December 6, 2022

Read in Browser [[link removed]]

POWERED BY

Michael Vick, who is credited with transforming the quarterback position and thrilled NFL fans with his electrifying play for more than a decade, will lead Fubo’s eight-part docuseries [[link removed]] on the rise of the Black QB. The project will also feature guests Patrick Mahomes and Cam Newton.

Qatar Now Wants to Host 2036 Olympics [[link removed]]

Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

The World Cup isn’t over, but Qatar already has its sights set on the only comparable global sports tournament.

The Middle Eastern nation is making a bid for the 2036 Summer Olympics on the premise that it believes this year’s World Cup shows the country’s ability to host an event of that scale.

In preparation for the World Cup, awarded by FIFA in 2010, Qatar built seven new stadiums and refurbished one more.The country spent at least $229 billion on the stadiums, a new subway system, and other infrastructure in preparation for the World Cup.Qatar hosted the Asian Games, an Olympics-like competition, in 2006 and will do so again in 2030.

Qatar’s hosting has raised numerous issues, chief among them the treatment of migrant workers, who provided the main construction force for the stadiums.

The Guardian reported [[link removed]] that at least 6,500 migrant workers died since the country was awarded the World Cup, and, per the ESPN documentary “Qatar’s World Cup,” the government has avoided compensating their families by attributing the deaths to natural causes.

Qatar recently raised [[link removed]] its estimate of migrant worker deaths from 40 to 400-500.

Qatar has also drawn attention for its struggle to accommodate over one million World Cup tourists, and its treatment of LGBTQ people and journalists.

Crowded Field

The country will have competition for the Summer Games, which will take place in Paris in 2024, Los Angeles in 2028, and Brisbane in 2032.

India, Indonesia, South Korea, and Germany have all shown interest in bidding for the Olympics.

Lyon Give U.S. Investor Deadline for $799M Deal [[link removed]]

OL

An American investor has been given a deadline to purchase a storied French soccer team.

Olympique Lyonnais has given former FuboTV CEO John Textor until Wednesday to reach a final agreement to buy a 66% stake in the Ligue 1 club in a deal [[link removed]] that could fetch up to $798.9 million.

An agreement with Lyon is required [[link removed]] to be unconditional and financed.The deal would be through Eagle Football Holdings — Textor’s investment vehicle.Textor is the co-owner of the Premier League’s Crystal Palace FC.He also is the majority owner of Brazilian club Botafogo and Belgium’s RWD Molenbeek.

A final deadline is the byproduct of an arduous sales process between Textor and Lyon.

Textor and Lyon were expected to complete a deal in September but hit a delay. The agreement was postponed [[link removed]] again in October as the two parties failed to come to terms despite “substantial progress.”

A sale by current Lyon owner Jean-Michel Aulas may hit another fork in the road as Crystal Palace investors have opposed [[link removed]] the deal, which requires their approval.

Hot Commodity

Lyon adds to several potential changes in club ownership throughout European soccer.

Fenway Sports Group may explore a partial sale [[link removed]] in Liverpool FC as it has yet to receive a “compelling offer.” Liverpool is the fourth-most-valuable soccer team at $4.45 billion, per [[link removed]] Forbes.

Manchester United may also be available as its owner the Glazer family — who also own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — are reportedly [[link removed]] looking for more than $7.2 billion for the club.

SPONSORED BY META

Reshaping the Future of Sports Collecting with NFTs

With the rise of digital ownership and Web3, NFTs have become the talk of the town.

But how will they impact the sports industry?

To answer this question, look no further than Metaverse Essentials: Building the Future, our latest free course [[link removed]], together with Meta, which breaks down the ever-evolving connection between sports and the metaverse.

The five-lesson course includes Pushing Culture Forward with Digital Collectibles, where Meta’s Emerging Sports Industries Lead, Omar Wilson, is joined by digital collectible execs from Dibbs, Dapper Labs, OneFootball, HEIR, and New Game Labs to discuss how the blockchain and NFTs will reshape both physical and digital collectibles [[link removed]] experiences for creators, brands, and fans across the globe.

Register [[link removed]] for the course today!

New Pac-12 Media Rights Deal Won’t Come in 2022 [[link removed]]

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Pac-12 Conference will not be getting a new media rights deal anytime soon.

Commissioner George Kliavkoff said [[link removed]] the Power 5 conference won’t secure a new rights pact before the end of 2022 as it is in “no rush” to complete a deal after starting negotiations in July.

