Top Stories

  • Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., is the most likely site for the NBA to resume its 2019-2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to sources who say it has gained momentum over other candidates such as Las Vegas and Houston. The league is reportedly in serious discussions with Walt Disney Co. about securing the site, and sources said the most popular scenario being discussed would have players fully training in mid-June and play resuming in mid-July. (The Athletic)
  • Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said models being considered by his department for having fans in attendance at football games this fall involve hosting a crowd of 20,000-22,000 or up to 40,000-50,000 “if guidelines are relaxed.” The Buckeyes’ Ohio Stadium normally boasts a seating capacity of 102,780, and Smith said the school would turn to its existing point system to determine which fans receive priority access to the limited number of seats. (ESPN)
  • The NHL Players Association’s executive board is expected to discuss the framework of a proposed 24-team, conference-based playoff format that multiple sources say is being developed by league and union leadership, and approval from both teams and players could reportedly come over the next few days. Under the format, the top four teams in each conference based on points percentage at the time of the league’s suspension would receive a bye through a play-in round featuring the remaining eight playoff teams in each conference competing in best-of-five series, which would be followed by best-of-seven series for the remainder of the playoffs. (Sportsnet)

Chart Review

Events Calendar (All Times Local)

05/22/2020
Spurs Sports & Entertainment – R&D Lab: Sports Analytics – Virtual
05/26/2020
Esports Insider Digital Summit Begins – Virtual
Slate – How to Start a Sports League with Tyler Steinhardt (PLL) – Virtual
View full calendar

Watch On-Demand: How the Coronavirus Outbreak is Changing Gen Z’s Worldview

Morning Consult was joined by Advertising Week to discuss how the coronavirus outbreak is changing Gen Z’s worldview, along with new data on what types of activities people would feel comfortable going back to post-pandemic and what brands have to do to make that happen.

Watch the webinar on-demand here.

Media

TV Networks Bet on Golf to Lure Sports Audiences Back to the Screen
Brian Steinberg, Variety

NBC Sports is hoping viewership of its Sunday broadcast of a charity match between Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff is indicative of interest in a range of golf games set to be played in June and over the summer – some of the first live sports telecasts to surface since the pandemic scuttled most outdoor events.

Fox Sports is eyeing their next ESPN personality coup
Andrew Marchand, New York Post

After signing both Adam Amin and Emmanuel Acho from ESPN, Fox Sports is high on Jon Vilma as a game analyst, according to sources. That said, ESPN wants to keep Vilma, where he has been a college football studio analyst on ABC’s top show.

Disney Returns Ad Sales Division to Media Networks Group Following Kevin Mayer’s Exit
Jason Lynch, Adweek

Disney streaming head Kevin Mayer’s surprise exit on Monday to become TikTok’s new CEO continues to have ripple effects at his now former company. Following the departure of Mayer, who had been chairman of Disney’s direct-to-consumer and international (DTCI) segment since 2018, the company has opted to shift its ad sales and media distribution divisions from DTCI to its Media Networks group, effective immediately.

Drahi Seeks Money Back for Halted Champions League Games
Angelina Rascouet, Bloomberg

Billionaire Patrick Drahi wants his soccer money back. The media and telecom mogul said Altice Europe NV — the group he controls — is seeking to recover money the company paid for soccer games from the Union of European Football Associations Champions League that have been postponed since mid-March because of the coronavirus.

Apple Sets ‘Greatness Code’ Docuseries About World’s Greatest Athletes
Will Thorne, Variety

Hot on the heels of ESPN’s “Last Dance” series about Michael Jordan, a new docuseries which aims to find out what makes athletes like LeBron James, Tom Brady and Alex Morgan among the greatest at their individual sports, is coming to Apple. The streamer has greenlit “Greatness Code,” a seven-episode short-form series that spotlights untold stories and pivotal moments that defined each athlete’s career.

All-Star Athletes Filming Documentary About Coronavirus Sports Shutdown From Chris Paul, Brian Grazer, Antoine Fuqua
Matt Donnelly, Variety

The project was conceived by Chris Paul, a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the president of the NBA players union, and producer Brian Grazer. Titled “The Day That Sports Stood Still,” the feature is being directed by Antoine Fuqua and produced by Imagine Documentaries.

‘SNL’ Comes to NBC Sports’ Rescue
Brian Steinberg, Variety

NBCSN, the company’s sports-cable network, will fill next week’s primetime schedule with “SNL” repeats featuring prominent athletes as hosts. It’s just the latest programming maneuver by sports-media outlets to get something on the air for audiences at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has scuttled the majority of professional sports matches.

NFL

Saints exploring Superdome naming rights options
The Associated Press

The New Orleans Saints are preparing to look for a new naming rights holder for the Superdome. Mercedez-Benz has held naming rights under a 10-year agreement that expires in July 2021 and Saints have said this week that the German automaker does not intend to extend the deal.

