December 14, 2022

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In The Leadoff, the Women’s Super League could seek $123 million in funding, billionaire John Textor agrees to buy Olympique Lyonnais, Major League Pickleball reveals its new format, and Amazon is floated as a potential buyer for Manchester United. Listen here [[link removed]].

NHL Team Values Surge 19% With Rangers Leading Way [[link removed]]

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Forbes unveiled its list of the most valuable NHL teams in 2022 — and the New York Rangers lead the group at $2.2 billion.

It marks the eighth straight year the Blueshirts have owned the top spot.

The NHL’s 32 teams are now worth a record [[link removed]] $1.03 billion on average — a 19% increase year-over-year — behind increased media revenue and team-related transactions.

Owned by Madison Square Garden Sports, the Rangers’ valuation is up 10% compared to last year. The Toronto Maple Leafs, owned by Bell Canada, Larry Tanenbaum, and Rogers Communications, are the second-most valuable in the NHL with a $2 billion valuation. The Molson family’s Montreal Canadiens are the third-most valuable at $1.85 billion, a 16% increase year-over-year. The Chicago Blackhawks, owned by Rocky Wirtz, round out the top four with a $1.5 billion valuation.

The NHL has benefited from its media rights deals with Disney’s ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery Sports. In 2021, ESPN secured a rights deal with the NHL that pays [[link removed]] the league $400 million annually until 2028, while Warner Bros. Discovery pays $250 million per year.

New Ownership

The NHL recently added a new team owner to its latest expansion franchise.

On Monday, Samantha Holloway — founder of tech companies GoSpotCheck and Hat Labs — joined [[link removed]] her father David Bonderman as co-owner of the Seattle Kraken, becoming the third NHL franchise with a female owner.

Holloway was previously a minority investor in the Kraken and joins Ann Walton Kroenke of the Colorado Avalanche and Kim Pegula of the Buffalo Sabres as female NHL team owners.

Tampa Pitches Domed Waterfront Stadium to Rays [[link removed]]

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

St. Petersburg is angling to keep the Tampa Bay Rays, but Tampa remains interested in luring the team.

Renderings for a 25-acre development in Tampa’s Ybor Channel, centered around a stadium, were shown at a virtual meeting that included Tampa city officials, a Hillsborough County administrator, and the Tampa Sports Authority CEO, according [[link removed]] to the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

The renderings show a domed stadium on the waterfront surrounded by a park. The area is under contract to be purchased by developer Darryl Shaw, who plans to turn what is currently an industrial area into a mixed-use development. The renderings were created by architecture firm Populous, which has worked on numerous stadiums and arenas, including the Kansas City Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium, Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, and four venues for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Last week, the Rays and developer firm Hines submitted plans for a new stadium on the same lot as their current home, Tropicana Field, which would likely cost more than $1 billion.

Home Shopping

The Rays’ lease at St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field expires in 2027, and the team has already explored multiple concepts for their next home.

In June, St. Petersburg mayor Ken Welch said that two proposals for a new venue on the team’s current lot had been tossed out, and the bidding process reopened.

Major League Baseball quashed a proposal that would have the team split home games between the Tampa Bay area and Montreal.

Despite being one of MLB’s most consistent playoff contenders, the Rays are regularly near the bottom in attendance: Their average draw of 13,927 last year was third-lowest in the league.

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Netflix Ready to Serve Up New Sports Docuseries [[link removed]]

Andy Abeyta / USA TODAY NETWORK

The producers of Netflix’s acclaimed “Drive to Survive” series will be giving sports fans an inside look into the careers of some of the world’s best tennis players.

The new series — called “Break Point” — will premiere Jan. 13 on the streaming giant.

“We are in the entertainment business and we want to tell stories,” said [[link removed]] ATP president Andrea Gaudenzi. “Live matches cannot be the only product we offer.”

Produced by sports film production company Box to Box Films, “Break Point” will provide an all-access look into the lives of players within the ATP and WTA tours during the 2022 season.

ATP players Nick Kyrgios and Matteo Berrettini will be part [[link removed]] of the series. The WTA’s Ons Jabeur, Maria Sakkari, and Paula Badosa are also included.

The tennis-based series by Netflix comes after its co-CEO Ted Sarandos characterized [[link removed]] live sports as “dramatically expensive” and a “loss leader.” Netflix has been profitable every quarter in 2022, while other streaming services like Disney+ and Hulu have yet to turn a profit.

More On Deck

Netflix is creating [[link removed]] a documentary series on the Tour de France, which will cover the journey of eight cycling teams taking part in the 23-day race that covers more than 2,000 miles.

The PGA Tour has also teamed [[link removed]] up with Box to Box Films for a similar project.

Several top golfers have reportedly agreed to participate in the project, which will center on the 2021-22 season. Golfers Tony Finau and Rickie Fowler have expressed interest in the series.

Conversation Starters MLB shortstop Carlos Correa agreed [[link removed]] to a 13-year, $350 million contract with the San Francisco Giants that contains a full no-trade clause and no opt-out, per reports. Basketball Africa League — a partnership between FIBA and the NBA — announced [[link removed]] the dates and venues for its third season in 2023. For the second year in a row, ESPN has teamed [[link removed]] with Cinemark Holdings to screen the College Football Playoff semifinals and National Championship in select theaters.

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What to Watch

UFC Fight Night marks another star-studded event for the mixed martial arts promotion.

In the main event, Jared “Tha Killa Gorilla” Cannonier (15-6-0) faces Sean “Tarzan” Strickland in a middleweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Cannonier enters the fight following a loss by unanimous decision to Israel Adesanya at UFC 276 in July, while Strickland is coming off a knockout loss to Alex Pereira also at UFC 276.

How to Watch: Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+ / Stream UFC Fight Night on ESPN+ [[link removed]]*

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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.

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