March 24, 2023

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In a filing over LIV Golf’s efforts to depose a London-based PGA Tour executive as part of the civil antitrust case, new details emerge [[link removed]] on how LIV struggled to land TV partners.

Deals Tom Brady Acquires Stake in Las Vegas Aces [[link removed]]

Kevin O’Brien

Mark Davis landed Tom Brady.

Davis announced Thursday that the retired seven-time Super Bowl champ had acquired a minority stake in the defending WNBA champ Las Vegas Aces.

“I have always been a huge fan of women’s sports, and I admire the work that the Aces’ players, staff, and the WNBA continue to do to grow the sport and empower future generations of athletes,” Brady said in a statement.

Brady’s purchase will require the approval of the WNBA.

“Since I purchased the Aces, our goal has been to win on and off the court,” Davis, the owner of the Aces, said in a statement. “Tom Brady is a win not only for the Aces, and the WNBA, but for women’s professional sports as a whole.”

Davis, who owns the Las Vegas Raiders, acquired the Aces nearly two years ago.

Brady retired again after last season. He played 23 seasons in the NFL, the first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots.

Brady’s interest in WNBA ownership was piqued after attending an Aces game last May. But Brady detailed how his appreciation of women athletes began much further back.

“My love for women’s sports began at a young age when I would tag along to all my older sisters’ games,” Brady said. “They were by far the best athletes in our house. We celebrated their accomplishments together as a family, and they remain a great inspiration to me.”

The Aces begin their title defense on May 20 against the Seattle Storm.

Leagues NWSL Wants To Be The ‘Best League in the World’ [[link removed]]

Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

On Saturday, the National Women’s Soccer League kicks off a crucial season for the league’s growth.

The NWSL is on an impressive trajectory, with huge leaps in attendance (80%), ticketing revenue (125%), and sponsorship revenue (87%) from 2021 to 2022. The early returns on the coming season are looking good: As of Monday, season-ticket sales were up 20% compared to all of last year.

The growth has led to a major increase in team valuations, with the fee to join a league rising from around $5 million a few years ago to about $50 million for expected new teams in the San Francisco Bay Area and Boston.

The league is hoping for a similar multiple from its next media deal, which commissioner Jessica Berman said is on pace to be completed in the third quarter of this year.

The league is bringing in a reported $1.5 million on its domestic media rights pact with CBS, which runs through this season.

“There are many interested parties in the media landscape,” Berman said at a media availability on Monday. “We think there are some really interesting opportunities both here and overseas to consider as we think about growing our brand globally and claiming our space as the best league in the world.”

Meanwhile, Berman has an eye on team sales in Chicago and Portland, spurred by issues of abuse and harassment with both teams.

The league is overseeing systemic reform efforts, including establishing reporting procedures and human resource training for each of its teams.

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The four-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.

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College Athletics Why Princeton Is An Unorthodox Cinderella [[link removed]]

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Princeton’s men’s basketball team hasn’t made it to the Sweet 16 since 1967. But the 15-seed Tigers — who will face off against 6-seed Creighton at the South Regional in Louisville on Friday night — are unorthodox underdogs.

Most Cinderellas enjoy a major uptick in applicants, but Princeton is well-known enough that this run may not have that effect. Two areas it might see an uptick: recruiting and fundraising.

The school boasts a $36 billion endowment, but most of that isn’t eligible for athletics. In 2021-22, Princeton spent $1.8 million on its men’s basketball program not including coaching salaries, per Department of Education data — the lowest of any school in the Sweet 16.

But a strong showing in this year’s tournament could help coaches fundraise, UPenn sports economics expert Karen Weaver told Front Office Sports. “How could it hurt?” she said.

Ivy League schools can also sometimes be at a recruiting disadvantage because they don’t offer athletic scholarships. But this Sweet 16 run could help Princeton compete with programs like Duke and Stanford, which draw recruits interested in elite academics, Weaver said.

During a press conference on Thursday, coach Mitch Henderson — a Princeton basketball alum — explained the athletic department has both history and support.

Famous NBA players who played at Princeton, for example, show up often, he said. “We might be considered nationally as a mid-major, but our school thinks very highly of its basketball history, and we think that this team reflects that history very well.”

Read more about Princeton’s Cinderella run here [[link removed]], and learn how they got to this point in this afternoon’s FOS Pro.

Media Apple Could Bid For Premier League, EFL Rights [[link removed]]

Stuart Martin-USA TODAY NETWORK

The competition for sports media rights between tech giants Apple and Amazon is heating up.

Apple might take a run at a range of English soccer games, according [[link removed]] to Bloomberg.

The global giant behind the hit series “Ted Lasso” would allow Apple to stream Premier League games in the U.K. as well lower-league matches from the English Football League, according to the report.

Apple made its first big move into live sports last year by signing a $2.5 billion, 10-year deal with Major League Soccer.

“Pushing into English football would pit Apple against entrenched media companies such as Sky and Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., which last year agreed to a joint venture with BT Sport,” wrote Bloomberg.

“It also could throw down the gauntlet with Amazon, which has become a force in streaming European football.”

In the U.S., both Apple and Amazon are finalists in negotiations for Pac-12 media rights, said sources. They’re competing against Disney’s ESPN.

Apple is also gearing up to offer a second season of “Friday Night Baseball” with MLB.

Amazon, meanwhile, made its big jump into live sports via an $11 billion, 11-year deal to exclusively stream the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football” through 2033.

As part of its growing relationship with the NFL, Amazon recently scored the rights to the league’s first-ever “Black Friday” game in 2023.

Conversation Starters Michigan State’s Tom Izzo tops the list [[link removed]] of the five highest-paid coaches in the Sweet 16 with an annual salary of $5.7 million. Tennessee’s Rick Barnes is right behind him at $5.5 million. Christian McCaffrey is selling his penthouse [[link removed]] in downtown Charlotte for $3.75 million — a potential city record per square foot. Inter Miami CF’s 50,000-square-foot complex [[link removed]] includes six fields, a gym, a pool, hot and cold tubs, and a fully-staffed kitchen.

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The NIL Effect

The NIL industry [[link removed]] has exploded in the nearly two years since the NCAA’s landmark decision to allow college athletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness.

Since then, brands have partnered with athletes, universities are building out infrastructure and educational programs and new trends have emerged.

Join Front Office Sports on March 28 at 1 p.m. ET for an inside look at NIL — and what’s next for college sports, athletes and brands. The virtual event [[link removed]], presented by SponsorUnited, will cover:

How brands are creating partnerships and standing out in a changing NIL landscape. An inside look at collectives and how they have grown to become an essential part of college athletics economics. What brands and athletes need to know to build successful partnerships.

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Front Office Sports Today They Said What?

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

“[Princeton is] going to get a recruiting edge in athletes. They’re competing against schools like Stanford and Duke that have high-level academic programs, but also really well-known and highly-resourced athletic programs. To prove that Princeton athletics can give you the big stage, as some of these other non-ivy high-level academic programs can, is really helpful.”

— Front Office Sports reporter Amanda Christovich on how Princeton’s Sweet 16 run benefits the school’s athletic program. For more on the NCAA tournament, check out 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

NBA

09:10 PM

76ers (+170) at Warriors (-200)

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NHL

07:30 PM

Vancouver Whitecaps (+195) at Minnesota Utd (+125)

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NCAA

10:30 AM

Notre Dame (+170) at Maryland (-200)

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*All times are EST unless otherwise noted.

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Question Of The Day

Have you watched or attended a Major League Soccer match?

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

Thursday’s Answer

61% of respondents follow women’s professional or college sports.

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