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Manfred on MLB: "A Good Year"
Sport & Story Daily Oct. 28, 2024: Perhaps in an attempt at humility, MBL commissioner Rob Manfred says this series will impact league "in a good way"
Manfred Downplays This Series’ Impact; More WNBA and College Firings!
October 28, 2024
Good morning! Manfred says league will be impacted by this series “in a good way”
Getty Images
Manfred Touts MLB Season: “We’ve Had a Good Year”
MLB revenues will be higher in 2024 than they were in 2023, commissioner Rob Manfred said Saturday before Game 2 of the World Series. MLB’s revenue was reportedly $11.6B last year, and there’s no denying the 2024 World Series matchup of the Yankees and Dodgers has helped in a positive way for the league financially.
“I don’t have a number that I’m prepared to use right now,” Manfred said. “It will be impacted by this, certainly will be impacted by this, in a good way.”
Sports Business Journal
Reese Getting Signature Shoe With Reebok Extension
Chicago Sky F Angel Reese has agreed to a multiyear endorsement contract extension with Reebok, including a “signature shoe release” in 2026. Reebok Head of Basketball Jide Osifeso said the company will work on a "ground-up build" of Reese's "signature silhouette." She is one of five active WNBA players with a signature shoe deal.
Sports Business Journal
AP Photo/Julio Cortez
World Series Off to Best Viewership Start Since 2017, Averaging 14.55 Million Viewers
According to AP News, the World Series is averaging 14.55 million viewers through two games, the best start for the Fall Classic since 2017.
Saturday’s 4-2 victory by the Los Angeles Dodgers over the New York Yankees averaged 13.44 million on Fox, Fox Deportes and streaming. That is a 65% increase over last year’s Game 2, which, at 8.15 million, was the second least-viewed World Series game on record.
It was the most-viewed Game 2 since 2018, when the Dodgers-Red Sox matchup averaged 13.51 million.
According to Nielsen, Saturday’s audience peaked at 16.35 million during the ninth inning.
AP News
Fubo Adds Chicago Sports Network to Streaming Lineup
Per the SBJ, FuboTV has agreed to add the Chicago Sports Network to its streaming lineup. This comes as many other Chicago-area viewers, including Comcast subscribers, “remain unable to tune in” since the new RSN hit the airwaves Oct. 1. Fubo will include CHSN for subscribers in the Chicago market “as part of its base Pro plan,” which costs $79.99 per month, with a “$20 discount off the first month.”
Sports Business Journal
ESPN+ Game Hits 16-Year NFL Viewership Low
SBJ’s Austin Karp writes, “Monday’s Chargers-Cardinals game on ESPN+ was the first time an NFL game drew fewer than 2 million viewers since 2008. At least, it’s the first time we know about it. An industry source said that ProFootballTalk’s report of 1.8 million viewers for the "Monday Night Football" ESPN+ exclusive is relatively accurate. The last reported viewership number under 2 million came for an NFL Network exclusive broadcast of Raiders-Chargers in December 2008.”
Sports Business Journal
AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File
Indiana Fever Fire Coach Christie Sides, Becoming 6th WNBA Team to Make a Change
The Indiana Fever has fired coach Christie Sides. Sides went 33-47 in her two seasons with the squad, including 20-20 this season. The Fever made the playoffs as the sixth seed and were swept by the Connecticut Sun in the first round.
As AP News’ Doug Fineberg writes, “Whoever takes over the Fever will have a strong young core to work with, led by Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. The pair have won the last two WNBA Rookie of the Year awards.”
AP News
OKC Triple-A Club Unveils New Comets Identity
On Saturday night, the Oklahoma City Baseball Club announced that it had changed its name to the Oklahoma City Comets in honor of Oklahoma’s own Mickey Mantle.
Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Okla., before his family moved to nearby Commerce, Okla. He eventually earned the nickname, “The Commerce Comet,” during his Hall of Fame career with the Yankees.
Sports Business Journal
AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith, File
Rice Fires Seventh-Year Coach Mike Bloomgren as Program Heads Toward 10th Straight Losing Season
Rice fired seventh-year coach Mike Bloomgren on Sunday with the program headed toward a 10th straight losing season following losses in six of eight games. Per AP News, Pete Alamar, the associate head coach and special teams coordinator, will serve as interim head coach for the rest of the season, athletic director Tommy McClelland said.
AP News
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