September 22, 2022

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The unionization of baseball’s minor leagues and the NBA’s plan to lower its age limit are just the latest signs that the power, influence, and earning potential of young athletes have never been higher. On the latest episode of The Newsroom, the Front Office Sports team breaks down this seismic shift. Listen in and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Spotify [[link removed]], or YouTube [[link removed]].

Brett Favre Linked to Welfare Scandal, Possible Charges [[link removed]]

Shelley Mays-The Tennessean

A plea deal with federal and state prosecutors is the latest twist in a scandal that could have major implications for Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre.

John Davis, the former director of Mississippi’s Department of Human Services, pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court for his role in the misappropriation of more than $70 million in welfare funds.

According to court documents and sources with knowledge of the matter, Favre is linked to around $8 million of funds earmarked for needy families in Mississippi — a state with the highest poverty rate in the nation.

A source with knowledge of the investigation told Front Office Sports that Favre has been on investigators’ radar for months, while the legendary QB’s attorney has claimed his client didn’t know he was accepting money from welfare funds.

Favre received $1.1 million for speaking engagements between 2017 and 2019 that he allegedly didn’t perform. He repaid it, but reportedly [[link removed]] still owes about $228,000 in interest. Former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant and others allegedly helped secure $5 million in welfare funds in 2019 for a volleyball center at the University of Southern Mississippi, with help by Favre — whose daughter played the sport there.Prevacus, a pharma startup backed by Favre, received more than $2 million [[link removed]]. What Favre Could Face

“If Favre gets indicted — and I expect he will be — one of the counts will surely be wire fraud,” said Matt Tympanick, a veteran federal criminal defense attorney.

Amazon’s ‘TNF’ Debut Tops Thursday TV Shows [[link removed]]

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL already dominates TV — and it looks like streaming is next.

Based on its own first-party measurements and Nielsen, Amazon Prime Video announced that its first stream of “Thursday Night Football” averaged 15.3 million viewers.

Nielsen reported that the online giant’s stream of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 27-24 win over the Los Angeles Chargers averaged 13 million viewers, but either way, the NFL and Amazon started their exclusive 11-year deal — worth $1 billion a year — with a splash.

Amazon’s live stream generated more viewers than any other show on broadcast or cable TV Thursday night.

Amazon says “TNF” drew a 4.25 rating among adults in the 18-34 age group, tops for the week in that coveted demographic — and 18% higher than any NFL game this season.The average viewer age was lowered to 47 from 54 compared to last year’s tri-cast on Fox, NFL Network, and Amazon.It was the most-watched program of the night on broadcast or cable, beating the No. 2 show, “Young Sheldon” on CBS, by 271%.Local telecasts in Los Angeles and Kansas City averaged 602,00 and 550,000 viewers, respectively. Sign-Up Here, Please

Jay Marine, Amazon’s vice president in charge of Prime Video, wrote in an internal memo [[link removed]] that its first “TNF” stream drew in a record number of Prime subscriptions.

The game brought in more signups in a three-hour period than any other day in company history, including Cyber Monday, Black Friday, and Prime Day, said Marine.

Last year, the NFL accounted [[link removed]] for 48 of the 50 most-watched shows on linear TV.

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Manchester United’s Quarter Boosted by Return of Fans [[link removed]]

MUFC

Manchester United reported fourth-quarter revenue of $133.5 million, a 26.1% year-over-year increase, and $657.1 million in annual revenue, an 18% spike.

Matchday revenue for the quarter jumped [[link removed]] 830.4% to $24.1 million, commercial revenue increased 22.4% to $71.44 million, and broadcasting revenue fell 15.5% to $37.97 million. The increases were primarily attributed to the return of fans to Old Trafford.

Man United achieved several records over the fiscal year.

Women’s season tickets for the upcoming season have generated a 55% increase.The club has sold a record number of global memberships and sold out of its new premium membership tier.United had a “record number of executive club renewals with the fastest sellout ever at record revenue levels.”E-commerce revenues hit a record, nearly doubling 2021’s figure.

As of June 30, the club’s net debt was around $580 million. The club expects FY2023 revenue to fall between $653 million and $676 million.

Forbes last valued [[link removed]] Man United at $4.6 billion — the third-highest soccer club.

Fan Fallout

The owners of Manchester United — the Glazer family — have faced growing criticism [[link removed]] for their handling of the club, with fans calling for them to sell.

Since January, the club has held two quarterly meetings of its Fans’ Advisory Board with chairman Joel Glazer in attendance. The meetings give fans an opportunity to meet with club representatives.

Man United has also hired its first head of fan engagement and appointed Erik ten Hag as manager in May.

Conversation Starters Brian Mariotti bought sports and culture toymaker Funko in 2005 and played a huge role in turning it into the billion-dollar business it is today. On the latest episode of My Other Passion, we spoke to the chief creative officer about working with legends like Michael Jordan and Rafa Nadal on collectibles, how he landed licenses with all the major pro leagues, and why Funko wants to go even harder on sports in the future. Listen or watch now on Apple [[link removed]], Spotify [[link removed]], and YouTube [[link removed]]. Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka is considering resigning [[link removed]] after news of a consensual affair with a woman on the team’s staff exploded in the media Thursday. Invesco QQQ [[link removed]] gives you access to the growth potential of some of the world’s greatest innovators, all in one fund. See how some of those companies are revolutionizing sports and become an Agent of Innovation today.*

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Market Movers

U.S. stocks were mixed on Thursday. Here’s a look at how some sports-related stocks performed:

VFC [[link removed]]

VF Corp.

[[link removed]]

$36.41

[[link removed]]

-1.91%

[[link removed]] DIS [[link removed]]

Walt Disney Co (The)

[[link removed]]

$102.14

[[link removed]]

-2.50%

[[link removed]] UA [[link removed]]

Under Armour Inc

[[link removed]]

$6.78

[[link removed]]

-3.83%

[[link removed]] PLNT [[link removed]]

Planet Fitness Inc

[[link removed]]

$57.49

[[link removed]]

-4.25%

[[link removed]] LYV [[link removed]]

Live Nation Entertainment Inc

[[link removed]]

$77.48

[[link removed]]

-4.89%

[[link removed]] (Note: All as of market close on 9/22/22) What to Watch

The Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) face the Cleveland Browns (1-1) on Thursday night at FirstEnergy Stadium.

How to Watch: 8:15 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video

Betting Odds: Browns -4 || ML -190 || O/U 38

Pick: Expect the Browns to get back on track. Take Cleveland to cover.

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Written by A.J. Perez [[link removed]], Michael McCarthy [[link removed]], Abigail Gentrup [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Brian Krikorian [[link removed]]

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