Top Stories

  • The Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays punched their tickets to the 2020 World Series with Game 7 wins over the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros, respectively. The series, which is set to begin tomorrow night at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, marks only the fourth time since MLB’s 1995 realignment that the teams with the best regular-season record in both the American League and National League will meet in the World Series. (The Associated Press)
  • Legendary hockey broadcaster Mike “Doc” Emrick will reportedly announce his retirement this morning at the age of 74, leaving NBC Sports without its top play-by-play voice for its NHL coverage as it nears the expiration of its exclusive media rights deal with the league. Emrick rose from calling college and minor league hockey on the radio to become one of the most venerated on-air personalities in sports media during a career that included stops at ESPN, CBS and NBC. (New York Post)
  • The Tennessee Titans expect to soon receive the results of the NFL’s investigation into their league-worst COVID-19 outbreak, and while the team could face discipline, sources said it is not expected to be as severe as some thought when the league’s probe started. The NFL reportedly believes the club’s protocol violations were acts of negligence rather than intent. (ESPN)

Chart Review

Events Calendar (All Times Local)

10/19/2020
MediaPost TV & Video Insider Summit Begins – Virtual
10/20/2020
espnW: Women + Sports Summit Begins – Virtual
X Investor Series: Gaming/Digital Media Investor Conference – Virtual
Hashtag Sports 2020 Begins – Virtual
View full calendar

New Report: What Consumers Want Companies to Say and Do in a Year Like No Other

Driven by a dwindling economy, an unfolding pandemic, significant social unrest around racial injustice and an imminent election, 2020 has been defined by a quickly changing consumer environment.

Our new report, What Consumers Want Companies to Say and Do in a Year Like No Other, brings together our latest insights to help brands strike the right tone in messages and communications. Download the report.

Media

‘You have to be more nimble’: How advertisers are adapting to a mixed-up fourth-quarter TV market
Tim Peterson, Digiday

The fourth quarter is usually a pretty stable time for the TV advertising market. But there is nothing stable about 2020.

Star Tribune sports columnist Sid Hartman dies at age 100
Patrick Reusse, Minneapolis Star Tribune

From a humble start selling newspapers on the street in 1928, he wrote about sports for the Star Tribune for the ensuing decades. He was still writing three columns a week, his final one appearing on the day he died.

After Successful Tests, Sports Betting-Driven NBA Telecasts Here To Stay
Michael McCarthy, Front Office Sports

TV networks and media companies will increasingly experiment with more “alternate” telecasts for NBA games focused on sports betting. During the 2019-20 season, the league teamed with TNT, Bleacher Report, The Action Network, and Yahoo Sports to experiment with live game telecasts or streams that featured expert gambling analysis, betting lines, and discussion of the odds.

Scottish Premiership games finally added to ESPN+
Christopher Harris, World Soccer Talk

The on-again off-again deal between the Scottish Professional Football League and ESPN+ has finally crossed the line and been completed. The historic deal between ESPN+ and Scottish Premiership kicked off Saturday with the Old Firm Derby between Celtic and Rangers, to be streamed beginning at 7:30AM ET on ESPN+.

NFL

NFL’s 12 Sunday games get final go-ahead after no new positive coronavirus tests
Mark Maske, The Washington Post

The all-clear came after several days of coronavirus-related disruptions affecting a variety of NFL teams. The league rescheduled a series of games the previous two weekends and teams continued to experience issues in recent days.

FedEx Field is unlikely to allow fans despite Hogan order allowing 10 percent capacity
Nicki Jhabvala, The Washington Post

The Washington Football Team is “evaluating” the possibility of allowing a limited number of fans at FedEx Field in the wake of a new order by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), but it is unlikely to lift its ban at this point, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Citing Maryland’s relatively stable rate of positive novel coronavirus tests, Hogan signed an executive order Friday that allows for up to 10 percent capacity at outdoor sports venues in the state.

Bills apply for trademark for ‘Bills Mafia’
Matt Glynn, The Buffalo News

The Buffalo Bills are seeking to trademark “Bills Mafia” – a term that has become synonymous with its rabid fan base. The Bills trademark application says it seeks to use the Bills Mafia phrase on clothing, ranging from baseball caps and jackets to earmuffs and golf shirts, as well as on pajamas, shoes, shorts, slippers and robes, among other things.

