The Tennessee Titans could be on the receiving end of the most public money ever allocated for an NFL project with their proposed domed stadium. 

Earlier this month, Nashville mayor John Cooper agreed to a deal with the NFL to build a new stadium that can host major sporting events including the Final Four and Super Bowl — to the tune of up to $2.2 billion. 

• The pending project is expected to receive a $500 million bond from the state.
• The bond includes interest — and state taxpayers will be responsible for it.
• A 1% tax on hotel rooms in Davidson County will help fund the project, as well as a sales tax at the new stadium and on its 130-acre campus.

The Titans could surpass the Las Vegas Raiders’ $750 million in public funds to open Allegiant Stadium in 2020 for $1.97 billion. 

It would also put the project ahead of the Indianapolis Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium, which used $620 million in public funds to open the $720 million facility in 2008. 

Trust the Process 

The proposed domed project is still awaiting approval by the Nashville Metro Council, which commissioned a “condition assessment” in June at Nissan Stadium — the Titans’ current home — after the team claimed that upgrading the facility would cost roughly $1.8 billion.

The expensive upgrades were a stark increase from the $293.2 million consulting company Venue Solutions Group said was needed to keep Nissan Stadium viable through 2037.

The international governing body of soccer knows women’s sports are more popular than ever — and expects broadcasters to pay accordingly. 

FIFA has rejected several bids for media rights to the 2023 Women’s World Cup for being too low, according to its chief business officer Romy Gai. 

“This is not a case of being priced out,” Gai told Bloomberg, “but rather testament to a lack of willingness of broadcasters to pay what the women’s game deserves.” 

FIFA has yet to name the broadcasters that submitted bids but rejected offers from Italy, Germany, France, and the U.K. It is also expected to deny a bid in Spain.

• The 2019 Women’s World Cup drew 1.12 billion total viewers, per FIFA.
• 993.5 million viewers watched on TV, while 481.5 million used digital platforms.

The 2023 Women’s World Cup — which runs July 20 through Aug. 20 — stands to be a promising broadcast opportunity in the wake of increasing global interest in women’s soccer. 

In July, the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 had a projected global cumulative live viewership of 365 million — making it the most-watched edition ever. The tournament was also the best attended in history, with an average of 18,544 fans and a record aggregate attendance of 574,875 fans.

Media

| by Abigail Gentrup

Women’s Euro 2022 Is Most-Watched Ever

The Women’s Euro 2022 brought in a record viewership of 365 million.

August 31, 2022

Worthy Investment 

All major segments of women’s soccer are expected to grow, setting the stage for what could be a record-setting Women’s World Cup.

Sponsorships are projected to increase sixfold for up to $300 million each year, while media rights could be worth more than $260 million each by 2033.

Hans Moke Niemann is taking his attacking style from the chess board to the courts.

The 19-year-old grandmaster is suing world chess champion Magnus Carlsen, his company Play Magnus, Chess.com, its chief chess officer Daniel Rensch, and grandmaster and popular chess streamer Hikaru Nakamura, for defamation and “colluding to blacklist” Niemann from chess.

The lawsuit, filed in a Missouri district court, seeks at least $400 million in damages across five causes of action.

• Carlsen shook the chess world in September by withdrawing from the Sinquefield Cup, which carries a $350,000 prize pool, after losing to Niemann. 
• He later accused Niemann directly of cheating in a written statement.
• Nakamura stated that he was suspicious of Niemann following the match, namely due to Niemann’s postgame analysis, which he and other grandmasters found lacking.

Chess.com, which Niemann’s lawyers, Terrence Oved and Darren Oved, called a “multibillion-dollar behemoth,” agreed to buy Play Magnus for $83 million in August. 

Athletes

| by Owen Poindexter

Report Alleges Chess Grandmaster Cheated in Over 100 Games

Chess.com found that grandmaster Hans Niemann cheated extensively.

October 5, 2022

Did He or Didn’t He?

Niemann admitted cheating online in isolated incidents at the ages of 12 and 16 and once for prize money at 12, but otherwise claimed he has “never cheated” during in-person games or prize money events, calling it “the worst thing I could ever do.”

Chess.com later put out a report stating that Niemann “has likely cheated in more than 100 online chess games, including several prize money events.”

The report drew no firm conclusions on any of Niemann’s over-the-board games, including the fateful one against Carlsen.

When the pandemic struck, athletic department officials nationwide geared up for major revenue decreases.

New data released by the NCAA this week revealed the extent of those pandemic budget declines during the 2020-21 season.

• FBS programs generated a median revenue of $35 million — down 43% compared with 2019-20. 
• But with less travel and competition, median expenses declined, too — down 17% to about $65 million.
• Power 5 schools felt the impact of COVID the most, experiencing a median drop of more than $20 million between 2019 and 2021. None of the other factions came close.

That didn’t stop Power 5 schools from spending big during the COVID year, however, allocating 42% of revenue to coaching and administrative salaries, despite widespread layoffs, hiring freezes, and salary cuts. 

Both Power 5 and Group of 5 schools spent more on coaches salaries than any other line item.

Future Revenue

That trend is expected to continue as programs increasingly move above and beyond recovery.

Media contracts and bowl game revenue comprised the largest portion of Power 5 revenue even in a pandemic year — 45% of total income. But between the projected growth of CFP media rights revenue and multiple new broadcast contracts for the SEC and Big Ten, that number will likely continue to rise.