Sports
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Essential sports industry news & intel to start your day.
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March 31, 2023
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Today’s Top News
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Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry signed a long-term extension with apparel brand Under Armour Inc. in what could be one of the most lucrative endorsement deals in sports history, when including annual base pay, stock equity and other deal points. Under Armour Founder Kevin Plank said the agreement with Curry, who first signed with the brand in 2013 and will now be president of Curry Brand, could become a lifetime deal if specific performance-based revenue metrics are hit, which would trigger contract clauses that would extend the deal. (ESPN)
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NFL Network is reportedly parting ways with analyst Willie McGinest, who was suspended and removed from TV by the network after the three-time Super Bowl champion allegedly attacked a patron at a West Hollywood restaurant on Dec. 9 before turning himself in to the Los Angeles County sheriff’s department on Dec. 19. McGinest, who faces two felony charges and is also being sued by the patron, could face eight years in prison. (Front Office Sports)
- Top NBA prospect and Alabama men’s basketball freshman forward Brandon Miller told ESPN that he’s decided to forego his remaining college eligibility and enter the NBA draft in June. Miller, who led the country’s freshman class with an average of 18.8 points per game, has been a cooperating witness, according to the university, for a capital murder case involving former Alabama player Darius Miles and another man, though Miller has not been accused of a crime. (ESPN)
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| A MESSAGE FROM MORNING CONSULT |
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What Else You Need to Know
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ESPN will not reimburse talent for new Twitter Blue verification system
Michael Dixon, Awful Announcing
Several different news agencies have taken a stand against paying for verification in light of Twitter’s new policies under the ownership of Elon Musk. ESPN has followed a similar path, but not entirely.
Why the Final Four will look different on TV this year: Meet CBS’ Mark Grant
Richard Deitsch, The Athletic
A behind-the-scenes change at CBS has a new director in charge of the Final Four. Meet Mark Grant, who plans to give it a new look on TV.
Premier League ditches plans for Drive to Survive-style Netflix documentary
Joey D’Urso, The Athletic
Talks with the film company behind a potential behind-the-scenes series on England’s top flight had been underway for many months. However the negotiations have broken down and no such series will be made with British-based Box To Box Films, run by producers James Gay-Rees and Paul Martin.
Longtime reporter Holly Rowe re-signs with ESPN
Michael Dixon, Awful Announcing
Holly Rowe, one of ESPN’s most visible reporters, will remain with the network for the foreseeable future.
Watching Your Favorite Team Could Cost You More Than Netflix
Austin Carr and Gerry Smith, Bloomberg
Regional sports networks are looking for ways to lure cord-cutters—without cannibalizing their cable business.
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Bills’ Damar Hamlin meets President Biden, lauded for ‘courage’
Alaina Getzenberg, ESPN
According to a statement from the White House, the conversation between the two included Biden “thanking Damar for his courage, resilience, and can-do spirit which has inspired the American people.” Biden also commended Hamlin for his efforts, including through legislation, “to bring people together and making life-saving technologies more widely available.”
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Tatum, Brown help Celtics demolish NBA-leading Bucks 140-99
Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
Jayson Tatum scored 40 points, Jaylen Brown added 30 and the Celtics steamrolled the NBA-leading Bucks 140-99 on Thursday night. The Celtics (53-24) shot 22 of 43 from 3-point range and moved within two games of the Bucks (55-22).
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The T.B.S. Generation Keeps Atlanta Baseball Thriving
James Wagner, The New York Times
Having grown up watching Atlanta dominate baseball, stars from the area like Matt Olson, Michael Harris II and Collin McHugh were eager to continue that tradition.
Food at your favorite ballpark is probably going to be more expensive
Jessica Golden, CNBC
Among the areas seeing the harshest pricing pressure: ballpark hot dogs and plastic packaging.
How Fanatics and MLB are planning to keep the trading card boom going
Ian Thomas, CNBC
Fanatics has taken over as MLB’s baseball cards partner, and the company and league have ideas about how to engage fans and make more collectibles money.
Cubs’ Marcus Stroman called for MLB’s first clock violation
Bradford Doolittle, ESPN
Cubs starter Marcus Stroman was called for a pitch clock violation during the third inning of Chicago’s season-opening 4-0 win over Milwaukee on Thursday, making him the first player to be penalized under the new rule during a regular-season game.
Seattle Mariners Marketers Are Pitching a Rare Doubleheader of Iconic Events
Jason Notte, Adweek
After making baseball’s playoffs for the first time in two decades, the team will host the MLB All-Star Game and NHL Winter Classic.
Miami Marlins collaborate with The Famous Group to create unique drone hype video
Tom Friend, Sports Business Journal
After the Marlins hosted the Drone Racing League at loanDepot park, the club came up with a new way to incorporate drone technology into their marketing strategy.
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Iowa’s Caitlin Clark wins AP Player of the Year
Doug Feinberg, The Associated Press
Clark was honored Thursday as The Associated Press women’s basketball Player of the Year. She received 20 votes from the 28-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week. Voting was done before March Madness began.
Final Four: Last year’s bluebloods are this year’s no-names
Eddie Pells, The Associated Press
Of the four programs descending on Houston this week, only one has ever sniffed a Final Four before. It’s the first time in 53 years that has happened.
LSU’s Angel Reese Leads NCAA Basketball In NIL Deals
Amanda Christovich, Front Office Sports
LSU forward Angel Reese isn’t just leading her team to the Final Four. She’s also leading the entire sport in name, image, and likeness deals. The 2023 AP All-American has inked a total of 17 NIL deals, according to a recent SponsorUnited report. Only four other Division I athletes have more than her — and none of them play basketball.
South Carolina Women’s Basketball Is the Team That Never Gets Tired
Rachel Bachman, The Wall Street Journal
Coach Dawn Staley has built the Gamecocks into a deep, dominant force. They are two wins away from their second consecutive NCAA title.
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Manchester United back in the black ahead of potential sale
Yadarisa Shabong and Eva Mathews, Reuters
Manchester United swung to a second-quarter net profit on the back of higher commercial revenue and lower wages, the club said on Thursday. Net profit came in at 6.3 million pounds ($7.78 million) in the three months to Dec. 31, against a 1.4 million pound loss a year earlier.
Premier League Clubs Accused of Avoiding £470 Million in Tax
Ali Asad Zulfiqar, Bloomberg
Football clubs in England’s top division have been accused of avoiding tax on an industrial scale, with the Premier League alone accounting for £470 million ($582 million) in lost taxes since 2015.
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Opinions, Perspectives and Research
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