• NBC Sports has surpassed $1 billion in advertising commitments for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo and expects to exceed the record $1.2 billion it grossed for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, yet another example of ad buyers’ demand for live viewing as more people opt for streaming content on demand. With many events airing live in prime time and late night, NBC Sports Group Executive Vice President of Ad Sales Dan Lovinger said he expects the Tokyo Games to attract a total of more than 200 million viewers. (The Hollywood Reporter)

• The New York Yankees signed former Houston Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole to a nine-year, $324 million contract, topping the deal signed Monday by Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals as the richest in MLB history for a pitcher and the fourth-richest for any player. The agreement includes a full no-trade clause and gives Cole, who is represented by agent Scott Boras, the opportunity to opt out of the deal after the 2024 season. (ESPN)

• The NFL told team representatives at a league meeting in Las Colinas, Texas, that it expects to set the salary cap for the 2020 season between $196.8 million and $201.2 million, up from $188.2 million this season, pending further deliberation with the NFL Players Association. The cap figure, derived as a percentage of the league’s annual revenue, has increased by at least $10 million in each of the past six seasons. (The Washington Post)

College sports power brokers will take center stage today and tomorrow in New York at the Learfield IMG College Intercollegiate Athletics Forum presented by Sports Business Journal. Here’s what I’ll be watching:

“Because it is my name!”

• I only invoke Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” in the most serious of circumstances, which should tell you just how big of a deal the issue of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL, for short) has become since California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation that will allow athletes to profit from it, beginning in 2023. I’m eagerly awaiting NCAA President Mark Emmert’s one-on-one interview to get a sense of how the governing body plans to approach NIL reform.

A lot for Scott

• The commissioners of all five Power Five conferences — plus the Big East and American Athletic Conference — will take the stage during the two-day event. Of them all, no one is under more pressure than the Pac-12’s Larry Scott. For the fourth time in the six seasons since the establishment of the College Football Playoff, the Pac-12 isn’t represented among the final four, raising the question of whether Scott will advocate for an expanded format. He’ll also face questions about the league’s search for private investment and its plans for the Pac-12 Networks moving forward.

Media moments

• ACC commissioner John Swofford and Duke AD Kevin White will sit down to discuss the launch of the conference’s dedicated cable network earlier this year. I’m excited to hear what went on behind the scenes throughout the decade-long buildup to the channel’s debut in August.

NBC Sports Group Teams With Sony, Verizon on 5G Live-Production Demo at SNF Game
Jason Dachman, Sports Video Group

Sony Imaging Products & Solutions, Sony Mobile Communications, and Verizon teamed up with NBC Sports Group on a 5G live-production demo during Sunday Night Football‘s Houston Texans–New England Patriots matchup at NRG Stadium in Houston on Dec. 1. An NBC Sports camera operator captured video of the game on the field using Sony’s PXW-Z450 shoulder camcorder.

Pringles Returns To The Super Bowl, This Time With Rick And Morty
Jessica Wohl, Ad Age

Pringles is the latest marketer to confirm a Super Bowl ad buy. This time the potato crisp brand is teaming up with Adult Swim on a “Rick and Morty”-themed spot.

Audi Taps 72andsunny For Super Bowl Commercial
E.J. Schultz, Ad Age

Audi will use the Super Bowl to debut a new global campaign from 72andSunny Amsterdam. The Volkswagen Group-owned luxury brand confirmed the ad buy on Tuesday, but did not share creative details or the length of the spot.

Michigan Senate panel OKs sports betting, online gaming package
Beth LeBlanc, The Detroit News

A Senate panel Tuesday passed a package of bills with nearly unanimous support that would shake up the state’s gaming landscape. If it gains the needed support from the full Senate and House, the package could move to the governor’s desk this week, according to Sen. Curtis Hertel, an East Lansing Democrat who’s been involved in negotiations on the package.

NFL hopes to decide quickly whether to punish Patriots for taping Bengals’ sideline
Mark Maske, The Washington Post

The NFL has begun its review of the video shot by New England Patriots representatives at Sunday’s game between the Bengals and Browns game, and hopes to move quickly toward making a determination about whether to punish the Patriots for their admitted violation of league policy. According to one person familiar with the deliberations, a resolution is possible as soon as this week.

