February 13, 2023

Read in Browser [[link removed]]

POWERED BY

A new dynasty? The Kansas City Chiefs rallied from a ten-point halftime deficit to win their second Super Bowl title [[link removed]] in four seasons. Andy Reid beat his old franchise, the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35. While Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, on a gimpy ankle, won his second Super Bowl MVP award.

Leagues Super Bowl Handoff: Las Vegas Prepares for Its Big Game [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

With Super Bowl LVII in the books [[link removed]], the hype is already rising for next year’s Big Game.

Super Bowl LVIII will take place in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium, which tagged in after a planned game in New Orleans was pushed back one year to avoid conflict with Mardi Gras.

While Super Bowl LVII was played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, hundreds of thousands of visitors made [[link removed]] the trek to Las Vegas over the weekend to enjoy the game.

Around 50 members of the Las Vegas Super Bowl Committee traveled [[link removed]] to Phoenix to meet with media partners, NFL officials, and Phoenix officials.

More Big Games Coming?

The city hopes the Super Bowl will show what it can offer as a host of major sporting events.

“It’s the tentpole event that all other events look at,” committee executive director Sam Joffray told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “If you can host a Super Bowl, you can host a College Football [Playoff] championship game, a Final Four … the sports economy in Vegas in the long haul is going to be robust.”

The city will host a Formula 1 race this November. Clark County has signaled a willingness to host the race for a decade [[link removed]] or more.

Las Vegas also will host the 2028 NCAA Men’s Final Four and a handful of other NCAA championships in the coming years.

Real Estate FC Barcelona Seeks $1.6B for Stadium Project [[link removed]]

FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona’s Spotify Camp Nou is set for a $1.6 billion revamp.

The club is looking to raise the funds from private debt investors and courting investors in the U.S. private placement market, according [[link removed]] to Bloomberg. Goldman Sachs Group and JPMorgan Chase are reportedly arranging the sale.

Stadium renovations are part of a broader project called Espai Barça.

Earlier this month, the club signed [[link removed]] an agreement with Limak to take charge of the stadium’s construction set to begin in June.

Club president Joan Laporta said Limak was the sole bidding company committed to achieving “the time targets set by the club,” which are returning to the stadium before December 2024 and a completed project before June 2026 [[link removed]].

“Every season we are away means a loss of around [$99.3 million] for the club,” he said.

Football Financing

The financing plan includes three tranches of senior notes — around $533.6 million each — maturing in 2032, 2045, and 2052, according to Kroll Bond Rating Agency.

Laporta said that with a financing structure in place and the work of Limak, Barça “will finally have a world-class stadium with the capacity to generate a lot more revenue.”

SPONSORED BY WENDY'S

Start Your Day With a Better Breakfast

Wendy’s Homestyle French Toast Sticks [[link removed]] are so good, some are saying they’re better than their Mom’s French Toast.

They are perfectly crispy on the outside. Perfectly fluffy on the inside. And perfectly perfect in every way. Wendy’s Homestyle French Toast Sticks might be the best thing to ever happen to breakfast.

You’re going to want to set your alarm a little earlier. Tell your boss you’re going to be a little late. Move a little closer to your nearest Wendy’s. Whatever it takes to start your day the right way with these sweet and crispy delights.

The bar for breakfast hasn’t just been raised, it’s been completely replaced. Choose wisely. Choose Wendy’s Homestyle French Toast Sticks [[link removed]] today.

Available during breakfast hours only, until 10:30 a.m.

Real Estate Illinois Governor: Bears Are ‘Private Business,’ Don’t Need Taxpayer Funds [[link removed]]

Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bears are getting blocked by the state of Illinois.

Gov. JB Pritzker said [[link removed]] he wasn’t in favor of a plan that would provide tax relief for the team regarding its proposed stadium and development in Arlington Heights.

State Sen. Ann Gillespie, who represents Arlington Heights, filed a bill that would freeze the team’s property assessment for up to 40 years.

“I love the Bears,” said Pritzker, “but it is a private business, and I honestly do not think the public has an obligation to fund, in this major way, a private business.”

The Bears are intent [[link removed]] on moving to the town northwest of Chicago after agreeing to buy the Arlington Heights Racetrack in 2021 for $197 million. The team is planning a $5 billion entertainment district centered around a $2.2 billion domed stadium.

