October 13, 2022

Read in Browser [[link removed]]

POWERED BY

Apple is all in on sports with major deals for the Super Bowl Halftime Show, MLS and MLB broadcasting rights, and a bid for NFL Sunday Ticket. On the latest episode of The Newsroom, the Front Office Sports team breaks down what Apple is up to, and how sports fit into the tech giant’s overall strategy. Listen and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Spotify [[link removed]], and YouTube [[link removed]].

LeBron Boosts NBA Players to Record Earnings [[link removed]]

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA’s 10 highest-paid players will make $751 million before taxes and agents’ fees this year, per Forbes — a record for the league.

It’s no surprise that LeBron James — the first active athlete to be certified a billionaire by Forbes — sits atop the outlet’s Highest-Paid NBA Players list [[link removed]] as the highest-paid NBA player ever, his ninth straight year at No. 1. His pretax earnings will total $124.5 million, with $80 million of that earned off the court.

James is one of 10 athletes who have surpassed $100 million in pretax earnings in a single year. Some of his off-court endeavors, including the SpringHill company, aren’t included in Forbes’ estimates.

Steph Curry, the second-highest-paid NBA player, will make the most on the court — $48.1 million. Add that to off-court income, and Curry’s earnings will total $95.1 million.

The top five is rounded out by Kevin Durant ($88 million), Giannis Antetokounmpo ($86.5 million), and Russell Westbrook ($82.1 million). Earnings then drop by more than $20 million.

No. 6: Klay Thompson ($60.6 million)No. 7: Damian Lillard ($60.5 million)No. 8: James Harden ($53 million)No. 9: Paul George ($51 million)No. 10: Jimmy Butler ($49.7 million) Ball Breakdown

Collectively, the highest-paid players are making 5% more than last year and 122% more than a decade ago. The players’ off-court earnings, which is anticipated to total $330 million, is estimated as the highest for any sports league.

CFP Expansion Could Happen 2 Years Sooner [[link removed]]

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips told ESPN “there’s a lot of push” to expand the College Football Playoff in 2024 — two years before the tournament undergoes its first phase of expansion.

“It’s just the logistics of this thing are difficult,” Phillips told [[link removed]] ESPN Wednesday at ACC basketball media day. “Not insurmountable, but time is not a friend of ours right now.”

In September, the College Football Playoff Board of Managers — a group of FBS university presidents — voted [[link removed]] to expand the CFP from four to 12 teams.

The expansion is set for 2026 after ESPN’s current deal for CFP media rights expires.ESPN’s current pact reportedly pays [[link removed]] out an average of $470 million per year.An expanded playoff could see a rights deal fetch [[link removed]] as much as $2.2 billion annually.

The NCAA men’s Division I basketball tournament may also be expanded to provide more qualified teams with access to college sports’ “crown jewel” of championships. A potential plan for expanding March Madness includes increasing the number of teams from 64 to 96.

Speaking of Expansion

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark expressed interest [[link removed]] in expanding the conference westward last month. The conference will be losing Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC in 2025 and is preparing to add four new members: Cincinnati, UCF, Houston, and BYU.

[[link removed]] College Athletics [[link removed]] | by Justin Byers [[link removed]] Big 12 May Look West for Expansion [[link removed]] Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark expressed interest in expanding the conference westward. September 11, 2022

UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham and university president Kevin Guskiewicz also discussed [[link removed]] the idea of a merger between the ACC and the Pac-12 or Big 12, referring to it in a text message as the Atlantic-Pacific Athletic Conference or APAC.

The Big Ten will add [[link removed]] USC and UCLA in 2024.

SPONSORED BY NETSUITE

Listen Now: My Other Passion Podcast

What drives your favorite athletes, celebrities, and executives?

Find out in My Other Passion presented by NetSuite [[link removed]]. Each week, Ernest Baker, Editor in Chief of Front Office Sports, sits down with some of the most influential people in sports and entertainment to explore how their passions define them and impact everything from their decision-making to how they see the world.

With the help of NetSuite [[link removed]], the #1 Cloud Financial system that gives visibility and control of your financials, inventory, and more, we’ll go live with these authentic and in-depth conversations every Wednesday.

Listen to some of our recent episodes, including Don Faul, Vinit Bharara, and Eric Min. Listen now [[link removed]] or watch on YouTube [[link removed]] for future episodes releasing every Wednesday.

If you or someone you know is an athlete, celebrity, or business leader, reach out [[link removed]] to be featured on an upcoming episode.

Orioles’ Finances Could Become Public As Legal Feud Continues [[link removed]]

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The finances of the family that owns the Baltimore Orioles could become public as its internal drama is deliberated in court.

