August 29, 2022

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The PGA Tour upped its prize money [[link removed]] to compete with LIV Golf — and it’s only fitting that one of the Tour’s most vocal supporters was the first to cash in. On Sunday, Rory McIlroy took home a Tour-record $18 million bonus for finishing atop the FedEx Cup standings, pushing his yearly winnings to $26.8 million and career haul to $106.1 million.

Minor Leaguers Could Soon Join MLBPA Union [[link removed]]

Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register/USA TODAY NETWORK

The Major League Baseball Players Association is taking a big step toward seismic changes in the economics of baseball.

The MLBPA sent [[link removed]] out authorization cards to minor league players to begin the process of unionizing them.

A 30% signing rate would trigger a vote to unionize. From there, a majority of minor league players would need to vote to join the MLBPA, allowing the union to collectively bargain on their behalf.

MLB would have to recognize the union under National Labor Relations Board rules.

More than 5,000 players are currently in MLB’s minor leagues across four levels.Players typically make $5,000 to $14,000 annually, following a wage increase in 2021.MLB began providing housing for players this year.

“This generation of minor league players has demonstrated an unprecedented ability to address workplace issues with a collective voice,” said Harry Marino, director of Advocates for Minor Leaguers, which is working with the MLBPA on the campaign.

Unsettled Business

In July, MLB agreed to pay $185 million to settle [[link removed]] a class-action lawsuit brought in 2014 by minor leaguers seeking pay for spring training, extended spring training, and instructional league play. MLB has argued that these periods have nonmonetary value as training periods.

MLB contracted the minors from 162 to 120 teams in 2020, eventually spurring a congressional inquiry into MLB’s antitrust exemption. MLB has sought the power to further reduce the number of minor league paid positions.

LIV Golf Joins Player Lawsuit Against PGA Tour [[link removed]]

Jonathan Jones-USA TODAY Sports

LIV Golf has joined a group of its players — including Phil Mickelson — in an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour, according to an amended complaint obtained by Front Office Sports.

Backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the upstart series is further escalating a bitter struggle for the hearts, minds, and wallets of golf fans.

In August, 11 LIV players sued the PGA Tour, alleging [[link removed]] their Tour suspensions are part of a “carefully orchestrated plan to defeat” the controversial new league.

The complaint [[link removed]] was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.LIV is seeking punitive damages against the PGA Tour. LIV Golf believes PGA players are “independent contractors but are denied independence.”A trial date has been scheduled [[link removed]] for Jan. 8, 2024.

Earlier this month, three-time PGA Tour winner and current LIV Golf pro Pat Perez told Sports Illustrated that he intends to withdraw [[link removed]] as one of the plaintiffs, citing “no ill feelings toward the PGA Tour or any of the players.” Perez originally joined the suit in solidarity with LIV Golf.

Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, and Jason Kokrak have also dropped [[link removed]] out of the antitrust suit.

Here to Compete

The PGA Tour is set to make changes to compete with LIV Golf and prevent more talent from defecting from golf’s original pro tour.

PGA commissioner Jay Monahan announced [[link removed]] changes including the elevation of four events within the FedEx Cup, which will now have an average purse of $20 million.

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Disney Star Adds More Cricket Media Rights with ICC Deal [[link removed]]

ICC

Disney Star is expanding its cricket portfolio once again.

The pay-TV network has acquired Indian TV and digital rights to global events conducted by the International Cricket Council from 2024 through 2027.

Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but the ICC claimed [[link removed]] it “yielded a significant uplift to the rights fee from the previous cycle.”

Star won the last cycle of rights for $2.1 billion over eight years, but that included worldwide rights. At the time of the deal, Star was owned by Fox.

The new deal includes both men’s and women’s events including the 2024 men’s and women’s T20 World Cups. The 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup was the most engaged-with women’s event in the sport’s history [[link removed]] with 1.64 billion total views across the ICCs channels.

“Disney Star presented impressive plans for the promotion of women’s cricket, and they clearly share our vision,” ICC chair Greg Barclay said.

Viacom, Zee, and Sony also reportedly [[link removed]] bid for the rights.

Star-Studded Sport

In July, Disney Star acquired media rights for Cricket Australia as part of a seven-year, $250 million deal. It extended [[link removed]] its domestic TV rights deal with the Indian Premier League in June for $3 billion but wasn’t able to hold on to global streaming rights for the IPL after Viacom18 struck a $2.6 billion deal.

Disney Star also has media rights to the Board of Control for Cricket in India and Cricket South Africa.

Cricket is estimated [[link removed].] to have more than 2.5 billion fans globally.

Conversation Starters Jets cornerback Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner just landed [[link removed]] the endorsement deal of a lifetime. In The Leadoff, the French Grand Prix is cut from Formula 1’s schedule, Saudi Arabia’s top soccer league secures a $127.5 million naming rights deal, Audi prepares to enter F1 in 2026, and Callaway undergoes a name change. Click here to listen [[link removed]]. On Friday, rookie superstar Julio Rodriguez agreed [[link removed]] to a new contract with the Seattle Mariners that guarantees him $210 million and keeps him with the team for at least eight seasons. Brian Angiolet is leaving [[link removed]] DraftKings less than 18 months after being hired as the sports betting giant’s first chief media officer.

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Market Movers

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

WWE [[link removed]]

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.

[[link removed]]

$67.38

[[link removed]]

+0.31%

[[link removed]] BGFV [[link removed]]

Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp

[[link removed]]

$12.21

[[link removed]]

+0.91%

[[link removed]] DECK [[link removed]]

Deckers Outdoor Corp.

[[link removed]]

$328.99

[[link removed]]

+1.02%

[[link removed]] VFC [[link removed]]

VF Corp.

[[link removed]]

$41.38

[[link removed]]

+1.20%

[[link removed]] FL [[link removed]]

Foot Locker Inc

[[link removed]]

$36.98

[[link removed]]

+1.33%

[[link removed]] CLAR [[link removed]]

Clarus Corp

[[link removed]]

$18.93

[[link removed]]

-14.54%

[[link removed]] (Note: All as of market close on 8/29/22) What to Watch

The San Diego Padres (70-59) face the San Francisco Giants (61-65) on Monday night at Oracle Park.

How to Watch: 9:45 p.m. ET on ESPN+

Betting Odds: Giants -1.5 || ML -135 || O/U 7.5

Pick: Expect the Padres to bounce back after Sunday’s loss. Take San Diego to cover.

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Written by Owen Poindexter [[link removed]], Justin Byers [[link removed]], Abigail Gentrup [[link removed]] Edited by Brian Krikorian [[link removed]]

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