Sport & Story Daily August 16, 2024

Interactive Stadium Experience

August 16, 2024

Good morning! From Athlete to Entrepreneur

Ballmer’s $2B Intuit Dome: ‘You Have To Come See This’
Los Angeles Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker traveled to many stadiums for inspiration on what upgrades to put into Intuit Dome. Design notes were also taken from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer’s own living room. Ballmer wanted fans to experience a modern at-home experience with a comfortable seat, clear view and convenient trips to the kitchen and bathroom. Ballmer tested 40 kinds of seat cushions and chose the most comfy one for the stadium. The seats will also have their own phone chargers, remote control buttons and dynamic LED lights.
^Sportico

Women’s Sports Still a Rare Investment Among Fortune 500 Companies
Many of the U.S.’s biggest companies are not spending their ad dollars on women’s pro sports. Only 33 companies in the Fortune 500 (6%) have leave or team sponsorship deals with the WNBA, NWSL and PWHL. However, 20% of Fortune 500 companies sponsor the NBA, MLS and NHL. Ally Financial is one of the biggest women’s sports contributors. They launched its 50/50 Pledge with the aim of parity in ad dollars spent in women’s and men’s sports.
^{Front Office Sports}

MLBPA Sues Pirates, Sheetz Over Alleged Unauthorized Player NIL Use
The MLB Players Association filed a lawsuit against the Pirates and gas station chain Sheetz over allegations the team and gas station chain “wrongfully exploited” the likeness of players without the approval of the union. Sheetz can use each player's image only three times annually under the terms of the patch deal worth $100,000 per year. Sheetz supposedly used player images 24 times on social media in just a single day.
^{Front Office Sports}

Scripps Sports To Launch Brand-New Studio With WNBA Pregame Show on ION
Tonight, you will see Scripps Sports’ new broadcast studio during the WNBA Friday Night Spotlight on ION pregame show. ION is the first broadcast network to have a weekly WNBA studio show.
Quinn Pacini, VP of broadcast operations at Scripps Sports, says, “Our studio show is unique because we don’t focus on the Xs and Os on the court or on the pitch. We want to showcase player profiles, features about unique stories happening in the leagues. Our set gives us opportunities to have some dimension to how we present those stories.”
^{Sports Video Group}

Mauricio Pochettino set to become USMNT manager as U.S. Soccer lands a marquee coaching hire, per reports
Mauricio Pochettino will replace Gregg Berhalter ,who oversaw the USMNT from 2018-2024. Pochettino was recently the manager for Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham, Southampton and Espanyol. His hiring comes just in time for the USMNT to take on Canada and New Zealand in Sept.
^{CBS Sports}

With interest in Fever, Caitlin Clark skyrocketing, WNBA to host 2025 All-Star Game in Indianapolis
The WNBA All-Star Game will be played in Indianapolis in 2025. It will be the first time the city has hosted the All-Star Game. The choice for Indiana to host the game is due to the surge of interest in the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark. Clark has averaged 17.1 points, 8.2 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game so far this season with the Fever.
^{Yahoo Sports}

WNBA’s Toronto expansion seeks fan ideas for team name, colors
Toronto’s new WNBA team wants inspiration from fans when selecting its team name, colors and identity. Fans can provide their input via NameYourTeam.ca or by texting WNBA to 1-833-662-3664 through Aug. 28. The team will play at Coca-Cola Coliseum and potentially Scotiabank Arena.
^{AP Sports}

Jim Harbaugh declines Michigan offer to serve as honorary captain as he prepares for Chargers' season opener
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh will not be the honorary captain for Michigan’s home opener. He was invited to return to Michigan Stadium for the Fresno State game on Aug. 31 but has declined the offer. Harbaugh says it is because he doesn’t want to be away from his NFL squad as it prepares for its season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 8.
^{CBS 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