Sports Business: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

LAFC Secures Record $100M Naming Rights Deal

An MLS expansion team has secured the largest naming rights deal ever for a soccer-specific stadium in the U.S.

Features

After Backlash, University of Colorado Tamps Down Deal With PointsBet

In 2020, the University of Colorado Boulder became one of the first NCAA schools to formalize an athletic department sponsorship deal with a sports betting company.

2017 DOE Letter Provides Clues To Gender Equity Enforcement In NIL

Last week, a college sports advocacy organization called The Drake Group asked the U.S. Department of Education for guidance on one of the biggest unanswered questions about name, image, and likeness: how Title IX — the statute governing gender equity in higher education — might apply.

An Old Letter May Provide Clues to Gender Equity Enforcement in NIL

MMA News / Front Office Sports / 13 hours ago

Delayed Debut of ‘Power Slap’ Draws Nearly 300,000 Viewers

Wednesday’s debut of UFC president Dana White’s slap-fighting league finished behind “1000-LB Best Friends” and “House Hunters” but drew a decent audience. “Power Slap: Road to the Title” on TBS drew an audience of 295,000 with a .10 rating to make it the 45th-most-watched show Wednesday, according to ShowBuzzDaily.

MLB News / Front Office Sports / 16 hours ago

Saudi Arabia Reportedly Wants to Buy F1 for Over $20B

Saudi Arabia reportedly looked into buying Formula 1 and remains interested, should the opportunity arise. The country’s sovereign wealth fund, the $620 billion Public Investment Fund, was interested in purchasing the global racing series from Liberty Media, according to Bloomberg.

Netflix Generates $32B in 2022 As Sports Content Increases

While Netflix’s sports content is growing, the company still hasn’t made its way to live sports.

Stephen A. Smith Booking ‘Mike and the Mad Dog’ Reunion

As a kid in Hollis, Queens, Stephen A. Smith grew up listening to Chris “Mad Dog” Russo and Mike Francesa on the New York City sports radio station WFAN.

MLB News / Front Office Sports / January 19

Savannah Bananas Turn Down $1 Million Ticket Order

The Savannah Bananas chose people over profits. The quirky independent baseball team, known for its team dances and unique “Banana Ball” take on the game, was offered $1 million to purchase “a large amount of group tickets for every single game on our 2023 tour and buy them from us at twice our price of $25,” according to team owner Jesse Cole.

NBA News / Front Office Sports / January 19

NBA’s European Presence Grows With BBC Deal

With the arrival of a French superstar on the horizon, the NBA is growing its media presence in Europe. The league inked a U.K. broadcast deal with the BBC covering nine games this season, beginning with Thursday’s tilt in Paris between the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons — the first regular-season game in France since 2020.

NFL News / Front Office Sports / January 19

Fox Is Surprisingly Leading College Basketball Viewership

In the battle to dominate top college sports broadcasting, Fox appears to be out-dueling ESPN through the first half of the basketball season — scoring the top average viewership of any network through mid-January.

NBA News / Front Office Sports / January 19

Sports-Focused Firm Backed by Shaq, NBA Teams, Closes $100M Fund

An investment firm dedicated to sports and related industries announced its biggest fund to date.

Microsoft’s 10,000 Layoffs Expected to Hit Gaming Division

Microsoft’s gaming division finds itself under even more strain. The company announced it will be cutting roughly 10,000 jobs, which will reportedly involve layoffs within its gaming sector, including its 343 Industries and Bethesda Game Studios properties.

NFL News / Front Office Sports / January 19

Anheuser-Busch Claims It’s Still King of Super Bowl Ads

Anheuser-Busch announced it will have three minutes of national air time in this year’s Super Bowl after ending its exclusivity deal with the Big Game last year.

Manchester City News / Front Office Sports / January 19

Manchester City Wealthiest Soccer Team in World — Again

Manchester City reigns supreme for the second year in a row. The Premier League giants have retained their position as the highest revenue-generating

NFL News / Front Office Sports / January 19

Europe to Host A Record Five Regular-Season NFL Games in 2023

The NFL and Europe can’t get enough of each other. The league announced the five teams that will host international games on Thursday, with three regular-season games in the U.K.

