November 2, 2022

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Phil Hellmuth has been on top of the poker world for decades. He’s won a record 16 World Series of Poker bracelets, earned tens of millions in winnings, and made friends with the most powerful people across business and sports.

On the latest episode of My Other Passion, we spoke to The Poker Brat about why he considers himself the GOAT, hanging out with Michael Jordan and Elon Musk, and his biggest investment exits. Listen or watch now on Apple [[link removed]], Spotify [[link removed]], and YouTube [[link removed]].

Snyder ‘Exploring All Options’ With Potential Commanders Sale [[link removed]]

Commanders

The Washington Commanders stated [[link removed]] two weeks ago that “there is no reason for the Snyders to consider selling the franchise.”

Apparently, Commanders owner Dan Snyder and his wife, co-CEO Tanya Snyder, found one as they announced Wednesday that Bank of America has been retained “to consider potential transactions.”

“We are exploring all options,” a Commanders spokesperson told Front Office Sports.

The news of a potential sale comes after Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay told reporters [[link removed]] at the NFL owners meetings on Oct. 18 that “there is merit to removing” Snyder amid five ongoing investigations into the team.

Sources told FOS that a full sale of the franchise is more than just a possibility.

The Commanders are valued [[link removed]] at $5.6 billion, but it’s expected that the team would fetch at least $6 billion.

That sum would surpass the sale [[link removed]] of Chelsea FC ($5.3 billion) for the most ever paid for a sports franchise. The NFL and stateside record is currently Rob Walton’s purchase of the Denver Broncos for $4.65 billion earlier this year. Snyder led an ownership group that purchased [[link removed]] the Commanders for about $800 million in 1999. Last year, NFL owners approved a debt waiver [[link removed]] that allowed Snyder to pay close to $1 billion to buy out the 40% of the franchise he didn’t already own. Who’s Got Next?

If all or a majority stake in the team changes hands, multiple sources told FOS that there’s one leading candidate [[link removed]] to buy it: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Qatar Could Pivot on LGBT Policies During World Cup [[link removed]]

Qatar 2022

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is less than three weeks away, but public pressure is forcing Qatar to consider a major adjustment in its policies for the treatment of LGBT fans at the event.

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, a tournament organizational body, presented procedures that would see security officials exercise “less intervention and more mediation” and practice “leniency” unless physical integrity or property is threatened, according [[link removed]] to Bloomberg.

One policy states that people displaying rainbow flags should not be approached, detained, or prosecuted.

Security forces would also be instructed to not disrupt fans marching and chanting, and leave peaceful protesters who are not a “security issue” alone.

In October, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell claimed he was arrested after staging an LGBT protest in the country. Human Rights Watch recently reported that security forces arbitrarily arrested and abused LGBT Qataris.

The presented policy changes, which were not developed or approved by the main Qatar organizing committee, follow announcements from LGBT soccer fan groups that they would boycott [[link removed]] the tournament due to FIFA’s stance regarding the country’s treatment of the LGBT community.

The World Cup kicks off on Nov. 20 and ends on Dec. 18.

Additional Accommodations

As the event nears, an additional 70,000 rooms — starting at $120 per night — have been made available [[link removed]] via the Qatar Accommodation Agency portal.

Accommodations for the event have been limited, with Qatar offering approximately 1,000 tents on the outskirts of Doha and three cruise ships as lodging options.

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A Network Dedicated to Just Women’s Sports Launches [[link removed]]

Women's Sports Network

Women’s sports are increasingly easier to find on TV as more broadcasters invest in its growth — and now there’s a 24/7 dedicated network.

FAST Studios launched the Women’s Sports Network on Wednesday offering [[link removed]] more than 1,000 hours of content, including documentaries. The LPGA, the WNBA, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Premier Hockey Federation, and Athletes Unlimited are among the 12 professional women’s sports leagues and federations that are content partners.

The venture studio also has plans for live games, tournaments, and events — reportedly [[link removed]] as soon as January.

