Phoenix Suns and Mercury owner Robert Sarver is selling both teams.

In a statement by turns regretful and aggrieved in tone, Sarver said he thought his one-year suspension “would provide the time for me to focus, make amends, and remove my personal controversy from the teams that I and so many fans love.” 

But in the long term, he said he would be a distraction to both teams in the “current unforgiving climate.”

• A league-commissioned investigation found that Sarver regularly used “racially insensitive language; unequal treatment of female employees; sex-related statements and conduct; and harsh treatment of employees that on occasion constituted bullying.” 
• The league suspended Sarver and fined him $10 million following the release of the report.

Sarver purchased the Suns in 2004 for $401 million. The team was valued at $1.8 billion by Forbes last year.

Temperature Rising

Sarver faced calls to sell the teams or otherwise be removed from the NBA by the team’s vice chairman Jahm Najafi, LeBron James, Suns star Chris Paul, Draymond Green, and NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio, all of whom felt the league’s punishment was too light.

PayPal, the Suns jersey patch sponsor, said it would not continue its relationship with the team if Sarver remained in place following his suspension.

League commissioner Adam Silver said previously that he doesn’t “have the right to take away his team,” noting that the report found that Sarver’s behavior was not driven “by racial or gender-based animus.”

Formula 1 unveiled its most packed race calendar in history on Wednesday.

The global racing series’ 2023 schedule includes a record 24 races, including its return to Las Vegas. That race will join two other U.S. contests, the Miami Grand Prix in May and Austin’s U.S. Grand Prix in October.

• China rejoined the calendar after a three-year break. The April race has yet to be confirmed due to the country’s strict COVID-related restrictions.
• Qatar, which had its inaugural race in 2021, will host its second race after a break this year to host November’s FIFA World Cup.
• The French Grand Prix dropped off the calendar. Race officials have expressed optimism that it could return on a rotating basis. Monaco, which was at risk, will stay on the calendar for another three years.

A race in Kyalami, South Africa, for which Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has lobbied, won’t happen until 2024 at the earliest. 

What Happens in Vegas

The Las Vegas Grand Prix on Nov. 18, 2023, will take place at night and be F1’s first Saturday race since 1985.

In June, F1 parent Liberty Media purchased a 39-acre plot for $240 million to house the paddock area. Las Vegas is under contract for three years, but race officials have expressed interest in a longer term.

Three major sports leagues could take over Sinclair’s regional sports networks. 

The NBA, the NHL, and MLB are reportedly interested in acquiring the 21 networks of Sinclair’s Diamond Sports Group, which bought the RSNs from Disney in 2019 for $10.6 billion.

The reports arrive amid growing rumors that Diamond — thought to be valued around $3 billion — could face bankruptcy in the next three-to-six months, posing a threat to the networks’ teams.

• The Bally Sports networks claim half of the local broadcast markets in the U.S.
• The networks hold exclusive local rights to 14 MLB teams, 16 NBA teams, and 12 NHL teams.

The discussions are expected to begin soon. Sinclair would reportedly propose giving Diamond’s equity to creditors, who would then sell a majority of it to the leagues. Diamond would retain a minority stake.

“They will offer it to all three leagues,” a New York Post source said. “There is a reasonable likelihood this will all happen.”

Diamond has reportedly been telling the leagues that in the event of a bankruptcy, it will be able to keep the games without paying teams their rights fees.

An NBA spokesperson said the report is not true.

Streaming Stipulation

On Sept. 26, Diamond is set to launch a streaming service with a $20 monthly fee, but it might not help as much as Sinclair was hoping. 

MLB has only transferred rights for five of the 14 teams and is reportedly considering launching its own streaming service.