July 13, 2022

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A year ago [[link removed]], NBA outcast Matt Ryan was driving for DoorDash to make ends meet after being waived by the Nuggets. On Monday, he hit a game-winning three at the buzzer in the Celtics’ Summer League victory over the Bucks. Perseverance for the win!

Big Ten Media Rights Value Could Increase Up to 25% With USC, UCLA [[link removed]]

Joshua A. Bickel/Dispatch

The addition of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten could increase the conference’s media rights value significantly.

One source told Front Office Sports the number could be around 10%, though another suggested it could go as high as 25%. The broadcast value could now be worth anywhere from $1.1 billion to $1.25 billion per year.

“Basically, the Big Ten told everybody: Go back to the drawing board,” one source said.

In 2017, the Big Ten signed a six-year deal worth $2.64 billion — which is up in 2023.Over the past few months, the conference has been working on renegotiations.Before USC and UCLA joined, FOS reported [[link removed]] that the Big Ten’s next media rights package could be worth more than $1 billion annually.

But the addition of the Trojans and Bruins brings not just diehard fan bases and storied brands. It also provides access to the coveted Los Angeles television market, sports business expert Lee Berke told FOS.

“The timing couldn’t be better,” said Berke. “There’s no other Pac-12 presence throughout Southern California. So you get that market. It’s not just the city; it’s the DMA.”

The Big 12’s Precedent

The power of a top football brand to drive up media rights value can’t be overstated.

When Texas and Oklahoma left the Big 12 for the SEC, former commissioner Bob Bowlsby estimated that the conference lost half its broadcast rights value.

NBA Set To Make Playoff Play-In Tournament Permanent [[link removed]]

Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports

One of the most popular additions to the NBA schedule could be here to stay.

On Tuesday, the NBA board of governors is expected to vote to make the postseason play-in tournament a permanent fixture, per Adrian Wojnarowski [[link removed]] — just months after commissioner Adam Silver said [[link removed]] he believed the competition would stay.

The board had been approving the tournament’s inclusion on a year-by-year basis, but swelling support from teams and fans is pushing the league to keep it.

Impressive TV numbers have been key for the tournament’s success.

The Clippers and Timberwolves play-in averaged [[link removed]] 2.7 million viewers on TNT this season, its most-watched game since the season opener.It was the 14th-largest audience of the season for any network up to that point.In 2021, the highly anticipated Lakers-Warriors play-in averaged 5.6 million viewers — at the time the most-watched ESPN NBA telecast since the 2019 Western Conference Finals. In-Season Tournament Incoming

The board of governors will likely discuss adding [[link removed]] an in-season tournament Tuesday — but several key components will need to be addressed.

The format of the tournament and the logistics of placing it in-season will be important — as will competitive and financial incentives, such as a discussed $1 million purse for each player on the winning team.

All changes will need to be collectively bargained with the players’ union before approval.

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Play DraftKings This All-Star Weekend

Major League Baseball is headed to Hollywood for the 2022 All-Star Game [[link removed]]. And for the first time since 1980, Dodger Stadium will host the game.

With the Home Run Derby taking place on Monday, July 18, and the All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 19, there’s plenty of action to get involved in.

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Premier Hockey Federation Continues Expansion with Montreal [[link removed]]

PHF

The Premier Hockey Federation unveiled plans to double its salary cap from $300,000 to $750,000 in January — and now the sole North American women’s hockey league announced it’s expanding to Montreal.

The league’s seventh franchise, which has yet to be named, will debut [[link removed]] during the 2022-23 season.

BTM Partners will own the team — its third in the PHF.

The company also owns New Jersey’s Metropolitan Riveters and the Boston Pride.BTM sold the Toronto Six earlier this year reportedly [[link removed]] for a [[link removed]]price between $3 million and $5 million.

Montreal, the second Canadian market to have a PHF team, will play its home games at Centre 21.02, which has a 2,500-seat capacity. The franchise has been in the works for the last year-and-a-half but was reportedly delayed a year due to the pandemic.

The league began with four teams in 2015, adding the preexisting Minnesota Whitecaps in 2016 and the Toronto Six in 2020.

Eight’s Date

The PHF was originally planning [[link removed]] to add an eighth team in a U.S. city by next season, but that may be delayed. PHF commissioner Reagan Carey said it’s in the sport’s best interest to take a slow approach to ensure long-term stability.

“I have no reservations about committing to expansion in season nine,” said Carey, who was hired in April.

Along with the salary increase announcement in January, the PHF’s board of governors made a commitment to invest more than $25 million in the league over the next three years.

Private Equity Firm Seeks Full Control of Mobile Game Maker [[link removed]]

Shutterstock

Private equity firm Joffre Capital is looking to raise capital to fund a potential bid to acquire full control of digital entertainment and mobile gaming company Playtika.

Joffre Capital’s desire to bid for complete ownership comes after the Israel-based firm agreed to acquire [[link removed]] a 25.7% stake in Playtika worth $2.2 billion from a holding company controlled by Chinese video gaming tycoon Shi Yuzhu, according to a regulatory filing.

Playtika has a market value of roughly $5.3 billion, per [[link removed]] Bloomberg.The company generated [[link removed]] $676.9 million in revenue in Q1 2022.Its net income reached $83.2 million, up from $35.7 million in Q1 2021.Full-year revenue is projected to reach $2.73 billion in FY2022.

Playtika’s willingness to offload full control of its business is no surprise after the company announced [[link removed]] in February that its board of directors hired New York-based investment bank The Raine Group to maximize its value for stockholders.

At the time, Playtika did not rule out a sale or other potential transactions.

Getting into Gaming

Despite a potential sale, Playtika has continued to invest in gaming. Earlier this month, Israeli game content platform Edge Gaming raised [[link removed]] $30 million in a Series A funding round.

The round was led by Corner Ventures and included existing investors Playtika, AnD Ventures, and Stardom Ventures. Playtika previously led [[link removed]] Edge Gaming’s $10 million seed round in 2021.

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Conversation Starters Aaron Judge has become an equity partner [[link removed]] of Waiākea Water as part of a new sponsorship deal. Wayne Rooney is making a return to D.C. United as the club’s new coach and is reportedly [[link removed]] expecting to sign a multiyear deal worth at least $1 million annually — the highest coaching salary in franchise history. Police in India have busted [[link removed]] a “fake Indian Premier League” set up to trick Russian bettors, which made $4,000 before being shut down. LIV Golf Series is positioning [[link removed]] itself as the flashier Formula 1 to the PGA Tour’s provincial NASCAR. Today's Action

MLB

07:05 PM

Reds (+255) at Yankees (-305)

Bet Now [[link removed]]

MLB

07:10 PM

Red Sox (+130) at Rays (-150)

Bet Now [[link removed]]

MLB

07:45 PM

Dodgers (-145) at Cardinals (+125)

Bet Now [[link removed]]

*All times are EST unless otherwise noted.

*Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See [[link removed]] for details.

Question Of The Day

Are you a fan of the NBA's playoff play-in tournament?

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

Tuesday’s Answer

16% of respondents are fans of the Super League concept.

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

Written by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]], Doug Greenberg [[link removed]], Abigail Gentrup [[link removed]], Justin Byers [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Brian Krikorian [[link removed]]

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