September 7, 2022

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The Chicago Bears aren’t kidding about a possible departure from iconic Soldier Field. On Tuesday, the team unveiled renderings [[link removed]] of a proposed domed stadium and multipurpose entertainment district in Arlington Heights. The project would have a regional economic impact of $9.4 billion, plus create 48,000 temporary jobs and 9,750 permanent ones.

Expanded CFP Media Rights Could Double Current Deal [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

With the College Football Playoff expanding [[link removed]] from four to 12 teams by 2026, it could command media rights deals with multiple TV partners yielding over $2 billion annually, sources told Front Office Sports.

The CFP’s current deal with ESPN reportedly [[link removed]] pays an average of $470 million a year through 2026, but the expanded playoff could fetch as much as $2.2 billion annually — more than double the current payout.

Bob Thompson, the former president of Fox Sports Networks, said combined annual rights of $2 billion [[link removed]] would be a “little light” given the addition of so many new postseason game telecasts.

“I think it will be north of $2 billion. So ($2.2 billion) is possible,” Thompson told Front Office Sports.

The CFP would top the annual fees for the NCAA’s deal with CBS/Turner for the Division I men’s basketball tournament — which paid [[link removed]] $870 million this year. It would also usurp the Big Ten’s latest mega-deal, which will average [[link removed]] more than $1 billion annually. Network Bidding War

A major bump in rights fees may not be the only way the future contract looks different.

Like the Big Ten Conference and the NHL the CFP is expected to pursue an NFL-like strategy of splitting rights among TV partners. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey told [[link removed]] “The Paul Finebaum Show” that the CFP plans to have multiple networks bid on the deal.

ESPN wants to renew, sources previously told FOS, but Fox is also interested — as are CBS and NBC.

Manchester United Owners Reportedly Want $4.3B for Club [[link removed]]

Manchester United

Speculation over a Manchester United sale is increasing — and the team may now have a price tag.

The Glazers, who purchased [[link removed]] the Premier League club for $954.48 million in 2005, are reportedly looking for roughly $4.3 billion in exchange for the team, according [[link removed]] to The Daily Mail. Outlets previously reported [[link removed]] that the family — who also own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — could seek a record $5.9 billion for the team, which was valued [[link removed]] at $4.6 billion by Forbes in May.

Despite not officially being on the market, reports of a sale have swirled as the Glazers face pressure from Man U fans.

Under the family, Man U has paid around $1.1 billion in interest and debt repayments, while the family has received $406 million in share sales, consulting fees, and dividends.Fans have staged protests at games and outside Old Trafford.

It’s unclear if the Glazers would want to sell the entirety of the club. A loan and stake sale have reportedly been discussed as the Glazers seek at least $235 million for infrastructure improvements to the stadium. The Times previously reported that a sale of the team’s media rights are also likely.

Potential Buyers

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Britain’s richest man, and Michael Knighton have expressed [[link removed]] interest in buying the club. The Daily Mail reported that Dubai’s sovereign wealth fund is rumored to be a contender.

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The UEFA Champions League on Paramount+

The soccer world is still buzzing after yesterday’s UEFA Champions League matches. Thankfully, there’s more Matchday 1 [[link removed]] action streaming live today on Paramount+.

It all kicks off [[link removed]] with two matches at 12:45 p.m. ET and six at 3 p.m. ET. Two featured matches at 3 p.m. ET are Bayern taking on Inter at the San Siro and Napoli hosting Liverpool. These clubs are in exceptionally tough groups, particularly Bayern and Inter’s “group of death”, so an early victory here is crucial.

Catch the top clubs in the world facing off for a shot at Champions League glory. Stream every match live all tournament long, exclusively on Paramount+. Try it free [[link removed]]!

Porsche Gearing Up for Potentially Huge IPO [[link removed]]

Porsche Motorsport

A major name in luxury cars widely rumored to be seeking an on-ramp to Formula 1 will hit the public markets in the coming weeks.

Volkswagen announced plans to list [[link removed]] Porsche in what could be one of Europe’s largest initial public offerings.

