Any Given Sunday ... On Netflix?

Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria “disrupted the sports media status quo” by expressing interest in the NFL’s slate of Sunday afternoon games

February 19, 2025

Netflix’s Bela Bajaria, in Hypothetical, Expresses Preference for Sunday Afternoon NFL Window
Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria “disrupted the sports media status quo” over the weekend when she “expressed interest” in the NFL’s slate of Sunday afternoon games should those rights eventually come to market at the end of the decade, according to John Ourand of PUCK via SBJ. On a two-part episode of “The Town” podcast, Bajaria said that she is “definitely” interested in the Sunday afternoon games, which currently air on CBS and Fox. Meanwhile, Bajaria was “much more guarded” when asked about Netflix’s interest in other sports rights -- such as UFC and F1 -- and “the optics of it all.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Scott Boras Calls Out MLB Owners As Vlad Guerrero Jr. Faces Free Agency
FOS’ Eric Fisher writes, “MLB’s offseason hot-stove period, now giving way to spring training camps, contained plenty of big-dollar deals, and even a historic one with Juan Soto. In the eyes of some agents and stars, however, it’s still not enough. 

“Scott Boras, agent to Soto and many other MLB players, lamented the spending patterns over the winter that still have left five clubs with sub-$100 million payrolls for the 2025 season according to current luxury tax calculations.”
^{Front Office Sports}

Ownership Group Emerges Looking to Bring WNBA to Boston
Boston is “taking a significant step closer to a WNBA team,” as an ownership group led by actor/singer Donnie Wahlberg and former NBAer Michael Carter-Williams is “planning to prepare an offer for an expansion team,” according to Gary Washburn of the BOSTON GLOBE. The Wahlberg/Carter-Williams group, named Boston Women’s Basketball Partners, would “have to officially apply for a team and then be approved by the league’s owners, as well as pay an expansion fee.”
^{Boston Globe via Sports Business Journal}

Justin Timberlake Invests in TGL’s Jupiter Links
Actor/musician Justin Timberlake has joined Jupiter Links GC as a limited partner with the TGL club led by Tiger Woods. Timberlake was an early investor in TMRW Sports, the venture behind TGL, having been announced as joining in November 2022. LPGA Tour golfer Rose Zhang joined the ownership group of The Bay Golf Club, another TGL club.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Reggie Miller Will Be Lead Game Analyst When NBC Begins its NBA Coverage Next Season
Reggie Miller will be NBC Sports’ lead game analyst when it begins its coverage of the NBA next season, the network announced Tuesday. Miller has been one of TNT Sports lead NBA analysts for 20 years. He called his 18th All-Star Game this past weekend. Coincidentally, some of the top moments in Miller’s 18-year playing career with the Indiana Pacers occurred on NBC, which carried NBA games from 1990 through 2002.
^{AP News}

Notre Dame Hires Ja’Juan Seider Away From Penn State to Coach Running Backs
Notre Dame has hired running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider away from Penn State to do the same job for the Irish. Seider had been the Nittany Lions’ running backs coach since 2018 and was promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2022 and assistant head coach in 2023.

He coached 1,000-yard rushers Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen this past season, and this year he will work with one of the nation’s top returning backs in Notre Dame 1,100-yard rusher Jeremiyah Love. He takes over for Deland McCullough, who left to coach the Las Vegas Raiders’ running backs.
^{AP News}

AEG Global Partnerships Promotes Baker, Silvers
AEG Global Partnerships has promoted co-COOs Nick Baker and Russell Silvers to co-Presidents and COOs. The two will oversee sponsorship sales for AEG’s entire international portfolio of more than 130 properties, including venues and sports, as well as administrative operations.

The duo generated more than $750M in annual revenue for AEG Global Partnerships last year and manage more than $3B in contractually obligated income in sponsorship and premium seating revenue. In 2021, they co-led negotiations for the record-breaking 20-year, $750M Crypto.com Arena naming rights deal.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Angel City Names President of Business Ops
Angel City FC has appointed United Talent Agency Chief Strategy & Corporate Development Officer Carmen Bona as the club’s first President of Business Operations. In this newly created role, Bona will lead Angel City’s business functions with the aim of driving revenue growth. She will work with Angel City co-founder Julie Uhrman to expand revenue opportunities across sponsorships, ticketing and merchandising, and enhance fan and community engagement.
^{Sports Business Journal}

MLB Expects Rays’ Steinbrenner Field Expenses to Hit $50 Million
Sportico’s Barry M. Bloom writes, “Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred couldn’t put an exact price on how much it’s going to cost to bring Sutter Home Park in West Sacramento up to Major League standards for the Athletics this season. But he was pretty explicit about the cost to get Steinbrenner Field in Tampa up to par for the Rays: $50 million.”
^Sportico

In Stadium Renaming News: 👇🏼

New Name Coming to Suns Arena - SI
Firing a New Rocket: Cavs’ Arena Getting Slight Name Change - SBJ

Looking to fill an open position with top talent in the sports media industry? Advertise in the Sport & Story Daily to reach over 25,000 senior-level executives and professionals—and connect your job opportunity with the right audience.

Iowa State Unveils Plan for Entertainment Complex Between Football and Basketball Venues
Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard unveiled a master plan Tuesday for a 94-acre development between the schools’ football stadium and basketball arena. The development between Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum will be called CyTown and is scheduled to open in fall 2027.

The entertainment complex will be open to the general public year-round and the hub of activity on football game days. Construction cost is estimated at $175-225 million, with the master developer, Goldenrod Companies of Omaha, Nebraska, arranging financing. ISU will have no debt obligation.
^{AP News}

Place your brand in front of the Sport & Story Daily audience and connect with the most influential people in sports.

Thanks for reading!

Sport & Story Daily is the sports industry’s daily resource for business news. In addition to serving up exclusive trends, Q&As, and columns, the newsletter connects readers to top platforms and stories from across the sports landscape.

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here!

Feel free to read our Privacy Policy