NFL taking baby steps toward reopenings
Barry Wilner, The Associated Press

There are so many issues that must be addressed with the opening of team facilities across the nation. Just because a handful of clubs returned executives and other staff — no coaches or players — to their complexes on Tuesday does not foreshadow a quick return to business as usual. Or close to it.

N.F.L. Player Sues United Airlines, Saying Woman Sexually Assaulted Him on a Flight
Neil Vigdor, The New York Times

A National Football League player contends in a lawsuit filed Wednesday against United Airlines that he was sexually assaulted by a female passenger on a redeye flight in February from Los Angeles International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport. The football player and a second plaintiff did not give their names in the lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

NBA

Sources: NBA teams expecting guidelines around June 1 for players’ return
Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe, ESPN

NBA teams are expecting the league office will issue guidelines around June 1 that will allow franchises to start recalling players who’ve left their markets as a first step toward a formal ramp-up for the season’s resumption, sources told ESPN. Teams expect a similar timeline from the league on when they’ll be allowed to expand individual workouts already underway with in-market players to include more team personnel, sources said.

Basketball Was Made to Be Played Indoors. Now That’s the Problem.
Ben Cohen, The Wall Street Journal

When a team of Chinese researchers studied transmission of this coronavirus between Jan. 4 and Feb. 11, they identified 318 outbreaks with three or more cases, according to a report they posted to the preprint server medRxiv. Their most remarkable finding was how many of those 318 outbreaks were traced to outdoor environments: none. Every single one was the result of being inside.

NBA Players Becoming Virtual Coaches With Famer Deal
Scott Soshnick, Variety

NBA players are taking all the training tips they learned from years of experience to mobile devices around the world. The union that represents NBA players has signed a global partnership with Famer, a mobile sports coaching and mentoring platform that in the coming months will enable the athletes and their trainers to share custom training videos with kids and their parents.

MLB

Sources: Cubs cutting pay across the company
Patrick Mooney, The Athletic

The Cubs are instituting company-wide pay cuts while trying to weather Major League Baseball’s COVID-19 shutdown, sources told The Athletic. In Wednesday’s communications with employees, the Cubs also signaled that there would be no furloughs at this time.

NHL

Buffalo Sabres sue immigration officials over denial to grant green card for trainer
Gary Craig, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

The owner of the Buffalo Sabres hockey franchise is suing federal immigration officials, saying they wrongly denied an immigration green card for a team trainer. Hockey Western New York LLC, which owns the Sabres, say immigration officials should grant a green card for Dr. Edward Anthony Gannon, a Brit who is the team’s head strength and conditioning coach.

College Sports

NCAA to lift moratorium on football, basketball workouts
Steve Megargee, The Associated Press

The NCAA Division I Council voted Wednesday to lift a moratorium on voluntary workouts by football and basketball players effective June 1 as a growing number of college leaders expressed confidence that fall sports will be possible in some form despite concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. This decision clears the way for individual workouts by athletes, mostly on their own, subject to safety and health protocols decided by their schools or local health officials.

College football players could face coronavirus testing every two or three days upon return
Dan Wolken, USA Today

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said Wednesday he envisions college football players needing to be tested for COVID-19 “probably every two or three days” as a key component of bringing the sport back safely. Bowlsby’s comments came during a webinar with other college athletics officials hosted by the LEAD1 association, which represents athletics directors in the Bowl Subdivision.

University of California campuses will open in the fall, Napolitano says
Jon Wilner, The San Jose Mercury News

University of California president Janet Napolitano said Wednesday that “every campus will be open and offering instruction” this fall despite the coronavirus outbreak that has shuttered most campus activity across the state. “The question will be how much of that instruction is in-person versus how much is done remotely,” Napolitano added during remarks to the UC Board of Regents.

Events with more than 2,500 people like ACL, UT football games doubtful for the rest of 2020
Daniel Salazar, Austin Business Journal

The return of mass events, which support many of these local businesses and the broader Central Texas economy, is more far-fetched as authorities try to contain Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. During a May 20 media briefing, interim Austin-Travis County Health Authority Mark Escott put cold water on the idea that gatherings such as Austin City Limits and University of Texas Longhorn football games will be allowed to proceed later this year with normal-sized crowds.

Soccer

How MLS’s Orlando tournament could impact current, future broadcast deals
Sam Stejskal, The Athletic

According to multiple sources, ESPN, which is owned by Disney, has been heavily involved in discussions about the potential Orlando tournament, which, among other major hurdles, needs the approval of the MLS Players Association before it can become reality. The plan calls for all 26 teams to travel to Florida, where they would be quarantined together at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.