‘Bring it on, man’: NFL players prep for work stoppage, but vulnerability remains
Tim McManus, ESPN

NFL players have big plans when it comes to the next collective bargaining agreement: They don’t just want a better deal; they want to fundamentally change the power structure in the NFL. “Really this negotiation is about, ‘How do we move from the position of ownership and players to partners in the business of football?’” Philadelphia Eagles safety and NFLPA player rep Malcolm Jenkins said.

Inaugural NBA Store opens in Mexico
Bob Williams, SportBusiness

Ahead of this week’s NBA Mexico City Games 2019, the National Basketball Association has announced the opening of the inaugural NBA Store in Mexico. The 2,023 square-foot retail space is located in the Polanco neighborhood of Mexico City.

MLB to hold first regular-season games in Mexico City
Reuters

Major League Baseball (MLB) announced plans on Tuesday to hold regular season games in Mexico City for the first time in 2020, with the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres expected to play a two-game series there on April 18-19. The games will take place at the Alfredo Harp Helu Stadium, a 20,000-capacity facility that was completed in March.

Sources: Omaha replacing Secaucus as host of MLB’s amateur draft
ESPN

The Major League Baseball amateur draft is being moved to Omaha, Nebraska, in the days immediately before the College World Series, sources confirmed to ESPN. The first day of the draft will now be June 10, with the CWS set to begin three days later.

The truth behind MLB’s baseballs is about to come out
Ken Davidoff, New York Post

In the wake of too many damn home runs defining the 2019 season, Major League Baseball will reveal its findings Wednesday on what exactly went down and propose solutions for 2020. Two industry sources confirmed a Yahoo Sports report that an announcement will be made to discuss the controversial matter that dominated chatter around the game. 

As politicians rip Major League Baseball, the impact on negotiations with Minor League Baseball is unclear
Evan Drelich, The Athletic

Minor League Baseball is handily winning its public relations battle with Major League Baseball. The question now is how much that matters — whether commissioner Rob Manfred and MLB’s owners are moved enough to change course.

It could be years before Anaheim gets paid for Angel Stadium property
Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times

The Anaheim City Council is expected to approve a sale of the Angel Stadium property next week, but the city may have to wait until midway through the next decade to get most of its money, according to sale documents released by the city Tuesday.

Reds add new fan features to Great American Ball Park
Steve Watkins, Cincinnati Business Courier

The Cincinnati Reds are adding several fan features next season at Great American Ball Park. The team unveiled changes at last weekend’s annual Redfest offseason fan festival that include a specialized suite area, a family zone and a previously announced new premium seating area.

Dallas Stars fire coach Jim Montgomery ‘due to unprofessional conduct’
Matthew DeFranks, The Dallas Morning News

The Stars fired coach Jim Montgomery for “unprofessional conduct” on Tuesday morning, ending his second season behind the bench while the team failed to disclose exactly why Montgomery was dismissed.

NHL sets sights on full-scale World Cup of Hockey after dropping 2021 plan
Chris Johnston, Sportsnet

The earliest we’ll get to see another best-on-best international hockey competition again is the 2022 Olympics. And the NHL’s participation in Beijing is far from a sure thing.

ESPN Player pockets NHL rights in 61 European and African markets
Sam Carp, SportsPro Media

ESPN Player, the sports broadcasting giant’s over-the-top (OTT) streaming service serving several markets outside of the Americas, has picked up National Hockey League (NHL) rights across 61 countries in Europe and Africa. The deal will see ESPN Player show three live regular season games each week from North America’s premier professional ice hockey league, before streaming live and on-demand coverage of every match from the post-season Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Faster browsing ahead: Nationwide Arena getting internet upgrade
Hayleigh Colombo, Columbus Business First

Horizon, a fiber-based broadband carrier, is currently working to install a fiber network inside Nationwide Arena to “replace and expand internet bandwidth” at the arena, according to the entities. The company is also upgrading the building’s phone system.

Australia and New Zealand form bid to co-host 2023 Women’s World Cup
Dominic Bossi, The Sydney Morning Herald

Australia and New Zealand will join forces in their bid to host the 2023 Women’s World Cup after reaching an 11th-hour agreement before the bid deadline on Friday. Football Federation Australia have abandoned plans to bid for the tournament alone and will instead partner with New Zealand Football to co-host the expanded 32-team tournament.

