• In a review commissioned by the NCAA amid controversy about gender equity issues related to its men’s and women’s basketball championships, the law firm of Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP found that the association’s business model, organizational structure and culture “all prioritize Division I men’s basketball over everything else in ways that create, normalize, and perpetuate gender inequities.” The 118-page report suggests that the NCAA has undervalued the women’s basketball tournament by tens of millions of dollars and should overhaul how it monetizes the event to both boost its profitability and foster equity between the men’s and women’s events. (The Wall Street Journal)
• Spain’s top soccer outfit, La Liga, agreed to sell 10 percent of its commercial interests to private equity firm CVC Capital Partners for around $3 billion in a first-of-its-kind deal that, if approved by the majority of its 42 clubs in the country’s first and second divisions, would help teams struggling financially to fix their finances and ease a cash crunch caused by the pandemic. La Liga said in a statement that all assets related to the deal would be placed into a new company, in which CVC would take a 10 percent stake, and that the league would maintain total control over the sale of its media rights and rules for competition. (The New York Times)
• The commissioners of the Big 12 and Pac-12 conferences were scheduled to meet yesterday to discuss whether the two leagues would benefit from a strategic alliance amid college sports’ new phase of realignment stemming from Texas and Oklahoma moving to the Southeastern Conference, according to multiple sources. Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby suggested during his appearance at a Texas Senate committee meeting Monday that cooperation between the two leagues could range from a scheduling partnership to joint negotiation of media rights deals. (The Athletic)

Money for medals: Olympic glory can also be very lucrative for athletes from these countries
USA Today

View Full Calendar

Summer Olympics viewership remains low

Sports Media Watch

Monday’s primetime coverage of the Tokyo Summer Olympics averaged 15.8 million viewers across NBC’s various platforms, down 38% from the comparable night of the Rio Summer Games in 2016 (24.3M). Versus the comparable night of the most recent Olympics, the Pyeongchang Winter Games in 2018, viewership fell 15% from 18.6 million.

Tokyo Olympics see 1st cluster of COVID-19 infections

Kyodo News

The Tokyo Olympic organizing committee said Wednesday five confirmed COVID-19 cases among the Greek artistic swimming team are the first cluster of infections in the athletes’ village. “I have to say it is a cluster,” a spokesman for the organizing committee, Masanori Takaya, said after it reported 29 more COVID-19 cases associated with the Olympics, the highest daily count, bringing the cumulative total to over 300.

Japan to limit hospital care as COVID-19 cases hit new high

Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press

Japan’s government is introducing a contentious new policy in which coronavirus patients with moderate symptoms will isolate at home instead of in hospitals, as new cases surge in Tokyo to record levels during the Olympic Games. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s plan, which aims to save hospital beds almost exclusively for those with serious symptoms or at risk of developing them, is a major policy shift as new cases in the capital have more than tripled since the Olympics began on July 23.

International Olympic Committee suspends inquiry into gesture made by American Raven Saunders

Tom Hamilton, ESPN

The International Olympic Committee has suspended an investigation into American Raven Saunders’ gesture on the podium after the athlete’s mother died. Saunders took silver in the women’s shot put on Sunday and marked the occasion by making an ‘X’ symbol with her arms.

A restrictive Olympics has reminders of NBA, WNBA bubbles

Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press

There are clear similarities between what basketball players are having to endure at these Tokyo Olympics and what went on last summer for NBA players in Lake Buena Vista, Florida and WNBA players in Bradenton, Florida. The days have seemed a bit monotonous, there’s separation from loved ones and there’s hardly anyone in the buildings to cheer for them.

Former Rangers coach John Tortorella joins ESPN as studio analyst

Jared Greenspan, New York Post

ESPN has hired former Rangers coach John Tortorella to work as a studio analyst as a part of the network’s NHL coverage. Tortorella most recently coached the Blue Jackets for six seasons.

