased from Fanatics in the last 3 months.

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

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

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