Fan Engagement = Name of Game

The importance of enhancing fan engagement to drive incremental revenue has never been more crucial than in today's landscape, and Sport & Story is thrilled to be leading the charge.

June 6, 2025

Sport & Story Wins Best Fan Engagement Tool at 2025 Cynopsis Sports Media Awards
Sport & Story is proud to announce that its SEC Fan Engagement Platforms have officially won Best Fan Engagement Tool at the prestigious 2025 Cynopsis Sports Media Awards.

The importance of enhancing fan engagement to drive incremental revenue has never been more crucial than in today's landscape, and Sport & Story is thrilled to be leading the charge. Launched in partnership with schools including LSU, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Auburn, the fan engagement platforms deliver premium original content while allowing athletic departments to build more authentic, valuable relationships with their fans.

“This award is a testament to the platforms we’ve built with our forward-thinking partners—who are setting a new standard for how to connect with their fans and build a more sustainable future in an ever-evolving media landscape,” said Victor Vitarelli, President of Sport & Story.
^{Sport & Story}

What the Trump Travel Ban Means for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games
AP News’ Graham Dunbar writes, “U.S. President Donald Trump often says the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are among the events he is most excited about in his second term. Yet there is significant uncertainty regarding visa policies for foreign visitors planning trips to the U.S. for the two biggest events in sports.

“Trump’s latest travel ban on citizens from 12 countries added new questions about the impact on the World Cup and the Summer Olympics, which depend on hosts opening their doors to the world…”
^{AP News}

ESPN Is Ready to Introduce Fans to Its “Next Era” As Streaming Launch Looms
THR’s Alex Weprin writes, “ESPN will use this year’s NBA Finals to tee up its big bet on direct-to-consumer. The sports giant will debut a new brand campaign with the tagline ‘Sports Forever’ during the series, leaning into its heritage on TV, and setting the stage for its “next era” on whatever device viewers choose.”
^{The Hollywood Reporter}

DAZN, TNT Sports Announce Club World Cup Broadcasting Team
Alex Scott, Lauren Jbara and Katie Witham will be hosts in the studio, with color commentators Brian Dunseth, Steve McManaman and Brad Guzan joining play-by-play voices Luke Wileman, Tony Husband, Andres Cantor and Kevin Egan.

DAZN’s $1billion deal for the global broadcast rights to the 63 games at the expanded Club World Cup was announced in December. In March, DAZN and TNT announced they had reached an agreement for the latter to show 24 matches in the U.S.
^{The Athletic}

White Sox Owner Jerry Reinsdorf Reaches Agreement With Justin Ishbia for Future Controlling Stake
The team announced in a press release on Thursday that owner Jerry Reinsdorf has reached an agreement with billionaire investor Justin Ishbia to potentially sell his majority stake as soon as 2029.

According to the release, the "long-term investment agreement" gives Reinsdorf the "option" to sell his controlling stake to Ishbia between 2029 and 2033. Ishbia currently holds a minority stake in the team.
^{Yahoo! Sports}

FIFA Signs Another Saudi Deal With Sovereign Wealth Fund PIF Backing Club World Cup
AP News’ Graham Dunbar reports: “FIFA took another Saudi Arabian investment Thursday for the U.S.-hosted Club World Cup, announcing a top-tier commercial deal with the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, which holds majority ownership of one of the 32 teams playing.

“The Saudi state’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is the 75% owner of Riyadh club Al-Hilal, one of four teams in the national league it has controlled since 2023. PIF also created the LIV Golf project.”
^{AP News}

‘We Want WrestleMania to Come to London’: Mayor Makes Pitch to WWE Legend Triple HMatt Elliott to be named Wendy Hensel's pick as new Hawaii athletic directorMatt Elliott to be named Wendy Hensel's pick as new Hawaii athletic directorMatt Elliott to be named Wendy Hensel's pick as new Hawaii athletic directorMatt Elliott to be named Wendy Hensel's pick as new Hawaii athletic director
CNBC’s Arjun Khapal writes, “Speculation has been rife about London as a destination since 2023 when wrestling legend John Cena made a surprise appearance at a show in the city and gave backing to the idea of bringing WrestleMania to the British capital.