Gold Cup final scores despite Olympics

Sports Media Watch

It was not as big a draw as two years ago, but the Gold Cup final held up well opposite a diminished — but still dominant — Olympics. Sunday’s United States-Mexico Concacaf Gold Cup final averaged 7.6 million viewers across Univision, TUDN and FS1, down 14% from the same matchup in 2019, which did not face any notable competition (8.8M), but up 85% from United States-Jamaica in 2017 (4.1M).

Bouchard Joins Tennis Channel During Shoulder Rehab

TennisNow

Bouchard made her TC debut on Monday night during the network’s coverage of the the Citi Open in Washington, DC andthe Mubadala Silicone Valley Classic in San Jose, Calif. Bouchard will offer commentary every day this week and continue to work for the network during the initial days of Canada’s National Bank Open presented by Rogers, which takes place in Toronto and Montreal starting August 9th.

Another senior Raiders exec leaves team

Ben Fischer, Sports Business Journal

Raiders Senior VP/Strategy & Business Development Brandon Doll left the organization last week, he confirmed, shortly after team President Marc Badain stepped down. Doll spent eight years with the Raiders, starting as a finance intern before steadily rising in the front office.

With help from coach Ron Rivera, Washington Football Team’s vaccination rate rises to 84%

John Keim, ESPN

A plea about vaccinations from Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera over the weekend appears to have worked. The team continues to increase its vaccination rate, jumping to 84% of its players with at least one shot, a source confirmed.

Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry gets 4-year, $215M NBA extension

Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN

Two-time NBA MVP and three-time champion Stephen Curry has agreed to a four-year, $215 million contract extension with the Golden State Warriors, making him the first player in history to sign two $200 million-plus contracts, his agent, Jeff Austin of Octagon Basketball, told ESPN. Curry will extend his contract off his $45.8 million salary for 2021-22, which means he’s now guaranteed $261 million over the next five seasons.

More text messages released involving Trevor Bauer and woman accusing him of sexual assault

Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times

Lawyers for Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer on Tuesday attempted to counter a woman’s accusation that Bauer sexually assaulted her by releasing text messages the woman exchanged with Bauer and others. Bauer was put on leave by Major League Baseball in June after the woman received a temporary restraining order against him and her assault allegations became public.

MLB partners with America250 around country’s 250th anniversary

John Ourand, Sports Business Journal

MLB has signed a multiyear partnership with America250, the official commemoration of the United States’ 250th anniversary coming in ’26. The first sports league to join the commemoration, MLB’s involvement will include telling stories of the sports’ roots.

NHL, IOC unable to agree on expanded media rights deal for 2022 Winter Olympics, sources say

Greg Wyshynski, ESPN

The NHL and the International Olympic Committee were unable to secure an expanded media rights deal for the 2022 Winter Olympics, but the league still intends to send its players to Beijing, sources told ESPN. In its new collective bargaining agreement, the NHL agreed to let players participate in the 2022 Beijing Games and 2026 Milan Games contingent on securing agreements with the IOC and IIHF.

Ohio State athletes could profit off university trademarks as part of new NIL deal

The Athletic

Ohio State student-athletes will be able to opt-in and use their name, image and likeness in conjunction with the school’s trademarks and logos as part of a group licensing program, the Buckeyes announced on Tuesday. According to Ohio State’s announcement, the group licensing program will offer jerseys and eventually grow to include merchandise such as video games, apparel, trading cards and bobbleheads.

OVC sues Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville St over exit fees

The Associated Press

The Ohio Valley Conference has sued Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State, contending they have not paid $1 million exit fees after both schools left the league this year for the Atlantic Sun Conference. Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State joined the ASUN on July 1 after announcing their respective departures in January and February.

Gotham FC to name Yael Averbuch West interim GM after firing of Alyse LaHue

The Athletic

Gotham FC will name Yael Averbuch West interim general manager and head of soccer operations. Averbuch West replaces Alyse LaHue, who was fired by the team last month after three years with Gotham FC.