Cowboys Backup QB Ben DiNucci Slides into First Marketing Deal
Torrey Hart, Front Office Sports

For his first marketing deal, DiNucci — a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft — partnered with his alma mater James Madison University’s Women in Sport and Recreation Management student organization and retailer ISlide for a limited-edition pair of slides. A portion of the proceeds will go toward a new endowed scholarship for underrepresented students studying sport and recreation management in the Hart School.

NBA

The Lakers won a title, but also lost the most potential fan revenue in 2019-20
Bill Shea, The Athletic

The Lakers had to forgo 10 regular season home games this season because of the coronavirus shutdown, tying them for the most missed games this season. That translates to an NBA-leading $52.7 million in unrealized fan-based game day income for the team, according to a new report from Chicago-based sports business intelligence firm Team Marketing Report.

MLB

Marlins, Jeter part with exec Michael Hill after 19 seasons
Steven Wine, The Associated Press

Miami Marlins executive Michael Hill’s 19-season tenure with the franchise has ended. Hill was president of baseball operations for the past six years and provided continuity after a 2017 change in ownership, but his contract expired and he will not be back next season, CEO Derek Jeter said Sunday.

MLB to allow recovery devices in dugout backed by San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr.
Jeff Passan, ESPN

The league’s deal with Hyperice, whose products use percussion, compression, heat and ice therapy to aid in muscle recovery, will allow in-game treatment with the technology. Injury rates across baseball spiked in the pandemic-shortened season, and certified athletic trainers regard recovery devices as vital to players’ health.

NHL

Like it or not, NHL could be forced to play next season in modified bubble
Jim Morris, CBC Sports

If the NHL hopes to start a new season in January, there probably won’t be any fans in the buildings and games could be played in some sort of modified bubble format, say some experts. The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association will begin meetings in the coming weeks to discuss a return to play, although there’s already been some dialogue between the two sides.

College Sports

SEC announces rescheduling of six games, fines schools for violating coronavirus protocols
Jake Russell, The Washington Post

Outbreaks of the coronavirus among the Florida and Vanderbilt football teams has led the Southeastern Conference to reschedule several games, while the conference began fining teams for violating health and safety protocols during games. Saturday’s postponed contests between LSU and Florida and Vanderbilt and Missouri have moved to Dec. 12, while Florida’s home matchup against Missouri will move from Oct. 24 to Oct. 31.

How a Texas A&M Soccer Player and a 9-Day-Old Policy Put Nick Saban Back on the Alabama Sideline
Ross Dellenger, Sports Illustrated

Without the soccer incident, without the hurried change to the policy and without a rushed test to a Mobile-based lab on Saturday morning, Saban wouldn’t be in such a position. He’d instead be quarantined for another several days over an initial positive test that, physicians say, was likely due to either a lab error, faulty equipment or, maybe most likely, incremental traces of viral matter that were at first detected but then had dissipated during subsequent testing.

What the NCAA Transfer Legislation Means for the Academic Progress Rate
Ross Dellenger, Sports Illustrated

In light of impending changes to the transfer policy, the NCAA will explore adjustments to the Academic Progress Rate and expects conferences to align their own transfer policies with the governing body’s new legislation. The Division I Council agreed to move forward with legislation that will grant athletes the freedom to transfer and play immediately at least once in their college careers, eschewing the penalty requiring athletes of five sports (football and basketball included) to sit out a year.

NCAA punishes UMass for financial aid violations in men’s basketball and women’s tennis
Kyle Boone, CBS Sports

The University of Massachusetts provided impermissible financial aid that exceeded the full cost of attendance for both men’s basketball and women’s tennis athletes, the NCAA announced Friday. The committee on infractions determined the violations should be classified as Level II-mitigated and punished UMass with two years of probation, a fine and a vacation of records in contests ineligible players participated in from 2014-17.

Iowa Hawkeyes say they won’t pay ex-football players’ $20M demand
The Associated Press

The University of Iowa said it would not pay a demand from eight Black former football players for $20 million in compensation for alleged racial discrimination they faced while playing for the Hawkeyes. The university general counsel’s office released its response Sunday to a 21-page certified letter dated Oct. 5 from civil rights attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons of Tulsa, Oklahoma, who is representing the players.

Florida coach Dan Mullen tests positive for COVID-19 days after pleas for fans to ‘Pack The Swamp’
Pete Thamel, Yahoo Sports

Mullen’s positive test comes amid an outbreak of staff and players that’s amounted to more than 20 positive tests. Florida’s game against LSU scheduled for Saturday had already been postponed, as the school announced on Wednesday that it didn’t have enough players to play.

