Premier League clubs went on a shopping spree in January. 

Chelsea spent more than any other team in the January transfer window, making up 37% of the record $1 billion spent by Premier League clubs and more than all clubs in the Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A, and Ligue 1 combined, according to an analysis from Deloitte’s Sports Business Group. 

• On Tuesday’s transfer deadline, Chelsea signed Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a British record £106.8 million ($131.3 million).
• The fee surpasses the £100 million (currently $122.9 million) Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish in Summer 2021. 

Bournemouth spent the second-most. 

“Premier League clubs have outspent those within the rest of Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues by almost four-to-one in this transfer window,” said Tim Bridge, lead partner in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group. 

Competition Criticism 

The Premier League is receiving criticism from La Liga for its spending.

La Liga president Javier Tebas retweeted a video of corporate general director Javier Gomez explaining that Premier League clubs are “injecting money not generated by the club for it to spend, which puts the viability of the club at risk if the shareholder leaves. In our opinion, that is cheating, because it drags down the rest of the leagues.”

“That is our fight, demanding UEFA implements a new economic regulation,” he added.

The journey to Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona, may be a little easier for fans. 

On Feb. 12, the Kansas City Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles for the Big Game, bringing together two fan bases from the Midwest and Northeastern regions to Glendale. And now several major airlines are adding dozens of direct-flight options to nearby Phoenix to meet their travel needs. 

• Delta, Frontier, American Airlines, United, and Southwest have added direct flights. 
• Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is expected to have 180,000 visitors on Feb. 13.
• Super Bowl XLIX saw roughly 175,000 people come through Sky Harbor.

Despite the added flights, traveling to Glendale for Super Bowl LVII will come at a cost.

Two adults can expect to spend an average of $18,100 for two tickets to the Big Game, plus airfare, two nights’ stay, parking/ride service, two hot dogs, and two beers, per Bookies.com.

Average prices for domestic flights are up 17% year-over-year, according to Hopper’s Hayley Berg. 

Room rates for hotels in Phoenix have increased 36% since Glendale last hosted the Super Bowl in 2015, when average daily rates were $361, per STR. The Phoenix area has seen 48% more nights booked for vacation home rentals compared to the same weekend in 2022, per AirDNA.

Big Money Game

Super Bowl LVII is projected to take in more than $1.1 billion in wagers at legal sportsbooks across the U.S., which would make it the most bet-on Super Bowl — and overall U.S. sports event.

MLB is tussling with one of the world’s largest tech companies while its antitrust exemption is under fire.

The league’s MLB Network was dropped from Google-owned YouTube TV on Tuesday after the two sides failed to reach a new agreement.

• Users are also unable to access archived content, but MLB broadcasts and coverage from other networks, such as Fox, ESPN, and TBS remain available on YouTube TV.
• MLB Network released a statement: “We regret that YouTube TV has been unwilling to negotiate a fair carriage agreement. MLB Network has offered terms consistent with what close to 300 other U.S. providers have agreed to for distribution.”
• YouTube TV told users it “will continue conversations with the MLB to advocate on your behalf in the hope of restoring their content on YouTube TV.”

Pitchers and catchers begin reporting to spring training on Feb. 15, with Opening Day set for March 30.

Anti-Antitrust

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice argued that MLB’s antitrust exemption should not be extended. The DOJ issued a friend-of-the-court brief in support of a suit brought by four minor league teams which were among the 40 eliminated by MLB in 2020.

The exemption, established in 1922, is expected to survive through the case’s current stage in the Manhattan federal appeals court, but an appeal to the Supreme Court is considered likely.

Electronic Arts has lowered its full-year revenue guidance after failing to meet expectations for the third fiscal quarter ending Dec. 31, 2022. 

The California-based video game publisher posted $2.34 billion in net bookings in fiscal Q3, missing analysts’ estimates by 6%. As a result of the miss, EA projects full-year revenue to range between $7.25 billion and $7.35 billion, down from a previous estimate of $7.8 billion. 

• EA attributed the unfavorable results to market uncertainty. 
• The conditions caused EA to cancel “Apex Legends Mobile” and “Battlefield Mobile.”
• As of fiscal Q3, EA has more than 650 million people in its player network. 

EA’s profits could continue to take a hit without the “FIFA” franchise —  the company ended its 30-year partnership with the international governing body of soccer in May 2022.

“FIFA” titles have generated more than $20 billion in sales over the past 20 years. The latest edition and final EA edition, “FIFA 23,” is on pace to be the biggest in franchise history. 

Missed Opportunity 

Canceling two mobile titles prevents EA from expanding its position in a mobile gaming market projected to exceed a valuation of $215 billion by 2028, per SkyQuest Technology Consulting.

The world’s five top-grossing mobile games generated $7.2 billion in revenue in 2022, an increase of $400 million from the year prior, according to data analytics firm Sports Lens.