March 3, 2023

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During the last year, the NWSL set attendance records, made jumps in viewership and revenue, and now is looking to expand. And fans of the pro women’s soccer league might have another reason to be excited: The NWSL is reportedly [[link removed]] coming to FIFA 23 and will be added as a new mode in the coming weeks.

Athletes Giannis Antetokounmpo, Filip Forsberg Become MLS Team Owners [[link removed]]

Nashville SC

More star athletes are investing in Major League Soccer.

Milwaukee Bucks champion Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nashville Predators all-time leading scorer Filip Forsberg are joining [[link removed]] Nashville SC as owners.

Antetokounmpo’s brothers, Thanasis, Kostas, and Alex — who all play professional basketball — will also join the ownership group. Giannis, who became a minority investor in the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021, said his father was a professional soccer player.

Forsberg and the Antetokounmpo brothers aren’t the first professional athletes to cross sports to join MLS.

Last year, Tennessee Titans All-Pro running back Derrick Henry — along with Reese Witherspoon and her husband, Jim Toth — became owners [[link removed]] of the Nashville team.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes purchased a stake in Sporting Kansas City in 2021, two years after Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson purchased a stake in the Seattle Sounders.

Antetokounmpo isn’t the only NBA player to invest in the league either.

Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden took a stake in the Houston Dynamo in 2019, and Phoenix Suns’ player Kevin Durant purchased a stake in the Philadelphia Union in 2020.

The investments continue to roll in as MLS team valuations are on the rise — the average valuation has climbed 85% since 2019 to $579 million, according [[link removed]] to Forbes.

Media Troy Aikman Talks ESPN, Advice for Tom Brady, and Selling Beer [[link removed]]

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a year of big career changes for Troy Aikman.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer jumped to ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” after over 20 years as the No. 1 NFL analyst at Fox Sports.

With his reported $90 million [[link removed]], five-year contract, Aikman’s now tied with Tony Romo of CBS Sports as the highest-paid talent on sports TV.

Coming in early 2027, Aikman and Joe Buck will call ESPN’s first Super Bowl telecast. The two have called six Super Bowl telecasts at Fox. They’ll bring experience and gravitas that will be hard for other networks to match.

So what’s Aikman’s advice for Tom Brady when he enters the Fox broadcast booth for the 2024 season?

“Just to be himself. … You can fake it for a little bit, and then it catches up to you. You’ve got to put in the time. I think the fans deserve that – and Tom will give that to them.”

Meanwhile, the 56-year-old has become an entrepreneur, launching his EIGHT beer [[link removed]] after his old Dallas Cowboys and UCLA jersey numbers. The three-time Super Bowl winner expects to take the new light brew outside of Texas for the first time this year.

EIGHT Elite Light Lager celebrated its first anniversary as the fastest-selling independent beer in Texas.

Aikman and his partners just wrapped a second round of financing. He sees significant growth ahead for EIGHT, particularly among athletes who enjoy a cold brew.

SPONSORED BY DOVE MEN+CARE

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[[link removed]]

Whether you’re playing in a pick-up game, heading into a big interview, or hugging someone you care about, new and improved Dove Men+Care [[link removed]] 72 hour antiperspirant helps prevent underarm distractions like sweat and odor so you can forget about your underarms and focus on being unforgettable.

New Dove Men+Care antiperspirants are reformulated with 72 hours [[link removed]] of sweat and odor protection, one-quarter moisturizing cream, and long-lasting fragrance.

You can purchase Dove Men+Care antiperspirant sticks, aluminum-free deodorant sticks, or dry sprays wherever personal care products are sold. Learn more [[link removed]].

Law Televisa Agrees to $95M Settlement in FIFA Bribery Case [[link removed]]

Shutterstock

Grupo Televisa has settled a complaint related to FIFA bribery accusations.

The major Mexican broadcaster agreed [[link removed]] to pay $95 million in a settlement with a group of investors. The investors said that a bribery scandal damaged Televisa’s brand and hurt its stock price, which has fallen 50% over the past 12 months.

