Elite High School Sports Poised for Media Rights Growth

Elite High School Sports Poised for Media Rights Growth

October 1, 2025

Elite High School Sports Poised to Become Next Lucrative Media Rights Category
ESPN’s broadcast of Mater Dei vs. St. Thomas Aquinas on Aug. 23 drew 709,000 viewers, up 180% year-over-year. A Playfly Sports–commissioned study projects elite high school sports could generate $70–135 million annually in media rights fees and $64–84 million in sponsorship revenue. “Elite high school sports is going to be one of the more valuable media rights [categories] and nationally monetized [broadcast] products in the next 10–20 years,” said Michael Schreiber, founder and executive chairman of Playfly Sports.
^{JohnWallStreet}

Amazon Prime Video teams up with FanDuel for real-time betting updates during NBA games
Amazon Prime Sports is teaming up with FanDuel. They plan to bring betting capabilities front and center during NBA games streamed on Prime Video this season. Bettors will be able to link their FanDuel accounts to their Prime Video profiles. This will allow them to see how their wagers are doing in real time.
^{CNBC Sport}

Minnesota Wild Signs Kirill Kaprizov to an Eight-year Contract Extension
The Minnesota Wild announced Kirill Kaprizov signed an eight-year, $136 million contract extension that begins in the 2026-27 season. The contract averages $17 million a year through the 2033-34 season.
^NHL

Cheryl Reeve Hit With Largest Individual Fine in WNBA History
The WNBA fined Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve $15,000 for her comments about officiating. This is believed to be the largest fine in WNBA history. Reeve said it was “f***ing malpractice” that the league determined this officiating crew was fit to work a semifinal game.
^{Front Office Sports}

Versant adds WNBA rights, including Wednesday doubleheaders, some Finals
The WNBA’s newest media partner is Versant. The 11-year deal will give USA-Network the largest bulk of games starting in 2026. NBC and Peacock still hold the games they agreed to last year. The new deal has 50 WNBA games each season. Wednesday nights will have doubleheaders on USA.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Bally’s Details Mixed-Use Development With A’s Ballpark
Bally’s Corp. unveiled plans for a 35-acre project on the Las Vegas Strip tied to the new A’s ballpark. The development will feature two luxury hotel towers with 3,000 rooms, a 2,500-seat entertainment venue, and more than 500,000 square feet of retail, dining, and entertainment space. “We are not just building an integrated resort. We are creating a landmark destination that unites sports, entertainment, dining, and hospitality on a scale only Las Vegas can deliver,” said Bally’s chair Soo Kim.
^{Front Office Sports}

NFL inks multi-year deal to play games in Rio de Janeiro from 2026
The NFL announced a multi-year commitment to play in Rio De Janeiro from 2026. The league will play a minimum of three regular season games over five years at the Brazilian city’s 78,000-seater Maracana Stadium hosting next year.
^SportsPro

Women’s Final Four Moving to Football Stadium in 2028
The NCAA announced that the women’s March Madness championship will be held inside an NFL stadium. In 2028, the Final Four will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The governing body said it will not attempt to see out the entire arena. The goal is to sell 31,000 seats, but the stadium can fit 70,000 for an NFL game.
^{Front Office Sports}

Sources: ACC adds new exec from business world
The ACC is set to name Marques Zak, head of multicultural marketing at American Express, as its first chief marketing and brand officer. Zak will oversee brand strategy across digital, social, and live experiences, reporting directly to Commissioner Jim Phillips. He previously led AmEx’s enterprise-wide multicultural marketing strategy and has held senior roles at PepsiCo and Deloitte.
^SBJ

His Cardinals legacy secure, Mozeliak makes way for fresh voices
John Mozeliak left his job as the Cardinals’ president of baseball operations on Monday. He wraps up his 30th and final season with the team. Mozeliak was part of two World Series champions in 2006 and 2011. He stated, “I do believe [change] can be a good thing. Having a fresh voice, a different perspective and new ideas will be healthy for the St. Louis Cardinals.”
^MLB

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Ex-Michigan Football Players Lose $50M Case Over Lost NIL Money
Four former Michigan football players—Denard Robinson, Braylon Edwards, Michael Martin and Shawn Crable— were dismissed in their antitrust lawsuit. They contended they were owed more than $50 million form the NCAA, Big Ten and Big Ten Network over continued use of the NIL form their college days.
^{Yahoo Sports}

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