Qatar continues to face criticism over its human rights abuses in the leadup to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but the sport’s governing body is likely unbothered.

The tournament, which begins on Nov. 20, is expected to deliver record revenue for FIFA, topping the roughly $5.4 billion Russia brought in at the 2018 World Cup.

FIFA has already sold around 240,000 hospitality packages, nearly 3 million tickets, and broadcasting rights — Fox and Telemundo purchased rights to the 2018 and 2022 tournaments in 2011 for a reported $1 billion combined.

The body is expected to beat multiple financial targets for its 2019-2022 cycle, according to Bloomberg, primarily due to the World Cup.

• FIFA will likely surpass its revenue target of $6.4 billion.
• In that time, marketing sales are projected to outpace their budgeted $1.8 billion.

Meanwhile, Qatar anticipates $17 billion in economic impact. 

Persistent Protests

On Thursday, the Danish Football Association said FIFA rejected Denmark’s request to wear shirts that say “Human Rights for All” while they train at the World Cup. The announcement comes shortly after FIFA warned World Cup teams to focus on soccer.

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter said earlier this week it was a mistake to award Qatar the tournament, and was quoted in a Swiss paper on Friday saying FIFA should bar Iran from the tournament after a woman died in custody of the morality police.

Formula 1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix is still more than a year away, but the race is already set to transform Sin City.

MGM Resorts announced plans to build a grandstand on the Bellagio’s lake to create a viewing area for the street race on Nov. 18, 2023.

• “In addition to the Bellagio Grandstands, which will set new standards for event viewing, we will create a round-the-clock celebration worthy of this international spectacular,” said MGM chief commercial officer Steve Zanella.
• Access to those seats will be limited to MGM’s packages that include tickets and rooms.

Demand has already been strong and F1 will release additional rounds of tickets. Prices will start at $500 for a three-day general admission ticket, rising to $2,500 for grandstands and up to $10,000 for shared hospitality areas.

Changes Coming

F1 introduced a cost cap of $145 million last season, which dropped to $140 million this year and will be $135 million the following three years.

“This year, after four races every team had points,” Haas principal Guenther Steiner told Front Office Sports. “If that has ever happened, I cannot remember it.”

The sport will change even more in 2026, when new engine regulations will require sustainable fuel and more power from electrical sources.

“In ‘26, we will be four years into the cost cap,” Williams Racing principal Jost Capito told FOS. “With the technical regulations and engine regulations we will have even more exciting racing, as the teams will be even more balanced than they are now.”

Tennis Australia has agreed to its biggest media rights deal ever.

The governing body announced a broadcast extension with domestic commercial network Nine from 2025-2029 worth more than $283 million.

The price tag doesn’t take into account advertising rights, retained rights, and promotion, which make the agreement even more valuable — the advertising dollar value is worth around $6.7 million per year, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Nine’s extension highlights the success of its current $230 million, five-year deal with Tennis Australia.

• The 2022 Australian Open, which generated $405.3 million in economic benefit over the last two years and $2.71 billion in the past 10, attracted a record 3.84 million viewers across the country for its women’s singles final. 
• The men’s final drew 2.33 million viewers — its highest viewership in 4 years.
• The all-Aussie men’s doubles final had the highest-ever rating of men’s doubles matches with 2.48 million tuned in.

Earlier this year, Tennis Australia extended its U.S. broadcasting deal with ESPN through 2031.

Tennis Telecasts

In addition to the Australian Open and lead-in events like the United Cup global teams competition — which was announced in October and begins in 2023 — Nine also has rights to Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, and the French Open.

“Tennis attracts both a broad and very passionate following and is a perfect fit with Nine’s schedule, audiences, and advertisers,” said Craig Tiley, CEO of Tennis Australia.

The fate of the Arizona Coyotes rests in the hands of the public.

The Tempe city council voted unanimously to put a proposed new arena and surrounding development before a voter referendum in May 2023.

• For the vote to proceed, the city council first must approve several agreements related to the project’s zoning, development, and general plan.
• Bluebird Development, owned by Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo, has proposed a $2.1 billion development including a 16,000-seat arena, a practice facility, hotels, retail, apartments, and a theater.

Following a dispute with the city of Glendale over Gila River Arena, the team moved to Arizona State University’s Mullett Arena — whose 5,100-capacity facility is less than a third of the size of every other NHL arena.

Fierce Election Coming

While Arizona just went through two closely contested elections for governor and U.S. senator, it will have another political battle on its hands if the May referendum proceeds as planned.

The Coyotes’ project is opposed by the city of Phoenix, which claims that plans for 1,000 residential units violate its land use agreement with Tempe.

Officials at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport have also raised concerns about the development being in its flight path. The project will likely need approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.