January 24, 2023

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Nike’s legendary partnership with Michael Jordan is set to be a feature film. Amazon Studios announced [[link removed]] that “AIR,” directed by Ben Affleck, who is also starring alongside Matt Damon, Viola Davis, and Jason Bateman, will hit theaters on April 5.

Teams Arte Moreno Takes Angels Off Market, ‘Have Unfinished Business’ [[link removed]]

Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno decided to keep ownership of the Major League Baseball franchise five months to the day after announcing the exploration of sale.

“During this process, it became clear that we have unfinished business and feel we can make a positive impact on the future of the team and the fan experience,” Moreno’s statement [[link removed]] reads.

“This offseason we committed to a franchise record player payroll and still want to accomplish our goal of bringing a World Series Championship back to our fans. We are excited about this next chapter of Angels Baseball.”

Moreno purchased [[link removed]] the team for $183.5 million in 2003, a year after the club won its only World Series title. The team was most recently valued at $2.2 billion, according to Forbes.

Moreno’s $320 million deal to purchase Angel Stadium and the surrounding parking lot from the city of Anaheim fell apart amid a federal investigation.

Expectations for the Angels were high heading into 2022 with some key pieces.

Three-time MVP Mike Trout 2021 AL MVP Shohei Ohtani Top-10 MLB payroll of $179 million

The Angels finished the season at 73-89, 33 games behind division winner Houston Astros.

One Team Left

Now with the Angels’ reversal, the Washington Nationals are the lone MLB team currently for sale.

In April 2022, Nationals managing principal owner Mark Lerner announced [[link removed]] that the team would explore a sale. The team is expected to fetch [[link removed]] between $2 billion and $3 billion.

Media Ronaldo Boosts Saudi Pro League Exposure Across Europe [[link removed]]

Al Nassr SC

International interest in the Saudi Pro League is spiking following the signing of soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

The league inked [[link removed]] a deal with Portuguese broadcaster Sport TV, allowing fans in Ronaldo’s home country to watch the star, who signed with Saudi club Al-Nassr on a two-and-a-half-year deal worth a reported $200 million annually in December.

The deal follows several others across Europe, negotiated by agency IMG.

The Saudi Pro League also signed a rights deal in Italy, where Ronaldo played from 2018-21, with Sportitalia. The network also features behind-the-scenes content on the player. The league also has broadcast deals in France (RMC Sport), Greece (Cosmote), and Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (Sportdigital Fussball). In Till the End?

Al-Nassr would like to retain Ronaldo for the remainder of his playing career and would be open to extending his contract, according [[link removed]] to ESPN. He will be 40 when his current deal expires in June 2025.

In addition to playing for the club, the star is helping Al-Nassr develop better training and practice methods.

Ronaldo’s presence could also aid Saudi Arabia in its bid for the 2030 World Cup. The nation has a “clear path” to hosting, according [[link removed]] to New York Times reporter Tariq Panja, which could include underwriting a new African Super League.

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Teams Glazers Could Maintain Control of Manchester United [[link removed]]

MUFC

Manchester United may not see a complete overhaul of ownership after all.

In November 2022, the Glazer family — owners of the Premier League club — announced plans to explore a sale following public outcry by fans over mismanagement and lack of investment.

Manchester United has since drawn significant investment interest, including a potential bid by Crystal Palace part-owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer in a deal that would reportedly [[link removed]] allow the Glazers to maintain a controlling stake in the club.

An investment in Manchester United by Harris and Blitzer — who also co-own the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils — would require them to offload their stake in Crystal Palace.

Manchester United is valued at $4.6 billion — the third-most-valuable soccer team in the world, per [[link removed]] Forbes. The Glazers, who also own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, reportedly want at least $7.2 billion for the club.

Last week, 70-year-old British INEOS founder Jim Ratcliffe — who has an estimated [[link removed]] net worth of $15.5 billion — started the formal bidding [[link removed]] process for Manchester United. The bid could include [[link removed]] Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, who had competed against Ratcliffe to buy Chelsea.

Manchester United has also attracted [[link removed]] investor groups from the Middle East, Asia, and the U.S.

Sixth Street Denial

California-based investment firm Sixth Street, which has more than $65 billion in assets under management, has denied reports that it had considered buying a stake in Manchester United.

Sixth Street has previously worked with European soccer clubs on refinancing projects, including Real Madrid and Barcelona.

College Athletics Pac-12 Execs Fired Over Failure to Report $50M in Overpayments [[link removed]]

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Two Pac-12 senior executives were fired last week for failing to disclose overpayments by a Pac-12 Networks distribution partner.

The conference announced [[link removed]] on Friday that the executives fired were made aware of the overpayments — which date back to 2016— in December 2017 following an audit, but didn’t disclose the findings to the Pac-12 Board of Directors or the conference’s external auditors.

Names of the executives weren’t listed in the announcement, though reports noted [[link removed]] that Pac-12 Networks president Mark Shaken and CFO Brent Willman were removed from the staff directory. The Mercury News received confirmation [[link removed]] that they were the executives fired.

The distribution partner claimed in October 2022 that it had been overpaying the conference, by a total of more than $50 million.

The Pac-12 Board of Directors Audit Committee hired Cooley LLP to conduct an independent investigation. Cooley briefed commissioner George Kliavkoff on Jan. 13, 2023, after the investigation’s conclusion.

It’s unclear if the conference will have to pay the distribution partner.

Pac-12 Payments

The overpayments made the Pac-12’s annual revenue appear higher than it actually was — and could reportedly affect the conference’s schools’ athletic department budgets.

For 2020-21, the Pac-12 reported [[link removed]] consolidated revenue of $344 million.

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Conversation Starters Former Secretary of State and Denver Broncos co-owner Condoleezza Rice was among the August National Golf Club members the PGA Tour allegedly [[link removed]] used to “wield extraordinary power both within and outside the golf world” to thwart LIV Golf, according to a court filing on Monday. Oregon State’s $162 million renovation to Reser Stadium will reportedly be completed in June. Take a look [[link removed]] at the upgrades. From the wildest passes and the biggest dunks to the final serve, Atmosphere Sports is streaming sports back to the center with live scores, highlights, and more. Learn more [[link removed]].* Today's Action

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