• AT&T Inc.’s WarnerMedia division, which includes Turner Sports, will be spun off and combined with Discovery Inc., creating a new company headed by Discovery CEO David Zaslav, subject to regulatory approval. (CNN) The deal, which reportedly likely values the AT&T programming business at well over $50 billion with debt, unwinds AT&T’s big bet on media facilitated by its 2018 acquisition of Time Warner Inc. for around $81 billion. (The Wall Street Journal)
• The matchups for the NBA’s inaugural play-in tournament are set following the conclusion of the regular season last night, headlined by a highly anticipated Wednesday matchup between LeBron James’ 7th-seeded Los Angeles Lakers and Stephen Curry’s 8th-seeded Golden State Warriors on ESPN. Curry scored 46 points on Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies to clinch his second career scoring title, joining Michael Jordan as only the second player in NBA history age 33 or older to lead the league in scoring. (The Associated Press)
• A Virginia resident filed a lawsuit against Vancouver-based Dapper Labs, the developer behind NBA Top Shot, and its CEO Roham Gharegozlou, claiming that the basketball-themed NFTs violate securities law. The lawsuit, which is seeking class-action status, unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial, argues that NBA Top Shot Moments should be regulated like traditional investments since Dapper Labs controls the release of new NFTs. (Front Office Sports)

Referees Score High Marks With U.S. Sports Fans in State of Officiating Survey
Morning Consult

View Full Calendar

Marv Albert retiring after NBA playoffs

Andrew Marchand and Phil Mushnick, New York Post

Marv Albert will retire at the conclusion of the NBA playoffs, The Post has learned. Albert, who will turn 80 next month, has been calling professional games for nearly 60 years and is considered by most the greatest NBA play-by-player of all-time.

Fox Sports Upfront Pitch Kicks Off Hottest Ad Market In A Decade

Anthony Crupi, Sportico

The rollout of the 2021 NFL schedule may have been delayed by nearly a month, but now that advertisers have a more complete sense of where best to place their money in the fall, an already simmering sports-sales marketplace has come to a full boil. Speaking in advance of Fox Sports’ virtual upfront presentation Friday, Seth Winter said early indicators suggest TV’s annual sales bazaar will be the most lucrative in a decade. 

Tennis Channel’s new site, app seek to virtually connect the sport’s global audience

Bret McCormick, Sports Business Journal

When Tennis Channel purchased Tennis.com in 2017, the grand vision was to become the one-stop destination for global tennis fans. The network can now test that theory when it launches a revamped Tennis.com website and, for the first time, an app that it hopes will bring the fragmented digital tennis world together in one virtual location.

Ex-Washington Football Team exec Bruce Allen responds to Daniel Snyder in legal filing

Daniel Kaplan, The Athletic

Former Washington Football Team president Bruce Allen last year successfully fought owner Daniel Snyder’s effort to cut his pay in half, taking the matter to NFL arbitration, a federal court filing disclosed. Allen in the filing suggests the NFL ruled in his favor, but a lawyer for the team wrote the league never ruled and the matter was settled.

Ja’Wuan James considering grievance to recoup potential lost 2021 salary from Denver Broncos, source says

ESPN

Former Denver Broncos offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James is strongly considering filing a grievance through the NFL Players Association for lost wages after he tore his Achilles tendon away from the team facility, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Saturday. James, who was released Friday with a post-June 1 designation, could seek more than $10 million in salary for the 2021 season that the Broncos appear likely won’t cover after they designated him with a non-football injury.

‘He’s still winning’: Kobe Bryant inducted into Basketball Hall of Fame with Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett

Tim Bontemps, ESPN

Vanessa Bryant, the wife of the late Kobe Bryant, accepted her husband’s admission into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Saturday night on his behalf, saying that he’s still winning even after he’s gone. The 2020 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class is one of the most star-studded of all time, led by Bryant and fellow NBA legends Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan.

NBA teams look to staff up and promote season tickets

John Lombardo, Sports Business Journal

The NBA is adopting new measures during the upcoming postseason to drive season-ticket sales following a year of playing in front of a limited number or no fans. New tactics include efforts to help teams replace critical sales staff lost to layoffs or furloughs during the pandemic, a new season-ticket promotional campaign and increased efforts to push online season-ticket sales.

Tech firm Genius Sports wins data partnership with NBA’s Basketball Africa League

Jabari Young, CNBC

Sports tech company Genius Sports is partnering with the National Basketball Association’s league in Africa, which will see the firm provide official real-time stats and incorporate new technology. The agreement, announced Monday, could be the first step in introducing a wave of new sports data and gaming features for media and betting companies.

