Morning Consult Sports: Minor League Baseball Players Form Union to Raise Salaries
 

Sports

Essential sports industry news & intel to start your day.
September 15, 2022
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Today’s Top News

  • Minor league baseball players formed a union Wednesday after Martin Scheinman, the sport’s independent arbitrator, told MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association that a majority of the 5,567 players in the minor league bargaining unit signed union authorization cards, though he didn’t provide an exact number. The organization’s efforts, which are aimed at increasing annual salaries as low as $10,400, started less than three weeks ago. (The Associated Press)
  • Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James criticized the NBA’s one-year suspension of Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver after the league found “workplace misconduct and organizational deficiencies” during Sarver’s tenure, with James writing on Twitter, “Our league definitely got this wrong.” Suns point guard Chris Paul also disapproved of the suspension, writing on Twitter, “I am of the view that the sanctions fell short in truly addressing what we can all agree was atrocious behavior.” (ESPN)
  • ESPN Chief Executive Jimmy Pitaro said he is “willing to be flexible” with the company’s postseason rights to the College Football Playoff as the group’s Board of Managers voted to increase the number of teams that play in the postseason from four to 12 as soon as 2024. ESPN could share some rights to the College Football Playoff but wants to retain the championship game and several playoff games, people familiar with the matter said. (Bloomberg)
  • The NFL said it averaged about 18.5 million viewers across its seven broadcast windows in Week 1 of the 2022 season, marking a 3% increase from a year ago and the best viewership to start a season since 2016. The NFL, which saw year-over-year viewership declines in only two of its broadcast windows, said 121 million people in the United States watched football broadcasts between last Thursday and Monday. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Worth keeping an eye on today (all times local):

  • 7 p.m. Amazon.com Inc.’s exclusive broadcast of “Thursday Night Football” starts with the Los Angeles Chargers at the Kansas City Chiefs. (A Morning Consult survey conducted in late August revealed that 57% of NFL fans said they plan to watch the Prime Video broadcast.)
 

Chart Review

 
 

What Else You Need to Know

 
Media
 

Barstool Sports Bets That Live Event Coverage Can “Take Us Into a New Stratosphere”

Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter 

The digital media brand owned by casino operator Penn National is making a fresh pitch to advertisers, CEO Erika Nardini says.

 

NFL on Prime Video latest foray by leagues into streaming

Joe Reedy, The Associated Press 

Roger Bennett remembers calling his father in Liverpool, England, and having his father hold the phone next to the television so he could experience his beloved Everton in the FA Cup semifinals. To say those days are long, thankfully gone, is an understatement. 

 

A Sports Media Empire Runs on ‘Good Vibes Only’

Zach Schonbrun, The New York Times 

Jimmy O’Brien’s videos breaking down major events turned Jomboy Media into a big business, but O’Brien still sees himself as a fan. “I don’t plan on changing.”

 
NFL
 

NFL’s probe into Commanders, Dan Snyder still ongoing

Rob Maaddi, The Associated Press 

The NFL’s investigation into Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder is still ongoing, and his status remains unchanged. League executive Jeff Miller said Wednesday there’s no timeline for completion of Mary Jo White’s investigation, which includes new allegations stemming from a congressional committee probe into the team’s history of workplace misconduct.

 

Pepsi Gears Up for Another NFL Season—Just Without the Super Bowl Halftime Show

Paul Hiebert, Adweek 

CMO Todd Kaplan explains the beverage giant’s new football strategy.

 
NBA
 

The NBA is looking for a new CMO

E.J. Schultz, Ad Age 

Kate Jhaveri, the league’s top marketer since 2019, has departed.

 
MLB
 

Guerrero hits 100th homer at age 23, Blue Jays beat Rays 5-1

Ian Harrison, The Associated Press 

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 100th home run at age 23, becoming the 10th youngest player in MLB history to reach the mark, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 on Wednesday night to ensure winning a rare five-game series against a wild-card rival.

 
NHL
 

Alexandra Mandrycky named Seattle Kraken assistant GM, becomes sixth woman hired to role across NHL this offseason

Emily Kaplan, ESPN 

Alexandra Mandrycky has been promoted by the Seattle Kraken to assistant general manager, becoming the sixth woman elevated to that position this offseason and the first to specialize in analytics.

 
College Sports
 

Mountain West Commissioner Steps Down After CFP Expansion

Amanda Christovich, Front Office Sports 

Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson announced on Thursday he’ll step down in December after more than two decades with the conference. 

 

Amazon’s Thursday night NFL broadcast could be a peek into the Pac-12’s future

Jon Wilner, The Mercury News

Multiple sources in the sports media industry — none of them affiliated with the Pac-12 office or the campuses — have told the Hotline that commissioner George Kliavkoff is serious about a media rights agreement with Amazon.