The network, which is free and supported by advertisers, will be available on streaming channels including Amazon Freevee, Fox Corp.’s Tubi, FuboTV, and LG channels on LG smart TVs.

“The numbers don’t lie — we know that fans want to see more women’s sports,” said WNBA champion A’ja Wilson.

The 2022 WNBA season was the most watched in 14 years.The 2022 NWSL Championship was the most viewed in league history [[link removed].] and the first in primetime thanks to support [[link removed]] from Ally Financial. The game was originally scheduled for noon.

In 2019, only 5% of sports coverage from major broadcast networks was allocated [[link removed]] to women’s sports.

Primetime Shine

The network creates flexibility, too.

“We have prime time wide open,” said Carol Stiff, Women’s Sports Network board of advisors chair. “We’re 24/7, and we can put games and stories and documentaries where the league partners want their games to be played, versus being forced into areas or windows that they don’t even want to be in.”

Conversation Starters In our latest webinar, Front Office Sports sat down with representatives from the NBA and the Buffalo Bills to discuss how artificial intelligence technology can help sports organizations boost fan engagement in video content. Watch [[link removed]] on demand now!* In The Leadoff, the Premier League replaces its $459 million NFT deal with blockchain company Sorare, Electronic Arts misses the mark in fiscal Q2, the Ottawa Senators are reportedly looking for a buyer, and multiple groups are interested in an NWSL expansion franchise. Click here to listen [[link removed]]. The Big 12’s new six-year, $2.28 billion media package deal will pay out an average [[link removed]] $31.6 million per school — about the same as the ACC’s current revenue. On Wednesday, Overtime Elite secured [[link removed]] its first media rights deal in a three-year pact with Amazon Prime Video.

SPONSORED BY QUINTEVENTS

Fan Experiences are Getting an Upgrade

In the current age of abundance, fans’ attention has never been more in demand and harder to obtain. As consumers continue to prioritize making memories over buying material goods, sports organizations across the globe like the NBA, F1, and Kentucky Derby are rushing to bring one-of-a-kind premium fan experiences [[link removed]] to market.

But none of this would be possible without QuintEvents [[link removed]].

Since 2002, Quint has grown from a small ‘experiential programming’ company housed in its founder’s basement to a global events leader with 200 employees, bringing over 80+ behind-the-ticket activations to life each year.

The rise of QuintEvents has been nothing short of incredible.

Read the full story [[link removed]] here.

Market Movers

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

DAKT [[link removed]]

Daktronics Inc.

[[link removed]]

$3.47

[[link removed]]

+1.76%

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

Planet Fitness Inc

[[link removed]]

$64.10

[[link removed]]

-1.06%

[[link removed]] NLS [[link removed]]

Nautilus Inc

[[link removed]]

$1.61

[[link removed]]

-1.23%

[[link removed]] WWE [[link removed]]

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.

[[link removed]]

$77.53

[[link removed]]

-1.29%

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

Under Armour Inc

[[link removed]]

$6.29

[[link removed]]

-5.56%

[[link removed]] (Note: All as of market close on 11/2/22) What to Watch

The Memphis Grizzlies (4-3) face the Portland Trail Blazers (5-1) on Wednesday night at the Moda Center.

Memphis enters the game following back-to-back losses and will look to end its four-game road trip with a win, while Portland enters the contest as one of the hottest teams in the NBA.

How to Watch: 10 p.m. ET on ESPN & ESPN+ / Stream Grizzlies vs. Trail Blazers on ESPN+ [[link removed]]*

Game availability differs by market, check your local listing.

Refer Friends, Score a Jersey

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Front Office Sports has teamed up with Paramount+, home of the UEFA Champions League, to celebrate the streaming of world-class soccer from around the globe.

Celebrate with us for a chance to win!

Five lucky winners will receive an authentic official soccer jersey – all you have to do is refer your friends and colleagues to Front Office Sports. Copy and paste your unique link below and share it in an email or on your timeline.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between October 18, 2022 @ 12:01 a.m. ET – December 18, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Open to US residents age 18+ only. 1 entry per person. Void where prohibited. See Official Rules [[link removed]] for details.

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