“If the event, dubbed the ‘Super Bowl of Wrestling,’ were to come to the U.K.’s capital city, it would be the first time the event is hosted outside of North America.

“[World Wrestling Entertainment legend Paul] Levesque, whose ring name is Triple H, is now chief content officer of the WWE. Khan held talks with Levesque in July last year, adding to the speculation. He then made a further pitch for London during the CNBC interview.”
^CNBC

MLB Optimistic Rays Will Return to Tropicana Field by Start of 2026 Season
MLB officials “remain optimistic” work will be completed in time for the Rays to return to Tropicana Field for the 2026 season, according to Marc Topkin of the TAMPA BAY TIMES via SBJ. However, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred did acknowledge “two caveats.” One is exactly “when the stadium will be ready to host a game,” as Manfred said they are expecting “either for opening day or very shortly thereafter.”
^{Tampa Bay Times via Sports Business Journal}

Playfly Aspire Names Gil Beverly President as Part of Deeper Strategic Shift into Premium Hospitality and Fan Experience
Playfly Sports, the sports industry’s leading revenue maximization company, has named Gil Beverly as President of Playfly Aspire. This appointment signals a strategic emphasis on delivering enhanced premium hospitality and comprehensive fan experience solutions to clients. Central to this evolution is Playfly’s increased commitment to providing capital investment to fuel partner initiatives—creating win-win partnerships that unlock new revenue streams and long-term value. This integrated and proactive approach comes at a critical time for college athletics and the broader world of sport, as financial pressures are driving demand for bold, innovative revenue strategies.
^{Playfly Sports}

LIV Golf Officially Brings on Chris Heck as League President
SBJ’s Josh Carpenter reports: “Heck joins LIV after serving as president of business operations for Premier League club Aston Villa for nearly two years. He has a long history with O’Neil. The two were at Villanova for the same four years from 1988-92, both worked in the NBA league office in the early to mid-2000s, and both also had high-ranking roles in the 76ers front office for nearly a decade. O’Neil left the Sixers as their CEO in 2021, while Heck, the team’s president, departed a year later.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

USA Gymnastics CEO Li Li Leung to Step Down at End of Year
USA Gymnastics CEO Li Li Leung will leave her role at the end of the year after a six-year run in which she led the NGB out of crisis and rebuilt the organization. Her departure comes after a drastic turnaround for the national governing body, which she has led since March 2019 and took over following one of the worst sexual abuse crises in sport. Under Leung’s leadership, USA Gymnastics instituted governance reforms and cultural changes to better protect and support athletes and has allowed the organization to return to competitive and commercial success.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Bruins Name Ex-Forward Marco Sturm as Head Coach After Missing Playoffs for First Time Since 2016
AP News’ Jimmy Golen writes, “The Bruins picked the 46-year-old German to replace interim coach Joe Sacco, who took over from Jim Montgomery in November and led the team to a 25-30-7 record — much of it after a trade deadline roster purge. Sturm, who spent the past three seasons as head coach of the AHL’s Ontario Reign and coached Germany to a silver medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, is a former Boston player — just like Bruins president Cam Neely and general manager Don Sweeney.”
^{AP News}

Matt Elliott to Be Named Wendy Hensel’s Pick as New Hawaii Athletic DirectorMatt Elliott to be named Wendy Hensel's pick as new Hawaii athletic directorMatt Elliott to be named Wendy Hensel's pick as new Hawaii athletic directorMatt Elliott to be named Wendy Hensel's pick as new Hawaii athletic directorMatt Elliott to be named Wendy Hensel's pick as new Hawaii athletic director
Elliott, per sources, was one of four finalists who interviewed in person on Oahu in recent days. Prior to moving to Hawaii and working at the HCF, he was at UCLA for more than a decade through 2023. As the Bruins’ chief strategy officer, he served as the point person for the school’s logistically challenging jump in 2024 from the Pac-12 Conference to the Big Ten, which includes several schools in the Eastern Time Zone.
^{Sports Business Journal}

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