 

FBS ADs urge college football reform, but not NCAA breakaway

Ralph D. Russo, The Associated Press 

The athletic directors who lead the schools that play Division I college football at the highest level want the sport to continue to be governed by the NCAA — if that governance can be streamlined.

 

Inside the mysterious world of college football game film

Luke Winkie, The Washington Post 

Every spring, football writers sink deep into the black market. They’re not bartering for controlled substances, or blood diamonds, or credit card numbers. 

 

Brands target local college athletes as NIL enters second year

Erika Wheless, Ad Age

Chipotle, Degree and others reveal their playbooks for the second year of the NIL era.

 

EA Sports College Football: The rise, fall — and return — of a beloved video game

Chris Vannini, The Athletic 

When Joey Harrington arrived at Oregon in the fall of 1998, he had lofty goals: become the starting quarterback, win the Heisman Trophy and compete for a national championship. But there was something else in the back of his mind.

 
Soccer
 

Majority of fans want FIFA to compensate Qatar’s migrant workers

Hritika Sharma, Reuters 

A majority of football fans from 15 countries would support FIFA compensating migrant workers in Qatar for human rights violations during the country’s preparations for the 2022 World Cup, Amnesty International said on Thursday.

 

Budweiser Will Promote Its Alcohol-Free Beer at World Cup in Qatar

Katie Deighton, The Wall Street Journal 

Budweiser is proceeding carefully with its on-the-ground sponsorship of the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar, an emirate with strict regulations on the sale and consumption of alcohol.

 

USMNT’s New 2022 World Cup Kits Revealed by Nike

Brian Straus, Sports Illustrated 

Having already been seen (and criticized) by many U.S. fans following several weeks of leaks, Nike’s new national team uniforms finally were unveiled by U.S. Soccer and its supplier early Thursday morning.

 

AFC Bournemouth Owner Revives Sale of Premier League Club

David Hellier, Bloomberg 

The Russian owner of AFC Bournemouth is reviving an attempt to sell the club, now that it has once again reached England’s top football league, people familiar with the matter said.

 

With the World Cup near, USMNT sets its roster for final tuneups

Steven Goff, The Washington Post 

Gregg Berhalter, coach of the U.S. men’s national soccer team, has made clear the door will not close for inclusion on the World Cup roster until the 26-man squad is named Nov. 9. 

 

The Hollywood Merger That Could Reshape the Business of Soccer

Rory Smith, The New York Times 

As two behemoths join forces against boutique agencies in the fight for control and commissions, some fear profits could come before players.

 
Racing
 

Singapore Rooms Surge Past $2,000 a Night as Bankers Head for F1

Jane Zhang and Joanna Ossinger, Bloomberg

Deal-makers tired of years of Covid restrictions are converging on Singapore for the year’s biggest investment conferences and Formula 1 — a massive party-in-the-making that’s helping push hotel rates to unprecedented heights.

 
Golf and Tennis
 

The PGA Tour’s High-Flying Corporate Expenditures

Mark Maremont and Andrew Beaton, The Wall Street Journal 

Commissioner Jay Monahan is required by the Tour to travel by private jet for both business and pleasure. That isn’t disclosed in the nonprofit Tour’s annual tax filings.

 

Greg Norman says LIV has ‘four networks’ in the bidding for a TV deal

James Colgan, Golf.com

LIV Golf has a TV problem, and evidently more solutions than it knows what to do with. 

 

Serena does not rule out return, saying NFL’s Brady started ‘a really cool trend’

Frank Pingue, Reuters

During an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America”, the 23-times Grand Slam singles champion did not rule out taking a page from seven-times Super Bowl winner Brady’s playbook.

 
Esports
 

What does Ninja’s multi-platform experiment mean for the streaming industry?

Max Miceli, Dot Esports 

Will his big risk pay off? Does it even have to?

 
General
 

Skydance Scraps Matthew McConaughey Soccer Movie ‘Dallas Sting’ Weeks Ahead of Production

Borys Kit and Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter 

The studio received allegations about certain aspects of the true story of a famed girls soccer team’s 1984 trip to China.

 

Former NBPA head Roberts to oversee launch of interactive league

Frank Pingue, Reuters

Former National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Michele Roberts will help to oversee the launch of a four-team basketball league that will be played on an interactive LED court, Fan Controlled Sports & Entertainment said on Wednesday. 

 

Helmet Shortage in High School Football Raises Costs, and Risks

Jeré Longman, The New York Times 

Supply chain problems have slowed manufacturing, leaving coaches around the country scrambling to find protective gear for their teams.

 

The tequila brand founded by Michael Jordan and other NBA owners makes a new play for the luxury market

Jessica Golden, CNBC 

Cincoro, the label created by five National Basketball Association team owners, including Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, on Wednesday announced a new blend of its award-winning tequila.

 
Morning Consult