October 20, 2022

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Pickleball is exploding in popularity, and the Front Office Sports team digs into the phenomenon in the latest episode of the Newsroom. Thomas Shields, founder of pickleball media site The Dink, joined the show to delve into the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. Listen on Apple [[link removed]], Spotify [[link removed]] and YouTube [[link removed]].

European Super League Could Launch Within Three Years [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

In keeping with the Halloween season, the European Super League is rising from the dead once again.

The project’s newly hired CEO Bernd Reichart said the league will launch [[link removed]] within three years. Reichart — who previously worked at German media company RTL Deutschland — now helms A22 Sports Management, the corporate entity continuing to pursue the Super League.

Reichart’s hiring, announced Wednesday, was a sign that backers of the league had not given up on the project.The proposed midweek competition for elite European teams fell apart within 48 hours of its announcement in April 2021 but is still backed by Juventus, Barcelona, and Real Madrid.“There is a broad consensus that football needs reform,” said Reichart, assailing the sport’s financial model. “Football cannot continue as it is designed now.”

It isn’t yet clear if the revamped league will give out cash comparable to the initial effort, which offered [[link removed]] up $3.4 billion in entry bonuses and winner’s prize of around $392.3 million.

A22 is awaiting judgment from the European Court of Justice on whether the UEFA can punish the breakaway clubs before launching the league.

Relegation Promoted

A central criticism of the original project was that teams were guaranteed a place in the tournament, regardless of past performance.

“The concept of a fixed placement is not something that we are currently considering,” said Reichart. “Sporting merit will be applied to all members of that Super League.”

Qatar to Require Spyware Apps for World Cup Visitors [[link removed]]

Qatar 2022

The list of concerns for the roughly 1.2 million people heading to Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup appears to be growing.

Qatar’s government is requiring all foreign visitors to download a pair of apps that provide officials with rights to access data on their phones — which could be considered spyware.

“It’s not my job to give travel advice, but personally, I would never bring my mobile phone on a visit to Qatar,” said [[link removed]] NRK head of security Øyvind Vasaasen.

Qatar is requiring visitors to download [[link removed]] Ehteraz and Hayya.Ehteraz is a COVID-19 tracking app that can manipulate content on a user’s phone.It can also override installed software and disable a phone’s lock screen.Hayya, which tracks matches, has permission to share information on a user’s phone.

The World Cup — which runs Nov. 20 through Dec. 18 — has also had concerns regarding fan accommodations [[link removed]], security [[link removed]], and lack of infrastructure [[link removed]].

[[link removed]] Real Estate [[link removed]] | by Justin Byers [[link removed]] Qatar Is In a Rush to Finish Infrastructure Projects Ahead of World.. [[link removed]] Qatar is racing to be ready for the 2022 World Cup. September 25, 2022 Nothing to See Here

Qatar will impose [[link removed]] media restrictions on international broadcast crews for the tournament.

Broadcasters will be barred from filming at government buildings, schools, housing for migrant workers [[link removed]], places of worship, and hospitals. Crews will also be restricted from recording at residential properties and private businesses.

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That’s why he pledged a portion of his NIL earnings to the Dreams Come True Foundation, a non-profit that grants dreams to children in the state with life-threatening illnesses.

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Professional Fighters League, DAZN Lock Arms on Europe Launch [[link removed]]

PFL

The Professional Fighters League is linking up with DAZN to launch a mixed martial arts league in Europe.

DAZN will replace the PFL’s existing broadcasters in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa on a “multiyear contract” worth “tens of millions of dollars” annually, PFL founder and chair Donn Davis told Front Office Sports.

PFL Europe will be “the first-ever regional MMA league from a global MMA organization,” Davis said.The venture will launch in the first half of 2023.Fights will be broadcast across 73 territories.

“All the fighters will be from Europe,” said Davis. “All the fights will be held locally in Europe. All the fights, importantly, will be primetime in Europe. And so really PFL is meeting the European MMA fans where they’re at.”

Deep Into DAZN

The arrangement further extends the relationship between PFL and DAZN.

The sports streamer will broadcast around 25 PFL fights annually between PFL Global, PFL Challenger, and the coming European league. PFL Europe will start at around four-to-six fights per year and grow from there, per Davis.

“The strong markets for UFC [Ultimate Fighting Championship] and PFL overlap,” Davis explained. “MMA is strong in seven main regions around the world: United States, Asia, India, the Middle East, Russia, Latin America, and emerging in Africa. Each one of those has over 50 million fans, and a lot of them have over 100 million.”

Conversation Starters C.J. Stroud is among the best college athletes in America, with a long list of accolades and NIL deals to prove it. On the latest episode of My Other Passion, we sat down with the Ohio State quarterback to talk about the Heisman Trophy race, his NFL dreams, NCAA conference realignment, his favorite TV shows — and, of course, what it’s like raking in all of that NIL money at just 21 years old. Listen or watch now on Apple [[link removed]], Spotify [[link removed]], and YouTube [[link removed]]. The reimagined NBA App — developed with Microsoft — will integrate [[link removed]] both of the league’s direct-to-consumer offerings: NBA League Pass and NBA TV. On Thursday, lawyers for the NFL will argue [[link removed]] to stay the legal proceedings ahead of a planned appeal of a judge’s denial of its motion to compel arbitration in relation to a lawsuit brought by former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden.

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Major League Soccer’s Orlando City SC has seen an increase in ticket sales and revenue since launching its app in partnership with Salesforce [[link removed]].

Since the app’s launch, fan adoption [[link removed]] has increased from 7,000 to 22,000 unique users. Plus, the club has generated more than $1.5 million in revenue a year from app users. Revenue from concession stands alone has increased by more than 14%!

See how [[link removed]] Orlando SC is using data to reward fans and provide personalized experiences.

Market Movers

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

DKNG [[link removed]]

DraftKings Inc.

[[link removed]]

$13.29

[[link removed]]

+1.57%

[[link removed]] T [[link removed]]

AT&T, Inc.

[[link removed]]

$16.73

[[link removed]]

+4.14%

[[link removed]] MSGS [[link removed]]

Madison Square Garden Sports Corp

[[link removed]]

$152.33

[[link removed]]

-1.10%

[[link removed]] NKE [[link removed]]

Nike, Inc.

[[link removed]]

$86.95

[[link removed]]

-1.75%

[[link removed]] ELY [[link removed]]

Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp

[[link removed]]

$17.25

[[link removed]]

-1.79%

[[link removed]] (Note: All as of market close on 10/20/22) What to Watch

The New Orleans Saints (2-4) face the Arizona Cardinals (2-4) on “Thursday Night Football” at State Farm Stadium.

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

Betting Odds: Cardinals -2.5 || ML -142 || O/U 43.5

Pick: Expect the Cardinals to get back on track. Take Arizona to cover.

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Disclaimer

*Invesco is not affiliated with Jack Bech or LSU.

NOT FDIC INSURED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NO BANK GUARANTEE

There are risks involved with investing in ETFs, including possible loss of money. ETFs are subject to risks similar to those of stocks. Investments focus in a particular sector, such as technology, are subject to greater risks and are more greatly impacted by market volatility, than more diversified investments. The Nasdaq-100 Index includes the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq. An investment cannot be made directly into an index.

NCAA is a trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Invesco is not affiliated with the NCAA.

Before investing, consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. Visit invesco.com [[link removed]] for a prospectus with this information. Read it carefully before investing.

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