WNBA teams sit out national anthem during season openers

Jack Baer, Yahoo Sports

Players for the New York Liberty, Indiana Fever, Phoenix Mercury, Dallas Wings and Los Angeles Sparks all stayed off the floor as the anthem was played on Friday. It’s not surprising to see the majority of WNBA teams continue to protest during the national anthem, or at least ignore it.

MLBPA boosts reserves as labor talks continue

Liz Mullen, Sports Business Journal

With collective bargaining underway, the MLB Players Association is building a war chest as the union’s net assets and total assets grew for its last fiscal year, despite the pandemic and shortened 60-game season. The MLBPA’s total assets were $192,304,886 at year-end 2020, an increase of 15.9% over $165,919,088 the year prior.

MLB Players eyes NFT partnership

Liz Mullen, Sports Business Journal

The MLB Players Association’s business arm, MLB Players Inc., is close to announcing a partnership with a technology company that will help the unit with a strategy to make and sell NFTs. Evan Kaplan, MLB Players managing director, said the business unit has talked to more than a dozen companies and expects to make an announcement in the next month.

Yankees’ COVID outbreak reaches nine as staffer tests positive

Dan Martin, New York Post

The Yankees’ COVID-19 outbreak spread to a ninth member of their organization. Manager Aaron Boone said Sunday the team learned Saturday night that another “staff member” had tested positive.

PWHPA forging ahead without NHL backing of women’s hockey

John Wawrow, The Associated Press

The Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association is forging ahead with its bid to establish an economically sustainable professional league in North America with or — for now — without the NHL’s full financial backing. In response to a Sportsnet report that the NHL was not in a position to operate a women’s league for the foreseeable future, PWHPA executive Jayna Hefford wrote in an email to The Associated Press that her group has begun developing “a parallel path for a future that doesn’t rely on NHL support.”

NCAA names host sites for softball regionals in 3 states with transgender athlete bans

The Associated Press

The NCAA named Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee as host schools for softball regionals on Sunday, bringing its postseason tournament to three states that have passed laws requiring athletes to compete in interscholastic sports according to their sex at birth. The NCAA Board of Governors issued a statement last month saying it “firmly and unequivocally supports the opportunity for transgender student-athletes to compete in college sports,” and warned that future hosting of NCAA events could be affected by state laws.

The latest on immediate eligibility for two-time transfers

Jon Rothstein, College Hoops Today

According to a source, the Division 1 Council will meet next week to discuss the necessary criteria for two-time transfers to gain immediate eligibility in all sports through the waiver process. The NCAA recently passed a one-time transfer exception for all student athletes and also passed a blanket waiver last season that allowed all transfers to play immediately due to COVID, but two separate sources said this week that the NCAA is expected to be far more stringent moving forward than it has in the past in regards to waivers.

Mastercard signs on with NWSL for exclusive sponsorship

Mark J. Burns, Sports Business Journal

The NWSL and Mastercard have signed a multiyear, top-tier national sponsorship beginning with the ’21 season, giving the credit card company exclusivity in the payment services category. Financial terms weren’t provided. Through the deal, Mastercard will give fans an opportunity to win a VIP match day experience and also provide young children a chance at participating in the pre-match walk out with players.

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek on Arsenal bid: Kroenkes rejected me

James Olley, ESPN

Spotify owner Daniel Ek claims he has had a takeover bid for Arsenal rejected by club owners Kroenke Sports Enterprises. Ek is leading a consortium including former Gunners players Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp seeking to capitalise on fan unrest and the collapse of the Super League.

Heineken Encourages Fan Rivalry With UEFA Euro 2020 Campaign

Stephen Lepitak, Adweek

Created by Publicis’ Le Pub, the “Finally Together” campaign encourages fans and consumers to enjoy a drink with their footballing rivals during the tournament that’s being held for the first time across 11 cities—but to not be afraid to have a little fun at their rival’s expense. The spot showcases various football fans encountering their seemingly helpful rivals, only to find them playfully promoting the other team in unexpected ways.

NHRA reschedules Pomona for July, Seattle cancelled

RACER

NHRA and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona have announced the weekend of July 30-Aug. 1 as the rescheduled date of the 61st annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com. The Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, which traditionally kicks off the NHRA season, was postponed due to state health guidelines in California.