NASCAR returns to indoor mask mandate at Watkins Glen

Motorsport.com

With rising COVID-19 cases across the country, NASCAR will reinstitute a limited mask policy for those who work at the track. On Tuesday afternoon, NASCAR issued an update to its covid protocols which states that beginning with this weekend’s ARCA and NASCAR races at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, it will require all personnel wear a face mask in enclosed areas at all times, regardless of vaccination status.

Chastain to join Trackhouse on multi-year deal

Kelly Crandall, RACER

Trackhouse purchased Chip Ganassi Racing last month, which allows it to expand to a two-car team next year. Chastain will drive the organization’s second chartered car, the No. 1 Chevrolet. It is a multi-year deal for Chastain to compete alongside Daniel Suarez in the No. 99 Chevrolet.

PGA Tour releases 2021-2022 schedule — WGC sliced, Euro partnership strengthens

Adam Schupak, Golfweek

The PGA Tour announced its slate of 48 tournaments that will make up the 2021-22 season, and it included a few new wrinkles. For the first time, the PGA Tour is co-sanctioning a European Tour event, the Scottish Open.

Lexi Thompson steadily grows portfolio off the course

Terry Lefton, Sports Business Journal

Lexi Thompson will tee off in her second Olympics tonight in Tokyo, five years after she represented Team USA in Rio in 2016. Plenty has changed off the course for the 26-year-old in the time since her last Olympics appearance, as Thompson has steadily built out her portfolio with deals with the likes of Rocket Mortgage and Bentley, among others, plus the launch of her own skincare brand, LEXI Skin, just last week.

Activision Blizzard Executives Exit as Company Faces Gender-Bias Lawsuit

Sarah E. Needleman, The Wall Street Journal

Activision Blizzard Inc. said the head of its Blizzard Entertainment unit and a senior human-resources executive are leaving the company, as the videogame publisher seeks to stabilize its business after a gender-bias lawsuit and calls to improve its culture. J. Allen Brack has stepped down as president of the studio behind hit franchises such as World of Warcraft and Overwatch, the company said Tuesday.

T-Mobile disappears as CDL & Overwatch League sponsor amid Activision Blizzard lawsuit

Theo Salaun, Dexerto

In the wake of Activision Blizzard’s ongoing discrimination lawsuit, it appears that the Call of Duty League and Overwatch League have quietly lost their formerly prominent T-Mobile partnership. Upon a deeper dive, the T-Mobile logo seems to have been taped over on players’ jerseys, while the brand was removed from all broadcast segments and from the CDL’s website.

Sources: LCS lands 7-year FTX sponsorship deal as first crypto exchange partner of any Riot league

Jacob Wolf, Dot Esports

The LCS will announce a new seven-year sponsorship deal with FTX, sources familiar with the deal told Dot Esports. The news comes just months after the LCS barred TSM from using FTX as a part of its name in the league—which was revealed hours after TSM announced a 10-year, $210 million deal with the exchange.

McDonald’s And Faze Clan Team Up For Largest Push In Gaming Creator Content

Ilyse Liffreing, Ad Age

McDonald’s is gearing up for its largest endeavor in gaming content as the world’s largest restaurant company looks to reach the audiences of some of the internet’s hottest gaming creators. McDonald’s U.S. is partnering with Faze Clan to feature the creators of the gaming organization in various types of content.

Damage named agency of record for Rainbow Six North American League

Jonno Nicholson, Esports Insider

North American esports agency Damage has been named as the agency of record for the Rainbow Six Esports North American League. As a result, the agency and video game publisher Ubisoft will collaborate on a range of social activations in a bid to position the North American Pro League as ‘one of the premier esports leagues in the world’.

Octagon’s New Division To Support Second Acts For Athletes, Execs

Emily Caron, Sportico

Former Cleveland Cavaliers star Brad Daugherty and former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis have joined Octagon to co-lead the sports and entertainment agency’s new career-development-and-transition division, alongside seasoned agents Mike Liut and Eddie Pope—both former professional athletes themselves.