College Sports = Bread & Butter

SBJ’s Mollie Cahillane writes, “As upfronts loom, Disney and ESPN see college sports as a key area in advertising attention and investment, accounting for nearly 40% of total sports ad revenue.”

May 6, 2025

College Sports a Key Driver of Disney/ESPN’s Advertising, Viewing Strategy
SBJ’s Mollie Cahillane writes, “As upfronts loom, Disney and ESPN see college sports as a key area in advertising attention and investment, accounting for nearly 40% of total sports ad revenue. That’s 42% year-over-year growth, and up 50% from 2023.

“To nobody’s surprise, College football and basketball are the biggest drivers of revenue. But there is ample opportunity elsewhere -- to the tune of 363 brands investing in other sports across ESPN airwaves. In terms of spring campaigns, sports like gymnastics, baseball and softball are key areas.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

MLS Sponsorships Spike as U.S. Soccer Gains Popularity
CNBC’s Lillian Rizzo reports: “So far this year, MLS sponsorship revenue is up double digits compared to 2024. Last year, Michelob Ultra became the official beer sponsor of MLS, and in 2023, sportswear giant Adidas reupped its partnership with the league. Brands are gravitating toward the fledgling league, especially as it’s enjoyed a recent surge in ticket and merch sales since global soccer superstar Lionel Messi joined MLS’s Inter Miami CF in 2023.
^CNBC

Saudi Arabia's PIF Nearing $5 Billion in Spending on LIV Golf League, Per Report
In its latest newsletter, Money in Sport reported recent filings indicate LIV Golf Investments, the parent company for worldwide LIV Golf operations, has increased its authorized share capital twice in 2025: $330 million on January 16th and a further $344.3 million on April 25th for a total of $674.3 million this year. 

By its estimates, LIV’s total funding for 2025 could reach $1 billion as soon as July or August “assuming a third capital injection by PIF of $330 million is required.” 
^Golfweek

UFL Approves Labor Pact With Players
Under the deal, which players first ratified April 17, members will see their full-season salary increase from $55,000 now to $62,005 this year, retroactive to the opening of camp, with another increase to $64,000 scheduled for 2026. More than half of that initial $7,005 increase will be paid for by eliminating a separate $4,000 housing stipend, which makes the immediate raise effectively 5.1%.
^{Sports Business Journal}

New SBJ Vertical to Focus On Women’s Sports
Executive Editor and Publisher Abe Madkour made the announcement to a packed house at the CAA World Congress of Sports in Nashville in late April. Response has been overwhelmingly positive. A newsletter, written by Rachel Axon, will debut May 13 and be sent every other week.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Former NFL Coach Jon Gruden Taking on Ownership-Advisory Role With Nashville’s Arena Football Team
Gruden, 61, hasn’t been involved in a U.S. professional team in an official capacity since resigning as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders midway through the 2021 season over emails he sent before being hired that included racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments. Gruden did some consulting with the New Orleans Saints in 2023 but did not officially join the staff.
^{AP News}

L.A. Kings GM Rob Blake Will Not Return in 2025-26
The Athletic’s Eric Stephens reports: “The move comes after the Kings lost four consecutive first-round playoff games and had their season ended by the Edmonton Oilers for a fourth consecutive year. Blake, who had held his roles since April 2017, was without a contract for next season, with his current three-year deal expiring.”
^{The Athletic}

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Warriors, Valkyries Rebrand GSW Sports as ‘Golden State’
Sportico’s Kurt Badenhausen writes, “Joe Lacob and Peter Guber bought the Golden State Warriors in 2010 for $450 million when the team was a tenant in Oracle Arena, the NBA’s oldest building. Fifteen years later, the Warriors have evolved into a multiclub business with an arena they own and thriving mixed-use development outside of it. The evolution has resulted in a new corporate name for what was GSW Sports: Golden State.

“Golden State Group is the official name of the entity and encompasses the Warriors, WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries, G League’s Santa Cruz Warriors, production company Golden State Entertainment, 11-acre mixed-use development Thrive City and the $1.4 billion Chase Center.”
^Sportico

Washington to Host the 2027 NFL Draft on the National Mall, President Donald Trump Says
“The draft has really become one of the great entertainment and sports events,” NFL Commissioner Goodell said, trumpeting the popularity of the draft in recent years. “It will not just be an event. It will be something that will show the world how far the nation’s capital has come and where it’s going.”

SBJ also weighed in on the vision draft planners have: “We have a wonderful [stage] facility that we’ve built; how do you use that on Wednesday? How do you use that on a Sunday?” NFL executive Jon Barker asked rhetorically. “Is there a way to build or program more around the draft, in a way that’s a celebration of not only football, but the community and team that’s hosting it? I don’t think we’ve seen the last iteration of the draft. I fully expect it to grow more.”
^{AP News, Sports Business Journal}

National Women’s Soccer League Moving Headquarters to 551 Fifth Ave.
The New York Post’s Steve Cuozzo writes, “Midtown north of 42nd Street, home to both the NFL and MLB headquarters, will soon have another sports front office: the National Women’s Soccer League … The NWSL is relocating and expanding from 292 Madison Ave. Its new digs will have 21,000 square feet on a full floor, twice as much as at its old address.”
^{The New York Post}

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