Sports
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Essential sports industry news & intel to start your day.
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January 11, 2022
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Top Stories
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Apple Inc. has reportedly had significant talks with MLB about carrying a package of weekday national games during the 2022 season — a move that would mark the technology giant’s long-awaited foray into live sports broadcasting. ESPN last year opted not to retain the slate of Monday and Wednesday games being discussed, which were not exclusive to the network in the local markets of participating teams. (New York Post)
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The University of Georgia earned a 33-18 win over conference rival Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship game before a crowd of 68,311 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, marking the school’s first football title since 1980. The win was also Georgia coach Kirby Smart’s first victory against Alabama coach Nick Saban, whom Smart previously served under as an assistant coach. (ESPN)
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The College Football Playoff Management Committee reportedly concluded three days of meetings without making any significant progress toward expansion of the event’s four-team field, making it increasingly unlikely that a new format will be implemented before the expiration of the CFP’s contract with ESPN in 2026. Several committee members publicly expressed frustration about gridlock on the issue, and sources said the lack of progress prompted Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby to abruptly leave Sunday’s meetings. (Yahoo Sports)
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Events Calendar (All Times Local)
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A MESSAGE FROM MORNING CONSULT |
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What Else You Need to Know
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Crypto companies are making aggressive last-minute bids for the sold-out Super Bowl
Claire Atkinson, Insider
The Super Bowl may have sold out of ads back in September, but that isn’t stopping some last-minute advertisers from holding multi-million dollar negotiations with NBCUniversal to get into next month’s game in Los Angeles, TV ad industry sources say.
GM Is Coming Back To The Super Bowl
E.J. Schultz, Ad Age
General Motors will make an appearance in the Super Bowl for the third straight year. The automaker confirmed it has bought ad time for the Feb. 13 game but declined to provide details.
WarnerMedia Renews Comcast Carriage Deal, CNN Plus to Become Available on Xfinity Platforms
Jennifer Maas, Variety
WarnerMedia has renewed its carriage deal with Comcast’s cable systems. This multi-year pact will ensure WarnerMedia’s cable channels, including TBS, TNT, CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, TCM, truTV, HLN and CNN en Español, plus on-demand and TVE content, continue to be available to Comcast customers.
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Dave Gettleman out as Giants GM after four awful seasons
Paul Schwartz, New York Post
After four full seasons filled with more losing than any other four-year span in team history, someone had to pay the price, and on Monday, one day after another miserable season came to an end, Gettleman’s time with the team came to an end. The fate of head coach Joe Judge (10-23 in two seasons) will be determined in the coming days.
Miami Dolphins fire coach Brian Flores after three seasons; GM Chris Grier to remain
Marcel Louis-Jacques, ESPN
Hours after firing head coach Brian Flores on Monday after three seasons with the franchise, owner Stephen Ross shot down rumors of his interest in filling the vacancy with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, who said he would entertain NFL offers this offseason.
George McCaskey promises a ‘thorough, diligent and exhaustive’ search for the next Chicago Bears GM and coach after firing Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy
Colleen Kane et al., Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Bears are in the market for a new general manager and head coach after firing Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy on Monday. While the move to fire Nagy was expected as the losses piled up in his fourth season, Pace’s fate after seven years in his role seemed less clear over the last month.
Vikings fire Mike Zimmer, Rick Spielman; search for replacements to start immediately
Ben Goessling, Minneapolis Star Tribune
In a sweeping set of moves unlike any they’ve made since they bought the team in 2005, Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf fired coach Mike Zimmer and General Manager Rick Spielman on Monday, a day after the conclusion of consecutive losing seasons that had exhausted the Wilfs’ patience with both men.
Tepid ticket prices for college football title game could foreshadow NFL playoffs demand
Daniel Kaplan, The Athletic
Tickets to Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship are selling at weak prices, far below levels of recent years as the COVID-19 Omicron variant, a cold-weather host city and arguably Alabama market fatigue take their toll.
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Jonathan Isaac to publish book on choice to stand, not kneel in 2020
WTXL
Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac announced Monday that he is publishing a book with the help of conservative pundit Ben Shapiro’s publishing company. Isaac’s book will focus on how he was one of the few NBA players during the 2020 NBA season to stand for the national anthem as other players kneeled during a league-wide demonstration.
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‘A rough development’: Omicron has NHL executives worried about the financial impact of declining attendance
Sean Shapiro, The Athletic
It’s not nearly the financial blow the league was dealt in 2020 when it was forced to bubble up, or in 2021 when games were played in mostly empty buildings across the league. But the Omicron variant has been hitting the NHL’s bottom line in small increments that are starting to add up to a level of slight financial worry.
Coyotes’ Tempe arena proposal on thin ice
Craig Morgan, PHNX
The Coyotes’ hopes for building a $1.7 billion arena and entertainment district in Tempe are teetering on a razor’s edge. Two sources with knowledge of the situation said that the Coyotes do not currently have the votes in the Tempe City Council to approve the project and move forward.
NHLPA files grievance after Sharks terminate Kane’s contract
John Wawrow, The Associated Press
The NHL Players’ Association has filed a grievance against the San Jose Sharks for terminating the remainder of Evander Kane’s contract, a person with direct knowledge of the decision said.
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Bowl Cancellations Cost Sponsors $13.7 Million In TV Exposure This Year
Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico
The title sponsors of the five canceled college football bowl games lost out on $13.7 million of television exposure when their games were called off, according to data calculated by Apex Marketing Group. To calculate the numbers, Apex looked at viewership trends from this year and 2019, the last pre-pandemic bowl season, to estimate an audience size.
