Netflix Claims Fight #s Beat NFL

New to Sports, Netflix’s Numbers For the Paul-Tyson Fight Could Impact the Company’s Future Decisions

February 28, 2025

Netflix Internal Data Shows Paul-Tyson Fight Easily Outdrawing NFL Christmas Doubleheader
The Netflix data also shows a clear win for Paul-Tyson over the two NFL games on Christmas Day. Those games, per the company, were the 78th- and 79th-best programs on all of Netflix during the back half of the year. Ravens-Chiefs apparently had 14.4 million views, while Chiefs-Steelers had 14.3 million views. These numbers, of course, are vastly different than the Nielsen-measured audience numbers released for the games back in December (Paul-Tyson was not measured by Nielsen).
^{Sports Business Journal}

TKO’s Shapiro Says Boxing Announcement Imminent
“When you look at boxing, it checks the boxes of all that (TKO looks for). It’s thoughtful, it’s the right strategic place for us to be, we have experts in Nick Khan and Dana White among others that can drive that business, we can be selective in how we participate and whatever we do we will not take risks and it will definitely be value accretive,” President and COO Mark Shapiro said.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Long Champions of Social Justice, Black Athletes Say Their Voices Are Needed Now More Than Ever
AP News’ Alanis Thames writes, “For WNBA veteran Natasha Cloud, speaking up about social justice is just as important as winning basketball games. Cloud has had a successful nine-year pro career that includes a WNBA championship and being the career-assists leader for her former Washington Mystics.

“Cloud believes it’s more imperative than ever for athletes across American professional sports to speak out against racial discrimination in the face of President Donald Trump’s to end government diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and as corporations and major institutions face pressure to roll back DEI policies aimed at creating opportunities for minority groups.
^{AP News}

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Post-NBA Sports Rights Spree May Be Over
Sportico’s Anthony Crupi writes, “In the wake of a recent spree that saw Warner Bros. Discovery snap up the rights for such properties as the French Open, a midseason NASCAR slate and the new women’s basketball league Unrivaled, the company may choose to sit out any upcoming sports auctions.

“Speaking to analysts during WBD’s fourth quarter earnings call Thursday, CEO David Zaslav suggested the parent company of TNT and TBS won’t necessarily look to bolster its post-NBA portfolio with a Formula 1 or UFC deal.”
^Sportico

‘Everyone Watches Women’s Sports’ Apparel Hits $6M in Revenue
Togethxr, the lifestyle brand and media company built around women’s sports—founded by current and former athletes Sue Bird, Alex Morgan, Simone Manuel and Chloe Kim, as well as chief content officer Jessica Robertson—has tallied $6 million in revenue from its “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” merchandise line in calendar year 2024. That total is double the mid-year revenue from June 2024, which included selling 20,000 units in a three-day stretch towards the end of the women’s NCAA basketball tournament in early April.
^Sportico

$2B ESPN Bet Deal in Trouble As Penn Mentions 2026 Opt-Out
The $2 billion bet by Penn Entertainment to create a large-scale sports betting brand through ESPN is showing more struggles. Penn Entertainment reported an adjusted fourth-quarter loss of $109.8 million on Thursday from its interactive division that includes ESPN Bet’s online business. Penn Entertainment’s overall results, meanwhile, $1.67 billion in revenue and $133.8 million in net losses, missed analyst forecasts.
^{Front Office Sports}

This is ‘SportsCenter’... on Disney+
The latest iteration of ESPN tentpole brand “SportsCenter” is officially here, first teased during Disney’s most recent earnings call.

“SC+” launches Monday at 9 a.m., exclusively on Disney+. On weekdays, Gary Striewski and Randy Scott will host the show, with Hannah Storm and Jay Harris taking the helm on weekends. The show will be 15 minutes – commercial free – and available on-demand following the live broadcast.
^{Sports Business Journal}

‘SBJ Inside the Industry’ Premieres on YouTube
Fans can watch “SBJ Inside the Industry” on SBJ’s YouTube channel beginning at 9:30am ET today. Episode 1 includes segments on the tech-driven fan experiences at Intuit Dome, an inside look at legendary Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and a glimpse at the $800M renovation plans for Capital One Arena in D.C. The half-hour show, which is co-produced by Monumental Sports & Entertainment and SBJ, offers insight and analysis for sports professionals and casual fans alike.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Derek Falvey Takes Over as Twins President Next Week; Dave St. Peter Moves to Advisor Role
On Monday, Derek Falvey is expected to take over as team president while St. Peter, who has held the position for the past 22 years, transitions to a strategic advisor role. The Twins originally announced plans for the transition, a series of moves that also elevated Jeremy Zoll to general manager, in November.
^{The Athletic}

Sources: Nebraska Hiring Patriots Exec Stewart as New GM
ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports: “Current Nebraska general manager Sean Padden -- who oversaw top recruiting classes in this cycle in high school recruiting and in the NCAA transfer portal -- will move to a new role of assistant AD for strategic intelligence, sources told Thamel. Padden's role will include ties to the salary cap, contract negotiations and analytics, while Stewart will run the personnel department.”
^ESPN

Washington Mystics Moving 4 Home Games to Larger Venues in Maryland and Virginia
Washington relocated its matchup against the Las Vegas Aces on July 10 to EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Va. The Mystics’ matchup against the Chicago Sky on July 8 will also be played at EagleBank Arena. Washington also moved its games against the Indiana Fever on May 28 and Sept. 7 to CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore instead of inside its usual venue, CareFirst Arena.
^{The Athletic}

Bowman Gray in Driver’s Seat for Another Clash
Bowman Gray Stadium, NASCAR’s longest-running weekly track, is the early favorite to again host the season-opening Clash exhibition race in 2026, according to people familiar with the matter, in what would be a continued sign of the sanctioning body’s commitment to the sport’s roots.
^{Sports Business Journal}

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Northern Illinois Accepts Invitation to Horizon League for Basketball, Most Other Sports
The Huskies are set to become the league’s 12th member and compete in 14 of its 19 sports starting with the 2026-27 academic year. One notable exception is football, with that program moving from the MAC to the Mountain West in 2026. NIU has also submitted a request to the MAC to allow its wrestling and gymnastics teams to remain in the league because the Horizon does not sponsor those sports.
^{UTSA and LSU}

Mountain West Conference Seeks Mediation Over $55 Million in Dispute in Pac-12 ‘Poaching’ Lawsuit
The Mountain West Conference said Thursday it is seeking mediation in the lawsuit the Pac-12 filed against it in an attempt to avoid paying $55 million in “poaching” fees for bringing five Mountain West teams into its own league. The Pac-12 and some of the schools it is adding filed lawsuits last year, claiming the poaching clause it agreed to when it signed a scheduling agreement for its football teams for last season was invalid.
^{AP News}

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