Televisa is accused of bribing FIFA to secure World Cup rights in 2018, 2022, 2026, and 2030. The broadcaster has denied the allegations. The claim came out in a case against 21st Century Fox, which is also accused [[link removed]] of bribing FIFA officials to win media rights.

The all-cash settlement still needs to be approved by a judge.

Televisa has endured a turbulent start to the year. Substantial gains in its stock price were largely wiped out by a poor earnings report in February, along with the acknowledgement that a planned merger with ​​Megacable would not go through.

FIFA is no stranger to bribery accusations. Witnesses claim [[link removed]] that Qatari officials bought votes to secure the 2022 World Cup at around $1 million per vote. Similar claims have been made about Russia, which hosted the World Cup in 2018.

Markets Flutter Entertainment Cashes In on FanDuel [[link removed]]

Flutter Entertainment

FanDuel, which claims it has a 50% market share in the U.S. sports betting market, continues to pay off for its parent company.

Flutter Entertainment, which also owns Betfair, Paddy Power, and PokerStars, posted [[link removed]] a 27% increase in revenue to roughly $9.19 billion for its preliminary 2022 results, with average monthly players increasing 26%, attributed to expansion in the U.S. and benefits of the acquisitions of Sisal and Tombola.

The increase in revenue was driven by a 67% sales jump in FanDuel, which is on track [[link removed].] to become profitable this year.

In the U.S., Flutter’s revenue reached $3.2 billion.

But Flutter took a hit [[link removed]] of around $47.8 million in December due to “customer friendly results” during the World Cup and in the Premier League.

As of Dec. 31, the company’s net debt was around $5.5 billion.

Public Possibilities

Earlier this month, Flutter said [[link removed]] its board is consulting with shareholders to gauge their interest in a listing on the U.S. stock exchange.

The company’s board reached the view that “an additional U.S. listing of Flutter’s ordinary shares will yield a number of long-term strategic and capital market benefits,” according to the Financial Times.

The company would take a vote at its annual meeting in April after consulting with shareholders. The vote would require 75% approval.

SPONSORED BY STREAMLAYER

Profitability Driving Live OTT Strategy

StreamLayer [[link removed]], a Chicago-based company focused on audience engagement around live OTT content, is in the spotlight as the global streaming industry shifts its focus to profitability.

Developed over a period of 3+ years, the company’s powerful interactive platform allows streaming clients to increase revenues [[link removed]], and do so in a way that both reduces churn and attracts younger audiences.

“Streaming platforms can’t rely solely on the traditional subscription model going forward,” said John Ganschow, StreamLayer CEO.

“They also need to monetize in fan-friendly ways by incorporating gamification, sports betting, ecommerce, sponsored watch parties and contextual interactive ads directly into the live viewing experience. StreamLayer’s solution delivers this functionality, and our metrics demonstrate significant increases in viewing times and engagement.”

For partnership inquiries, please contact Andrew Fleming [mailto:[email protected]].

Conversation Starters Lionel Messi gifted [[link removed]] custom gold iPhone 14s to his Argentina teammates and staff for winning the World Cup. In the third and final episode [[link removed]] of Driven with Michelle Wie West, Michelle sits down with former U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team member, co-founder of Hustle Beauty, and co-leader of #NWSLToTheBay, Leslie Osborne. What would it look like to watch an NBA game courtside in virtual reality? Check it out [[link removed]]. Front Office Sports Today They Said What?

Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images

“When I first got into this, I thought I’d do it for a few years, and then figure out what I wanted to do with myself. … To be at ESPN now and to be calling the Super Bowls when those roll around … not many guys that have been in this business have had an opportunity to call Super Bowls let alone for a couple of different networks.”

— ESPN’s Troy Aikman on his 23 years in the broadcast booth with Joe Buck. For more of Aikman’s conversation with senior writer Mike McCarthy, check out the latest episode of Front Office Sports Today.

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

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