AAC will cover Military Bowl expenses for ECU
Stephen Igoe, 247Sports
East Carolina’s athletic department was set to take a substantial financial hit as a result of the canceled Military Bowl, but the American Athletic Conference has come to the Pirates’ aid.
UC winning on the field, but losing money at sports
Dan Monk, WCPO
The University of Cincinnati lost $27.6 million on its sports offerings in the 12 months ending June 30, 2021. The deficits were the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which robbed football and basketball teams of ticket revenue and university subsidies having to cover 43% of expenses.
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Washington Spirit investors seek help from attorney Beth Wilkinson, who led WFT probe
Steven Goff and Molly Hensley-Clancy, The Washington Post
A group of investors fighting for control of the Washington Spirit enlisted Beth Wilkinson, a high-profile attorney who investigated allegations of workplace misconduct and sexual harassment at the Washington Football Team, to represent them, increasing pressure on the National Women’s Soccer League team even as the sale of the Spirit to an outside billionaire nears completion.
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Churchill Downs Draws a Hard Line With Bob Baffert
Joe Drape, The New York Times
In a wide-ranging draft complaint obtained by The New York Times, Baffert says that his right to due process was violated by the ban and that he has been unlawfully excluded from Churchill Downs and America’s greatest race.
Almirola to call time on NASCAR career at the end of 2022
Mark Glendenning, RACER
Aric Almirola has announced that his upcoming 15th season as a NASCAR Cup Series driver will also be his last. The 37-year-old, who is Florida-born of Cuban heritage, was one of the first drivers to go through NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program in 2004.
Maserati to make motorsport return with Formula E entry
Mark Glendenning, RACER
Maserati will return to international motorsport when it makes its electric racing debut in the 2023 season of the FIA Formula E world championship.
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Novak Djokovic’s Fight to Play Tennis Could Be Just Starting
Christopher Clarey, The New York Times
The trouble in Melbourne presages some of the headwinds he could face in the months ahead if he continues to attempt to travel the world without being vaccinated for Covid-19. Governments are running out of forbearance in instituting or debating vaccine mandates, and some tennis officials are running out of patience, too.
USGA adds U.S. Open exemption for Korn Ferry Tour season-long points winner
Adam Woodard, Golfweek
On Monday the U.S. Golf Association announced a new exemption category for the winner of the season-long Korn Ferry Tour points list that will begin with the 2023 event at Los Angeles Country Club. The player with the most points from the tour’s 23-event regular season and three-event playoffs in 2022 will earn the exemption.
LPGA fans will soon have more options for online gambling
Beth Ann Nichols, Golfweek
As the LPGA takes steps toward making a bigger splash in the sports betting world, IMG Arena has secured the tour’s official sports betting data and live streaming distribution rights.
Players owed thousands from Florida mini-tour event Big Money Classic
Brentley Romine, Golf Channel
M.J. Maguire and at least 23 other players still haven’t been paid their prize money, a sum that reportedly exceeds $300,000, while Orange County National is still owed more than $50,000.
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NBA 2K, GTA Owner Drops Billions on Mobile Game Giant Zynga
Shlomo Sprung, Boardroom
Video game conglomerate Take-Two Interactive, which operates the brands that produce the successful Grand Theft Auto and NBA 2K franchises, made a huge investment in the world of mobile gaming on Monday, announcing the acquisition of mobile game behemoth Zynga for $12.7 billion.
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China makes a show of opening up the internet for the Olympics
Ashley Gold et al., Axios
The Chinese government has promised Olympic athletes free access to social media platforms and other websites in the Olympic Village in Beijing, but internet use may still be fraught with restrictions and risks. China’s aim in temporarily opening its “great firewall” is simply to boost its global reputation ahead of the Games, not to champion an open internet, experts say.
NYRR gets new sponsor for Brooklyn Half Marathon
Chris Smith, Sports Business Journal
New York Road Runners has signed the Royal Bank of Canada as the title sponsor for the Brooklyn Half Marathon, the nation’s most popular 13.1-mile race.
Downtown Tampa will play host to 2022 US Gymnastics Championships
Henry Queen, Tampa Bay Business Journal
Tampa’s Amalie Arena will host the 2022 U.S. Gymnastics Championships this August. A USA Gymnastics spokesperson said the event is estimated to draw 30,000 or more spectators across the four days.
San Diego to Host 2023 Men’s Lacrosse Championship at New Stadium
Barry M. Bloom, Sportico
World Lacrosse awarded the 2023 Men’s World Lacrosse Championship to San Diego on Monday with the main events to be staged at new Snapdragon Stadium, the future football home of San Diego State. It’s the tournament’s first appearance in Southern California and only its fourth time on U.S soil.
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Opinions, Editorials, Perspectives and Research
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MLB to Apple: A contrarian’s take
John Ourand, Sports Business Journal
The deal, which is not completed and still may not happen, is for a package that none of the linear TV networks wanted — non-exclusive weeknight games that would air side-by-side with the same games on RSNs.
Does The World Really Need Tom Brady’s Clothing Brand?
Jake Silbert, Highsnobiety
Would anyone really mind if Tom Brady took a break for a few months? Between again taking the Bucs to the playoffs, wading into NFTs, and his many other exploits (pseudoscientific training regimen, anyone?), it’s never not Tom time.
China’s Star Skier Was Born in the USA—and Still Lives There
Rachel Bachman, The Wall Street Journal
Eileen Gu looks like the apex high-achieving American teenager.
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