WNBA's Expansion is Official

Last Year’s WNBA Success Means Four More Games in 2025 and a 13th Franchise

December 4, 2024

Good morning! Front Office Sports predicts Caitlin Clark will be “heavily featured”

Clark vs. Reese, Valkyries Debut Highlight WNBA Schedule Release
FOS’ Colin Salao writes, “The WNBA is following up a banner year with a record-long regular season and the addition of a 13th franchise. On Monday, the league announced the 2025 WNBA season schedule, which will feature 44 games per team—up from 40 last season—the most in history. The season kicks off May 16 and ends Sept. 11.

“The national TV schedule has yet to be announced, but it’s likely Clark and the Fever—who had 36 of 40 games on national TV last year—will be heavily featured.”
^{Front Office Sports}

A-Rod, Lore Fight for Timberwolves, Lynx to Head Into 2025
Sportico’s Eben Novy-Williams and Michael McCann report: “The legal fight over ownership of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx likely won’t be resolved until January, at the earliest, according to multiple people familiar with the ongoing arbitration process. The legal teams for current owner Glen Taylor and prospective buyers Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore are scheduled to answer final questions of clarification with the three-person arbitration panel in early January, said the people, who were granted anonymity because the matter is not public.
^Sportico

ESPN, Stephen A. Smith Negotiating Historic Deal Nearing 6 Years, $120 Million: Sources
The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand writes, “The near $20 million per year contract is not yet completed. While Variety reported that a deal was close to fruition, one very important [point] appears unsatisfied where things stand. That person is Stephen A. Smith.” Smith texted the source, “Here’s my quote, ‘I was born AT NIGHT, not last night. I don’t talk about my contract negotiations. Never have. Never will.”

The $20 million a year would be the most ever paid to an ESPN on-air personality without it being tied to a licensing deal.
^{The Athletic}

NFL Sees Thanksgiving TV Audience Records
SBJ’s Austin Karp writes, “Despite fears of lackluster matchups headed into the holiday, the NFL saw its most-watched slate of Thanksgiving Day games on record, with the three matchups across Fox, CBS and NBC averaging 34.2 million viewers (Nielsen Media records date back to 1988). That edges out the 34.1 million viewers last year. Fox led the way with 38.8 million viewers for Giants-Cowboys in the late window, marking the fourth-best Thanksgiving game on record, as well as the fifth-best NFL regular-season game on record (also dating back to 1988).”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Amazon to Air Documentary About Real Madrid’s 2023-24 Champions League Win
A documentary about Real Madrid’s Champions League triumph in the 2023-24 season will be released on Amazon Prime in the near future. Sources briefed on the matter, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, have confirmed to The Athletic that the documentary will be announced in the next few days and then air shortly after.
^{The Athletic}

Overtime is Dipping Into College Football. What Next?
SBJ’s Ben Portnoy writes, “Overtime has made its name in basketball, but college football is increasingly racking up the views. The company launched a trio of podcasts this fall with Colorado stars Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, along with LSU basketball standout Flau’jae Johnson. So far, they’ve tallied over 200 million views via earned media, the company said.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Michigan Fires Offensive Coordinator Kirk Campbell After Wolverines Ranked No. 128 in Total Offense for 2024
Michigan fired offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell after one season under coach Sherrone Moore, the school announced Tuesday. Campbell was hired as quarterbacks coach under Jim Harbaugh and helped the Wolverines win the 2023 national championship. When Harbaugh left, Moore was promoted to coach and Campbell to offensive coordinator and play caller. However, the Michigan offense fell apart in Campbell's only season, dropping from No. 69 to 128.
^{CBS Sports}

Bears’ Warren, Poles to Collaborate on Head Coach Search
Bears President Kevin Warren and GM Ryan Poles said yesterday at the team's news conference that they would "work ‘in tandem’ to find the team’s next head coach," according to Colleen Kane of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE via SBJ. Warren said that Poles will "remain the GM" and "will be the ‘point person’ in identifying the replacement" for recently fired head coach Matt Eberflus.
^{Chicago Tribune via Sports Business Journal}

FIFA Names Wave’s Jill Ellis Chief Football Officer
FIFA has named San Diego Wave FC President Jill Ellis to the new position of Chief Football Officer. In this role, Ellis will serve as part of the governing body’s executive management team and drive the development and implementation of FIFA’s global football strategy. In her new role, Ellis—who also coached the USWNT to Women's World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019—will work alongside FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Commanders Hire Campbell’s CEO Mark Clouse as Team President
The Washington Commanders have hired veteran packaged food executive Mark Clouse as their new team president. Clouse has been CEO of The Campbell’s Company for six years and recently completed a wide-ranging deal with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment to sponsor every team in that company’s portfolio and the Commanders.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Farhan Zaidi Talking to Dodgers About Front Office Role: Sources
The Los Angeles Dodgers are talking to their former general manager and ex-San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi about returning to the organization, league sources told The Athletic on Tuesday. No deal has reportedly been finalized, and the role Zaidi would play in the Dodgers’ front office is unclear. But as The Athletic points out, the Dodgers would be a logical landing spot for the former Athletics, Dodgers and Giants executive, who lost his job with San Francisco in September.
^{The Athletic}

With the Maui Invitational Returning to its Scenic Lahaina Home, Questions Emerge about Tournament's Future
CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander writes, “What the Maui Invitational means to the island is a kinship. Its return to Lahaina was significant not just for the people of Maui, but because of the timing amid the modern landscape of college sports.

“There is a catch to the glamour and prestige of a Maui invite: Schools lose a lot of money for the opportunity to play on a huge stage in a small gym. Sources that played both in this year's tournament and have played in previous versions all said the price is easily north of $400,000, with some schools putting the cost well above $450,000 when taking charter flights into account.”
^{CBS Sports}

IRS is Coming After NIL Collectives (Sort Of)
SBJ’s Ben Portnoy reports: “A letter from the IRS on Monday specifically mentioned smarter enforcement around NIL collectives as a priority for the 2025 fiscal year: Among the priorities was for agency employees to ‘collaborate across [the] IRS on highly complex and or emerging issues including, but not limited to, examinations of tax-exempt hospitals, tax-exempt collectives utilizing NIL, and elective payment for certain clean energy credits.’ The note isn’t so much a warning as it is a continuation of ongoing discussions around NIL collectives.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

^⇢ 🏈⇢🏈⇢ Yahoo Sports also featured Flip Watch: Ten prospects that may make a change on National Signing Day

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