February 14, 2023
Read in Browser [[link removed]]
PRESENTED BY
Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez are teaming up once again — this time in the Fox Sports studio. We dive into their complicated relationship, plus an exclusive interview with TruGolf’s Mason Jones on the booming popularity of off-course golfing, in the latest episode of Front Office Sports Today.
Listen and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Google [[link removed]], and Spotify [[link removed]].
Media Report: NBC Is Preparing To Win Back The NBA [[link removed]]
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
More than two decades after relinquishing media rights to the NBA, NBC is reportedly planning to make a bid in the next round of negotiations.
The NBA is approaching the end of its current $24 billion media contract with ESPN and TNT, which expires in 2025. NBC is putting together a proposal for a future deal, according [[link removed]] to CNBC.
Since ESPN and TNT have an exclusive negotiating window until April 2024, NBC hasn’t made a formal bid yet. However, the league could decide to waive that window — opening up the floor to other networks. An NBA spokesperson reiterated to CNBC that the league still has a “relationship” with NBC through deals with regional networks.
The NBA is seeking a collective $50 billion to $75 billion from its next media rights deals, Front Office Sports previously [[link removed]] reported.
The Competition
Of course, NBC will have to compete with any bids from ESPN or TNT, but it’s unclear just how interested the latter are in re-upping. David Zaslav, president and chief executive officer of their parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, has said publicly that the NBA isn’t a requisite property for the company and refuses to “overpay.”
Meanwhile, the NBA could be eyeing deals with streamers like Apple, Amazon, or Google.
Teams Ryan Reynolds Selects Ownership Group for Ottawa Senators Bid [[link removed]]
Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports
Ryan Reynolds is one crucial step closer to owning an NHL team.
The Hollywood superstar is partnering with a consortium led by Toronto-based real estate developer The Remington Group that is expected to make a bid to buy the Ottawa Senators, per the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch [[link removed]].
A key piece of the bid will be its intention to build a new arena in the LeBreton Flats area near downtown Ottawa — a substantial location upgrade from the Sens’ current arena, Canadian Tire Centre, on the outskirts of the city.
When first announcing [[link removed]] his intention to buy the team in November, Reynolds said that keeping the team in Ottawa was one of his top priorities.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman “ made it clear [[link removed]]” that the league wants Reynolds as a minority owner, so The Remington Group now seems to have the inside edge over the reported dozens [[link removed]] of groups exploring a bid.
Just after the team went up for sale, billionaire and Montreal Canadiens minority owner Michael Andlauer was seen as the favorite [[link removed]] to buy the team. Los Angeles-based actor, producer, and tech entrepreneur Neko Sparks was reportedly [[link removed]] putting in a bid — which, if successful, would have made him the first Black owner in NHL history. Welcome to Ottawa
Garrioch also reports that Reynolds’ production company, Maximum Effort, would plan to produce a docuseries on the Senators similar to his hit show, “Welcome to Wrexham.”
Wrexham AFC [[link removed]] has experienced a renaissance since being bought by Reynolds and fellow Hollywood star Rob McElhenney.
PRESENTED BY PITCHBOOK
Redefining What it Means to Win
Introducing Driven with Michelle Wie West [[link removed]], a new video series from Front Office Sports in partnership with PitchBook. Michelle Wie West, the five-time LPGA Tour winner, angel investor, and PitchBook partner sits down with some of her favorite athletes to discuss their journeys as investors and what it takes to win.
In the first of three episodes, Wie West talks with fellow Stanford graduate Chiney Ogwumike, a two-time WNBA All-Star, ESPN analyst, and investor.
Learn how the first overall pick from the 2014 WNBA draft launched a career at ESPN and how her experiences as an athlete and broadcaster have informed her investment philosophy.
Watch [[link removed]] the full episode now.
Media Super Bowl Brand Exposure Pays Off [[link removed]]
Patrick Breen / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Kansas City Chiefs weren’t the only Super Bowl winners, as several brands used the opportunity to speak to the Big Game’s 113 million viewers.
Nike was the most visible [[link removed]] brand during Fox’s broadcast of Super Bowl LVII, with 1,079 seconds on screen and $211.1 million in unweighted media equivalency, according to Vision Insights.
State Farm, the naming rights partner of the stadium, was the second-most visible with $34.6 million in unweighted media equivalency. Bud Light came in third ($28.3 million), and Gatorade fourth ($27.4 million). Apple Music, the Super Bowl Halftime Show sponsor, rounded out the top five ($19 million).
Brand exposure wasn’t just on TV — Super Bowl ads, which went for around [[link removed]] $7 million, made their way to YouTube as well.
Melissa McCarthy’s Booking.com spot was the most watched on the platform Sunday with 100 million views [[link removed]], followed by John Travolta’s T-Mobile ad (37 million) and Snoop Dogg’s Skechers commercial (26 million).
Blue Who?
Taking advantage of Anheuser Busch InBev’s decision not to renew its exclusivity deal, Molson Coors returned [[link removed]] to the Super Bowl for the first time in more than 30 years with its Blue Moon ad — and it paid off.
The second-most searched [[link removed]] Google term in the U.S. during the game was reportedly “Who owns Blue Moon beer?” It was beat out only by “Is Rihanna pregnant?”
Rihanna performed in Apple Music’s Super Bowl Halftime show, which averaged [[link removed]] 118.7 million viewers.
Conversation Starters Red Sox legend David Ortiz is selling [[link removed]] his Miami-area mansion for $12.5 million. Apple announced [[link removed]] that “Ted Lasso” Season 3 will premiere March 15. Watch [[link removed]] the set for Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show come together.
SPONSORED BY META
What’s Next for Augmented Reality in Sports
AR adoption is booming with 700m people using AR effects across Meta platforms each month. Sports partners are leading the charge, with fun, interactive effects that engage fans and build community.
That’s why Front Office Sports has partnered with Meta to launch Metaverse Essentials: Building the Future, our latest free course [[link removed]] covering the ins and outs of metaverse-related technologies.
The five-lesson course includes a lesson on Building Expressions and Connections, where Meta’s Angel Gonzalez sits down with Sportsmanias CEO Vicente Fernandez and House of V CCO Justin Allen to discuss how augmented reality can unlock new immersive experiences [[link removed]] for athletes and fans alike.
Register now [[link removed]]!
What to Watch
The Boston Celtics (41-16) take on the Milwaukee Bucks (39-17) at Fiserv Forum on Tuesday.
How to Watch: 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Betting Odds: Bucks -9 || ML -380 || O/U 225
Win A Vegas VIP Hoops Package
We have teamed up with the Pac-12 Conference to provide a VIP experience [[link removed]] to the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas from March 8 to March 11, 2023.
One lucky winner will receive two (2) all tournament passes with club access to the tournament at T-Mobile Arena. The winner will also receive a hotel room at an MGM Resorts property for four (4) nights in Las Vegas, a $300 food and beverage voucher valid at MGM restaurants, and two (2) tickets to Cirque du Soleil’s Mad Apple show. For more information on the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament, visit Pac-12.com [[link removed]]. Deadline for entry is February 22, 2023. See Official Rules [[link removed]] for details.
ENTER HERE [[link removed]]
Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcasts [[link removed]] Pro [[link removed]] Written by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]], Doug Greenberg [[link removed]], Abigail Gentrup [[link removed]] Edited by Brian Krikorian [[link removed]], Greg Lee [[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
