October 26, 2022

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The Phillies’ pennant-winning season is already paying dividends: They sold the most merchandise for an LCS winner in the first 24 hours [[link removed]] after punching their World Series ticket faster than any team in history — even more than the 2016 Chicago Cubs, the previous record holders.

Serena Williams Continues To Drop Comeback Hints [[link removed]]

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Serena Williams may be following in the footsteps of Tom Brady as the latest athlete to return to their respective sport after mulling retirement.

“I’ve just been saying that I think Tom Brady started a really cool trend,” Williams told [[link removed]] “Good Morning America” in September when asked about a possible return to the tennis court.

Ahead of the U.S. Open, the 23-time Grand Slam winner told Vogue that she was “evolving away from tennis,” but last week declared [[link removed]] she was “not retired” at a TechCrunch conference.

Williams — who Forbes ranked [[link removed]] as the third-highest-paid tennis player this year with $35.1 million in earnings — said that her chances of returning to the sport are “very high.”

As of June 2022, Williams’ estimated net worth was $260 million.She has pocketed $94 million in prize money since going pro in 1995.Williams has also invested [[link removed]] in over 60 startups through her VC fund Serena Ventures.

What was believed to be Williams’ last dance at the U.S. Open in September saw record-breaking viewership as millions tuned in to see one of the greatest athletes in history compete for perhaps the final time.

Williams’ third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic averaged [[link removed]] 4.6 million viewers — the most-watched tennis telecast in ESPN’s history. The results were an 18% uptick from ESPN’s previous record of 3.9 million in 2012 for the men’s final.

Business Empire

Williams has invested in fitness-related companies, including Tonal. She is also a part-owner of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and the NWSL’s Angel City FC.

NWSL’s Next Media Deal Has Negotiation ‘Ammo’ [[link removed]]

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The NWSL is on the right path to command an increase in its next media rights deal, according to one team owner.

Angel City FC lead investor Alexis Ohanian told [[link removed]] Reuters that the league has “ammo” for negotiations when its reported [[link removed]] $4.5 million, three-year TV rights deal expires at the end of 2023.

“When we were given CBS as the stage, we either competed with — matched or even outperformed — the MLS,” the co-founder of Reddit said. “Facts over feelings. When we’re put on that stage, the fans show up.”

MLS, which averaged 343,000 viewers for its regular season, signed a 10-year, $2.5 billion media rights deal with Apple TV this year. In comparison, CBS drew audiences ranging from 349,000 to 461,000 for NWSL regular-season games and the Challenge Cup. Most NWSL games were streamed on Paramount+ and Amazon-owned Twitch in 2022, which has a roughly $1 million deal [[link removed]] with the league. Streaming figures are not public.

“We’re a fraction of the size in terms of teams and age,” Ohanian said, referencing MLS, “but we’re already putting up some great numbers.”

Women’s Worldwide Negotiations

The NWSL isn’t the only organization seeking fair value for media rights in women’s soccer.

FIFA’s chief business officer Romy Gai said [[link removed]] FIFA recently rejected several broadcast bids for the 2023 Women’s World Cup for being too low, adding that the offers didn’t reflect the popularity of women’s soccer.

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If you are an entrepreneur looking to accelerate your startup by aligning with the power of professional athletes, submit your pitch today [[link removed]]!

Since its inception, more than 40 early-stage companies used Pitch Day [[link removed]] to jumpstart innovative and disruptive products and expand their reach in the marketplace.

Business categories include consumer products, gaming and digital entertainment, performance, health and wellness, and sports tech. New this year, judges are looking for businesses with an emphasis on sustainable business practices.

Porsche Reportedly Close to Buying Half of Formula 1 Team [[link removed]]

Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

Porsche appears to have a dance partner to enter Formula 1.

The iconic luxury carmaker is reportedly finalizing [[link removed]] a deal to buy 50% of the Williams Racing team.

Porsche would act as the engine supplier for the team.The partnership would kick in for the 2026 season, when F1 switches to using fully sustainable fuels and nearly triple the electric power in its vehicles.Porsche previously appeared to be near a similar deal with Red Bull, but the F1 team reportedly [[link removed]] soured on the idea of selling half of its technology company.

If the deal is completed, Porsche will be one of two Volkswagen brands entering the grid in 2026: Audi has reportedly agreed [[link removed]] to a deal with Sauber, which races under the Alfa Romeo name.

Williams already made headlines recently with the announcement prior to Sunday’s U.S. Grand Prix that American Logan Sargeant will join its F1 team in 2023 if he receives the requisite number of points in his remaining F2 races.

Porsche Pops on Public Market

Porsche held [[link removed]] an initial public offering on Sept. 29 at a $73 billion valuation, one of the highest in Europe’s history.

The company is off to a strong start on the Frankfurt stock exchange, rising nearly 19% since hitting the market.

Durant-Backed Baltimore Arena Prepares to Reopen With New Name [[link removed]]

CFG Bank Arena

Kevin Durant, Ray Lewis, and Pharrell Williams are part of a group teaming up to revitalize a Baltimore arena that has hosted everyone from NBA teams to the Beatles.

CFG Bank Arena — originally the Baltimore Civic Center and most recently Royal Farms Arena — received [[link removed]] its new name Tuesday at a ceremony featuring Williams and Lewis as it prepares to reopen next year.

The 61-year-old arena is one of the country’s oldest.

The arena closed in May to undergo around $200 million in renovations. The revamped arena will hold 15,000 people and have upgraded concession stands, self-service food purchasing, and a new facade.The cash came from Durant’s Thirty-Five Ventures and developer Oak View Group.The arena hosted NBA teams the Baltimore Bullets and Washington Bullets, as well as teams from the American Hockey League, World Hockey Association, and others. Its most recent client was the Arena Football League’s Baltimore Brigade.The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association will play its basketball tournaments there in February. Oak View’s Perspective

As part of the investment deal, Oak View will lease the arena from the city of Baltimore for 30 years at an annual rate of $1.75 million. The rate will rise with inflation, but the city will refund any taxes paid above that amount.

The company developed the Seattle Kraken’s $1.15 billion Climate Pledge Arena and built the New York Islanders’ $1.1 billion UBS Arena. Both hockey teams have invested in Oak View.

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Conversation Starters Major League Baseball’s five [[link removed]] highest-spending teams all made the postseason, and one is headed to the World Series. Kari Lake, Republican nominee for Arizona Governor, is daring [[link removed]] the league to pull Super Bowl LVII from her state over her controversial political positions Vin Scully’s Los Angeles mansion is on the market for $15 million. Take a look inside [[link removed]]. Question Of The Day

Do you plan on watching any women's college basketball games this season?

Yes [[link removed]] No [[link removed]]

Tuesday’s Answer

18% of respondents watch 1-3 MMA fights per year; 11% watch 4+.

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