Racing

Mark Miles Increasingly Optimistic On Fans For Brickyard
Adam Stern, Sports Business Journal

Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles says he is increasingly optimistic that the Brickyard 400 weekend will be held with fans in July, setting that up as the likely first NASCAR race back with spectators in attendance. Miles, who oversees IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, told SBJ that the state of Indiana is currently heading toward a re-opening that could include allowing fans inside the Brickyard on July 4 weekend, when a NASCAR/IndyCar doubleheader is scheduled to be held.

Nascar Signs International Sports Betting Agreement With IMG; Deal Also Calls For Virtual Betting Game
Scott Soshnick, Variety

Nascar has signed a long-term deal with IMG Arena that gives international sportsbook operators the right to live-stream races for the first time. Nascar is one of the few U.S. professional sports leagues staging events during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing it to take advantage of the dearth of live sports.

Golf and Tennis

LPGA, Symetra to merge 2020-21 seasons for eligibility, rankings
Randall Mell, Golf Channel

The LPGA will merge its 2020 and ’21 seasons for the purposes of eligibility and priority rankings, but will keep those two seasons separate in its historical and official record. That was the news from the LPGA commissioner’s office Wednesday, as was the announcement that the Meijer Classic is being canceled with the tour continuing to adjust to life amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Golf with fans? Organizers from the Memorial and others are pressing for it
Rob Oller, Columbus Dispatch

The Memorial Tournament and three other professional golf events in Ohio have gone on the offensive by requesting that Gov. Mike DeWine lift or ease a ban on large gatherings and allow fans to attend their summer tournaments. A letter addressed to DeWine and co-signed by the tournament directors of the Memorial, Marathon Classic in Toledo, Bridgestone Senior PGA Challenge in Akron and Nationwide Children’s Championship reads: “We appeal to you to permit the four Ohio professional tournaments to allow fans this coming July and August.”

ATP launches partnerships to help players with mental health, well-being
Reuters

The men’s tennis tour has joined up with Sporting Chance and Headspace to help players and its staff deal with mental health problems and look after their well-being during the COVID-19 shutdown, the ATP said on Wednesday. The professional tennis season was halted in early March due to the pandemic and will remain suspended until at least the end of July, depriving lower-level players who depend solely on tournament winnings of the chance to earn a living.

Esports

Eastern Michigan University taps Gen.G for esports program
Jonno Nicholson, Esports Insider

Multinational organisation Gen.G Esports has joined forces with the Eastern Michigan University to devise an esports program beginning in the autumn. The multi-year agreement will result in a program that supports academic enrollment goals.

General

UFC’s Dana White says May 30 Woodley-Burns fight ‘a go’ in Las Vegas
Adam Hill, Las Vegas Review-Journal

UFC president Dana White indicated early Wednesday the organization will hold a May 30 event at its Apex Facility in southwest Las Vegas. “We are a go on the 30th,” White said in a text message. Former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is scheduled to headline the card in his first fight since losing the belt in March 2019 to Kamaru Usman. Woodley will face Gilbert Burns.

David Levy Joins Arctos Sports Partners As Senior Adviser
Scott Soshnick, Variety

Former Turner President David Levy told Sportico that he has joined Arctos Partners, a private equity firm that invests in professional sports, as a senior adviser. Arctos is led by former Madison Square Garden Chief Executive Officer Doc O’Connor and Ian Charles, a longtime private equity investor.

Sony ramps up VR efforts as demand for virtual events surges
Kana Inagaki and Leo Lewis, Financial Times

Sony is intensifying efforts to perfect its virtual reality headset as the Japanese company bets that the demand for online-only concerts, crowd-free sports events and escapist games will finally push the technology into the home entertainment mainstream.

Coronavirus Shut Down the ‘Experience Economy.’ Can It Come Back?
David Gelles, The New York Times

Beyond the immediate hardships created by sweeping job losses and stagnant businesses, the standstill in gatherings is already having a deeper impact on the national psyche. The business of events, however commercial it might be, is also central to our identities. 

Opinions, Editorials, Perspectives and Research

With No Fans in the Seats, Do Sports Remain Must-Watch TV?
Jeré Longman, The New York Times

Fallow stadiums would not signal a return to normalcy as states reopen. They would confirm that we remain in a time of dire abnormality, undercutting the appeal of sports as escape and distraction.

If MLB returns, the players’ health will be at stake. That should be worth something.
John Feinstein, The Washington Post

It’s always easy to blame the “greedy millionaires.” But more often than not, the “greedy billionaires” are most at fault. That was the case in 1994. That’s the case now.

The NFL wants to make hiring equity a priority. It just has to convince its owners.
Jerry Brewer, The Washington Post

The NFL is a very complicated business, with 32 different franchise personalities in addition to a league office. To have the greatest impact, you need the buy-in of the owners, many of whom are eccentric and don’t like having to answer to anyone.

Morning Consult