November 7, 2022

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Today’s Leadoff has the latest on the upcoming World Cup, as FIFA urges fans to avoid politics in Qatar. Plus: FuboTV reports earnings, Gonzaga could join the Big 12, and Jeff Bezos and Jay-Z look into buying the Washington Commanders. Click here to listen [[link removed]].

Fenway Sports Group Puts Liverpool Up For Sale [[link removed]]

Liverpool FC

One of the Premier League’s most storied clubs is reportedly on the market.

Fenway Sports Group is putting Liverpool FC up for sale, having prepared a full sales presentation and inviting offers from interested parties, per The Athletic [[link removed]].

“FSG has frequently received expressions of interest from third parties seeking to become shareholders in Liverpool,” the ownership group said in a statement.

“FSG has said before that under the right terms and conditions we would consider new shareholders if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club. FSG remains fully committed to the success of Liverpool, both on and off the pitch.”

Prospective buyers will likely have a steep price to pay.

Liverpool is valued at $4.5 billion — the fourth-most valuable soccer club in the world, per Forbes [[link removed]].The club has retained Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to assist with the sale.The last EPL club to sell was Chelsea [[link removed]] — which was sold to a group led by Todd Boehly for $5.3 billion in May. FSG Future

FSG and principal owner John Henry could be selling all or part of their stake in the legendary soccer club to make way for other investments.

Last November, the group bought the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins for a reported [[link removed]] $900 million.

Then, in March, it was reported [[link removed]] that FSG was the leading contender to bring an NBA team to Las Vegas — a sentiment co-signed [[link removed]] in October by group investor LeBron James.

Commanders Sale Could Hit $7B, Durant Wants In [[link removed]]

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

A Washington Commanders sale could happen quickly — and an NBA superstar is showing interest.

Sources told [[link removed]] Front Office Sports team owner Dan Snyder could sell the entire franchise, a process could be completed by the spring.

Snyder hasn’t publicly committed to selling all or even a majority stake in the team, but hired Bank of America to explore a transaction. Amid concerns that the lawsuits and investigations Snyder is facing could jam up the sale process, sources indicated that the legal issues could actually prevent a protracted process. Snyder may be required to put a significant sum in an escrow account to cover penalties and damages that arise from investigations, including those from the Department of Justice, House Oversight Committee, attorneys general of Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., and the NFL. Durant Wants In

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, a lifelong Commanders fan, told [[link removed]] ESPN that he would like to be part of the next ownership group.

Durant is no stranger to team ownership: He owns stakes in the MLS’ Philadelphia Union, the NWSL’s NY/NJ Gotham FC, and a Major League Pickleball franchise.

The sale, which one NFL team executive told FOS could reach $7 billion, has already attracted at least five ownership groups.

Jeff Bezos, possibly in concert with Jay-Z, is expected to bid, as are entertainment mogul Byron Allen, New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Josh Harris, and United Wholesale Mortgage CEO Mat Ishbia.

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Reporting is a challenge. According to SponsorPulse [[link removed]], 69% of sponsorship professionals agree that demonstrating the value of sponsorships is their greatest challenge as a brand. 57% agree that delivering value to partners is the biggest hurdle for properties.

So how can both property and brand stakeholders understand the true impact of a Sponsorship?

Download [[link removed]] a preview of SponsorPulse’s latest report to learn how sponsorship impacted 10 MLB brand sponsors through the 2022 season.

‘Modern Warfare II’ Sales Bright Side to Activision Blizzard’s Q3 Hit [[link removed]]

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY

Activision Blizzard reported $1.78 billion in third-quarter revenue, a decline from the $2.07 billion reported during the same period last year.

The company posted [[link removed]] net bookings of $1.83 billion, down from $1.88 billion in Q3 FY 2021, and ended the quarter with 368 million monthly active users.

Despite the declines, Activision Blizzard is already having a strong Q4.

On Monday, the company announced [[link removed]] that “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II” crossed $1 billion in worldwide sell-through in the first 10 days from its Oct. 28 release — the fastest in franchise history.

The previous record of 15 days was held in 2012 by “Black Ops II.”In the first three days following its release, “Modern Warfare II” topped $800 million in sell-through — the top selling opening in franchise history.“Modern Warfare II” has already logged more than 200 million hours played across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms, more than 40% above the prior franchise record.

Call of Duty will release “Warzone 2.0” on Nov. 16, with “Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile” planned for full release in 2023.

Microsoft’s Moves

Activision Blizzard is in the process of being acquired by Microsoft for $69 billion, but the New York Post reported [[link removed]] over the weekend that the latter company could blow up the deal.

Antitrust authorities in the U.S., U.K., and European Union are reviewing the proposed agreement — and Microsoft reportedly didn’t expect so much scrutiny.

Conversation Starters The 2022 World Cup has been one of the most controversial sporting events in recent memory — and it hasn’t even begun. Front Office Sports writers A.J. Perez and Doug Greenberg join Owen Poindexter on The Newsroom to break down the scandals and look at what possible good can come from them. Listen and watch on Apple [[link removed]], Spotify [[link removed]], and YouTube [[link removed]]. Several of the nation’s top high school basketball players have found [[link removed]] new teams in the wake of Ye’s Donda Academy controversy. We want to learn more about you and your experience with this newsletter — how can we make it even better? Take our quick reader survey and let us know! [[link removed]] You’ll be entered to win a $500 VISA gift card or free merchandise from Front Office Sports and our partners.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS LIVE

Setting the World Stage

As the world’s attention turns to Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Front Office Sports goes off the pitch with leading figures behind the ultimate sports spectacle in Global Goals: The World Cup and Beyond virtual summit [[link removed]].

Join us on Wednesday, November 16 at 1 p.m. ET to hear from soccer analysts, former athletes, broadcasters and marketers on the experience of building one of the most impactful business and cultural events in sports and its reverberation on U.S. soccer [[link removed]]. In this virtual event you will:

Hear from renowned journalist Grant Wahl on the ground in Qatar to get an insider’s look at how the World Cup extravaganza comes together. Listen to veteran USMNT Forward and ESPN Analyst Herc Gomez discuss his own World Cup experience and his second act. Discuss the growth of the game and its return to North American soil in 2026 with acclaimed broadcaster, podcaster, author, and co-founder of Men in Blazers Media Network, Roger Bennett.

Register now [[link removed]]!

Market Movers

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

PLNT [[link removed]]

Planet Fitness Inc

[[link removed]]

$61.66

[[link removed]]

+0.06%

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

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.

[[link removed]]

$74.19

[[link removed]]

+0.20%

[[link removed]] RCI [[link removed]]

Rogers Communications Inc.

[[link removed]]

$42.65

[[link removed]]

+0.61%

[[link removed]] MGM [[link removed]]

MGM Resorts International

[[link removed]]

$34.21

[[link removed]]

+0.62%

[[link removed]] ARMK [[link removed]]

Aramark

[[link removed]]

$35.34

[[link removed]]

+1.41%

[[link removed]] (Note: All as of market close on 11/7/22) What to Watch

The Baltimore Ravens (5-3) face the New Orleans Saints (3-5) on “Monday Night Football” at the Caesars Superdome.

How to Watch: 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN

Betting Odds: Ravens -1.5 || ML -125 || O/U 46.5

Pick: Expect Lamar Jackson to overwhelm the Saints. Take Baltimore to cover.

Refer Friends to Score Your Favorite Team’s Jersey

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Front Office Sports is celebrating that Paramount+ is home to world-class soccer matches from around the globe by giving away five authentic official jerseys.

How can you score one? 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 24, 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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