Sport & Story Daily September 20, 2024

New Fans

September 20, 2024

Good morning! Soccer fandom grows in the U.S., Deebo Samuel starts a podcast and the Mountain West Conference is growing.

Soccer fandom in US at ‘all-time high’ with new followers growing 57% YoY
A report from For Soccer revealed that those who have become fans within the last year are up 400% year-over-year. More than 45% of these new arrivals are women. The surge is largely impacted by Lionel Messi playing for Inter Miami, MLS’s global media rights deal with Apple and growth in the NWSL.
^Sportico

Altec Lansing signs on as sponsor of Raiders
Altec Lansing Legacy consumer electronics brand has signed on as a sponsor of the Raiders. The deal expands the brand’s NFL sponsorship footprint westward since it already includes the Cowboys, Dolphins and Giants.
^{Sports Business Journal}

NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace signs contract extension with Jordan-owned 23XI Racing
Bubba Wallace signed a multi-year contract extension with 23XI Racing. Wallace has driven for 23XI since its inception when Denny Hamlin saw a rumor on social media that he and Michael Jordan were partnering to start a NASCAR team centered around Wallace. Wallace is the only Black driver at NASCAR’s top level.
^{AP Sports}

Deebo Samuel Is Latest NFL Star To Dive Into Podcast Biz
While San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel rests his strained calf, he launched a podcast called Cleats and Convos. Samuel teamed up with Bleacher Report, and every Tuesday, he will interview NFL wide receivers while touching on trending topics around the league.
^Sportico

TelevisaUnivision CEO Davis out, Alegre takes over
TelevisUnivision CEO Wade Davis is stepping aside and shifting to a new role as vice chairman of the board of the company. Daniel Alegre, the former COO of Activision Blizzard and CEO of Yuga Labs will become the CEO of TelevisaUnivision.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell is selling his house to seek more privacy
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell is selling his suburban Detroit home to get more privacy after people figured out where he lived when they lost. Campbell listed the 7,800-square-foot home in Bloomfield Hills for $4.5 million.
^{AP Sports}

Address of Bayern Munich’s stadium renamed to honor Franz Beckenbauer
Bayern Munich’s home stadium will be on Franz Beckenbauer Square after the city government decided to honor the German soccer great who died in January. The name change will take effect on Jan. 7, 2025, the one-year anniversary of his death.
^{AP Sports}

Several Schools Are Interested in Joining the Mountain West
After schools left the Mountain West for the Pac-12, the conference needed to rebuild. Several schools have expressed interest in joining the Mountain West. Sacramento State and New Mexico State are just two. The conference will receive $111 million in exit fees from the departing schools and damages from the Pac-12.
^{Front Office Sports}

The NCAA’s Big Spending Problem
Over the past four fiscal years, the NCAA has spent $234 million on legal fees in battles against antitrust lawsuits and NIL litigation. The NCAA has lost repeatedly in court on NIL. In 2011, the NCAA only spent $4.1 million on legal fees compared to $61.5 million last year.
^Sportico

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