School District Enters the Field

The school district based in Arlington Heights voted [[link removed]] to hire a lobbyist to represent the district in state government on “mega projects” such as the Bears’ proposed development, particularly in regard to tax breaks the team might access.

The team hasn’t secured public funding from state and local governments, nor has it struck deals for land use, transportation, or other related issues.

Athletes Carmelo Anthony, WWE Co-Presidents Launch Sports Fund [[link removed]]

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

There’s a new sports investment firm on the block.

Former WWE co-presidents George Barrios and Michelle Wilson, partnering with 10-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony, announced they will launch a firm called Isos7 Sports Investments.

“We have a shared vision for how a new wave of diverse investors will identify global growth opportunities and impact the marketplace,” said Barrios and Wilson.

Of the $750 million of expected fresh capital, the firm hopes to provide between $50-$100 million per investment to a global list of sports entities, from leagues to teams.

The firm will also donate 1% of profits “to support underrepresented populations and underserved communities.”

Barrios and Wilson previously founded Isos Capital Management [[link removed]].

A Seasoned Pro

Anthony is no stranger to investing.

He co-founded a company called Melo7 Tech Partners with media bigwig Stuart Goldfarb in 2014. Major sports companies from Overtime to DraftKings have benefited from the company’s capital.

“I’m excited to build on my experiences as an athlete, entrepreneur, and investor, and move to the next level of league and team ownership opportunities globally,” Anthony said of the new venture.

SPONSORED BY WENDY'S

The Perfect Note of Nostalgia

Everyone has a sports memory that takes them back to their childhood. Front Office Sports and Wendy’s [[link removed]] teamed up to share some of their unforgettable sports memories.

Integrated Marketing Manager Jeff Jarboe celebrates the rise of Linsanity.

“I remember when Linsanity was just beginning and the Knicks were playing the Lakers at home. Kobe Bryant was interviewed before the game and told the media he didn’t know much about Jeremy Lin.

Lin then proceeded to score 38 points and beat Kobe’s Lakers at the Garden, and any doubt about if he was legit was put to rest!”

Like unforgettable sports moments etched in our memories, Wendy’s Homestyle French Toast Sticks [[link removed]] make you feel like a kid again. Start your day with nostalgia and syrupy goodness!

Conversation Starters Check out Driven With Michelle Wie West [[link removed]], a new series from Front Office Sports and PitchBook, where the former golf pro sits down with some of her favorite female athletes to discuss their journeys as investors and what it takes to win.* Between Kevin Durant going to the Suns on new owner Mat Ishbia’s first day and the Big Game at State Farm Stadium, Phoenix is currently the center of the sports universe. But the only annual event in the area — the Waste Management Phoenix Open [[link removed]] — is still stealing the show with its boisterous crowds and electrifying golf. Nike launched [[link removed]] The LeBron x Liverpool FC collection on Thursday, a collaboration between the Premier League team and James, who is a part-owner of the club. Front Office Sports Today They Said What?

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

“Everyone knows that ESPN linear is a better business than ESPN+ and they have to come up with some sort outrageous price to charge ESPN+ in order to make the money back — and that price would be so high that it would be out of whack with all the other streaming services at this point.”

— CNBC media reporter Alex Sherman on the challenges the Walt Disney Co. faces as linear subscribers eventually become streaming subscribers during the latest episode of Front Office Sports Today.

Listen and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Google [[link removed]], and Spotify [[link removed]].

Today's Action

NFL

06:43 PM

Chiefs (-20000) at Eagles (+3500)

Bet Now [[link removed]]

NHL

07:30 PM

Flames (-145) at Senators (+125)

Bet Now [[link removed]]

NBA

07:40 PM

Nuggets (+100) at Heat (-120)

Bet Now [[link removed]]

*All times are EST unless otherwise noted.

*Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See [[link removed]] for details.

Question Of The Day

Have you ever been to a country music concert?

Yes [[link removed]] No [[link removed]] No, but I want to [[link removed]]

Friday’s Answer

42% of respondents have participated in a baseball fantasy league.

DISCLAIMER

*Sponsored Content

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcasts [[link removed]] Pro [[link removed]] Written by Owen Poindexter [[link removed]], Abigail Gentrup [[link removed]], Amanda Christovich [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], 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 © 2023 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

80 Pine Street Suite 3202 New York, NY 10005