The lack of urgency to land a new media rights deal comes as the Pac-12 handles a shakeup of its membership before its current deals with FOX and ESPN expire in 2024.

In June, USC and UCLA agreed to leave [[link removed]] the Pac-12 for the Big Ten — a loss of two key members of a conference that has struggled to sustain success in revenue-generating football.

A decision on UCLA’s fate will be decided [[link removed]] on Dec. 14

The Pac-12 has ranked last in annual revenue distribution among Power 5 conferences.Its deals with FOX and ESPN have an average annual value [[link removed]] of $250 million. Average viewership of Pac-12 games on FOX, ABC, and ESPN is up 18% year-over-year.

The Pac-12 is pursuing a new media rights deal with Amazon, sources tell [[link removed]] Front Office Sports. A deal would add to Amazon’s growing sports portfolio, which includes the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football.”

Prime Addition

Pac-12 member Colorado is expected to garner more attention for the conference with the hiring of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders as its head football coach.

Sanders has signed [[link removed]] a five-year, $29.5 million deal with the Buffaloes. The deal is $2 million more than Colorado has ever paid for a coach.

Magnus Carlsen, Chess.com File to Dismiss $100M Suit [[link removed]]

Grand Chess Tour

World chess champion Magnus Carlsen and top platform Chess.com have launched their defense against Hans Niemann.

Attorneys for both Carlsen and Chess.com filed [[link removed]] to dismiss Niemann’s $100 million lawsuit against the two of them and grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura.

Axinn, the law firm representing Carlsen, wrote that Niemann is “claiming a wholly implausible conspiracy to defame and boycott Niemann that somehow damaged his already dubious reputation to the tune of $100 million.”While Niemann filed his lawsuit in Missouri, attorneys for both Carlsen and Chess.com sought to have the case dismissed under Connecticut law, because Niemann resides there, and Missouri law defers to the plaintiff’s home state in such cases.

Carlsen withdrew from the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis following an upset loss to Niemann. The world champion later accused Niemann of cheating in that game and others.

Niemann has admitted to isolated incidents of cheating online, but maintains he has never cheated in an in-person game.

Win, Lose, or Draw

Niemann’s lawsuit claims that Carlsen and Chess.com colluded to end the 19-year-old’s playing career, noting that the company acquired Carlsen’s Play Magnus venture for $82.9 million in August.

Nick Soltman, partner at Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump Holley LLP, told Front Office Sports in November that the plaintiffs have little to fear.

“The only real significant risk in my mind is that you’re gonna have to spend time and money defending this,” said Soltman, adding he could only see Niemann realistically claiming “maybe six figures” in damages.

SPONSORED BY GLOBANT

The Battle for Fan Attention

The decentralization of content is leading sports organizations, brands, and broadcasters into a battle for fan attention with social media platforms, content creators and even athletes.

With fans consuming on-demand content more than ever, those willing to capture their attention must deliver highly engaging and personalized experiences [[link removed]]. And technology is reinventing the game, allowing brands to create data-driven, automated, interactive, and scalable experiences as an extension of their network.

To deliver beyond their expectations across many touchpoints and mediums, top sports organizations are partnering with Globant [[link removed]], a global digital transformation service company with deep expertise in the sports and hospitality industry.

Organizations like FIFA, LA Clippers, and La Liga are partnering with them to leverage the latest technology and reinvent their fan experiences at every level.

Learn more [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters From buzzer beaters on the hardwood to Hail Marys in the end zone, Atmosphere Sports is bringing sports back to the center with scores, highlights, and more. Learn more [[link removed]].* A legal filing on Monday claimed [[link removed]] that Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre knew that funds he was advocating be used for a volleyball court at Southern Miss would come from a federal welfare program. Steph Curry’s Silicon Valley mansion features a pool, cabana, movie theater, wine cellar, and much more. Take a peek inside [[link removed]]. Question Of The Day

Have you made a purchase from a sustainable / purpose-driven company in the last six months?

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

Monday’s Answer

32% of respondents hike 1-3 times a year and 36% hike 4+ times.

DISCLAIMER

*Sponsored Content

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Live [[link removed]] Podcasts [[link removed]] Pro [[link removed]] Written by Owen Poindexter [[link removed]], Justin Byers [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Justin Byers [[link removed]]

If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here [[link removed]].

Update your preferences [link removed] / Unsubscribe [link removed]

Copyright © 2022 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

80 Pine Street Suite 3202 New York, NY 10005