Georgia and John Angelos, the wife and elder son of the ailing Peter Angelos, have asked [[link removed]] a court to limit the financial information revealed by lawyers about the Orioles and Peter’s law firm. John is the Orioles’ chairman and CEO.

The two are being sued by John’s younger brother, Louis Angelos, who has alleged that John sought to take control over the Orioles and other family assets.Louis subpoenaed documents from Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo, including ones related to a potential sale of the family’s stake in the team. He has also sought communications with Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and other league officials.

Georgia retained Goldman Sachs and Jones Day to provide services related to a potential sale of the team. She has argued that Peter wanted her to have control over whether the team is sold.

The Washington Nationals, which have a profit-sharing arrangement with the Orioles for their shared regional sports network MASN, are also for sale. Forbes valued [[link removed]] the Nationals at $2 billion and the Orioles at $1.38 billion in March.

Firm Freeze

Peter Angelos Law, which is best known for asbestos litigation, is also in the middle of the family tug of war.

An attorney for Louis Angelos said that the firm could have its assets frozen imminently due to the family’s legal struggle, which would prevent it from operating.

Conversation Starters In The Leadoff, soccer teams will make millions from November’s World Cup, the Glazer family doesn’t want to sell Manchester United, four Nordic countries want to host the Women’s Euro, and Tom Brady is now an owner of a Major League Pickleball expansion team. Click here to listen [[link removed]]. ESPN parent Disney is ringing up $90 million in advertising sales so far for the 2022-23 NHL season, sources told [[link removed]] Front Office Sports. After eight years at JPMorgan, Eric Min was ready to start his own business. He did just that, sold it, and then embarked on his next mission: Zwift. Nearly a decade after its launch, the online fitness platform has captivated millions of cyclists across the globe. We spoke to co-founder and CEO Min about growing the company, the billionaires who use Zwift, how ’80s music keeps him creative, and much more on the latest episode of My Other Passion. Check it out now on Apple [[link removed]], Spotify [[link removed]], and YouTube [[link removed]].

SPONSORED BY POINTSBET

Bet With The Best This NFL Season

PointsBet is preparing you for the best betting stretch of your life.

Looking for insight on upcoming games? Make sure you subscribe to PointsBet’s Hustle newsletter [[link removed]] for all the latest trends.

PointsBet’s Hustle spotlights the biggest bets, juiciest boosts, and strongest insights to get you ready for the all the matchups. The newsletter will be sent three times a week (on Thursday, Sunday, and Monday) and offer wagering news and insights [[link removed]] from PointsBet.

Don’t miss out, subscribe today [[link removed]]!

Market Movers

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

WYNN [[link removed]]

Wynn Resorts Ltd.

[[link removed]]

$57.08

[[link removed]]

+0.14%

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

Live Nation Entertainment Inc

[[link removed]]

$77.92

[[link removed]]

+1.33%

[[link removed]] DKS [[link removed]]

Dicks Sporting Goods, Inc.

[[link removed]]

$112.32

[[link removed]]

+3.27%

[[link removed]] VSTO [[link removed]]

Vista Outdoor Inc

[[link removed]]

$26.18

[[link removed]]

+4.30%

[[link removed]] CWH [[link removed]]

Camping World Holdings Inc

[[link removed]]

$27.99

[[link removed]]

+4.48%

[[link removed]] MTN [[link removed]]

Vail Resorts Inc.

[[link removed]]

$224.57

[[link removed]]

+4.53%

[[link removed]] (Note: All as of market close on 10/13/22) What to Watch

The Washington Commanders (1-4) face the Chicago Bears (2-3) on “Thursday Night Football” at Soldier Field.

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

Betting Odds: Commanders -1 || ML -115 || O/U 38

Pick: Expect Carson Wentz to rebound from Sunday’s loss. Take Washington to cover.

Refer Friends, Win Merch

Ready to rep your favorite newsletter? Refer your friends and colleagues to Front Office Sports and you could win FOS merchandise.

It’s easy to spread the word. Copy and paste your unique link below and share it in an email or on your timeline.

Your custom referral link:

[link removed] [[link removed]]

Or use these one-tap sharing methods:

Email [[link removed]] Twitter [[link removed]] Facebook [[link removed]]

Your referral count: 0

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

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

MORE FROM FRONT OFFICE SPORTS:

The Leadoff [[link removed]] - Daily business of sports podcast

Front Office Sports Pro [[link removed]] - The most promising opportunities where sports meets industry

Front Office Sports Learning [[link removed]] - Professional education at the speed of culture

Copyright © 2022 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

80 Pine Street Suite 3202 New York, NY 10005

Advertise [[link removed]] / Update your preferences [link removed] / Unsubscribe [link removed]