December 16, 2022
Read in Browser [[link removed]]
POWERED BY
Today’s Leadoff explores all the options: The NFL considers a second 2023 game in Germany, Ford mulls over an F1 deal with Red Bull, the WNBA will not announce an expansion site this year, and the National Cycling League raises $7.5 million. Listen here [[link removed]].
World FIFA Expects $11B Over Next Four-Year Cycle [[link removed]]
Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports
The World Cup’s expansion to 48 teams in 2026 is setting up FIFA for a major payday.
Soccer’s global organizing body expects [[link removed]] to earn $11 billion for the 2023-26 commercial cycle — with an almost 50% raise in income — thanks primarily to sponsorships and media deals for the men’s World Cup.
FIFA reported $7.5 billion in revenue last month for the 2019-22 cycle — $1 billion more than it budgeted.
The 2022 tournament features 64 matches, but it’s unclear how many games will be played in the 2026 edition.
FIFA’s council agreed to an 80-game format in 2017. This year, FIFA officials have suggested a 104-game tournament to avoid [[link removed]] two teams colluding to fix the result in a final group-stage game.
The number of games played will ultimately affect sales to broadcasters, but FIFA has already locked in some of its deals.
Fox had rights to the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, then extended its deal with FIFA for the 2026 tournament. FIFA also has a media deal with Qatar’s beIN Sports in the MENA region.
Sharing the Wealth
FIFA won’t be the only one bringing in billions from the 2026 World Cup.
A 2018 study by The Boston Consulting Group claimed [[link removed]] that the 2026 World Cup would bring an economic impact of $5 billion to North America. After investments for playing facilities and tourism, the figure would end up between $3 billion and $4 billion.
Leagues USFL, FOX Agree to New CBA for Second Season [[link removed]]
Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
There may be more changes ahead of the USFL’s second season, which kicks off in April.
Rebooted as a spring professional football league in April 2022 after a three-season run from 1983-85, the USFL has reached a deal [[link removed]'s%20largest%20unions.] on a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with the league’s player reps and parent company FOX Sports.
The agreement increases the minimum salaries for players to $5,350 per week. Previously, the USFL paid players a minimum of $4,500 per week. The rival XFL has a minimum player salary of $5,000 per week. The USFL’s new CBA includes performance bonuses and 401K contributions.
In June, USFL players voted to unionize [[link removed]], electing the United Steelworkers as their exclusive bargaining representative to advocate for adequate pay, accommodations, and healthcare benefits.
Last season, players were required to pay for their own housing accommodations and hotel expenses following the conclusion of team training camps. The USFL’s new proposed CBA would provide players with $400 per week to help offset those housing costs.
Seeking Expansion
It’s currently an eight-team league that played all of last season’s games in Birmingham, Alabama, but the USFL has hired [[link removed]] investment bank Allen & Co. to assist in expansion.
The league aims to raise between $150 million and $200 million and wants to play in two-to-four markets outside of Birmingham, each hosting multiple teams.
SPONSORED BY GLOBANT
Reinventing Fan Engagement
As technology evolves, so do the ways fans interact with their favorite players and teams. Especially the younger generations who value experiences over material goods.
Few companies understand this shift better than Globant [[link removed]].
Globant has spent the last decade designing a sports solution ecosystem with a single goal in mind: Extending the fan journey before, during, and after the games through immersive digital and physical experiences.
Now, they’re partnering [[link removed]] with the world’s top leagues and organizations like FIFA, La Liga, and the LA Clippers to delight fans and bring these visions to life.
Read the full story here [[link removed]].
Leagues Major League Pickleball’s Teams Now Have Players and Locations [[link removed]]
MLP
Major League Pickleball has now chosen cities for its first 12 teams as it gears up for its inaugural season.
The league announced the locations along with the results of Thursday’s 48-player draft, held at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Convention Center.
Each team will comprise two men and two women.
The West is well represented with three teams in California and two in Texas, plus clubs in Seattle and Cabo. The Northeast has star-powered owners, with the New York Hustle owned by LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Draymond Green, and Kevin Love, among others, and Gary Vaynerchuk’s New Jersey 5’s across the Hudson River. Milwaukee and Florida round out the first 12 teams.
The 5’s selected 15-year-old Anna Leigh Waters with the first overall pick.
The league will hold its second-tier Challenger Level draft on Monday, which will form 12 additional teams.
Location Affiliation
While team locations will help establish local identities, they will not determine where teams play or practice during the 2023 season. Instead, the season will be played across six events in five locations in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, and California, with a total prize pool of $5 million.
Team locations could come into play if the league eventually assumes a more traditional format in which each team hosts games.
Conversation Starters Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and his parents, Jimmy and Robin, are founding [[link removed]] partners in the Pro Volleyball Federation — a pro women’s volleyball league set to begin play in February 2024. With superstars Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé going head-to-head, this weekend’s men’s World Cup Final could be the most-watched [[link removed]] ever in the U.S. On Friday, Phoenix Suns point guard and 12-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul graduated [[link removed]] from Winston-Salem State University with a degree in interdisciplinary studies.
SPONSORED BY NETSUITE
Packing Stadiums With Efficiency
As a leader in the sport and entertainment world, Comcast Spectato [[link removed]] r [[link removed]] manages the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, where they host everything from Flyers and 76ers games to concerts, roller-skating nights, and beyond.
Of course, managing that many different events can get overwhelming – and when their in-house system wasn’t cutting in, Comcast Spectator went looking to sign with someone else.
Switching to NetSuite, Comcast Spectator subbed out inefficient systems and slow processes for a seamless new cloud-based system [[link removed]].
Now, Wells Fargo Center employees can work from anywhere. That means quicker month-end closing, more day-to-day time savings, and more time freed up to expand their business into exciting new areas (like esports!).
Learn how [[link removed]] to transform your business with NetSuite by automating business processes, improving operational awareness, and giving your organization greater control over resources.
What to Watch
The Golden State Warriors (14-15) face the Philadelphia 76ers (15-12) on Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
How to Watch: 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Betting Odds: 76ers -9 || ML -410 || O/U 220.5
Refer Friends, Score a Jersey
SPONSORED BY
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.
Referral Count: 0
Copy your invite link: [link removed] [[link removed]]
Or share on social media: Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcasts [[link removed]] Pro [[link removed]] Written by Abigail Gentrup [[link removed]], Justin Byers [[link removed]], Owen Poindexter [[link removed]] Edited by Brian Krikorian [[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