McLaren drivers urge F1 to follow NASCAR’s throwback lead

Chris Medland, RACER

McLaren drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris say they would like to see Formula 1 follow NASCAR in having a throwback weekend with retro race liveries. NASCAR had its throwback weekend at Darlington last weekend, which was followed by McLaren hosting a special event to unveil an iconic Gulf livery that will be used as a one-off in Monaco.

PGA Championship welcomes back fans, hospitality

John Lombardo, Sports Business Journal

The PGA Championship returns this week to its customary May date with a 50% fan capacity and a near-normal return of hospitality, having sold up to 75% of its customary hospitality inventory. The event will be held at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island in South Carolina from May 20-23 with a new sponsor in Rolex and a major new activation strategy by Cadillac.

Another prominent name bows out of LPGA commissioner search

Beth Ann Nichols and Adam Schupak, Golfweek

As the candidate list for LPGA commissioner continues to narrow, Golfweek has learned that another prominent female leader in the industry is no longer in the mix. Alex Baldwin, current president of the Korn Ferry Tour, confirmed that she has made her decision regarding the role and remains committed to the PGA Tour.

Transgender woman wins Florida mini-tour event, sets sights squarely on LPGA

Beth Ann Nichols, Golfweek

Hailey Davidson, 28, works in social media for NBC’s Peacock division under the Golf Channel umbrella but has dreams of competing on the LPGA. In January, Davidson underwent gender reassignment surgery, a six-hour procedure, and she’s been undergoing hormone treatments since Sept. 24, 2015.

Federer: Decision Day on Tokyo Olympics

TennisNow

Federer said given health and safety concerns over a potential spike in Coronavirus cases, he understands if the Olympics are cancelled. Federer, who served as Swiss flag bearer in past Olympics and partnered buddy Stan Wawrinka to doubles gold at the 2008 Beijing Games said “what athletes need is a decision: is it done or is it not done?”

KRAFTON Chairman Gifts $89M in Private Shares to Employees

James Fudge, The Esports Observer

KRAFTON, Inc. Chairman Byung Gyu Chang revealed plans to give global team members and new hires who join the company before September 2021 up to $89M USD in private KRAFTON shares. The PUBG and PUBG Mobile maker said that participation in its “Employee Stock Ownership Program” will be limited to domestic team members.

Fans travel to Houston to witness a coronation, escape coronavirus restrictions at UFC 262

Glynn A. Hill, The Washington Post

Two days after federal health officials rescinded most masking and distancing recommendations for fully vaccinated Americans, more than 16,000 fans packed Toyota Center for UFC 262 on Saturday, nearly filling the arena for the first time in a year and attracting fans across state lines in search of a full-capacity event to relieve their pandemic fatigue. Toyota Center usually hosts the Houston Rockets, who had 3,803 in attendance for their win over the Los Angeles Clippers the night before.

Full-blown boycott pushed for Beijing Olympics

Stephen Wade, The Associated Press

Groups alleging human-rights abuses against minorities in China are calling for a full-blown boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, a move likely to ratchet up pressure on the International Olympic Committee, athletes, sponsors and sports federations. A coalition representing Uyghurs, Tibetans, residents of Hong Kong and others issued a statement Monday calling for the boycott, eschewing lesser measures that had been floated like “diplomatic boycotts” and further negotiations with the IOC or China.

In-venue tech: Experience is everything

Bret McCormick and Eric Prisbell, Sports Business Journal

The continuing development of new broadband protocols will drive sports facilities’ offerings forward faster in the coming years. That’s beginning now with Wi-Fi 6 and 5G’s greater capacity for data.

‘I’m Not Anti-Anything. I’m Pro-Hawaii.’

John Branch, The New York Times

Two of the four Americans on the U.S. Olympic team, John John Florence and the four-time world champion Carissa Moore, were born and raised in Hawaii and have always competed under the state flag. “There’s a little bit of tension with that, going into the Olympics under a U.S.A. flag,” Florence said at his home on Oahu’s North Shore, on a patio overlooking one of the greatest stretches of surf breaks on the planet.

Mark Cuban, other investors, bet $250,000 on GRIND, a company that makes basketball shooting machines

Jabari Young, CNBC

The term has become popular in pro basketball, but Thomas Fields really did “trust the process” as he lured money from investors, including Mark Cuban, to expand his company. Fields is the founder of GRIND, a sports equipment company, and convinced the Dallas Mavericks owner to buy into the business.