Qatar hits metro milestone ahead of World Cup
Gregory Walton, AFP

Qatar fully opened its new metro network on Tuesday in a major infrastructure milestone ahead of the football World Cup Doha will host in 2022. The railway was opened just in time for the Club World Cup football tournament that kicks off Wednesday, with organisers hoping the metro will ease the burden on the wealthy Gulf emirate’s choked roads.

IndyCar Grand Prix lands Global Medical Response as multi-year title sponsor starting in 2020
Nathan Brown, Indianapolis Star

GMR is the parent company of AMR, which has served as the official medical response partner of the Indianapolis 500, the Grand Prix, the Brickyard 400 and IMS since 2018. Next season’s newly named GMR Grand Prix will be May 9 on the 2.439-mile road course that weaves through the interior of and overlaps a portion of the 500’s oval track.

F1 teams vote to stick with existing Pirelli tires for 2020
Reuters

All 10 Formula One teams have unanimously voted to continue using the current specification of Pirelli tires after testing and analyzing results of the new 2020 prototype in Abu Dhabi, the sport’s governing body (FIA) said on Tuesday. Teams were testing a mixture of the 2019 and 2020 specification tires in post-season testing and Pirelli said last week that they had received mixed results from teams and their drivers.

Oracle Challenger Series Returns in 2020 with Newport Beach, Indian Wells Events
Tennis Now

American tennis’ leading launching pad returns in 2020. The Oracle Challenger Series announced its return to Southern California for two events in early 2020.

St. Cloud State University cuts football and golf, adds men’s soccer in 2020
Nora G. Hertel, St. Cloud Times

St. Cloud State University will end its football and golf programs next year to comply with a Title IX court order and manage budget shortages. The changes will affect about 115 student athletes, seven coaches and two graduate assistant coaches, according to St. Cloud State President Robbyn Wacker. 

Despite another bowl-worthy season, UB football attendance drops slightly
Paul Lane, Buffalo Business First
Despite posting back-to-back bowl season for the first time in program history, the University at Buffalo football team saw a slight attendance drop in 2019. The Bulls drew 98,504 fans to UB Stadium for six home games this past season, good for an average of 16,417.

Brooklyn Nets Owner Joe Tsai Buys $10 Million Stake in Esports Team
Eben Novy-Williams, Bloomberg

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. co-founder Joe Tsai is expanding his sports empire, buying a minority stake in competitive gaming franchise G2 Esports. The owner of the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center is investing $10 million, valuing the Berlin-based franchise at around $100 million, according to two people familiar with the transaction.

PUBG Corporation Teases More Arena Events and Revenue Sharing for 2020
Graham Ashton, The Esports Observer

PUBG Corporation will alter its esports structure for next year, favoring tournament circuits over regional leagues. The newly titled PUBG Global Series (PGS) will include four live events in cities during April, July, October, and November—the last of which will be the PUBG Global Championship (PGC).

NFL Player & Streamers Line Up for Twitch Rivals Streamer Bowl
Chris Pursell, Cynopsis Esports

Twitch is launching the Twitch Rivals Streamer Bowl event series with partners the NFL Players Association and Epic Games, a three-part series that will see NFL players and Twitch streamers showcase their talents over four shows with Fortnite gameplay and interviews. The event will include a draft that will see Twitch streamers compete for top pick to draft NFL players as their tournament partner, followed by a duos tournament with a $500,000 charity prize pool that will take place live from Miami during Super Bowl LIV week.

Brady Hoke example of how hot market takes care of college football assistant coaches
Brent Schrotenboer, Steve Berkowitz and Matt Wynn, USA Today

The financial safety net that comes with these career crashes has gotten drastically stronger for assistant coaches in recent years, putting schools on the hook for increasingly more expensive terminations, according to data from USA TODAY Sports’ annual review of assistant coaches’ compensation.

Off-Shoring, Broadcast Regionalization is Hurting U.S. Sports Leagues
John Wall Street

Common sense suggests that the NFL, the NBA, the NHL and MLB could hedge against a potential decline in broadcast revenues – and ensure their respective pies continue to grow – by developing passionate fan bases overseas, but a pair of prominent U.S. based Spanish-speaking broadcasters tell JohnWallStreet that none of the four have been willing to invest the resources necessary to reap the potential long-term rewards.