Paris Saint-Germain News / Front Office Sports / January 19

Saudi Government Auctions $2.6M Ticket for Messi-Ronaldo Matchup

The entertainment sector of the Saudi Arabian government has reportedly auctioned off a $2.6 million ticket for an exhibition soccer match on Thursday that will feature both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Golf News / Front Office Sports / January 19

LIV Golf Officially Announces Rights Deal With The CW Network

As expected, LIV Golf has announced a multi-year rights agreement with The CW Network. The deal marks the Saudi-backed golf league’s first U.S. TV and streaming deal.

Victor Wembanyama News / Front Office Sports / January 19

NBA’s French Connection: Paris Game and Wembanyama Mania

On Thursday, for the first time since 2020 and the 12th time in its history, the NBA will play a game in France when the Chicago Bulls take on the Detroit Pistons from Paris’ Accor Arena.

Olympic Media Rights Awarded to Warner Bros. Discovery, EBU

The Olympics have tied down European broadcasters through the next decade. The International Olympic Committee signed a joint agreement with the European Broadcasting Union and Warner Bros.

Kevin Warren News / Front Office Sports / January 18

Chicago Bears ‘Focused’ Only on New Stadium in Arlington Heights

The new president of the Chicago Bears has made it clear the team is planning to move.

Top Five Mobile Games Made $7.2B in 2022

There’s a bright spot for a gaming industry that has seen lackluster profits. The world’s five top-grossing mobile games generated $7.2 billion in revenue

NBA News / Front Office Sports / January 18

John Textor’s Company Wants to Take Lyon Public

Olympique Lyonnais could be going public. Eagle Football Holdings, which is controlled by John Textor, is planning to take the Ligue 1 club public via a SPAC merger at a $1.2 billion valuation.

Philadelphia Flyers News / Front Office Sports / January 18

Flyers D Ivan Provorov’s Pride Night Boycott Sparks Renewed LGBTQ Discussion

Statements from the NHL and Flyers supported Provorov’s decision to choose, while still maintaining the organizations’ support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Soccer News / Front Office Sports / January 18

Telemundo Scores Media Rights to U.S. Soccer

Telemundo has expanded its reach with the world’s most popular sport. The broadcasting giant has secured a four-year media rights deal with the U.S. Soccer Federation for an undisclosed amount.

Formula One News / Front Office Sports / January 18

Formula 1 Unveils Miami Upgrade Plans, Including Hard Rock Stadium

Formula 1 is set to stay in Miami for the long haul. Miami Grand Prix organizers announced a host of changes and improvements as it prepares for its second iteration on May 7.

Golf News / Front Office Sports / January 18

Patrick Reed’s Lawyer Threatens Bob Costas, CNN with $450M Lawsuit

LIV Golf player Patrick Reed’s attorney is already suing five sports media personalities and four companies for defamation.

Video Games News / Yardbarker / January 12

Game on: Esports group plans to build stadiums across U.S., Canada

While many locations have yet to be announced, Glytch has started work on a Los Angeles facility, with Atlanta, Chicago and the Seattle area mentioned as other sites. The plan is to open four stadiums by the end of 2024.

The most memorable characters from old-school Nintendo games

Miami Heat News / Yardbarker / January 11

Miami Heat's FTX Arena era is over

The Miami Heat signed a 19-year naming rights deal with FTX. It didn't last 19 months. FTX was the third-largest cryptocurrency exchange when it made a deal with the Heat and Miami-Dade County to rename American Airlines Arena, which had borne that name since it opened in 1999.

Watch: Heat's Dewayne Dedmon ejected after tossing massage gun onto court

Dedmon may face additional discipline following sideline incident

The best NBA Finals games of all time

The 'Most career rebounds for every NBA franchise' quiz