Soccer

Orlando City SC Close To Being Sold For About $400 Million
Mike Ozanian, Forbes

Major League Soccer’s Orlando City SC, which played its first season in Major League Soccer in 2015, is on the verge of being sold for about $400 million, according to a source with knowledge of the transaction. If the sale goes through, it would represent a windfall for owner Flávio Augusto da Silva, who paid a $70 million expansion fee for the team.

Multiple team sales will test MLS ‘growth story’
Mark J. Burns and Chris Smith, Sports Business Journal

While MLS television viewership and media dollars still don’t come close to mirroring the top global leagues, multiple soccer and finance sources touted the league’s “growth story” narrative. That includes adding four more teams between now and 2023 and a new television deal on the horizon that has yet to be negotiated but could inject more cash into MLS and provide even broader exposure for the property, sources said.

MLS nears tipping point with COVID-19 spikes. Could points per game end up impacting playoffs?
Jeff Carlisle, ESPN

Since Sept. 23, 24 players and staff members have had confirmed positive tests for COVID-19, resulting in the postponement of 10 matches. This has occurred even as MLS continued regular testing and mask wearing, as well as taking steps such as same-day travel for visiting teams to limit potential infection and spread.

Houston Dynamo’s new crest revealed; team to switch ahead of 2021 season
Pablo Maurer and Jeff Rueter, The Athletic

After months of looking into ways to refresh their brand, the Houston Dynamo have settled on a new look. The Texan franchise will utilize a new crest for the 2021 season and beyond, sources tell The Athletic.

Racing

Trademark applications surface for Michael Jordan’s NASCAR team
Steven Taranto, 247Sports

Newly discovered trademark applications suggest that both a name and number have been settled on: A company called 2311 Racing c/o Jump DC has filed applications to trademark the name 23XI Racing as well as the number 23 under Entertainment Services, “namely, performing and competing in stock car racing events.” The team name combines Jordan’s iconic No. 23 with Hamlin’s No. 11 (XI), with the number also harkening back to Jordan’s likeness.

Golf and Tennis

Tiger Woods back in action at Sherwood Country Club for Zozo Championship
Todd Kelly, Golfweek

It’s been almost a year since Tiger Woods tied Sam Snead’s mark of 82 career PGA Tour victories. He’ll get the chance to get No. 83 this week at a place he’s familiar with: Sherwood Country Club just outside Thousand Oaks, California. Woods hosted the Hero World Challenge at Sherwood from 2000-2013.

Esports

Team Diverge launched by JuJu Smith-Schuster
Thomas Lace, Esports Insider

Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver, JuJu Smith-Schuster has launched a new gaming organisation, Team Diverge. The organisation aims to become a hub for crossover content across sports, gaming and culture, featuring popular streamers, athletes and celebrities, including the launch of its own streetwear apparel line.

McLaren focuses on turning revving advertiser interest in esports into more media dollars
Seb Joseph, Digiday

By being one of the first sports organizations to build an esports team, Formula One team Mclaren has had time to learn about the industry, embed itself in the ecosystem, and strike commercial deals. Its esports team now has major sponsors in Logitech and Huami and an established presence in well-known tournaments.

General

Adidas Blends Surreal, Satisfying Art and ASMR in a 12-Hour Video Starring Its New Shoe
Sara Spary, Adweek

Adidas Originals has created a rather bizarre 12-hour YouTube video featuring its new ZX sneaker and describes the extremely long-form work as typical of the “escapism content” consumed by teens online. The video, on a channel titled “ZXience Network” features a stream of “oddly satisfying” ASMR-like clips that have only the sneaker in common.

U.S. Figure Skating to hit the home ice with a new sponsor
Chris Smith, Sports Business Journal

This weekend’s Skate America event is the first major one for figure skating in the U.S. during the pandemic. While no fans will be at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, the event will have a new title sponsor in Guaranteed Rate.

Opinions, Editorials, Perspectives and Research

Game Changers: Class of 2020
Sports Business Journal

Our 10th class of Game Changers: Women in Sports Business honors 50 leaders, innovators and decision-makers across the industry. They are the force behind projects, the drivers of significant change, the progressives bringing new ideas to sports.

When Women and Politics Took Over Baseball
Rachel Bachman, The Wall Street Journal

Some fans say this 2020 year of social activism has sullied sports, a realm they view as politics-free. But leading up to 1920, suffragists orchestrated what might have been the most overtly political push in pro sports history: They swarmed baseball games as part of their successful campaign to amend the U.S. Constitution and give women the vote.

Morning Consult