The IPO could value Porsche between $59.4 billion and $84.2 billion.Volkswagen will only offer up 12.5% of Porsche, which could raise more than $10 billion, depending on pricing.The hefty cash injection will help fund Porsche’s turn toward electric and self-driving cars. The iconic brand races in the all-electric series Formula E under the name Tag Heuer Porsche.

The Qatar Investment Authority indicated plans to purchase 4.99% of the company, according to Volkswagen. The sovereign wealth fund of the 2022 World Cup host has also invested in Fanatics and ONE Championship parent Group ONE Holdings.

Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz, T Rowe Price Group, and LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault have reportedly expressed [[link removed]] interest in purchasing a stake in Porsche.

Volkswagen has promised to return 49% of the proceeds from the IPO next year in a special dividend.

F1, Too?

The IPO is reportedly complicating plans for Porsche to join F1 in 2026 by purchasing half of Red Bull Advanced Technologies.

While many expected an imminent public statement to that effect following fellow Volkswagen brand Audi’s announcement that it would enter F1 in 2026, recent reports suggest that Red Bull is keeping its options open.

Investment in New Zealand Rugby Postponed [[link removed]]

Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports

A deal for investors to raise as much as $60 million for New Zealand Rugby is being delayed amid poor performances by the All Blacks rugby team.

“All we can say at this point is that the timeline will be discussed by NZRC and NZR Boards over the coming months,” an NZR spokesperson told [[link removed]] Bloomberg.

In February, Silver Lake received approval [[link removed]] from players of the legendary All Blacks to acquire a 5.7% stake in NZR CommercialCo via convertible preference shares, after previous reports revealed that the private equity firm offered $279 million to buy a 12.5% stake.

The deal for a 12.5% stake was reportedly denied by New Zealand Rugby’s players union.

In June, Silver Lake agreed to invest $122 million in NZR CommercialCo.The investment values [[link removed]] NZR at $3.5 billion.

Known as the best rugby team in the world with a 77% international win rate since 1903, the All Blacks have seen their brand value take a hit with six losses in their last nine matches.

As a result, the national team has plummeted to fourth in the world rankings behind [[link removed]] Ireland, France, and South Africa, respectively. The drop has led to a decline in demand for shares.

Rugby Rising

As a sport with more than 500 million fans, rugby has become a hot commodity.

In June, Wasserman — one of the largest sports and entertainment agencies in the world — acquired [[link removed]] Esportif, a rugby-focused talent agency.

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MMS: A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

Vozzi [[link removed]] knows the advantage of texting your audience (98% open rate) vs. email (20% open rate). So people are reading your messages, but how do you get them to take action?

Grab their attention with Vozzi’s MMS feature set [[link removed]].

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) allows you to send an image or gif with your text campaign. MMS campaigns keep your messaging fresh and on brand while producing better results. On average, MMS increases engagement 15-20% over regular SMS.

Here is an example to back it up:

This August of 2022, The Spartan Race sent out an MMS for a post-race 2023 promo. The text was sent to 5.3k recipients and 2.2k of them clicked through for a 42% engagement rate!

Learn More [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters Russell Wilson signed a five-year, $245 million extension with the Denver Broncos last week. Take a look [[link removed]] inside his $25 million Colorado home. Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase bought his mom a house and car with his first million, among other things. Check out the full breakdown [[link removed]]. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh believes college players should receive [[link removed]] a cut of the “massive” college media deals that have been worked out, including the College Football Playoff. Today's Action

MLB

08:40 PM

Diamondbacks (+180) at Padres (-210)

Bet Now [[link removed]]

MLB

08:10 PM

Rangers (+220) at Astros (-260)

Bet Now [[link removed]]

MLB

03:37 PM

Braves (-265) at Athletics (+225)

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

Do you plan on traveling internationally in the next 12 months?

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

Tuesday’s Answer

89% of respondents plan to watch NFL games this season.

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

Written by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]], Michael McCarthy [[link removed]], Abigail Gentrup [[link removed]], Owen Poindexter [[link removed]], Justin Byers [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Brian Krikorian [[link removed]]

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